Meet the Team

Meet Ellie, the Founder of Canine Compass Dog Training!

As the founder and owner of Canine Compass Dog Training, Ellie brings more than 14 years of experience in animal training and behavior to her work with dogs and their families. Her approach is rooted in looking at the bigger picture—not simply asking, “How do we stop this behavior?” but understanding why it is happening and what the dog and family actually need in order to reach harmony. Ellie believes dogs are meant to be family members, not robots, and her goal is to help families understand their dogs, work with their individual personalities and quirks, and create a relationship that works in real life.

Ellie’s background spans a wide range of species and training disciplines. Before focusing primarily on dogs, she worked extensively with elephants and rhinoceroses, including behavior training, exercise and enrichment, and cooperative care for procedures such as blood draws and vaccinations. She has also trained medical and psychiatric service dogs alongside their handlers, working with teams supporting conditions including diabetes, epilepsy, POTS, PTSD, autism, trauma, and anxiety. These experiences shaped her belief that good training is about much more than teaching behaviors—it is about communication, problem-solving, trust, and helping animals feel confident navigating the world around them.

Today, Ellie specializes in helping families find practical solutions to challenging behavior, particularly resource guarding, aggression—including bite cases—and anxiety. She also has a particular passion for helping busy families who want to do right by their dogs but need training to fit realistically into their lives. CCDT’s in-home training model allows Ellie and her team to work with dogs where their real-life challenges happen, while involving the humans throughout the entire process. The goal isn't simply to make progress during a training session; it is to give owners the understanding, skills, and confidence to continue that progress long after the trainer leaves.

Ellie holds a Bachelor of Science degree and maintains professional credentials including Certified Professional Dog Trainer - Knowledge Assessed (CPDT-KA), Family Dog Mediator (FDM), and Fear Free Certified Professional (FFCP). At Canine Compass, she is committed to force-free, fear-free training and to building trusting, lasting relationships with the families she works with. She believes that when you understand the “why” behind a dog's behavior, you can stop simply reacting to problems and start genuinely helping the dog—and the relationship they share with their family.

With nearly six years of professional dog training experience, Jess Rush brings a thoughtful, compassionate approach to helping dogs and their people succeed together. She believes that effective training isn't just about teaching a dog what to do—it's about giving people the knowledge, communication skills, and confidence they need to understand their dog and build lasting habits at home.

Jess specializes in fear-free, tool-free training and has worked with a wide range of dogs and behavior challenges, from puppy potty and crate training to more complex reactivity and aggression cases. She takes the time to create individualized training plans that fit each dog's needs while also making sure those plans are realistic for the family's everyday life.

Before becoming a full-time trainer, Jess worked in dog daycare and boarding, where she managed a team and evaluated the temperament of thousands of dogs. She also worked with the Humane Society of Union County coordinating adoptions and helping match dogs with families where both could thrive. These experiences gave her a broad understanding of canine behavior and reinforced her belief that successful outcomes begin with supporting and educating the human on the other end of the leash.

Jess completed a year-long mentorship focused on fear-free, tool-free training and continues to pursue opportunities to expand her knowledge and skills. Clients appreciate her ability to make training approachable, encouraging, and even fun—especially when they're feeling overwhelmed or unsure of where to begin.

At Canine Compass, Jess is passionate about helping families better understand their dogs, build confidence through clear communication, and create a relationship that works in real life—not just during a training session.