About Us
Smilin Dogs was founded in 2000, at first offering only our Dog Ranch visits. In 2009 we added our current facility in San Carlos which offers daycare and group style boarding.
Susana – Manager
Susana was born in El Salvador and came to the states when she was 3 and has been in the Bay Area ever since. She has worked for Smilin Dogs since 2016 as a daycare handler, team leader, hiker and front office person, before becoming a Manager. She graduated from Vet Tech school in 2020 while working full time at Smilin Dogs. A few fun facts about Susana are that she has an unhealthy obsession with Malamutes and enjoys visiting her beach house in El Salvador.
Becca – Manager
Becca grew up on the beach in Southern California and graduated from Chico State with a degree in Political Science. After working in the political realm, she moved to the Bay Area and joined the Smilin Dogs family in the summer of 2022 as a handler and worked her way up to team lead. She left for a short break but realized quickly working with dogs was her true calling. In her free time Becca enjoys paddle boarding and kayaking with her Pyrenees mix, Luna. She also enjoys traveling and has been to 49 states and 13 countries.
Leanna – Manager
Leanna grew up in New Mexico but decided to stay in the Bay after graduating from Stanford University with a BS in Design. She has worked at Smilin Dogs since 2021, working as a daycare handler, front office person, team leader, and dog rancher (her favorite) before becoming Manager. Her dog Akamaru, a cattle dog rescue, is back home with family, but she loves getting to hang out with her black cat, Taco (also a rescue), after a fun day full of dogs. In her free time, she enjoys working on knitting and crochet projects, tending to her garden, or hiking up to a scenic view..
Konrad – Owner
Since 2000 Konrad Thaler together with Diana Ungersma have built Smilin Dogs.
As an eternal optimist he sees the good in everybody and as an entrepreneur he sees opportunity for growth everywhere. Coming from a small Bavarian village with strong traditions and family values, he is extremely passionate about everything farming, dog and bee related. He has two children and is very involved in their education at Peninsula School and Design Tech high school. He is a visionary and leader but also feels comfortable being taught by others with more experience and wisdom.
Diana- Owner
Prior to founding Smilin Dogs, Diana spent 12 years working in product management and marketing in Silicon Valley startups. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the California Polytechnic State University. She is the parent of two children. In her spare time, she is Vice President on the Board of Directors for Athena Academy. She enjoys tango, yoga and trying to make a round pot on the pottery wheel.
Our happy dog parents say it best.
“… I see him park himself near the front door on Mondays, in anticipation of his Smilin Dogs outing. He comes home tired, an all-too-rare event in my exuberant Vizsla’s life.”
– Jonathan, Casey’s dad