Susan Giordano
is a Certified Pet Dog Trainer and a professional member of the Pet Professional Guild (PPG) and the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT). She graduated from Pat Miller’s Peaceable Paws Intern Academy, one of the country’s most respected and comprehensive dog trainer programs. She regularly attends seminars and workshops given by the best instructors and theorists in the dog training field, including Bob Bailey, Karen Pryor, Dr. Ian Dunbar, Patricia McConnell, Susan Garrett, Temple Grandin, Kathy Sdao, John Rogerson, Myrna Milani, Suzanne Clothier, Veronica Boutelle, and Kathy Cascade (T-Touch Practioner). While running her own business, Susan was also the Director of Training & Education for rescue organization Our Pals Place. During her tenure at OPP, she worked with hundreds of dogs with behavior issues. Susan holds a Master’s degree in Education from Boston University.
Training Philosophy
Susan believes in doing no harm, emotionally or physically. Dog training should be fun and pain-free for all involved, dogs and humans, which is why training methods at K9U are exclusively positive and humane. But Susan’s philosophy encompasses much more than a force-free approach to pet dog training. Physical wellness contributes greatly to a dog’s behavior and ability to learn, and at K9U, we actively promote a balanced, holistic approach to dog guardianship. The goal is to keep your canine companion healthy, happy, and well-behaved for many years, whether through training, diet, exercise, or gentle, natural treatments.
Services
K9U offers private in-home dog training, puppy training and socialization programs, behavior modification, and puppy kindergarten classes. They specialize in:
- Must-have dog manners: Loose-leash walking, anti-jump, polite greetings of guests and strangers, wait at the door, off-leash training, impulse control, and basic dog commands like sit, stay, and come when called.
- Dog behavior problems: Biting, growling, fear, shyness, separation anxiety, aggression toward dogs and people, guarding toys or food, barking and lunging on leash, fear of thunderstorms, and all other types of fear and anxiety.
- Advanced training: Therapy dog preparation, rescue dog training, fancy tricks like wave, roll over, put your toys away and play dead.
- Puppy Training: House-training, crate training, home-alone training, Must-have puppy manners: Walk nicely on leash, greet people politely, wait at the door, sit, come when called, off-leash training, Behavior problem prevention: Resource guarding prevention, Handling exercises, Bite inhibition, Puppy socialization.
- Clicker Training: Clicker training is the practice of using a sound (the click) to communicate with your dog. First we teach the dog that the click means he gets a treat. Then we mark behavior we like with a click.
Certifications
Certified Pet Dog Trainer (CPDT)
Specializations
Puppy training, socialization, behavior modification, obedience training, clicker training
Training Methods
Positive reinforcement, force-free, science-based, humane
