K9 Connection Staff

Tyler Muto – Owner, Training Director

Tyler started K9 Connection in 2007 to fulfill his dream of helping dogs and owners live harmonious lives together. Tyler oversees and develops the training programs at K9 Connection, and works diligently to advance our training techniques and coach the staff.

Additionally, Tyler travels the world teaching seminars to other professional trainers who want to improve their skills and learn the secrets of our success. Tyler also serves as the President of the International Association of Canine Professionals. In 2015 Tyler was selected to be an instructor for Leerburg Online University, one of the most well respected and prestigious web-based dog training companies. His personal Pack includes Lobo (Belgian Malinois), and Charlie (terrier mix). In addition to training dogs, Tyler also enjoys hiking, kung fu, meditation, and spending time with his family.

Tyler personally coaches all the staff at K9 Connection, and directs all the training programs. He is not currently accepting new clients.


Meghan Stith – Office Manager 

Meghan has been an avid dog-lover all of her life and was ecstatic to join the team of K9 Connection in August of 2018! She has a background as an Office Manager in multiple small businesses (in NY and AZ) and also has a BS in Communication along with a BA in Contemporary Ministries. She also ran her own dog sitting/dog walking business in AZ. She’s excited to learn more about dog training and dog behavior and implement the things she’s learned on her own dogs: Gandalf and Bindi. When Meghan isn’t working at K9, she loves to travel all over the world, read and sing karaoke!
 
 
 
 
 
 

Lib Gentry – Office – Daycare Attendant 

A former training client, Lib jumped at the opportunity to join the team.  Born in Rochester, Lib has called Buffalo home for the last twelve years.  His favorite color is yellow, his favorite ocean animal is the narwhal, and he lives in Elmwood Village with his pocket pit mix, Ruca. 

 

Amy Cappelli – Dog Trainer – Board & Train – Daycare Enrichment Coordinator – Kennel Manager 

Though Amy’s background is in illustration and Design, she has always had a fascination with dogs. She began fostering dogs for the City of Buffalo Animal Shelter which peeked her interest in dog behavior and behavior modification. While dealing with a particularly difficult foster dog, she sought the guidance of K9 Connection and was inspired by the leadership that turned an “un-adoptable” dog into a family companion. Since that time, Amy has strived to help others build stronger relationships with their canine companions.

Amy lives in Buffalo with her four children and a menagerie of animals, which includes a tiny pack of rescue dogs. Amy and her rescue pittie mix, Olive (a K9 Connection CGC and TDI graduate), volunteer weekly at Tapestry Charter school.

 

Barb Lenahan – Dog Trainer – Board & Train, Group Classes

Barb Lenahan has had a lifetime of loving and working with her own dogs, and has been training dogs professionally for the past fifteen years. In addition to working privately with owners and their dogs to solve problems, Barb has been teaching Puppy, Basic and Advanced Obedience, Scent Work, Rally, Canine Good Citizen and Therapy International preparation classes. Barb is certified as an AKC Canine Good Citizen Evaluator and also as a Therapy Dog International Evaluator. She owns two Dobermans, and has been successful in the obedience ring, achieving many AKC and other working titles.

Together with Dobermans she volunteers at Roswell Park Cancer Institute, bringing support, comfort and companionship to patients, families and staff.

Danielle Stuber – Dog Trainer – Board & Train, Private Lessons

Danielle started training dogs when she was 9 years old and never looked back. Although
competitive dog sports – obedience, rally, and agility – are what got her into the world of dog training, she also has enjoyed working with service dogs, fostering rescue dogs, and teaching 4-H kids how to train dogs. When her Malinois started having pretty serious dog reactivity issues, she sought out Tyler Muto for help, and her interest in rehabilitation was sparked. She interned at K9 Connection in the summer of 2017 and came back to work in April 2018.

Danielle grew up surrounded by cornfields in rural central Illinois and is now living in Hamburg with her Australian Shepherd, Jasper, and Belgian Malinois, Gideon, who are still actively training and competing. Her grumpy old Pug who started it all is enjoying retirement from a successful show career at “home” in Illinois.

When she’s not training dogs, showing dogs, doing stuff with her dogs, or learning about training dogs, she enjoys doing activities with her church, enjoying the company of friends, or sitting down with a good book.


Amanda Smith – Video & Photo Production

Amanda joined the K9 Connection team in August of 2017. Born and raised in Buffalo, she moved to Rochester to complete her degree in Photographic Illustration from RIT. Now back in her hometown, she is excited to work with dogs and expand her knowledge of their care and training. Amanda handles K9’s photo and video production, and works with Tyler on his new website, Consider The Dog.

Amanda lives in Buffalo with her boyfriend, senior Keeshond/Shepherd mix, Lady and Pit mix, Emma. Apart from canines, Amanda has a passion for house plants, puns, fiber arts and breakfast foods.

Sami Sodaro -Dog Trainer – Board & Train – Daycare Attendant 

Sami has been an animal lover for her entire life. Growing up, she had a wide array of pets of all shapes and sizes. Dogs have always been an important part of her personal life and being able to incorporate them into her work life has been a dream come true! She currently has four dogs of her own, a maltipoo, pit bull, chihuahua and Great Dane.

Sami recently graduated from the University at Buffalo for Environmental Studies, Animal Behavior, and Biological Sciences. 

Working at K9 connection has been an amazing start to her career in working with animals. She is infatuated with the work she does here and is eager to broaden her knowledge on training and all that goes with it. 

 

Cait Adams – Enrichment & Daycare Attendant 

Cait has been working with dogs for the last two years and has always known she has wanted to work with them. The opportunity to work with us came up and she jumped at the chance to further her education in training. She lives with her husband and a small zoo! 3 dogs, Lucky, Aurora, and Atticus. 4 cats, Boose, Tiger, Lily and Kitimus Prime. 3 Beta fish, Frankie, Wade Wilson, and Meep. In her free time, she enjoys reading, doing a variety of crafts, and being outside with her dogs!


Lisa Smith – Enrichment & Daycare Attendant 

Lisa developed a love for animals as a small child growing up on a farm in Southeastern Michigan.  Each pet she had from rooster to barn cat to Bo, her Collie, was a part of her family. 

In 2005, she started her journey on a career working with animals and became a licensed Veterinary Technician. Today, when she’s not busy being a mother of 3, or competing statewide as an athlete in the Highland Games, Lisa spends as much time as she can working with animals and helping people care for their pets.
 
 
 
Charles ‘Boogie Shorts’ Muto, ESQ. – Quality Control Manager

Charles has been with K9 Connection since its inception. He has worked his way through training to hold the prestigious title of Quality Control Manager. He takes pride in his stern evaluations of clients and the treats used in our training sessions. He can be found working at the front desk most days, but enjoys down time with his owners, as well as his human and canine siblings.


 Bindi & Gandalf Stith – Shipping & Receiving

These two small but zesty pups run our shipping & receiving department. They keep track of every single package that enters or leaves the facility, and make sure that everything is right on schedule.