Who We Are
About US
Dom uses motivation, encouragement, and controlled, fair corrections to communicate with your dog what behaviors we like, and what behaviors we would like to change. We believe empathy and understanding your dog is the first step in setting up new boundaries for your furry friend.
Communication is key, in both directions.
How do we listen to our dogs?
We expect them to listen to us, but first we must learn how to listen to them.
Understanding Body Language
It is important to be able to read your dogs, and other dogs' body language. This is the best way to keep your dog, and other dogs safe.
Persistence and Consistency
In order to be fair to our dogs our rules must be predictable.It is impossible for a dog to learn a pattern that keeps changing. We must be more stubborn than our dogs if we expect them to follow our rules.
About DoM
Dom Pacitto
Dom Pacitto was raised in Carmel, California.This coastal town is renowned for its dog friendliness, so needless to say, dogs abounded.
Dom’s sister Ahley, 10 years her senior, decided to dedicate her life and career to helping dogs become the best and happiest that they could be. Dom quickly decided to follow suit.
Beginning in 2000 Dom began apprenticing with Ashley and All Things Dog. Together the sisters helped countless dogs and their humans while also learning about: Search and Rescue, Protection, and tracking.
Dom moved to Brooklyn in 2011. In 2016 Dom began an apprenticeship where she learned new techniques on how to approach training in an urban setting. In 2018 it was time for Dom to start her own business and Dom’s Dogs was born.
Recently, Dom had the privilege of training her German Shepherd dog, Amelia, to work as her service dog to mitigate her Ankylosing Spondylitis, and is excited to help others on their path to better mobility through canine assistance.
Q&A with Dom
Q: Do you have any pets?
A: Yes!
Koda- Newfoundland, 10 years old. Aliases” “kodels, bear, Queen of Snacks, ruler of dried codfish”
Amelia- German Shepherd, 3 years old. Aliases “bops, boperell, meals, Queen Mealsbop from the planet Mealsbopulous”
5 cats! (yes, that’s the right number): CleoCatra, Malvolio, Wednesday, Boris, Natasha.
Q: What is your favorite dog breed?
A: I grew up with 6 German Shepherds, and Amelia is my seventh, so I’d have to say the German Shepherd. They are smart, loyal, and can be highly malleable.
Q: Biggest dog pet peeves?
A: Relentless humpers.
Q: Favorite place to bring your dogs?
A: The beach.
Q: What do you find most rewarding about dog training?
A: Seeing the dogs’ worlds get bigger. Dogs are often left home and left out of fun activities because they are unreliable to bring along. Increasing reliability in our dogs really helps them to become a full fledged family member. Your dog should enrich an experience, not hinder it.
Q: What do you see as your strongest skills in training? What makes you special?
A: I studied acting and directing for 21 years, and therefore have a very clear way of communicating and reading other humans. I find this very helpful for dog training as it is a very fluid art that must be communicated to both the dog and the human in varied and dynamic ways. We all learn differently, humans and dogs both!
Q: What is your theory behind dog training?
A: I believe that dogs are incredibly dynamic creatures that love to problem solve. They have feelings, neurosis, fears, and illogical thinking patterns, just like humans. Dog training, first and foremost, should teach both the human handlers and the dog how to communicate with one another. It is not enough to understand WHY a dog is exhibiting a behavior. It is crucial to SHOW the dog that you understand. This way the dog does not feel like they are living in a scary world tied to a human who doesn’t seem to have a clue about what is making them feel fearful and insecure. Dog training approaches should be as dynamic as the dogs that it is trying to help. Some training theories will work wildly well on one dog, and will fail miserably with others. I am here to guide you on your journey to discover how to communicate with the dog in front of you. A rigid approach is an approach that will fail.