About the K9 Guide Team

Yana Allport

K9 Guide Owner and Training Director

Yana brings over twelve years of professional dog training and instructing experience to the K9 Guide team. Her diverse background includes training and handling dogs for basic and advanced obedience, Search and Rescue, detection, Service Dogs, protection dogs, and dogs training for various sports – building a breadth of expertise very few other trainers can claim. She specializes in behavior modification and Service Dog training, combining technical expertise with a calm, clear approach that helps both dogs and their handlers succeed.

In addition to her hands-on training, Yana is also a mentor for other trainers and has assisted multiple agencies, businesses, and nonprofit organizations in developing and improving their training programs. Yana is very passionate about teaching people – guiding owners, handlers, and future trainers to build lasting, effective relationships with their canine partners.

As a mom of two young kids and an owner of high-drive working dogs, Yana understands firsthand the importance of safety, structure, and harmony in the home. She has worked with hundreds of families to create balanced environments where children and dogs can live together safely and happily. Her training methods are fun, effective, and rooted in real-world family life. Yana is also…

• A Professional Member of the International Association of Canine Professionals
• A Professional Member of the Association of Professional Dog Trainers
• Consults for the detection dog training aid company Precision Explosives
• An AKC Canine Good Citizen Evaluator
• Certified in Pet Emergency First Aid through Pet Emergency Education (we recommend everyone take this thorough course!)
• Certified in Cat and Dog First Aid through the American Red Cross

Bethany Smiley

K9 Guide Lead Trainer

Bethany brings 20 years of experience working with animals to the K9 Guide team, starting with horses before finding a passion for dog training. Over the past 14 years as a professional trainer, she has built a wide-ranging skill set that includes basic and off-leash obedience, behavior modification, service and therapy dog training, and dog sports! Bethany is a patient, kind, and knowledgeable dog training instructor, and we are lucky to have her on our team!

Beyond her work with our clients and their pups, Bethany is an accomplished dog sport competitor. She has personally competed in frisbee, FastCAT, dock diving, and weight pull, and is beginning to compete in bite sports. Her Cane Corso, Beatrix, is a multi-organization national champion in weight pull with a personal best of 13,960 lbs! Truly a testament to the bond and the training behind every dog Bethany works with.

Jacob Mayer

Trainer and Kennel Technician

After a major career change in 2019, Jacob found a passion in dog training. Since then, he has trained over 200 dogs and continues to grow! He has experience training house obedience, competitive obedience, retrieval, Service and Therapy work, protection, behavior modification, and long-term rehabilitation. He has joined K9 Guide to continue to blend new training techniques and styles into his own expertise, and is excited to learn from the unique skills of the team!

He personally competes in local dog shows in Rally Obedience, but enjoys to dabble in any dog sport. FastCAT and Dock Diving are two events that his dog Tucker loves to take advantage of whenever he can.

At K9 Guide, Jacob helps us as our Kennel Tech, ensuring that our Board & Train dogs are always handled and cared for by a trained professional. He is certified in Pet Emergency First Aid through Pet Emergency Education, CPDT-KA, and is working towards his IACP certification.