THE PLUCKY PUPPY TEAM

Marley Muffin-Face is the original plucky puppy. Katrin adopted him from the San Diego Animal Shelter when he was just four months old. Without many new or positive experiences during his critical socialization period, he was terrified of everything, especially people. As he was getting used to his new family and environment, Marley showed remarkable strength and courage. With lots of remedial socialization, training, and behavior modification, he eventually adapted to his new home and feline and avian companions. He went on to have a distinguished career as puppy socializer and training assistant to Katrin. He passed away from old age and a life well lived at 16, and continues to be the inspiration for our work.

Plucky Puppy was founded in Portland, Oregon for dogs like Marley, whose spirit could not be vanquished by a bad start in life, and for all the lucky puppies that got everything they needed right from the beginning. We believe that a committed owner—along with appropriate socialization and effective training—can bring out the plucky puppy in any dog.

Katrin Greim, MA, CTC, CPDT-KA, is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer, Knowledge-Assessed and the owner and founder of Plucky Puppy. She received her Certificate in Training and Counseling with honors from the San Francisco SPCA Academy for Dog Trainers in 2007. She also graduated from the Canine Behavior Academy at the Marin Humane Society. In addition to providing private training, behavior consultations, and day training, she offers daycare and training and boarding and training in her home and has taught Learning Theory to aspiring dog trainers at the Whole Dog Academy. Katrin is a professional member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers, an AKC certified Canine Good Citizen evaluator and certified in Pet First Aid and CPR, and has been training dogs since 2006. She shares her life with her two children, one German Shepherd, and myriad plucky puppies who pass through her home for boarding and training.  

Meredith Wilson, CPDT-KA was the co-owner of Doggy Business LLC and is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer through the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers (CCPDT). She holds a Master's Degree in Archaeology and spent a decade working at National Parks throughout the Southwest. Meredith moved to the Northwest in 2001 and began her journey working with dogs as a dog walker. She soon developed a fascination about dog behavior and the science behind how and why dogs "tick." She and co-owner and Doug Duncan opened the Doggy Business store front in 2008 and worked with many dogs of various breeds, sizes, ages, and temperaments since that time. Currently, Meredith has a strong interest in puppy training and development, particularly focused around early socialization to better ensure easy-going, behaviorally healthy adult dogs. She also enjoys working with adolescent dogs--building impulse control and reliability around all the distractions of our busy lives. Meredith teaches "dog trainers in training" at the Whole Dog Academy, is a CATCH Canine Trainers Academy Mentor Trainer, and a Canine Good Citizen Evaluator through with AKC.

Jessica Niggemann, PDT has been working with dogs since 2018, when she welcomed home her first ever puppy, who ended up being dog-reactive, dysregulated, and anxious. She utilizes positive reinforcement, ethical and humane methods, force-free techniques, and games based training to train dogs and their guardians. She has experience with puppy training and socialization, adolescents, general life skills and manners, reactivity, and foundations for sport dog training. She enjoys helping guardians set themselves and their dogs up for success from the beginning, even before welcoming a puppy or dog into their home. Jessica is a certified Pro Dog Trainer (PDT) through Absolute Dogs and is working towards certification by the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC). She is also working on becoming a Family Dog Mediator through Kim Brophey’s L.E.G.S. course. She enjoys training her two Vizslas in life skills, scent work, agility, rally, and conformation. She loves the outdoors, especially hiking, bicycling, and gardening. She also plays the violin and is a nurse.