Inside every dog is a good dog! Let me help you build a solid relationship with your pet and give you training tools that will last a lifetime.
Call Today: 714.351.1645
Potty Training ~ Overly Shy or Sensitive ~
Submissive Urination Hyperactive ~ People or Dog Aggressive ~ Overweight
Jumping on Guests ~ Overly Friendly Behavior Such as Mouthing
Pulling Too Hard on Leash ~ Destructive Behavior in the House
Nuisance Barking ~ Toy Possessive ~ Seperation Anxiety
What you need to know about me:
My training philosophy is primarily based on positive reinforcement. I believe the best way to teach a new behavior  is to make it rewarding. As for behavior modification, the key is generally teaching a dog an alternate, more rewarding behavior. I have found that punishing a dog rarely has the effect that we expect, and thus avoid it. The most important thing to remember when training is that all dogs like something different, so rather than using just one method of training, you have to cater to their interests. When you work with your dog instead of against them, the training process is more effective, rewarding, and fun.
I have always loved dogs and a home never feels right without at least one or two of them! Once I started working with dogs, I knew I had found my calling. I then went through a training certification program with Animal Behavior College (www.AnimalBehaviorCollege.com) and have been training dogs ever since.
Communication is one of the requirements for successfully training any dog. We need to focus on learning their language, rather than trying to make them understand ours. Once you reach this point, both you and your dog will understand each other much better. Along with ensuring your dog gets enough exercise, communication is the most important factor in having a happy, well-behaved companion.
"My goal in life is to become as wonderful
as my dog thinks I am."--Toby & Eileen Green
It's important to understand that training is two-sided -- both owner and dog must be on the same page. We like to call it "training both ends of the leash". All our packages include in-home training to help with this, plus I will be in touch with you throughout the course to make sure everything goes as smoothly as possible!
"I was very pleased with the work Dan did with Buddy Yaeger. Buddy just turned 2 and was quite precocious. After these training sessions I am able to take him to the dog park and enjoy the time with him there.
He was very possessive prior to this and now he and I have the tools to "share the ball" and "drop the ball" when commanded, and not bite anyone's hand in the process. I would definitely recommend your training program to others!
--Andrea Yaeger
Dan was an excellent trainer - great personality! He showed immense patience with our dog Dylan, and took the time to explain things to me. Training packagers were a great value for the money. dylan has shown so many improvements. I would highly recommend your programs to others!
--Shanae Shamsideen
Call now or
email me for a FREE consultation!
714.351.1645
Dan.Cicio@gmail.com
Follow me on Twitter@Trainer_Dan!
“My life without dogs would be incomplete. Those of you who share my feelings know how intensely strong and deeply fulfilling the human/canine bond is.
By combining positive reinforcement with enthusiastic motivation, and using humane correction methods, I will teach you how to establish leadership within your family pack. We can then build on that solid foundation by training your dog to respect your leadership, trust you implicitly, and look to you for direction. I will show you how to communicate with your dog in a positive and fair manner rather than resorting to being harsh or angry.
I take pride in helping families build and maintain a strong and trusting human/canine bond--one that lasts a lifetime!”
–Dan Cicio, CPDT
Training good leash manners
Since our dogs are on leash most of the time we leave the house with them, good leash manners are essential to fun and enjoyable outings. It can be difficult to enjoy a beautiful day with your pup when he spends the whole time trying to drag you from place to place. While it would be nice if he were able to walk in perfect heel position at all times, we all know how difficult that is to achieve. On the other hand, there is a happy middle ground that we like to call "loose leash walking".
Loose leash walking means just that: you and your dog are walking while the leash is loose. No tension on the line means no pulling! The most important thing to remember is that it is your dog's job, not yours, to keep the leash loose. The technique is straightforward, requiring the right equipment, patience, and persistence.
