Meet the Team

“We expect so much from our dogs. We owe it to them to consistently work at understanding how they are feeling.”

James Baybayan
CEO, Chief Executive Trainer, CPDT-KA Certified

Spend some time with James, and you’re almost certain to hear him crediting his canine companion, Clay, for being the true trainer in their relationship. This mutual canine-human respect is the foundation of his vision for primepaw, which he founded in 2015.

The goal: to help humans recognize the incredible potential of dogs, using only positive reinforcement techniques and unconditional love.

James’ own training began as a volunteer at the SFSPCA. He was later offered an internship with Academy for Dog trainer Mik Moeller and Gladys Chan, then went on to lead the San Francisco SPCA’s Pitbull Initiative Mission—to increase awareness and adoption of Pitbull breeds.

The next 4 years were spent at SPCA’s Behavior and Training Program where he worked under the mentorship of veterinary behaviorist, Dr. Jeannine Berger.

primepaw, born as one human’s vision, has grown into a bustling community of engaged dogs and families—making San Francisco (and beyond) a better place for its citizens, canine and human alike.

Program Leads

Dom Padron

Assistant Manager | Group Class Instructor
Stephanie Desnoyers

Adolescent Academy Lead
Kyla Geraldo

Administrative | Receptionist

Group Class Instructors

Steve Bialek

Senior Instructor, Curriculum Development | PhD (Biophysics) | CPDT-KA | CGC-Evaluator
David Sternberg

Private Training | Senior Class Instructor | Pro Dog Trainer Certified | SPCA Canine Behavior Internship
Dom Padron

Off-Leash Adventure Lead | Group Class Instructor
Kytha Gernatt

Group Class Intructor