Family-run · 11 of us

The people who'll actually have your dog

Meet the crew who'll know your dog by name

Davin started EZ Pups with one rescue dog. Today we're eleven people: Davin's sister, a set of three brothers, and friends who became family. Four of us live on-site, about 15 feet from the dogs.

Get my dog's free game plan » Call (760) 400-6704

Davin working with a doodle and a Malinois in the EZ Pups training yard

Family-runa sister, 3 brothers, old friends

Trainers on-sitethey live 15 ft away

Weekly videoswatch them progress

100+ reviewson Google

Our story

From backyard chaos… to Pack Haven

It all started with Davin and Declan, a rescue Malinois who was out of time, in a tiny San Diego backyard. Davin’s friend Angelee jumped in to help, and before long they were rescuing Cujos, attempting to build agility equipment, and having zero idea of what they were in for; just a wild love for dogs. But of course, as the news of great results spread, the wave of doggies came and it was time to find help.

Who you gonna call?

Davin kneeling on a field as Declan, the rescue Malinois who started it all, jumps up to greet him — Davin and Declan, where it all started

Where do we begin?

The search did not start off easy. In a sea of trainers all with seemingly decent credentials, impressive pictures, and big promises, Davin still felt like something was missing…

Trust.

With enough practice and instruction, anyone can learn to be a good dog trainer, but what can’t be taught is how to be a good person. Davin had seen what goes on behind closed doors at some facilities, and knew he needed to do something different…

A grinning trainer in the car with a Malinois leaning over his shoulder — You didn’t forget about me, did you?

Enter the madness

The first to fall into the trap of endless dog hair (pictured) and hands that always smell like dog treats was Julia. To dogs and tiny creatures alike, Julia was the Emotional Support Human™. Whether it was an anxious new arrival or a dog needing some extra belly rubs, Julia would answer the call.

Julia brushing out a Malinois, with a carpet of shed fur on the ground — Emotional Support Human

Next up: the Texan

When Davin was new to the workforce, he became best friends with his manager while working at a valet gig. Some years passed and Joe moved back home to Texas.

So Davin did what any logical friend would do and demanded that Joe uproot his life all over again to move back to San Diego and train dogs with him. Joe, also being the sane human that he is, decided that the idea made complete sense and promptly drove 3 days back to Cali and dug right into work. (It helped that he’d already trusted us with his own pup, Penelope.) We’re not sure who the crazier one is at this point.

Joe mid-yawn on the deck in the late-afternoon sun — While Joe wonders why the sun is still out

A growing team: the BBQ god

Knowing Davin needed some extra help with the build-out, Julia got to work finding someone to fill in until Joe could arrive. Little did Davin know that he was about to meet his next best friend and dog trainer.

Andrew showed up the following morning and after a couple days of work together, it was clear to Davin that Andrew was far too amazing to let go. Andrew joined the team not long after, and we all learned that he was hiding some extraordinary cooking skills. Man… talk about a lucky hire.

Julia and Andrew have since moved on to new adventures, but a lot of what you’ll see here, they helped build.

Andrew at the deck table with two dogs waiting underneath for scraps — Andrew making sure the pack stays fed

Keeping it in the family

When Davin asked his sister Chrissy to come on board, it was an instant “YES!” Now she works with the trainers to build each dog’s plan, and she takes a lot of the pup photos you’ll get during your dog’s stay. She’s done martial arts for 27 years, so be nice.

Oliver is our dog therapist, a.k.a. “The Man,” with a soft spot for anxious and nervous dogs. A while after he joined, he brought his brothers Kevin and Chris on board together. Yes, that’s three Bermudez brothers on one crew.

Fast forward

We’ve trained hundreds of pups, rescued dozens more, and built an even bigger team that treats muddy paw prints like confetti. Today we’re eleven people, four of us live on-site about 15 feet from the dogs, and several of us trusted EZ Pups with our own dogs before we ever worked here. We’ve had the opportunity to help some amazing families and share our training expertise with some truly wonderful people.

And if this page reads more like a family scrapbook than a company website… good. We want you to see the real us and the journey it took to get here. We’re not some giant franchise. We’re a little family and we want to welcome you to that. We want to share with you the same great experience that we’ve been given, and build you a pup that you can be proud of every day when you go home.

Join the craziness

Get my dog’s free game plan »

As featured in Local Umbrella Read the article »

Joe holding Beef, a small red dog in duck-print pajamas, beside Beef's owner and her letter board: Congrats Beef! — Congrats, Beef! Graduation day with Joe

We're not in the business of forcing a dog to do things they do not want to do, so we have to show them just how great it is for them to do it.

Davin, in Local Umbrella · How we train today »

We laugh at our own jokes and high-five your dog daily

The humans behind the leash

Roles stay loose here, because everyone wears a few hats. During a stay, several of us work with your dog. Here's who you'll meet.

