As the owner of Upper Level K9 I am obviously a passionate animal lover.  I currently have two German Shepherds (Boris & Shanty Girl), Buella a Belgian Malinois and an Old English Bulldog named Bob....and three cats. So I understand the challenges of fully integrating pets into your family.

I spent the first fifteen years of my professional career as a Critical Care Nurse.  Almost a decade ago I chose to pursue my own education as a dog trainer, combining my passion for helping people and dogs to live their best lives. As I considered the future, my vision included independently running my own small business and being my own boss. Thus, Up a Level K9 was born in Anchorage Alaska in 2015. My mission is to teach you and your dog a clear and consistent language that leads to a calm mindset, nurturing a happy coexistence for you and your entire family.

In 2019, I returned to my roots in the Midwest and found the perfect property for Up A Level K9. A beautiful, 20 acre rural farm site surrounded by hundreds of acres of farmland in Door County, Wisconsin. I have trained over 300 dogs here at "Dogville" and now enjoy living in a community of my human and dog clients who I see around town every week on our outings. A large part of my reward is being able to stay in contact with clients and follow their dogs for a lifetime.

I still attend continuing education programs every year to continuously improve the way we integrate our pets into our surroundings.

I help people discover the greatness in their dogs.

- Karen Wannemaker, Owner/Lead Trainer


Training Credentials:

  • Whose A Good Boy Industries (2024)

  • The Good Dog Training Aggression Rehab Intensive (2023)

  • Solid K9 Training (2022)

  • Dream Come True K9 (2018)

  • Mountain State K9 Academy (2015)

Monthly Mentorship:

  • Brett Bailey (Whose A Good Boy Industries) - Current Apprenticeship & Mentorship

TRAINING STAFF

Caleb, Trainer

Caleb is from a small town in southern Illinois just 30 minutes outside of St. Louis. He is a very ambitious and passionate young trainer. Caleb started working with animals when he began working with his local animal hospital at 16. His devotion to training formed when the vet started boarding a homeless Boerboel. After researching the breed, he found a couple videos online showing dogs performing basic obedience. This discovery blew Caleb away and started a passion he strives to fulfill. A month after graduating he joined Kennelwood Academy for Professional Dog Trainers. He graduated with his two current dogs, a Belgian Malinois (Shemp) and a Great Pyrenees mix (Simon).

Caleb is excited about starting this new chapter of his life in Door County, Wisconsin!

Callie is sixteen years old and has been working with animals her whole life. Working and training dogs has become a passion of Callie’s. In 2020 Callie took her first dog training course in Hamilton, MT. Since then, Callie has been training her own two herding dogs (Sheba and Sheerah) to be assets to her parents' family farm, just north of Sturgeon Bay, WI.

Working for Up A Level K9 has taught Callie many new skills and strategies to bring dogs to a new level of excellence. She enjoys working with the team and loves the opportunity to meet and train new dogs.

Callie, Trainer

Hi! I’m Camille Orgel, the media brain at Up A Level K9. I have a passion for creativity, storytelling and thankfully DOGS. After exploring the entertainment scene in Los Angeles for a while, I came back home in 2021 bringing with me a wealth of experience from the worlds of reality TV, YouTube, eSports, film/TV, brand marketing, social media, and the vast expanse of the world wide web.

I got connected with Karen in 2022 when we soon hit the ground running on our first video together. The creating hasn’t stopped since. I’m thankful to be apart of the team and further the excellence that is Up A Level K9.

Camille, Media

Franklin, R.A.

Meet Franklin, the resident advisor of Dogville. He leads with an iron paw and demands strict order in the kennel. Legend says that a cheerful bone exists in Franklin’s body but none has been discovered to this day.

When he’s not busy keeping his fellow canines in line, he can be found demanding order with Karen and her staff. Fearless is his middle name, order is his game.

We are privileged to have such a stoic talent amongst us. Under Franklin’s watchful eye, your dog will surely know their proper place in the kennel.