Meet Our Trainers
Cameron Lauterbach
My name is Cameron Lauterbach, owner and lead trainer for the Blue Ridge Canine Academy. I have spent the last 5 years as a canine professional developing my skills with the help of amazing mentors and world renowned teachers before deciding it was time for me to start a business of my own.
As a young kid I loved spending time with my family dogs and taught them a variety of tricks and commands in our backyard. But it wasn’t until I got Nala in 2016 that I started to learn the ins and outs of dog training. While in college I decided to foster a dog, teach it house manners and obedience before finding it a forever home. Like many dog owners the first few days were great, she was the perfect dog. Until suddenly she began showing some pretty extreme human and dog aggression. Even though I was able to create a good foundation in obedience, these behaviors led me to finding a local trainer. This is when I decided I wanted to study dog training and psychology to help others in a similar situation.
A year into my training career, I found my way into the sport dog world and fell in love with the loyalty and relationships between dog and handler, I decided to get my own German Shepherd and began training for protection sports – Mondio RIng, and IGP.
I then spent 2 years working as the head trainer of a training facility and had the opportunity to work with hundreds of dogs. Time spent here gave me the opportunity to take dogs to a very high level of obedience but more importantly change the lives of many families. I worked with many families who came to us as their last hope and loved seeing their dog go from nightmare to a dream family companion.
I am excited to share my love and passion for training with you and your canine companions. Together we create a solid relationship between you and your dog and give them the freedom they deserve.
Kamila
Kamila’s love for dogs began at a young age when she started a “business” walking the neighborhood dogs. Mostly because she wasn’t allowed dogs at home so she found dogs to work with elsewhere. After moving and completing high school overseas, she returned to the US for college at Appalachian State University to pursue a career in Accounting. Half way through her college career she adopted her first dog Nala, a 3 year old pitbull mix that turned out to have reactivity and anxiety issues. After deciding to work with a local trainer she continued to learn to train dogs beyond just her own. While working a full time, dog training has always been a huge part of her life. At the start of COVID she lost her job and found a volunteer position learning to train dogs with a local trainer. She continued to grow her knowledge of dog training. She values dog health and completed a raw dog food certification through Dog Naturally. Kamila understands how stressful difficult dogs can be and loves working with clients to build a strong relationship with their dogs. It is very rewarding to see dogs succeed at home with their families living happy fulfilled lives.