By: The ABC Staff
For Kyle Parrillo, dogs have always been more than companions; they’ve been teachers, healers, and a personal calling. As an ABC Certified Dog Trainer and the founder of Feels Like Home: Dog Care, Kyle’s journey into professional dog training is rooted in service, resilience, and an unwavering commitment to dogs who need someone to believe in them.
Before enrolling at Animal Behavior College, Kyle’s career looked very different. He worked as a Ballistic Missile Defense Instructor, training U.S. Navy guided missile destroyers how to intercept ballistic missiles as part of Afloat Training Group Pacific in San Diego. Alongside that high-stakes role, he was also a wrestling coach and, most importantly, a foster for rescue dogs. Together with his wife, Kyle fostered more than 40 dogs through Adopt Baja, a rescue focused on dogs pulled from the streets of Ensenada, Mexico. Rather than choosing the “easy” fosters, Kyle intentionally asked for the dogs that others couldn’t or wouldn’t take.
“Anyone can (and should) foster puppies,” Kyle shared. “I wanted the ones people couldn’t or wouldn’t foster.” That commitment led him to a Belgian Malinois puppy named Poppy and to a pivotal turning point. When Poppy’s training needs exceeded Kyle’s experience, he sought professional help only to be quoted between $4,000 and $7,000 for training a foster dog.
“I remember saying to my wife, ‘I can literally become a dog trainer myself for like $2,000,’” Kyle said. “That’s when I called Animal Behavior College and the rest is history.”
Kyle enrolled in the ABC Certified Dog Trainer (ABCDT) program and later completed the Doggie Daycare short term program, graduating in February 2025. While Poppy ultimately found her way to a Malinois-specific rescue and was successfully adopted, the experience fundamentally changed Kyle’s path.
Learning to See Dogs Differently
Kyle completed his externship at Paws of Coronado Animal Shelter under mentor trainer Chancel, whose training philosophy challenged many of his existing instincts. “She taught me to drop everything I believed I knew about dog behavior and dominance and see things through the lens of positive reinforcement and motivation,” Kyle said.
That contrast, he explained, was exactly what he needed. “The only way to grow as a trainer was to do things I wouldn’t normally do.” The experience reinforced one of Kyle’s core beliefs: that great trainers stay curious, adaptable, and open-minded.
Turning Grief Into Purpose
Kyle’s second and perhaps most profound lightbulb moment came after the loss of his Siberian Husky, Phillip, to terminal bone cancer. Phillip had helped Kyle navigate the difficult transition from military life to civilian life, and losing him forced Kyle to reexamine his sense of purpose. “Feels Like Home: Dog Care was the product of my grieving process,” Kyle shared. What began as a deeply personal response to loss soon became something much bigger.
Today, Feels Like Home: Dog Care is a home-style, cage-free daycare, boarding, and training facility designed specifically for dogs who struggle with isolation. With no kennels or cages, dogs spend their days playing in expansive, fully fenced, turfed yards and their nights sleeping inside with people, just like family. Kyle’s business model is intentionally selective. Every dog undergoes a behavior evaluation, ensuring a safe, low-stress environment for both dogs and staff. Despite early doubts from nearly everyone around him, Kyle bet on himself.
“Not one person in my life thought quitting my cushy government job to start this business was a good idea,” he said.
Within 60 days of launching the business during a period of paid leave from his day job, Feels Like Home generated over $16,000 and it hasn’t slowed down since. The company is now on track to quadruple Kyle’s original first-year revenue goal.
Kyle’s training philosophy centers on one guiding principle: train the dog in front of you. “Training dogs isn’t about me; it’s about dogs,” he explained. “If you skip setting boundaries and start reinforcing unwanted behavior, you create resentment and sometimes relinquishment.”
His heart remains firmly with rescue dogs, especially those who need time, patience, and someone who won’t give up when things get difficult. “A handful of my fosters needed me specifically to escape the system,” Kyle said. “It breaks my heart when dogs are returned at the first inconvenience.”
The ABC Advantage
While Kyle admits he didn’t immediately feel like a trainer upon graduating, confidence came quickly once he began working with real clients. “After my first few five-star reviews, I knew I was on the right path,” he said. He credits ABC’s Doggie Daycare program as instrumental to his business success. “All my HR forms, waivers, service agreements, and policies came from that course material. I would have been lost without it and I still use it today.”
Kyle’s advice for students halfway through their ABC program is refreshingly honest: “This program is what you make of it. If you put in the work, the sky is the limit.” He encourages future trainers to stay open-minded, resist rigid dogma, and approach every dog and client as an individual.
While Kyle has recently returned to work part-time as a Ballistic Missile Defense Instructor, Feels Like Home: Dog Care continues to grow under the leadership of his wife, Victoria, who now serves as General Manager. With a dedicated team, expansion milestones already achieved, and a community of devoted clients, Kyle’s vision is clear: create a place where dogs truly feel at home.
From military service to saving dogs others overlooked, Kyle Parrillo’s story is a powerful reminder that purpose often finds us when we’re willing to answer the call.
