A FAMILY
BUILT ON
DOGS.
K10 Academy started as one family’s commitment to doing right by dogs — and it still is.
FOUR DAUGHTERS.
COUNTLESS DOGS.
ONE FAMILY
BUSINESS.
K10 Academy isn’t a franchise or a formula — it’s a family business, built from the ground up by Ray and Alyda Garcia. Between them, they’re raising four daughters and two dogs, Sky and Unicorn, and dog training has never been something that stayed at “the office.” It’s part of how the family spends its time, its weekends, and honestly, its dinner conversations.
The two oldest girls have grown up right alongside the work — helping care for and train the family’s own dogs, spending time around rescue dogs from Oregon Dog Rescue, and, with permission, lending a hand with client dogs along the way. They’ve absorbed the same lessons K10 teaches every client: patience, empathy, and connection, built through relationship rather than shortcuts.
“We didn’t set out to build a family business. We just never separated the two — the dogs were always part of family life, so it made sense our girls would be too.”
RAY GARCIA
CO-OWNER &
LEAD TRAINER.
As a relationship-focused dog trainer in Portland and dedicated volunteer with Oregon Dog Rescue, Ray has worked with countless dogs struggling with reactivity, fear, overexcitement, and shutdown. He started K10 Academy to bring that same level of personalized, compassionate support to the broader Portland community.
Ray’s style is structured yet flexible, honest yet kind, and always centered on long-term growth. He believes the relationship between dog and owner is the foundation of everything — training that doesn’t strengthen that bond isn’t training worth doing. He set a simple standard for himself early on: be the kind of trainer he’d trust with his own dog.
Today, Ray leads K10 Academy alongside Alyda — together they are the trainers behind Unicorn, a task-trained service dog, K10 team member, and the inspiration behind the Adventure Dog Initiative.
When a staff member at Oregon Dog Rescue described Unicorn, they didn’t mince words — sweetest dog they had, and one of the worst. Mouthy, reactive, unable to play with other dogs without starting a fight. She was too rough with people. She spent a long time in the shelter, got adopted, and was returned the next day. That’s when ODR called Ray.
What happened next is the reason K10 Academy exists the way it does today. Ray took Unicorn out of the kennel and into the city — the first dog he ever pulled from a shelter to train in the real world. That walk became the seed of the Adventure Dog Initiative. And Unicorn? She’s now a task-trained service dog, a K10 team member, and living proof that the dog everyone gave up on can become the dog that helps other dogs heal.
ALYDA GARCIA
CO-OWNER &
CERTIFIED TRAINER.
Alyda is the co-owner and a certified dog trainer with K10 Academy. In addition to training, she manages the day-to-day operations of the business, ensuring every client and dog receives thoughtful, personalized support.
A natural leader and communicator, Alyda believes in the power of community outreach and has been pivotal in building connections with shelters across Portland to help dogs from all over the United States find — and keep — their forever homes.
Before starting K10 Academy, Alyda spent over 10 years in healthcare management — an experience that sharpened her skills in leadership, communication, and client care. She also volunteers weekly at Oregon Dog Rescue, preparing rescue dogs for adoption and supporting families so those adoptions last.
“Every dog deserves the chance to thrive — and every family deserves the tools to make that possible.”
UNICORN.
K10’S SERVICE
DOG.
Unicorn is a task-trained service dog and full K10 Academy team member — and her story is the reason the Adventure Dog Initiative exists. Adopted from Oregon Dog Rescue after being labeled too mouthy, too reactive, and too rough to place, Unicorn spent a long stretch in the shelter before Ray took a chance on her.
Today, she performs Deep Pressure Therapy, helps disrupt anxiety spirals, and provides social modeling for client dogs working through their own fear and reactivity — proof, in fur, that the dog nobody wanted can become the dog that helps other dogs heal.
READY TO
MEET US?
Give us a call or send a message. We’ll have a real conversation about your dog, find the right program, and get you moving forward — no pressure.