Who We Are

Gene Öhman-Leone, KPA CTP
Kinna Öhman-Leone, KPA CTP
Both are also Associate Members of the Pet Dog Trainers of Europe (an international organization), Fear Free Professionals, AKC Canine Good Citizen Evaluators and supporting members of the IAABC.

Gene and Kinna Öhman-Leone have been avid animal lovers and outdoor adventurers since they were youngsters. In 2013, they created Animal Connection Training & Consulting (formerly Mountain Hooves & Paws) to offer general positive reinforcement training for all animals. In 2023, after successfully running their business for a decade, they added their consultation business to help prospective animal trainers and other animal professionals.

Both Kinna and Gene believe that animals are individuals and therefore there is always, always something more to learn. As a result, they take continuing education seriously and are constantly increasing their understanding through additional study every year.

Please see below for a list of continuing education seminars, webinars, and courses they’ve completed.

CERTIFICATION

Karen Pryor Academy, KPA CTP (2015: Kinna Öhman-Leone, 2016: Gene Öhman-Leone)
Fear Free Veterinary Certification (2020: Gene Öhman-Leone)

CONTINUING EDUCATION

2022-2023: Aggression in Dogs (10 month course) with Amber Batson, VMD
2022: Pet Dog Trainers of Europe Conference – Positive Truffle Hunting, Hand Signal, Scent Work for Puppies
2022: Dog Symposium (2 Days)
2022: Trauma In Dogs Seminar (2 Days)
2021-2022: Puppy Power Course with Amber Batson, VMD (42 hours)
2021: Karen Pryor Academy’s Clicker Training Expo (3 days)
2020: Concept Training with Ken Ramirez
2020: “Barking Mad” Abnormal Behavior in Dogs with Amber Batson, VMD
2020: “Cavorting Canines” Exercise in Dogs with Amber Batson, VMD
2020: “Troublesome Teens” Adolescence in Dogs with Amber Batson, VMD
2020: Pet Dog Trainers of Europe Online Summit (3 days)
2020: Fear Free Veterinary Course Certification
2019: KPA Aggression and Dogs Webinar with Ken Ramirez
2019: KPA Dog Aggression case study Webinar with Ken Ramirez
2018: Dog Symposium, Oslo, Norway with Turid Rugaas, Dr. Amber Batson, Anne Lill Kvam (2 days)
2018: Imitation Training “Do As I Do” with Claudia Fugazzia
2018: KPA Webinar with Hannah Brannigan
2018: Separation Anxiety Seminar with Malena DeMartini
2017: Canine Fitness Webinar with Leslie Eide, DVM
2016: Smart Reinforcement: Reinforcement Substitutes with Ken Ramirez
2016: Introduction to Agility Handling with Susan Garrett
2016: Agility Basics with Nicole Larocco Skeehan

MEMBERSHIP

Karen Pryor Academy Professional Dog Trainers
Adirondack High Peaks Dog Training Group
Pet Dog Trainers of Europe: Associate Members
IAABC: Supporting Members

PUBLICATIONS

2019 – Present: Monday Morning Articles – A bi-monthly article about mostly dog behavior and recent scientific behavioral findings

PRESENTATIONS

2022 – Puppies Today, Dogs Tomorrow – An overview of the latest research on what helps a puppy grow up to be a resilient and confident adult dog.
2022 – Bringing Home a Trauma Dog – What new caregivers need to know when adopting a dog who has experienced abuse, neglect, or other forms of trauma.
2023 – Raising a Non-Reactive and Confident Dog

Get To Know Us!

KINNA

Animals:

Kinna’s passion for animals pretty much began at birth. Kinna’s first spoken word was “dog.” Her family moved to the Adirondacks when she was two years old so she grew up surrounded by wildlife as well as her family’s own animals. By the time she was six years old, Kinna’s parents had taken on a family dog and allowed her to start horseback riding lessons. Her passions for animals continued through childhood, and included time with hamsters, goldfish, two ducks, as well as daily time in the local forests observing wild animals. Kinna’s parents gave her the full responsibility of caring for her own horse when she was twelve. These early, personal experiences with animals and animal care led Kinna to cultivate a deep understanding and awe of her animal friends.

Kinna continued her search for ways to understand and work with animals as an adult. Kinna helped rehabilitate “end of the line” dogs at a kill shelter and worked to find homes for them. She spent five years learning about border collies and their passion for sheep. Kinna trained one of her own dogs for wilderness search and rescue, as well as for avalanche work. Her dogs have always been equal family members—taking raft trips in the Rocky Mountains, spending summers camping and hiking in the Adirondack mountains, and learning that traveling is so much fun!

Kinna has studied horse natural nutrition with veterinarian Eleanor Kellon. She’s also taken Dr. Kellon’s natural nutrition course for dogs & cats. Kinna completed her Masterson Method Weekend Seminar Workshop (equine bodywork) in August 2014. In 2015, Kinna completed her professional dog training certification program with Karen Pryor Academy.

Tomte the Golden joins Kinna on a Colorado raft trip in 1996.

Teaching & Communicating:

Kinna has a strong passion for teaching and sharing information with others. Like Gene, she absolutely loves teaching animals and people. She’s always striving to find new ways to make ideas accessible and fun to learn!

Kinna started teaching early – as a 16 year old. She taught alpine skiing to adults and older children during high school, then continued for multiple seasons throughout her 20s and 30s in the Northeast and the Rocky Mountains of Colorado and Montana.

In her early 30s, Kinna filled in as an adjust professor for two years at Western State College in Gunnison, Colorado – she designed two classes and especially loved teaching a field class about water issues in the west. She moved back to the Adirondacks in 2004. She explored other avenues for sharing information as both a magazine writer for regional publications and a public radio producer for the Environment Report as well as NPR.

Kinna graduated from Middlebury College in Vermont with a BA in Economics, and received her master’s degree in Environmental Policy from the University of Colorado in Boulder.

GENE

The youngster Gene grew up climbing trees in northeastern Ohio. He loved exploring the high branches in order to get closer to the birds. He and his sister took responsibility for a domestic flock of mallard ducks when he reached high school age. They helped the mallards trust humans again and even taught some of them tricks and games.

Gene’s love of animals continued as he ventured out on his own. He raised and trained his first horse Spirit from a foal. Gene encountered many challenges with Spirit. Spirit’s mother was blind and not able to provide the important early mare/foal interactions and equine socialization Spirit needed. Gene tried many methods to help Spirit understand the world, but found (and still finds) positive reinforcement clicker training as the most effective approach.

Gene brings other talents (besides training) to Animal Connection Training & Consulting. He’s a professional hoof trimmer – always learning more from the work and philosophies of Pete Ramey. In 2015, he and Kinna were honored to host Pete Ramey for an intense day of hoof education at their farm in Vermont.

Gene has studied natural horse nutrition with veterinarian Eleanor Kellon. He’s also focused on equine bodywork to help horses release tension. He’s especially interested in using his skills to help rescue horses release tension from their previous lives. Gene completed the equine bodywork Masterson Method Weekend Seminar with instructor Lorre Mueller in June 2015. Gene graduated from Youngstown State University in Ohio with a BA in combined sciences.