About

Aloha, I’m Angel—your trainer! I’d love to share a little about who I am, my bonding journey, and how BCT came to be.

I was born and raised on the island of Hawai‘i. At 22, while living in California, I began my own bonding journey with a 6-month-old American Staffordshire Terrier I named Rogue Violet Thompson. I saw Roguey as my daughter, but I also found myself becoming frustrated with her behaviors. And if you’re reading this, you probably understand that feeling; otherwise, you likely wouldn’t be here considering me as your potential trainer.

Well, by the time Rogue was three, I was completely overwhelmed. As much as I loved her, her behaviors had pushed me to my breaking point—I was even considering surrendering her. Around that time, I reached out to my friend Chuck and opened up about everything I was going through with Rogue. What I didn’t realize then was that the guidance and resources he shared would become the foundation for how I communicate with, connect to, and train and exercise pups today. Life moved forward, and through a series of unexpected events—losing my mother, career shifts, and the end of a relationship—I found myself bringing two more pups into my life during that time.

One of them was Paka, a rescue—and Paka, oh boy, was an experience. To be completely honest, we had to overcome some serious behavioral challenges. He bit two pups, killed a couple of cats, and even bit a person. Once again, I found myself calling Chuck. After I shared everything, he told me something I’ll never forget at the end of the conversation: “Angel, if you do not put in the time to train Paka he will become dangerous, and it’ll be your fault. You either have to train him, or you have to surrender him.” That conversation changed everything. I made the decision to step up and fully apply everything I had learned.

I began working with Paka in a way that respected his instincts—connecting with him as if he were in the wild with a pack leader. I focused on creating clear boundaries to keep him safe, while also giving him the physical and mental exercise he needed to release his pent-up energy. Through that process, I showed him that he could trust me to keep him safe—not relying on his old behaviors to do so, and in return, he showed me who he really was. Today, if you met Paka, you would have no idea about his past behaviors.

Working with both Rogue and Paka showed me something important and meaningful: these moments, resources, and reconnecting with our pups ancestrally can work with all types of pups. With over eight years of personal experiences, two years of running my business, and after working with forty-eight clients, aka BCT Members, and exercising and training fifty-six pups, this is what makes up Bond Companion Training located on the East Side of Hawai’i Island.

Now, with BCT—yes, you are working with me—but you’re also working with my past experiences, the things I’ve learned that truly work with my BCT Members, and all of the moments I’ve shared with BCT pups. I know you do not know me, nor do I know you, but our paths crossed for a reason.

If you feel like you would like to get to know me more and see if I am a good fit for you and your companion, please do not hesitate to contact me. I truly appreciate you taking the time to stop by. Now, have a real groovy rest of your day with your pup.

Cheers to your bond,

Your BCT Traina