Meet our team
R’Kenia Banks, CPDT-KA
Owner, Certified Master Trainer
R’Kenia Banks is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer with an impressive track record of over 10 years of extensive dog handling experience. Her unique approach blends “traditional” obedience training and positive reinforcement, complemented by an effective behavioral and emotional rehabilitation method that has successfully resolved even the most challenging behavioral problems in dogs.
R’Kenia’s journey into dog behavior and training began at a young age, assisting in raising Guiding Eyes for the Blind puppies and pursuing self-education through various avenues. She actively sought opportunities to volunteer and work at veterinary hospitals, clinics, shelters, groomers, and kennels, further honing her skills and understanding of canine psychology. Later, she earned her Veterinary Technology degree from Northern Virginia Community College, where she discovered her innate ability to handle and rehabilitate extremely aggressive dogs.
After college, R’Kenia continued to expand her experience by working in various veterinary hospitals, emergency clinics, animal shelters, dog kennels, and boarding and grooming facilities. These invaluable experiences allowed her to master the art of reading animal behavior and develop specialized skills to rehabilitate pets facing severe behavioral challenges.
In 2006, at the encouragement of personal and professional colleagues, R’Kenia established SIT.STAY.OBEY! as a “referral-only” business serving clients in Northern Virginia. With time, her reputation grew, leading her to relocate to the Atlanta, Georgia area in 2009, along with her three children. As a compassionate advocate for dogs, R’Kenia has also volunteered with Jail Dogs/Second Chance Program and the Ginny Millner Rescue Group, working to find loving forever homes for deserving dogs.
Her expertise, dedication, and love for dogs have led R’Kenia to shape SIT.STAY.OBEY! into a thriving business, where she continues to help numerous dogs and their owners through successful training and rehabilitation. Her exceptional skills and passion for creating well-behaved and happy canine companions are evident in every aspect of her work. From basic commands to resolving complex behavioral issues, R’Kenia’s services have benefited countless dogs, ensuring they lead fulfilling lives in their forever homes.
Certification: CPDT-KA Certified Professional Dog Trainer Knowledge Assessed through the Certification Council For Professional Dog Trainers
Schooling: Veterinary Technician Degree, A.S.S., 2005 – Northern Virginia Community College
Kim Kay
Trainer
Kim’s passion for dogs and cats began at an early age and continues to today. She has been rescuing, providing vet care, training, and finding homes for homeless pets for over three decades. In 2012, she became a foster mom and volunteer for a large, local non-profit rescue organization dedicated to saving dogs and cats from high-risk situations and assisting owners who need to rehome their pets.
As a foster, Kim specialized in dogs and cats with medical or behavioral issues and was an active participant in both their health care and behavioral training. Three years later, her volunteer position turned into a management position, overseeing all of the rescue’s operations from her home office. She also serves on the Training Team, providing training, problem-solving advice, and support to both fosters and adopters to resolve common – and not so common – behavioral issues with their dogs.
Kim has taken a step back from fostering and working directly with rescue dogs to focus on keeping great dogs in great homes. She has joined the Sit, Stay, Obey team to use her training skills and experience to help more dogs become their best selves. Kim is pictured here with her rescued Olde English Bulldog mix, Harriet.
Breanna Wilkinson
Certified Dog Trainer – Animal Behavior College
I have always been a dog person. I currently have five dogs of my own ranging from a five pound yorkie to a seventy pound hound mix. I have been dog training since 2019. I started out as a volunteer trainer at local rescue (Refuge Rescue if want the name) while still attending school to become certified. After certification I continued to volunteer as well as train dogs in homes. I have worked with many different breeds, ages, temperaments, and about all kind of behaviors. My favorite part of dog training is seeing the dog’s progress throughout the entire experience!