Meet the Team
Meet your dedicated Dog Training Team at Cranks Custom Canines, ready to provide you with top-notch expertise to assist both you and your furry companion.
Meet Gene Baillif
Gene’s journey truly began when he and his partner Jennifer Gonzalez bought a half-German Shephard half-Malinois named Zebu off Craigslist for $120. While Gene had been surrounded by dogs his whole life, Zebu was different. From puppyhood, Zebu was more nervous, fearful, and prone to anger and aggression than any other canine Gene had owned previously. While Zebu was a driven dog and easy to motivate through food and play, Gene knew he had work to do.
Zebu’s more troubling mix of traits led Gene down a long road of dog behavioral training exploration. His life’s purpose slowly took shape. He started training Zebu for Mondioring, a multidiscipline dog sport fusing high-level obedience with jumps and protection. While Mondioring began as a hobby for Gene, it quickly evolved into something more serious. Gene realized that he was driven to win and it became clear to him that as much as he loved Zebu, competing in Mondioring at a high level wasn’t in the cards for him due to his temperament.
That’s when Gene found Crank Ot Vitosha, the namesake of Crank’s Custom Canines.
Crank Ot Vitosha was bred in Ivan Bablabanov’s (2x IGP World Champion) kennel breeding program. It’s important to note that getting a puppy with high working potential like this requires you to either be very lucky, well-accomplished in the dog sport world, a reputable breeder, or at least vouched for. Thankfully, Gene had the latter in his favor, making the program comfortable enough to place Crank with him.
So, why was the dog named Crank? It was largely because of his biting style. “Crank” is also a slang term for methamphetamine, which captured his energetic personality.
Using the lessons he learned with Zebu and his year of pet-training experiences, Gene travelled to the USA with Crank for training and trialing. The result? They became the fourth team in U.S. history to achieve a perfect score of 200 in Mondioring Level 1, as well as the first to do so in a single trial attempt. The duo quickly soared to Level 2 status and, eventually, obtained the coveted Level 3 title.
It was in 2013 that Gene officially started training, taking from major training influences from the likes of Ivan Bablabanov and Michael Ellis, and he’s never looked back since. Since then, Gene has trained over a thousand canines to reach advanced off-leash obedience in board and train settings. He’s resolved countless canine behavioral issues and shown clients how to lead better lives while increasing their dog’s overall happiness.
Gene’s results-driven approach, underpinned by values of honesty, integrity, and treating dogs as beings with feelings, is a unique stance compared with the age-old concept of dog training. Gene gets the owners involved in the training to make sure they can confidently implement and sustain what they are learning alongside their dogs for years to come. By choosing to work with us, your dog will be in great care and you will both enjoy the experience and outcome.
Meet Jen Gonzalez
With a decade of invaluable experience in the realm of dog care and a deep commitment to customer service, Jennifer stands as a seasoned professional in the pet industry.
Her journey began as a passionate dog lover, evolving into a career that has not only enriched her knowledge in training and health but has also cultivated her exceptional ability to provide top-notch service to pet owners.
Jennifer’s unwavering dedication to ensuring the well-being of dogs and fostering positive relationships with their owners has made her an indispensable figure in the world of canine care, embodying the perfect blend of expertise and compassion.
Contact Us for Dog Training
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This is an introductory course into our training philosophy.