Davin Griffith

Lead trainer

Dog dad extraordinaire

Grew up with Lilo, a black lab he calls his “best friend, confidant, and first teacher.” Before EZ Pups, he rescued, fostered and trained dogs labeled dangerously aggressive or facing euthanasia. He still has a soft spot for protection sports, especially decoying.

“Dog training takes patience, consistency, and a mountain of lint rollers...”

Go-to for: Behavior problems, protection, sport
Off the clock: Racing, scuba, skydiving, and a serious burrito habit

Angelee Berben

Trainer

Davin’s friend since grade school, and the first person to jump into Declan’s training. As a kid, her parents usually found her asleep in the dog bed. She loves building a dog’s confidence, and she’s a decoy too.

“Who wouldn’t want to play with dogs everyday?!”

Go-to for: Sport training, family companions, behavioral rehabilitation

Chrissy Pacheco

Goddess of communication

Secretly a ninja

Chrissy works with the trainers to shape a plan around each dog, and she takes a lot of the pup photos you’ll get. At home: three kids she homeschools, Bella the pit bull, and a rabbit named Roger.

“Managing kids, dogs, and rabbits taught me life’s greatest lessons: quick thinking, creativity, and always keeping treats handy.”

Go-to for: A plan that fits your family, great photos
Off the clock: Martial arts for 27 years, travel

Oliver Bermudez

Dog therapist

A.k.a. “The Man”

Every dog his family has had was adopted or rescued, like Haru the German shepherd and Nena the chihuahua. He’s crazy about small breeds (“don’t tell our big fluffy ones that!”) and has a way with dogs who are anxious or nervous.

“Every pup has their own story; I’m just here to help them write a happy ending.”

Go-to for: Behavior problems, anxious and nervous dogs, family dogs
Off the clock: Bathtub singer, homebody, popcorn and movies

Joe Gartman

Human whisperer

The pack comedian

Davin was the first person Joe called when he rescued his pup. Joe later moved back home to Texas, until Davin talked him into driving three days back to train dogs together. His favorite kind of win: an Akita who couldn’t go anywhere without a muzzle, and never needed it again.

“Less growl, more wow... cue the wagging soundtrack.”

Go-to for: Puppies, confidence building, aggression
Off the clock: Fishing, basketball, campfire stories

Plus Kevin B., Chris, Kevin W., Ashley, Tori and Conrad, who you'll meet at drop-off and in your update videos.

What that means for your dog

Close by, and never just one trainer

We live here

Four of our trainers live on-site, in a room about 15 feet from the dogs. What a stay is like »

More than one trainer, on purpose

Different trainers work with your dog during the stay. A dog who only listens to one trainer won't listen to you.

"Thank you Davin and team (they have a lot of trainers) for helping me with my fur baby."Lee S, Google review

You see the work

Weekly update videos, so you watch your dog progress instead of wondering. Then we teach you everything they learned, so it sticks at home.

In families' own words

What it's like working with us

100+ reviews on Google Read them »

Thank you all so much for making Molly be able to stay a part of our family.

"Davin and his team are incredible. We have a rescue Mal that would bite my husband and was VERY AGGRESSIVE with other people. She is still a Mal at heart but has calmed down ALOT, thanks to this team."

Shannon BrewerMolly, rescue Malinois · Google review

Like any pet owner, I was always worried about who to leave our dog with.

"Like any pet owner, I was always worried about who to leave our dog with, we deal with Joe and his work team and I have nothing to regret. He was always accessible and kept me aware of the progress and everything that had to do with Shaq."

Fabián AyalaShaq · Google review

Davin and Angelee are both so sweet and patient.

"I met them both by a stroke of luck at the dog park while they were training another dog and I desperately approached them needing help with my puppy. I ended up signing up for the board and train program that was a month long and it was worth every penny… I love how throughout the month they sent me videos, pictures and updates on my pups progress."

Nicole ScudderPuppy · month-long board and train · Google review

Big shout out to Joe for making us feel like family!

"The staff here at EZ Pups communicated well, built trust with not only my dog, but with us as owners, and worked with our dog day in and day out… Having a cattle dog ain't for the weak, but big thank you to these guys for training Roxy and training us as owners!"

Taylor SandovalRoxy, cattle dog · about a month of board and train · Google review

Want the crew in your corner?

Tell us about your dog

The consultation is free and there's no pressure. You'll talk with a real person from our crew, and we'll:

Hear what's going on, in as much detail as you've got
Tell you which program fits your dog, or if something else would work better
Walk you through exactly how we'd train your dog
Give you the price and answer every "what if"

No waitlist for board and train.

Baby on the way? Moving? Big trip coming up? Tell us your date and we'll plan around it.