About Us
Fabian and Brittney Romo are the founders of PUP START and owners of Found Training Center, where they specialize in rehabilitating, rescuing, and training dogs for a variety of purposes. With years of experience working with all types of dogs, from sport and rescue dogs to family pets, they have come to understand the importance of early puppy training.
They believe that the foundations of a happy and fulfilled life for a puppy can be set as early as 8 weeks old, and are dedicated to helping puppies and their owners get off to the best start possible through their comprehensive puppy education and care services. Together, Fabian and Brittney have raised dozens of puppies and are passionate about using their expertise to help others raise well-behaved and well-adjusted pups.
Our Team
Valerie Iehl, CCPDT-KA
Pup Start Program Leader
Meet Valerie, a certified professional dog trainer with the CPDT-KA. She has spent the last two years specializing in training puppies from 8 to 24 weeks.In her career, Valerie has trained hundreds of dogs and helped develop the Pup Start Program. In her personal time, she enjoys training her own dog, Brixten, and competing in Canicross races. When they're not competing, they enjoy mountain climbing, backpacking, and relaxing at dog-friendly patios. In her free time, Valerie also enjoys spending time with her own dog, Brixten, who holds a Novice Tricks title.
Jennifer Smith, CCPDT-KA
Pup Start + Program Leader
Meet Jen Smith, a CPDT-KA certified dog trainer at Found Chicago Boarding and Training Center. She currently works in the Pup Start program, where she helps puppy parents achieve their training goals. Jen uses her experience as a dog mom and her bachelor's degree in Psychology from Prescott College to build strong relationships with each puppy and their family. By implementing structure, routine, and confidence-building techniques, Jen makes training fun for both puppies and their parents. When she's not at Pup Start, Jen enjoys crafting, yoga, dancing, and spending time with her husband and their three dogs.