meet the family

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Hi, I’m Nina Alfaro, founder and lead trainer at Embark Dog Training, and I couldn’t be happier that you’re here!

I grew up on the West Coast, surrounded by dogs of every size, breed, and temperament. Early on, I became fascinated with canine behavior and the quiet, powerful connection between dogs and their people. I still remember watching off-leash dogs gliding across the beaches of Malibu, completely in sync with their owners. That kind of partnership left a mark, and set the foundation for the kind of balanced dog training I offer today.

Just behind my childhood home, I’d watch professional handlers working police K9s and personal protection dogs. Bite work, detection, obedience—all of it lit a fire in me. I knew then that I wanted to understand not just how dogs work, but why.

That curiosity led me to the foothills of North Carolina, where I enrolled at the Highland Canine School for Dog Trainers, one of the most respected professional dog training schools in the country. There, I trained hands-on in advanced obedience, behavior modification, service dog work, and law enforcement K9 handling. I learned what it truly means to bring out the best in every dog, regardless of breed, background, or behavioral challenge.

But the dog who changed everything was Toretto, my Belgian Malinois—and the reason Embark exists. His intensity, intelligence, and sass challenged me to grow not just as a trainer, but as a leader. He taught me that training isn’t about shortcuts, it’s about consistency, presence, and showing up with intention every day. Toretto didn’t just shape my skills, he shaped my standard.

After Highland, I traveled to Georgia to continue working with military working dogs, extreme behavioral cases, and detection dogs, further refining my understanding of canine communication, learning theory, and training science based methodology.

Today, I call Nashville, Tennessee home and I’ve built Embark Dog Training to reflect everything I believe in: real-world results, honesty, structured guidance, and transformative relationships between dogs and their people.

With over half a decade of professional experience, I specialize in customized, balanced dog training programs that meet each dog exactly where they are, while pushing them toward their highest potential. Whether it’s puppy training, leash reactivity, off-leash obedience, or behavior modification, I’m here to help.

From leash manners and impulse control to advanced obedience and detection work, my training style is rooted in clarity, fairness, and respect—for both dogs and their handlers.

Above all, I believe dog training should be clear, connected, and empowering. My goal is simple: to help you build a strong, respectful, and joyful relationship with your dog that lasts a lifetime.

Let’s embark on that journey—together.

There’s always one dog that changes everything.
For me, that dog was Toretto.

A Belgian Malinois through and through—driven, brilliant, intense, loyal, and full of fire. Toretto entered my life at a time when I thought I understood dogs. I’d grown up with them. I’d studied dog training. I’d admired working breeds and protection dogs from the sidelines.

But nothing could have prepared me for what it meant to live with, lead, and learn from a dog like him.

Toretto wasn’t just a handful—he was a force.

He challenged me, pushed boundaries I didn’t know existed, and exposed every weak spot in my knowledge, patience, and leadership. But in that friction, he revealed something profound: the power of structure, the importance of clarity, and the transformation that occurs when a dog is truly understood.

He wasn’t “bad.”
He wasn’t “broken.”
He was misunderstood.
And he didn’t need control—he needed a leader.

Toretto demanded more of me than any certification or textbook ever could.

He taught me that training tools aren’t shortcuts, they’re conversations.
He showed me that consistency is love.
That leadership is not dominance or an alpha mindset —it’s presence.

In training him, I found the standard I bring into every client session, every board and train, every behavioral case.
It’s the standard that built Embark Dog Training.

But our story goes even deeper than training.

Toretto is also my task-trained personal protection dog, my constant companion and safety net. After losing my big sister and  both of my brothers, I was left with a kind of silence no one else could fill. In that grief, the world felt heavier. Less safe. More fragile.

In that space, Toretto became more than a protector—he became a piece of family I could still carry with me.

He walks beside me not because he has to, but because he chooses to. He is my calm in chaos, my shield in uncertainty, and a living reminder that loyalty, love, and leadership can live in one heart.

People often ask where my training style comes from.
Why I emphasize communication over control.
Why I’m so focused on clarity, structure, and real-world results.
Why I train reactive dogs, high-drive breeds, and dogs who feel like “too much.”

The answer is simple:
Toretto taught me.

He taught me that some dogs need more than commands—they need purpose.
They need patience, pressure, release, and reward.
They need someone who sees past the behavior and speaks to their true potential

He was never “easy.”
But he wasn’t meant to be.

He was my teacher.
My compass.
And the heartbeat behind Embark.

So if you’re here because your dog feels like too much...
If you’re overwhelmed or wondering if anyone truly understands what you’re going through...

Just know:
I’ve lived it.
And it all started with one dog,
who refused to be underestimated.