About

Meet the Owners — Chris & Kim

  • Chris Palermo

    Chris Palermo

    Chris Palermo, CPDT-KA Chris grew up on a lake and always had an interest in wildlife, animals and dogs.  At the time, most of his pets were all encased in a glass salt-water reef tank, where he maintained and propagated a large number of corals and tropical saltwater fish. His Read More

  • Kim Palermo

    Kim Palermo

    Kim Palermo CPDT-KA, CCUI, Level 1 TagTeacher BlueDog founder Kimbery Palermo is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer, a Certified Control Unleashed InstructoBlueDog founder and trainer Kim Palermo has been training dogs personally for 25 years and professionally for over 10 years.  She is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer, a Certified Read More

Want to work for us?

BlueDog is always looking for passionate, experienced dog lovers to join our crew. Become a part of a fun, energetic team of dog lovers who spend their entire day improving the lives of the dogs!

Our Office Team

Sylvie

Sylvie

BlueDog Team Member Since 2018

Also our Dog Walking Manager, Sylvie founded and managed Kids Karousel, a children’s clothing, toy and furniture consignment store in North Andover for 24 years before “retiring” to work as office manager for BlueDog. She was also the president of the North Andover Merchants Association for 3 years and held Read More

Tori

Tori

BlueDog Team Member Since 2020

Tori grew up in the south shore (Hanover, MA) but moved to Methuen in 2017 to attend North Shore Community College. She received her Associates Degree in Animal Care in 2019 and is currently enrolled in the CATCH Canine Trainers Academy. She’s had family dogs her whole life; her first Read More

Sue Nowak

BlueDog Team Member Since 2021

Sue grew up with animals and has always had a passion for them.  When she moved into her own home (years ago) she got her first Bernese Mountain Dog Tucker.  He was an amazing worker who introduced her to the fun world of clicker training and dog sports.  Since Tucker, Read More

Our Trainers

Kim Palermo

BlueDog Team Member Since 2008

Kim Palermo CPDT-KA, CCUI, Level 1 TagTeacher BlueDog founder Kimbery Palermo is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer, a Certified Control Unleashed InstructoBlueDog founder and trainer Kim Palermo has been training dogs personally for 25 years and professionally for over 10 years.  She is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer, a Certified Read More

Chris Palermo

Chris Palermo

BlueDog Team Member Since 2008

Chris Palermo, CPDT-KA Chris grew up on a lake and always had an interest in wildlife, animals and dogs.  At the time, most of his pets were all encased in a glass salt-water reef tank, where he maintained and propagated a large number of corals and tropical saltwater fish. His Read More

BlueDog Trainer Jessica

Jessica Meade CPDT-KA

BlueDog Team Member Since 2018

Jessica is originally from Ohio, where her passion for dog training first started. Her mother worked in the pet care industry Jessica’s whole life and it sparked her love for animals. Her mom was always bringing home various critters and her friends always referred to their house as “the zoo.” Read More

Colleen

Colleen CPDT-KA

BlueDog Team Member Since 2021

Colleen is a CCTA Certified Dog Trainer through CATCH Canine Trainers Academy. Colleen grew up in a small farming community in Illinois where her parents now operate a vet clinic. She enjoys competing in dog shows with her Great Dane named Sassy. Colleen flies for Delta Air Lines as a Read More

Carla

BlueDog Team Member Since 2021

Carla is a CCTA Certified Dog Trainer through CATCH Canine Trainers Academy. She is originally from Portugal and is currently working as a School Social Worker. She holds her Masters degree in Social Work and her professional LCSW license. Carla has always had a love for dogs and would often Read More

Nicole

BlueDog Team Member Since 2022

Nicole was raised during an era when all a girl needed was a fluffernutter sandwich, a few hose stops, a bike, and her dog. She and her golden retriever, Tasha, hit the streets of Melrose, MA with her older brother like it was their job. They were free to explore Read More

Bridget Desroches, CPDT-KA, KPA-CTP

BlueDog Team Member Since

Bridget is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer, Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner, an International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants Associate Certified Member, and AKC CGC Evaluator. Bridget has been training dogs professionally for over 20 years. She has a B.S. in Animal Science from University of Massachusetts Amherst, and Read More

Diane Kurkjian

BlueDog Team Member Since

Owner of Everydog, LLC. Diane became interested in dog training after adopting her wonderful Chow mix, Ebony, in 1996. Ebony had several behavior issues that required Diane to put careful thought into how to teach her to be both comfortable and safe in her household. Ebony went on to earn her Read More

Class Assistants

Connor

Connor

BlueDog Team Member Since 2021

Connor graduated from Northeastern University in 2017 and moved straight into the construction industry. After finding himself with lots of unexpected free time in Summer 2020, he finally pulled the trigger and adopted his first puppy, Cassidy. Connor and Cassidy attended puppy classes at BlueDog from the age of 12 Read More

Heather

Heather F

BlueDog Team Member Since 2022

Heather grew up in Newburyport and has had pet dogs her entire life. She is a high school special education teacher during the day and assists in classes at Blue dog on evenings and weekends. Heather learned about Blue Dog when she started taking classes with her dog Thor and Read More

Aya

BlueDog Team Member Since 2022

Hello! I’m Aya. I am from a small town in Japan at the base of Mt Fuji. I lived in Bandung, Indonesia, before moving to the U.S.A. I have lived in Miami, Detroit, New York, and Chicago, but I have found my home here in New England. I could not Read More

