Our Clients Say
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"I have known Gina for over 20 years and she has exemplified a responsible and loving pet owner and caregiver. I would trust her with not only my patients, but also my own animals"
Dr. Tyler, DVM, EVMM & Rooster, Labrador Retriever
Get to Know Us
Welcome to Puppy Powers: Home of the Anywhere Dogs™
At Puppy Powers, we are intentionally different than your typical canine facility — and we really like it that way.
Everything we do is built around Dog-Centric Care, Owner-Centric Customer Experience, and our proprietary Anywhere Dogs™ Framework - a real-world approach to developing dogs who can confidently, safely, and calmly exist anywhere life takes them.
We are focused on developing functional communication, emotional regulation, resilience, neutrality, engagement, adaptability, and trust between dogs and humans enabling them to confidently go anywhere and do anything together, as a team.
We do not just train dogs. We prepare the human-canine team. Our proprietary Anywhere Dogs™ Framework combines:
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Real-world environmental exposure
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Dog psychology and behavioral science
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Functional obedience and leash literacy
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Confidence and resilience building
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Social and environmental neutrality
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Relationship-based leadership and handler preparation
Through boarding, daycare, grooming, enrichment, training, field trips, cooperative care, structured socialization, and real-world learning experiences, we help dogs learn how to successfully navigate the human world while teaching owners how to better understand, guide, advocate for, and communicate with their dogs.
Puppy Powers Dog Care & Training provides a home-based experience where your doggo’s safety, confidence, comfort, enrichment, play, and emotional well-being are our primary objectives. Your pet is treated like family while simultaneously learning the life skills needed to become an Anywhere Dog™.
And because supporting the human matters too, we pair our behavioral framework with a customer experience designed around convenience and trust:
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No hidden fees or endless up-charges
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Flexible drop-off and pick-up hours
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Communication and support tailored to real life
Our goal is simple:
Dogs who can confidently exist in the real world.
Humans who understand how to lead them there.
Teams prepared to go anywhere and do anything together.
Our Services
Playdates & Sleepovers
Instead of a lonely, potentially scary, stressful, LOUD experience for your fur-kid at a conventional boarding facility, let us spoil them like family. Your dog will have the run of our common areas, supervised playtime with other dogs of similar size/personalities and around- the-clock-human supervision. Your pup will frolic in our acre fenced-in, natural grass play yard & will enjoy structured enrichment activities, twice-daily feeding and administering supplements/medication.
Individual Training
Do you want your dog to walk nicely on a loose leash? To go to their crate and stay there on command? To not go completely ballistic when guests come to the door? To be reliable in public places? To have an "off switch"?
We specialize in training that brings out the best in our dogs as housemates, neighbors and good citizens in public. Individual sessions are 45 minutes and centered around Canine Good Citizen skills. Packages are available for Board & Train clients.
We specialize in Puppy Bootcamps! Puppies learn critical skills based on our Puppy Powers Training Rubric and have a fabulous time interacting with other animals, people and new experiences in a safe and fun environment. Struggling with Housetraining? Biting? Destructive Behavior? We can help your pup to behave better at home or in public, Call us today!
Spa Services
Treat your pup to the ultimate pampering with our Puppy Powers Spa! From soothing massages and warm sudsy baths to nail care, ear cleaning, gentle brush-outs and breed-appropriate cuts, every detail is designed to help your dog relax, refresh and feel amazing. We use calming techniques and positive reinforcement to ensure every spa visit is stress-free and tail-waggingly good.
Our "Why"
Puppy Powers Dog Boarding & Training was created to be the PREMIER in-home dog care and training service for Rockford, Illinois and surrounding areas. We provide best-in-class, dog-centered care by providing SIMPLE, STRAIGHTFORWARD, STRESS-FREE services, no hidden fees and everything that a dog needs to have a great time INCLUDED in our base rate.
We are here to make lives easier for busy folks who love their doggos and also have work, families, obligations and busy schedules by offering a stimulating, safe and fun environment for your fur-kid, optimal flexibility, accessibility and exemplary customer service for you.
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Over 20 years of experience in dog care, training and creating meaningful connections between dogs and humans! Let us care for your pupper while they learn valuable skills!
About
My name is Gina and I LOVE dogs!
A lifelong animal lover, I grew up on and around farms and have raised, trained, and successfully shown both dogs and horses since childhood. Over the years, I’ve worked hands-on with an extraordinary range of animals—from hamsters to hogs, parrots to peacocks, geckos to guinea pigs, and even antelope. No dog is too big or too small.
I’ve logged countless hours in animal shelters, veterinary offices, and traditional kennel environments, gaining firsthand experience with both exceptional care—and the gaps that too often exist. Those experiences shaped a long-standing dream: to create a home-based, chemical-free, low-stress care environment for pet parents who want something better for their dogs.
My approach to dog care, grooming and training is grounded not only in experience, but in education and systems-level thinking. I hold a degree in Mechanical Engineering, with a minor in Biochemistry and Biophysics, and an MBA. I spent more than 15 years leading and scaling large, complex businesses ($100M+ revenue) in corporate America—often with a heavy travel schedule—so I understand, deeply, what it’s like to entrust your animals to someone else and how much trust that requires.
That background influences everything we do at Puppy Powers. Care here is intentional, structured, and thoughtfully designed—because dogs thrive in environments where expectations are clear, stress is minimized, and both physical and emotional needs are respected.
I have over 20 years of experience developing great canine partners and have worked extensively with Sporting, Hound, Terrier, Working, Toy, Herding, and Non-Sporting breeds. My dogs and those who have graduated from our programs have earned multiple AKC certifications and titles, including Canine Good Citizen (CGC), CGC Advanced, Urban CGC, and AKC Trick Dog. We specialize in puppies, high-drive breeds, functional obedience, and behavioral rehabilitation. Our goal is simple: to create functional, real-world obedience that allows people to live seamlessly with their dogs, developing Anywhere Dogs™ who can go anywhere, adapt to any environment, and be with anyone.
In addition to canine work, I practiced natural hoof care for many years and have completed both human and animal anatomy coursework as well as Emergency Medical Technology, further strengthening my understanding of biomechanics, movement, and physical well-being.
At Puppy Powers, we design every aspect of the experience with care—for your dog and for you. Our goal is not just to meet expectations, but to exceed them—through transparency, professionalism, and truly individualized care.
I’d love to learn more about your dog and how we can support you both.
