About Our Trainers
Meet The Off Leash K9 Team
Joyell Leonard - OWNER & HEAD TRAINER
Joyell lives in the Little River area and has a Bachelor’s in Psychology and a Master’s in Education from UNC Greensboro. She taught public school for several years before transitioning into a full-time homeschooling mom. After homeschooling the last 21 years, her two youngest will graduate in 2025.
Joyell loved dogs while growing up and began dog training in 2010 when they adopted their first rescue, Gracie, followed by Lauren several years later. It was not until 2019 when the family bought Daisy, a Mini Aussiedoodle, that she found herself delving into everything dog, from videos, books, talking to other trainers, online classes, and especially working with her own dogs. Since then, Joyell has added 2 more dogs: another Mini-Aussiedoodle named Cappy and a Mini-Bernedoodle named Carter. Joyell responsibly bred Mini-Aussiedoodles and Mini Australian Mountain Doodles for several years, where all of the puppies were loved and raised with her family. Joyell continues to educate herself daily and loves combining her years of teaching experiences with people to help you understand your dog. When Joyell is not training dogs, you can find her spending time with her wonderful husband, six kids, son-in-law, and two grandbabies, who happily call her “Sunny”.
Joyell is very excited to now be the owner of OLK9 Myrtle Beach. She desires to make a difference in the community by helping families and their beloved dogs communicate better. She has had the privilege of working with Slider, the Myrtle Beach Pelicans Bat Dog and with several community rescue organizations.
At OLK9 Myrtle Beach, every dog is treated like family.
To see some of Joyell’s work, click HERE
Brande Brock - Trainer
Brande is a native Carolinian and has lived at the beach for over 30 years. She attended Coastal Carolina University, graduating with a Bachelor’s in Art Studio and a Minor in Marketing.
“I cannot remember a time when I did not have a doggo in my life!” -Brande
Brande has always been intrigued with dog behavior, the human/dog relationship, and how a well-balanced training approach can enhance the relationship an owner has with their dog. Through years of studying, observing, practicing and certification she has developed a style all her own and enjoys connecting owners with their furry friends through leadership and love.
After a strong career developing customer and employee experience programs, Brande decided that it was time to do what she has always loved full time. She joined the Off Leash K9 Myrtle Beach team after taking her German Shepherd and Black Lab through the program.
While Brande has an extensive knowledge of German Shepherd and Labrador Retriever breeds, she has successfully worked with a wide variety of other breeds and loves them all!
When she isn’t training, Brande enjoys family time outdoors, singing, and learning more cool stuff about dogs!
Samantha Nordman - Trainer
Samantha was born and raised in Horry County. She attended Horry Georgetown Technical College where she received her Veterinary Assistant certification. Samantha has experience working in a Veterinarian Clinic and has assisted in a Doggie Daycare as a receptionist and kennel technician. She has experience in animal behavior, animal care, nutritional needs, and animal handling.
Samantha has always had a passion for dogs. Her goal is to provide her clients with effective, professional and humane training. She desires to make the owner’s life easier by teaching their dog how to behave and live within the rules and structures of a normal family life. Samantha says, “It makes my day seeing a dog become a better companion and the owner a better handler.”
When Samantha isn’t training, you can find her hanging out with her husband and two beautiful children.
Kat Kidd - Trainer
Kat is passionate about dog training and has devoted over half of her life to this fulfilling endeavor. She has worked in Doggie Daycares, shelters, fostered for rescues and trained for many years. She has experience in competitive dog sports, notably in FastCAT and dock diving. Recently, she celebrated a remarkable achievement when her dog secured first place in a dock diving competition.
Kat’s true passion lies in working dogs, as she personally owns a few herself. These breeds are often misunderstood. She loves to educate owners about their unique traits and help them embrace their dogs’ natural tendencies.
Kat says her training philosophy revolves around a balanced approach, where she utilizes a variety of tools and techniques tailored to meet the needs of each individual dog and handler. Her mission is to enhance the communication and bond between humans and their canine companions, ultimately leading to a fulfilling and enriching partnership!
When Kat isn’t training, you can find her going on adventures with her pack or hanging out with friends and their dogs.
Nicole Hitt - Trainer
Nicole has always had a love for animals, especially dogs and knew from a young age that she wanted to work with them. She has spent time working as a kennel technician and worked with shelter dogs, helping to train and socialize them in preparation for adoption. Four years ago, she rescued her first dog, a Husky mix, that had quite a few behavioral challenges of her own, including resource guarding, reactivity and digestive issues. Wanting to help her become the best dog she could be, Nicole began educating herself on dog behavior and how to communicate more effectively.
Through that experience, Nicole discovered a passion not only for training dogs but also for helping owners better understand their canine companions. She knows firsthand how frustrating behavioral issues can be and how with proper training and communication, the relationship between a dog and their owner can transform. Since then, she has added another rescue dog to the family that again came with behavioral challenges. Through consistency, training and proper communication, Nicole has seen her new dog flourish.
Nicole believes that many dogs are misunderstood and that every dog deserves the opportunity to succeed. She said, “My goal as a trainer is to help owners build a stronger bond with their dogs through clear communication, trust and understanding. There is nothing more rewarding than seeing a dog and owner learn to work together and create a lasting relationship built on confidence and mutual respect.”
When she isn’t training or spending time with family, you can find Nicole participating in dog sports such as Fast CAT, and she plans to explore agility and scent work in the future.
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About Off Leash K9 Training
(Photo by Nico Therin/A&E)
Nick White is the Owner and Founder of Off Leash K9 Training. Nick is a former US Marine and former US Secret Service. He currently has over 130+ dog training locations throughout the United States.
Nick is globally recognized as being one of the top dog trainers in the world. He has 2 official world records in off leash obedience, named on Wikipedia as one of the top 20 dog trainers in the world, recently named top 10 trainer in the world by bestdogtrainers.org, has been featured in many magazines and shows, and he is regularly requested by the top celebrities and athletes! He has been called upon by people such as actor Ryan Reynolds, WWE’s John Cena, MLB All Star Max Scherzer, UFC World Champion Jon “Bones” Jones, and many more!
You can visit our YouTube Channel and watch over 1500+ before/after videos of Nick and his team’s work! Off Leash K9 Training has more documented videos than any dog training business in the entire world!