Justin

BlueDog Team Member Since 2023

I live and grew up in Georgetown MA and I recently finished school with a health science degree and am currently working toward becoming a personal trainer, I have always loved animals. I have had dogs and cats growing up, I currently have two dogs and a cat. My oldest Read More

Our Walkers

Alex

BlueDog Team Member Since 2013

Alex grew up with dogs her entire life and has always had a passion for animals, which even led to her becoming a vegetarian at the age of 14. She has two lovable 3 year old Golden Retrievers named Bailey and Maddie who like to play, eat, cuddle and go Read More

Andrew

Andrew

BlueDog Team Member Since 2017

Andrew was born in the England and came to the United States in 2002, becoming an American Citizen in 2013. Andrew has been involved with the Salem Animal Rescue League since 2007 as a caregiver for dogs. Sirus, who he shares his picture with, is a former student here at Read More

Ariana

BlueDog Team Member Since

I’m Ariana and I just moved to Lawrence in January! I have an 8 year old spoiled cat named Minnie who loves catnip toys and chasing hair ties. After graduating high school I began walking dogs and pet sitting. I then started working in the doggy daycare industry for almost two years. Read More

Audrey

BlueDog Team Member Since 2023

Audrey grew up in Andover, Massachusetts with two miniature dachshunds. She loves spending time with dogs of all sizes and making art in her free time. In May she graduated from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

Danielle

Danielle

BlueDog Team Member Since 2019

Danielle is from Butler, PA, but moved to New England in the year 2000. She started her career as a Quality Control scientist after getting a science degree from Penn State, but left that field after 10 years to work with her husband at his privately-owned company. After nine years Read More

Elaine

Elaine

BlueDog Team Member Since 2022

Elaine had fun growing up around cats, and also learned the joys of living with a dog after her in-laws raised a chocolate lab named Mocha. She learned how to be a good dog momma and walk, train and play well with a canine fur baby when she and her Read More

Jeff

BlueDog Team Member Since 2023

Jeff grew up in Westford MA and has had a love for animals his whole life. He states he feels most at home anywhere there are animals whether it is cuddling with his pugs Tyson (4) and Max (3) , at the zoo or even visiting the Boston Aquarium.  He Read More

Justin

BlueDog Team Member Since 2023

I live and grew up in Georgetown MA and I recently finished school with a health science degree and am currently working toward becoming a personal trainer, I have always loved animals. I have had dogs and cats growing up, I currently have two dogs and a cat. My oldest Read More

Kate H and Edgar

Kate

BlueDog Team Member Since 2022

Kate retired from her full-time job at the end of July 2021. For over 35 years, she worked in Customer Service and Inside Sales for various industries which included medical, insurance, pet products and metals. Her favorite job was selling pet products to small independent pet shops. Kate grew up Read More

Kris

BlueDog Team Member Since 2022

Years ago, Kris was blessed with meeting her boyfriend [soon to be husband] and they adopted a 10 week old mixed Siberian Husky/wolf, named Shauna. Shauna taught Kris so much and they bonded immediately through love and trust. After a short while, Kris was able to teach Shauna some things too! Shauna Read More

Mary

Mary

BlueDog Team Member Since 2015

Mary comes from a large family full of people & dogs. Her and her husband, Dan, raised two chocolate labs, Matty & Paffy, who would attend the many family parties, sporting events, and would enjoy hikes with her & her 19 nieces & nephews. They are now the proud parents Read More

Michelle

BlueDog Team Member Since 2022

Michelle earned an Associates Degree from Northern Essex Community College in 1992.  Since childhood, Michelle grew up with dogs and cats.  Michelle lives with her husband, Mike of 28 years.  They have two grown children; a daughter Jordan and a son Michael.  Michelle and her family rescued their dog, Bailey Read More

Mike F

Mike

BlueDog Team Member Since 2021

Mike is from Reading MA and has lived in Andover since 1999. In 1997 Mike earned a Bachelor’s of Science in Health Education from the University of Massachusetts Lowell. In 2003 Mike earned an Associates degree in Paramedic Emergency Medicine from New Hampshire Technical Institute in Concord. Since 2003 Mike Read More

Nancy Faranna

BlueDog Team Member Since

With a passion for canine companionship and heart devoted to our four-legged friends, I am an avid dog walker ready to embark on a new adventure with your furry companions. Having shared my life with two beloved dogs, Brutus, the gentle giant Rottweiler, and Tyson, the spirited Boxer, I understand Read More

Paul P

BlueDog Team Member Since 2023

Paul grew up in Andover MA and always wanted a dog growing up, when he finally got one he became my entire world. When he finished high school he tried college classes and was not interested in them so he decided to pursue his passion and start working with dogs. He Read More

Sam O

BlueDog Team Member Since 2023

My name is Sam and I’m from Lowell MA. I moved to Methuen with my boyfriend in July 2020. Not long after our move we rescued our cat (Rosie) and adopted our puppy (Daisy). Animals have been apart of my life since I was a child. I’ve had multiple fish, Read More

Tara & Rosco

Tara

BlueDog Team Member Since 2021

Tara shared her childhood with a Black Lab/German Shephard mix named Sadie. They went everywhere together; Sadie even walked her to the bus stop and picked her up from the bus stop, every day. Sadie taught Tara the concept of unconditional love and showed her just how wonderful dogs could Read More

Want to work for us?

BlueDog is always looking for passionate, experienced dog lovers to join our crew. Become a part of a fun, energetic team of dog lovers who spend their entire day improving the lives of the dogs! BlueDog also offers mentorship opportunities with Kim for those looking to become a trainer. Contact us directly for more information!