Meet the Trainer
With over a decade of experience as a dog trainer and through helping thousands of dogs and people, Merri decided to branch out on her own and created Dog 360. Throughout her time working with various dogs of different breeds and temperaments, she learned that every dog is an individual. She wanted her business to reflect the idea of looking at the whole dog, and catering their training to their individual needs and motivation. Dog 360 was born with that idea in mind.
​
​
In Memoriam
Opus Jenkins 'Opi'
Loved from 12/21/2013-10/1/2024
Merri has had a passion for animals for as long as she can remember, from the time she was a child she knew she wanted to work with them.
In pursuing her dreams, she attended the University of New England and studied animal behavior. In 2008, she graduated with a B.S in psychobiology with a minor in marine biology and shortly after accepted a job as an assistant beluga whale trainer at the Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut. The position was only temporary, so in January 2009 she and her fiancé Tom and moved back to Maine so he could attend nursing school.
There were no aquariums or zoos in Maine, so while Tom was in school Merri decided she would find other forms of work with animals. She started off working at a doggie daycare and shadowing the dog trainer there, later teaching her own classes and lessons. From there she worked at a variety of dog facilities, eventually opening her own business and then going in to business with a fellow dog trainer.
Through a lot of ups and downs, and soul searching, Merri decided to branch out on her own once again and created Dog 360.
​
Merri lives with her loving and supportive husband Tom, 7 year old daughter Nora, 3 year old daughter Shyla and her brindle mix Meka Mae (15y) in Standish, ME. Merri and her dogs have dabbled and competed in many different dog sports including Rally-O, Competition Obedience, Weight Pull, Flyball, Scent Work, Barn Hunt, Lure Coursing and GRC Dog Sports. ​
​