About Us
Mindful Canine was founded in Cedar City, Utah, in 2021 by two friends and colleagues who wanted to make a meaningful difference in the lives of dogs and their people. After years in the retail pet industry, Brandi and Emmah set out to offer owners something more personal: trustworthy, unbiased guidance and effective, evidence-informed training without the confusion or constraints of a corporate environment. Today, we offer a variety of training programs that consider the whole dog—their individual needs, environment, relationships, and everyday life. Everything we do is guided by authenticity, fun, integrity, education, animal welfare, and a genuine commitment to our community. We believe dogs are sentient individuals capable of learning and making thoughtful choices, and we help their people develop the understanding and skills to grow alongside them. At its heart, Mindful Canine is about creating lasting change, strengthening relationships, and helping people enjoy life with their dogs to the fullest.
Brandi Nielsen
Founder & Lead Trainer
Brandi has always had a deep love for animals, caring for pets ranging from dogs and cats to reptiles, birds, and even insects. While her passion for animals remained constant, she pursued a BA in English Creative Writing at SUU. After graduating, she took a job at a local pet store, where her love for animals was reignited. Starting as a part-time sales associate, Brandi quickly moved into the role of General Store Manager, spending five years immersed in pet care disciplines such as training, husbandry, and nutrition. Her time there gave her valuable insights into the needs of both pets and their owners. She also partnered with local rescues and served on the board of the local non-profit FFCK9s. Brandi’s commitment to animal welfare deepened when she adopted Boo, an Australian Cattle Dog mix, with behavioral challenges. This experience gave her a fresh appreciation for the impact of dog training, shaping her decision to leave retail and focus more directly on helping pets and their owners to co-found Mindful Canine Dog Training & Behavior with Emmah Ort. In 2023, she also became the co-founder of Iron Paw GRC Dog Sports to provide an outlet for local high drive dogs and dogs with behavioral problems, as well as enhance and add variety to the local dog sport culture in southern Utah. Brandi loves GRC for it's "for all dogs" nature. Now, Brandi is dedicated to making dog training accessible and practical to dog owners of all kinds- from everyday pet owners to motivated sport handlers, using motivational techniques within a balanced training approach. Brandi enjoys giving back by volunteering to educate children about dog training and ownership at events such as the annual Middle School Career Fair and Iron Kids summer club. In addition to filling both a management and lead training role at Mindful Canine, Brandi is a regular dog mom to her own two dogs. Persimmon, her Belgian Malinois, enjoys being Brandi's primary demo dog and thrives in sports such as Bitework, GRC, FastCat, scentwork, and more. Boo, her Australian Cattle Dog mix, most enjoys long walks and hikes, going to meet new people, and trialing in Rally and GRC Dog Sports.