Debi was born into a family with an enormous devotion to dogs, and her love for dogs has only grown stronger through the years.  At the age of seven, Debi was given a quick lesson in puppy-birth when their Golden Retriever, Amber  went into labor.  Debi was interested enough to be in the room with Amber until each puppy’s head began to appear...at which point she would run out of the room yelling, “EWE! Another one’s coming!”

Dogs had become such a part of Debi’s life that not having a four-legged companion while in college left her feeling empty.  She adopted her Dalmatian, Rugan, in the summer of 1994 just before starting her last year of college.  Shortly after Rugan came home, Debi discovered Rugan was deaf and began to train her using hand signals as a way to communicate.  Rugan remained by Debi’s side until July 15, 2009, although she will live forever in the many hearts of those she touched. 

After graduating from the University of Toledo in 1995 with a Bachelor of Science, Debi moved to Florida, and then arrived in Atlanta three years later. Her strong passion for dogs led to her involvement with Atlanta Lab Rescue in 2007 where she volunteered her time for pet transportation, adoption events and fostering dogs. Each new fostered dog offered Debi the opportunity to discover her aptitude for training and provide much needed love to the rescues, but she didn’t fall in love with any of them until her ninth foster, Jayla!  This special girl has endured two heart surgeries, but doesn’t let that stop her from learning new tricks – including how to turn on/off the light (see her videos on the Resource page)!

With her passion realized, Debi attended and graduated from Animal Behavior College as a Certified Dog Trainer.  She is president of Cool Paws, where she trains owners how to properly educate their dogs, and hopes her students are able to see how truly passionate she is about her career with animals.

Debi's approach is not one size fits all.  Programs are designed to your dog's needs in order to achieve specific results. Some of Debi's programs include:

• Off Leash Obedience
• Basic Obedience Training
• Intermediate Obedience Training

In her free time, Debi enjoys hiking trails in various parts of Georgia and attending festivals in the Atlanta area!