Valeria Cascaddan
has over 30 years of experience in the animal care industry. She started her journey with her own dog, Abbie, a Standard Poodle, and trained her in high-level obedience, personal protection, assistant dog tasks, scent detection, and tracking. She later adopted an English Bull Terrier named Rippy, who helped her transition from correction-based training to positive reinforcement methods. Valeria is passionate about teaching both dogs and people and is dedicated to staying up-to-date with the latest information in behavior analysis, animal behavior, canine ethology, teaching, and learning.
Training Philosophy
Valeria Cascaddan believes in using positive reinforcement methods to help dogs learn and succeed. She emphasizes the importance of understanding a dog’s true nature and how to nurture their behavior effectively. Her approach is based on the latest research in animal behavior and learning, and she strives to create a positive learning environment for both dogs and their owners.
Services
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Virtual Consultations:
Personalized consultations conducted via Zoom, where Valeria discusses your goals and challenges, offering tailored advice and strategies to start you on your path to success.
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Canine Connections Kickstart:
This FREE online video program is designed to jumpstart your journey toward understanding and changing behaviors, focusing on establishing a strong foundation for learning and connection.
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Family Dog Connections:
Aimed at integrating your dog harmoniously into family life, this series of on-demand video programs guides you to a successful lifestyle with your family dog and promotes connection and understanding through the sciences of canine behavior.
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Behavior Blueprint Consultation:
A 30-minute private Zoom consultation that includes a review of your dog’s K9 History form to help you better understand their behavior and the next steps that you can take to address any issues.
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Family Dog Mediation Consultation:
A 1-hour Zoom session designed to ease challenges for dogs and puppies struggling to navigate the complexities of our human world, ensuring peaceful living together for your puppy or adult dog in your home.
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Family Dog Roundtable:
A collaborative forum where family dog guardians gather to leverage and share experiences, insights, and solutions in their journey of canine companionship.
Certifications
Valeria Cascaddan holds the following certifications and licenses:
- Certified Behavior Consultant Canine – Knowledge Assessed (CBCC-KA)
- Certified Professional Dog Trainer – Knowledge Assessed (CPDT-KA)
- Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner (KPA-CTP)
- Fear Free Certified Professional (FFCP)
- Licensed Family Dog Mediator® in the behavior division (LFDM-B)
- Licensed Family Dog Mediator® in the training division (LFDM-T)
Specializations
Valeria Cascaddan specializes in providing training and education for both the human and canine end of the leash. She is a Canine Behavior Consultant and Family Dog Mediator, and she is experienced in working with dogs of all breeds and ages. She is particularly passionate about helping dogs with aggression, fear, and anxiety.
Training Methods
Valeria Cascaddan uses positive reinforcement methods, which focus on rewarding desired behaviors and ignoring or redirecting unwanted behaviors. She does not use or advocate for training methods that involve choke chains, pinch collars, shock collars, throw cans, water spray, dominance rolls, or throw chains.
Customer Reviews
“My lab Idgie, and I are profoundly grateful to have been afforded the opportunity to work with such a professional as Valeria. I have specific cognitive and physical challenges, but she has been nothing short of awesome. She’s knowledgeable, highly educated, and patient with us, individually and collectively. We value her instruction and input and have, in a short time, learned a great deal from her via guidance, instruction, and demeanor. She has always been punctual, kind, and very good at verbal and written communication. She has indeed provided us with successful and positive outcomes. We have been blessed to have her in our lives. We have recommended Valeria to our friends and family, who have consistently validated our progress. Thank you!”
Mary B.
