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:

  • Mountain State K9 Academy (2015)

  • Top Tier K9 (2014)

  • Dream Come True K9 (2018)

  • Whose A Good Boy Industries (2020)

  • Solid K9 Training (2022)

  • Upcoming The Good Dog Training Aggression Rehab Intensive (2023)

Monthly Mentorship:

  • Jeff Gellman (Solid K9 Training)

  • Blake Rodriguez (Dream Come True K9)

  • Brett Bailey (Whose A Good Boy Industries)

TRAINING STAFF

Abby, Trainer

Hey there, I'm Abby Frazier, a dog groomer turned dog trainer. My passion and curiosity led me to the world of dog training where I have found I love using the skills and techniques I have learned to train and strengthen the bond between pets and their humans.
Outside of work you can find me surrounded by my own fur babies and wonderful husband. I have an amazing husband who is currently serving in the United States Coast Guard and three adorable dogs of my own who fill my life with joy and teach me lessons in love and patience.
I look forward to meeting, loving and training your fur baby!

Callie, Trainer

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 Upalevelk9 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.

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.