The right equipment is essential and can vary from dog to dog. For example, small stature dogs and dogs with neck or back issues often require body harnesses and brachycephalic (flat-nosed) dogs cannot physically wear a head harness (like a Gentle Leader). Aside from these special circumstances, there are a few rules of thumb. Firstly, most harnesses are going to make it easier for a dog to pull, so they are rarely recommended for dogs learning leash manners. Head harnesses can work wonders (assuming the dog can physically wear them), while corrective collars can be appropriate for stronger or more persistent dogs. Please consult a professional before using such a collar, as improper use of any tool can be detrimental to your dog's training or health. A last note on equipment: while convenient in certain situations, retractable leashes make it very difficult to train appropriate leash manners. They are rarely recommended in such situations.
Once you have your dog attired with an appropriate leash and collar or harness, the rest is up to you. Draw your line in the sand and do not allow your dog to pull you anywhere. Whenever the leash goes taut, immediately stop walking and hold your position. There is no need to correct your dog verbally--his correction is that the walk stopped. Once he stops pulling, immediately begin walking again. Again, there is no need to say anything, as your dog sees the walk as its own reward. Though you will not go very far the first few walks, if you are consistent, the pauses will quickly become rarer and shorter.
If you have any further questions on leash manners, don't hesitate to ask! You can often find me at the daycare or contact me by email (dan.cicio@gmail.com) or phone (714-351-1645). Also, we will be holding a group class on leash manners next month--stop by the daycare to sign up!
Getting rid of temptations
I found this picture recently while poking around online. While it is certainly amusing, it immediately made me realize just how accurate it is. If that dog (let's call him Mikey) could speak, the caption would say "To be fair, you do leave the pillow on the floor...and I am a dog!" I can just see his owners stumbling upon him, upset about the mess, while Mikey just sits there, confused.
There are two keys to understanding this issue: Mikey's memory and temptation. First, Mikey's memory is remarkably short. If his owners did not actually walk in while he was pulling apart the pillow he will likely have no idea what they are upset about. This is a key point: it is nearly impossible to tell a dog that they have done something wrong if you do not do so instantly...basically you need to "catch them in the act".
The second key in this situation is temptation. Mikey is clearly of the opinion that playing with a pillow stuffed with feathers is lots of fun, so he is tempted to do so whenever he sees them. To avoid such messes in the future, it would be helpful to teach him otherwise. However, that will take a little while for him to learn, and every time he plays with a pillow, he will remember just how much fun it is. The first step is a simple one: Mikey cannot have any opportunities to play with any pillows unsupervised.
Maintaining the environment to limit temptations takes extra planning, but keeping big fluffy pillows on the floor is just begging Mikey to chew them up and romp in the "snow". I like to use quitting smoking as an analogy: if your friend is trying to quit smoking, you would be best to avoid leaving open packs of cigarettes on his kitchen table. In both cases, the temptation may well be too much to overcome. If you are tired of cleaning up messes like these, you have to keep potential items away from Mikey for the time being!
This is only the first step to training Mikey to stop making such messes, but it is an essential one. So what is the lesson I'm trying to teach? Maintaining a dogs environment to lessen or eliminate temptations will make training easier and save you lots of trouble in the meantime.
Training is beneficial for any sized dog
One of the biggest myths I run into when talking with pet owners is that only large dogs need to be trained. All dogs, regardless of size, would be well served by getting training. There are a few reasons for this, but in essence, your dog will only behave as well as you require her to. By doing some training early on, you'll teach the key basic behaviors (sit, down, etc.), which set the groundwork for a comfortable, well-behaved dog.
An important term to remember--and avoid!--is "size-related lenience". In practice, many behaviors that are considered essential to prevent or deal with in larger dogs (jumping on people, barking at strangers, begging for food, etc.) are thought to be cute or not an issue in smaller dogs. Though it's true that having a Maltese jump on you isn't as noticeable as when a German Shepherd does, it's important to realize that both dogs are showing the same lack of respect for boundaries that could potentially lead to further behavioral trouble.
One last thing to remember is that, while your puppy may be too young for classes, you begin training your dog from the minute she enters your home. You fawn all over her and give her love and treats when she's cute, you let her know when she does things you don't like--these simple things that we don't even think about are actually setting the foundation of her understanding of the household's rules. It's much easier to do things right from the beginning than to try to change the rules later, so make sure you're setting the right rules from day one!
If you have any dog training questions, feel free to send them my way! You can reach me at dan.cicio@gmail.com or @trainer_dan on Twitter.
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