Today we’d like to introduce you to Michele Godlevski.
Hi Michele, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
My parents tell me that from the time I was a small toddler, I have always loved animals. After much begging and pleading, I got my first dog when I was seven years old. Despite the fact that I wasn’t “old enough” to be allowed come to my dog’s basic obedience classes, Coco, my Collie,
learned as many dog tricks as I could think of — including knowing his right and left paw and looking both ways before we would cross the street. We entered a small pet show when I was in the 6th grade and won a ribbon for the “Trickiest Dog”. I will never forget how hard we practiced for that show and what a thrill it was to show off our teamwork. I remember wishing I
could train my dog for more shows like that one. However, that was in the 1970s…before kids were allowed in obedience training classes.
I ended up studying science in school. I wanted to be a veterinarian, like so many other kids who loved animals. However, I got drawn into the boom of genetics and ended up with a job in genetics-based research at Glaxo. In my spare time, I began volunteering at an animal shelter – the SPCA of Wake County. It was the most rewarding and the most difficult volunteer job I have ever done. Volunteering with unwanted animals can really teach you a lot, but its hard not to leave without feeling devastated by the vast numbers of animals that were simply misunderstood by their former owners. I adopted a dog after my second week volunteering there…and then another a few weeks later. I sought out training for my dogs and realized that dog training was really the key to keeping dogs in their homes.
However, I realized quickly that training dogs (and especially their humans) was a lot more complex than it looked. I began seeking out information by reading books and attending as many dog training seminars as I could find. I applied for and received dog training certifications and began to compete in dog training sports with my own dogs for fun and enrichment. Soon, I became the Training Director for the Greater Raleigh Dog Training Club. Eventually, I left to work for another dog training company, Bon-Clyde Learning Center in Sanford. Eventually, I began my own training program through Raleigh Parks and Recreation, offering classes at Durant Nature Park’s Campbell Lodge. In August of 2000, I founded Teamworks Dog Training. It was one of the first positive-reinforcement based training companies in the Triangle area.
Teamworks began with a leased one-room bay at Durant Business Park, right next to Safe Haven for cats. We liked to joke about the irony of that pairing… that the cats were really only safe if the dogs were trained. 😉 We also offered dog sport classes (dog agility) at our home property in Youngsville (just 30 minutes east of our Raleigh location). When I began Teamworks, I still worked full time at Glax0 (then GSK). Eventually, I left GSK and took a job with the American Kennel Club as the Director of DNA Operations (in other words, their dog paternity testing department – or ask I liked to call it, the “Who’s Your Daddy Department”). Teamworks began to grow in size, and I ultimately embraced it as a full time occupation and let go of the “office job”.
Over the last twenty five years at Teamworks, we have offered dog training classes, doggie dayschool and boarding, a kids and dogs camp, and dog sport classes and events. We went from a one-bay business at Durant Nature Park, to a three-bay business, to a stand-alone building off of Gresham Lake Road in 2019. In 2024, we had grown the business so much in Youngsville that we decided to simplify our business to just the Youngsville location. We currently offer all but the doggie dayschool / boarding and kids camp at our Youngsville Campus. However, in Youngsville, we have a covered agility arena with an artificial turf surface (built in 2013), a canine dock diving pool (built in 2018), and a multi-purpose class and event center called The Wag Center.
Teamworks has about 20 employees, most of whom started as Teamworks students. Of those, we have four Certified Behavior Consultants on staff, who help people with difficult problems, like aggression and fear. We host dock diving, agility, scent work, barn hunt, treibball, and rally events and classes. We offer puppy classes, manners classes, and therapy dog classes as well. Our goals have always been to keep dogs out of shelters by helping people understand their dog’s behavior, and increasing their bond by enrichment with dog sports.
We had a big celebration for our 25th Anniversary last August and hope to be here in Youngsville, helping people and their dogs enjoy each other, for many more.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Like any business, we have had our challenges. When we began dayschool and boarding for dogs at the Durant Business Park location, we started having issues with other “9-5” businesses complaining about the noise. This was the impetus to move to a stand-alone building in 2019 off of Gresham Lake Road. We had just opened up our kennel in November of 2019…and then of course, the pandemic hit. While kennels were considered essential, nobody was traveling, and everyone was working from home. People adopted dogs, but nobody needed to board them. My employees wanted to stay home. I ended up sleeping at the kennel and running it solo for three months because there was still a lease to pay, and thankfully, still enough dogs coming in to pay that lease. All dog sport events across the Raleigh area paused as well, but since we have an “open air” arena, our events were among the first to resume. Somehow we made it through…with a lot of self-sacrifice and determination.
The decision to close our Raleigh location in 2024 was ultimately brought on by the the realization that our kennel business model was too staff-heavy and too dog-light to be sustainable in that location. While I had to pay a very hefty lease exit fee, I kept my focus on making our Youngsville campus worth the drive. That change has brought more balance and less stress to me as a small business owner.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I have a formal degree in Genetic Engineering. However, I also have certification in dog training/behavior, and dog sports. They are:
Certified Dog Behavior Consultant (IAABC)
Certified Canine Behavior Counselor (San Francisco SPCA Academy)
Endorsements in Agility Instruction and Pet Manners Instruction (NADOI)
Scent Work Judge (CPE)
Happy Ratters Judge
Dock Diving Judge (NADD)
I am also the author of four books, available from Lulu Press:
“The Sentry Dog“, “Therapeutic Agility“, “Take Control but Don’t Lose Control“, “Dogs Have Feelings Too“
My training philosophy is based on positive reinforcement and building a solid relationship foundation by understanding the ethology of dog behavior. I believe that dogs can be trained to the level of service dog training without using force or harsh, inhumane techniques. I love offering pet-assisted therapy classes because of the powerful connection dogs have with people in need of attention unconditional affection. I love and promote dog sports because of the relationship it builds between people and dogs and the
example it sets to demonstrate this potential to the general dog-owning public. I feel that both dog training classes and dog sports ought to be taught in a manner that builds and then reflects communication and teamwork between a dog and handler. I am a firm supporter of continuing
education and certification for dog obedience instructors and promoting humane training methods. I feel very strongly that there is no “one” method to train every dog- each dog and human team is unique. The wisest instructor knows how to utilize a toolbox of methods and never stops seeking new ways of approaching training. I founded Teamworks Dog Training to promote these ideals…and to foster good relationships between dogs and their people.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
Well, I didn’t mention it above, but I actually applied twice to veterinary school at NC State, before I began pursuing dog training. I made the cut for an interview twice and didn’t get in twice. I was devasted at the time. However, that set-back pushed me to pursue another way to help animals…which ultimately led to the formation of Teamworks Dog training.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.teamworksdogtraining.org/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063589389376
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@mgodlevski
- Other: https://www.teamworksdogtraining.org/michele-godlevski/
