About Us

Shelly Vandevelde CTDI

FOUNDER, PSYCHIATRIC SERVICE DOG PROGRAM MANAGER, TRAINER.

Shelly Vandevelde is the Head Trainer at San Diego Service Dog Training. She has been training dogs for 20 years, teaching professionally for 15, and holds a BA from CSUSM. Throughout her years as a trainer, Shelly has taught agility and obedience classes, worked with private clients, and spent time at multiple animal shelters training dogs with behavioral issues. Shelly found her true passion when she began training Service Dogs for Tender Loving Canines Assistance Dogs where she helped train dogs for wounded veterans and individuals with autism. During her time there, Shelly decided her mission was to create SD Service Dogs in order to help people in need train their dogs as Psychiatric Service Dogs. Shelly has a passion for mental health and using dog training to bring healing to the individuals that she works with.

Shelly has traveled all over the country competing at the highest levels of dog agility with her personal dogs, and they have also been featured in demos and half time shows with their freestyle, frisbee and agility. Shelly and her border collies hold the most prestigious agility title "Agility Dog Champion" and they have been ranked in the North American Top Ten numerous times. Shelly and her pups have also been featured on TV multiple times with their invite on the Purina Incredible Dog Challenge! Throughout her years as a trainer, Shelly has been mentored by trainers from all around the world in positive reinforcement. Shelly’s well-rounded experience positions her to quickly identify actionable solutions to training problems. Those solutions make the training process smoother and help our clients reach their goals effectively. Shelly is a big advocate for positive reinforcement and strives to make training a FUN experience for both the person and their dog. 

In Shelly’s free time, she is an ultra marathon runner and enjoys spending time out in nature.