Meet Birdie
Born in March of 2021, Birdie is a chocolate Lab whom you will meet on Zoom I’m sure- she loves to make an appearance! She is pure joy in a fuzz-filled package. She and I are very close to becoming a finished service dog team. I have severe Celiac Disease, and she is my gluten detection dog. She has an amazing nose and imprinted to the gluten odor when she was a neonate. She loves fetch, food (shocker), snuggling, and people watching at the airport when we travel. She makes people smile all the time! We train with Willow Service Dogs. Follow us on Instagram @glutensniffingbirdie.
Kari Bastyr, MS, CDBC, CPCN, VSPDT
FOUNDER: WAG & TRAIN| DOG BEHAVIORIST & CANINE NUTRITIONIST
My name is Kari Bastyr, MS, CDBC, CPCN, VSPDTand I’m the founder of Wag & Train behavior and Nutrition. With a deep love for studying animal behavior, I’m dedicated to helping dogs overcome even the most severe behavior challenges.
My professional journey is backed by a range of credentials and experiences.
I’m certified by the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants, a Certified Professional Canine Nutritionist through the Feed Real Institute, and a licensed VSPDT dog behavior consultant with Victoria Stilwell Positively Dog Training. I’m also an active member of the Animal Behavior Society, the Pet Professional Guild, and a proud professional member of O.D.O.R Service Dogs. My dog, Birdie , is a trained gluten detection dog from Willow Service Dogs, where I also completed an internship in gluten detection with Dawn Scheu. To round out my expertise, I’m a certified Pet Nutrition Specialist and have completed a Masters Class in Canine Nutrition.
My academic foundation began in 1993 when I earned a B.S. in Applied Behavior Analysis, followed by a Master’s Degree in Animal Behavior and Applied Behavior Analysis in 1995 from St. Cloud State University in Minnesota. During my time in St. Cloud, I had the privilege of working alongside Dr. R.K. Anderson and Ruth Foster, who are the co-inventors of the Gentle Leader, with Alpha Academy in Minneapolis.
In 2001, I moved to Denver, Colorado, and founded Wag & Train at a time when reward-based training options were scarce in the area. My role as the staff behaviorist at Alameda East, home of Animal Planet’s “Emergency Vets,” further deepened my commitment to animal welfare. In 2018, I returned to my Minnesota roots, expanding Wag & Train to the Twin Cities. I missed being near water and wanted to bring my services back to the place I grew up. Today, I continue to volunteer with Big Dogs Huge Paws and Safe Harbor Lab Rescue in Denver, as well as multiple rescues in the Twin Cities.
My passion for canine wellness took a transformative turn in 2014. While managing my own health challenges, I became deeply interested in the role nutrition plays in overall wellness. As I explored concepts like Leaky Gut and the gut-brain axis, I saw a clear link between nutrition and dog behavior. This realization fueled my mission to learn more, and in 2019, I began comprehensive nutrition training and certification from three different institutions. Now, I integrate diet, supplements, and gut health strategies into behavior modification plans. I believe in treating the whole dog while addressing their emotions, behavior, and the profound impact of the gut-brain connection.
At Wag & Train, my approach blends science, compassion, and over three decades of education and experience. Every dog’s journey is unique, and I’m here to provide guidance, tools, and support to help them thrive. Whether it’s behavior modification or nutritional guidance, I’m committed to creating lasting change for dogs and their families.
DOG TRAINING & NUTRITION | EDUCATION & CREDENTIALS
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1995: Masters Degree in Animal Behavior and Applied Behavior Analysis
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1993: Bachelors Degree in Applied Behavior Analysis
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Certified Dog Behavior Consultant with the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants
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Certified Professional Canine Nutritionist from the Feed Real Institute
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Certified & Licensed Dog Trainer with Victoria Stilwell Positively Dog Training
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Completed an internship with Willow Service Dogs for Gluten Detection
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Member of the Pet Professional Guild
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Professional Member of O.D.O.R. Service Dogs
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Member of the Animal Behavior Society
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Certified Pet Nutrition Specialist
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Certified Canine Nutrition Master Course
I provide dog parents positive training, guidance, and support.
I provide dog parents tools and training through positive behavior modification that build an unbreakable human-dog bond. I have 30+ years of experience working with anxious, fearful, and aggressive dogs, and am very proud to say I don’t use any choke chains, prong collars, or shock collars. I use my knowledge from my Animal Behavior degrees, my experience working with thousands of stressed dogs, and my passion for creating a safe space for both dogs and humans to help change emotions and behavior. Click for some of my Client Reviews!
Sadly, my beautiful, beloved chocolate Lab, Paisley, died in January 2021. She was 11, and her loss has left a huge hole in my life. Paisley was my ride-or-die for 11 years, and I learned how to be a better human and trainer because of her joy, spunkiness, intelligence, fairness, and forgiveness. She was named after a sacred place: Paisley Park. I have a tattoo of her name on my wrist so I can have her with me forever. She is still in all of my pictures on the website, and I will keep her there so others can see her beautiful smile. I will always refer to her as my “Dessert Dog” and I hope everyone gets to be loved by a dog like her in their lifetime. She literally was THE perfect dog.
Paisley: my heart dog, and the teacher of the teacher
