ABOUT NATALIE SHOEMATE, OWNER & BEHAVIORAL SPECIALIST
Hello, my name is Natalie Shoemate and I am the owner and one of the certified dog trainers of Copilot Academy, LLC. I have been passionate about dogs my entire life. I admire their natural ability to coexist with humans and provide unquantifiable amounts of love, forgiveness and companionship. I graduated from the University of North Texas at the top of my class with a degree in Communication. Thanks to the support of family and friends, almost a decade later, I was able to start pursuing my passion for dog training full time.
I achieved the highest training certification “Dog Trainer and Behavior Specialist” through Starmark Academy™, the largest International School for Professional Dog Trainers. In addition I am a proud Associate member of The International Association of Canine Professionals & am currently certified as a Canine Good Citizen (CGC) Evaluator through the American Kennel Club (AKC).
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I have gained first hand experience with a wide variety of breeds/mixes through my additional apprenticeship under the mentorship of Mike Kaviani, Dog Behavior Program Manager for Austin Pets Alive. The diversity of issues that shelter dog’s presents has helped further fine tune my skills of handling all levels of dog behavior.
My extensive training education, degree and hands on experience has allowed me to become an effective communicator with clients. I am proud to provide training that can be easily generalized and duplicatable for my clients and their dogs long term. I use canine psychology when working with dogs and their owners to help institute guidelines and boundaries for the leadership roles within homes. I help people teach their dogs to become more responsive, obedient and well-behaved companions!
As a current and previous owner of very diverse shelter dogs, I know first-hand the challenges owners face when bringing a new member into the family. I believe and have proven that dogs have the potential to be trained at any age. My dogs have taught me just that.
ABOUT MADISON CLARK, CERTIFIED TRAINER
I was born in Washington state, where watching shows like ASPCA and Animal Hoarders deeply moved me and sparked a lifelong compassion for animals. Throughout my life, I have
volunteered at animal shelters for years at a time, learning more about dogs and helping them find the forever homes they deserve. I’ve always had dogs of various sizes and temperaments, which allowed me to develop strong skills in training them. After moving to Texas in 2006, my
passion for dog training grew alongside my love for music, making it hard to choose between the two. Now, I’m fortunate enough to pursue both careers. I have been playing music for 23
plus years and teaching Cello & Viola professionally for 4 years as of 2024. Teaching humans and dogs is a passion I enjoy and love. Last year, I trained my first service dog (Standard
Poodle named Bailey) and sought further training to help her pass her Canine Good Citizen and public access tests. This led me to Copilot Academy, where I fell in love with their balanced-
based program. The experience has been transformative. After being a client, I enrolled and completed Copilot Academy’s rigorous trainers’ program. I am excited to professionally continue to assist all owners and their dogs with their training goals in efforts to build strong, lasting partnerships.
ABOUT JENNA GARZA, CERTIFIED TRAINER AND BEHAVIORAL SPECIALIST
Hi, my name is Jenna Garza and growing up in the heart of Montana, I was surrounded by animals from a young age. Coming from a rodeo family, our dogs were always by our side,
accompanying us everywhere we went. It was no surprise that I developed a deep connection with animals and an eagerness to understand and train them.
Growing up we raised and trained our own horses and competed successfully in the rodeo world. We also trained many rodeo horses for clients and learned the importance of not only
training the animals but being able to communicate to the client the skills necessary to keep the animal performing at optimum levels. At 21, I decided to shift my focus to my first love, where I
could really help people and animals’ bonds, so I attended Starmark Academy, where I honed my skills in dog training. I returned to Montana and started my own business, providing private lessons and helping local families build strong, trusting relationships with their dogs. Along with training dogs, I worked as a vet technician to enhance my skills and knowledge in the health and wellbeing of dogs.
In search of further growth, I relocated to Killeen, Texas, where I joined Copilot Academy to expand my knowledge and experience by working with an incredible team of seasoned trainers. My goal is always to offer the best training experience, blending the techniques I’ve learned over the years with a true passion for helping both dogs and their owners live happier, healthier lives together.
