Meet the Team

  • Owner of FTX K9


    Dennis started handling dogs as a young kid after taking an AKC Junior Handlers class, then later dabbling in obedience with his American Pit Bull Terrier. Dennis had owned and worked with gamebred American Pit Bull Terriers prior to moving to Texas.

    After moving, Dennis worked closely with Jason Vasconi, who coached him through dog behavior and working with behavior modification cases as well as numerous obedience training dogs. The challenge of these cases was a great learning experience for Dennis and very fulfilling helping these dogs change, however he found a deeper passion in working with protection, sport and police dogs. His career made a shift as he began devoting his time toward this newfound passion, thanks to another local trainer who offered the opportunity to decoy a recently imported Police dog changing everything going forward.

    Before dedicating the majority of his time to dog training, Dennis retired from his “9-5” as a full time tattoo artist. Soon after, he began training dogs full time from his home before buying a property in 2020 to build what is now the home of FTX K9 Academy.

    In 2021, Dennis became certified as a Protection Sports Association Decoy, a K9 Street League Decoy, and a Police K9 Decoy.

    Certifications
    PSA K9 decoy
    K9 Street League decoy
    Police K9 decoy

  • Dog Trainer, AKC CGC Evaluator

    Sarina has always had a passion for working with dogs - when she was very young, if there was a dog around, people knew where to find her. It wasn’t until she was a little older that she began pursuing her love for animals in the Veterinary field. This is where she realized her true passion for canines. While caring for a variety of breeds and observing temperament and behaviors, she became very interested in the connection between handler and dog, and decided to pursue dog training.

    Soon after discovering this passion, she became even more interested in aiding owners to have better communication with their dog, and teaching healthy boundaries and structure. Sarina was inspired by her opportunity to work alongside Dennis Straube, and through this experience, she has formed a deeper passion for working dogs and bite sports. She started off training puppies and basic obedience, but is now well versed in training dogs on a wide spectrum of topics; rehabilitation, protection, advanced obedience, etc.

    After immersing herself in the art of dog training, Sarina began working towards expanding her knowledge in canine nutrition. She strives to have a variety of avenues to aid in dog ownership, dog training and nutrition alike.

    Through her unwavering dedication, this dog trainer has unleashed the hidden potential of countless furry friends and is prepared to continue transforming the lives of owners and dogs, one step at a time!

    Certifications
    AKC CGC evaluator