in Monmouth, Ocean
Pet trainer teaches old
dogs some new tricks
Bark Busters operates
in Monmouth, Ocean
JACKSON — It is often said that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. But certified dog behavioral therapist and trainer Nicholas Pagano begs to differ.
Pagano, who opened a franchise of the Bark Busters Home Dog Training serving Monmouth and Ocean counties, says he can teach any dog to give up his bad habits in as little as three hours — regardless of the dog’s age.
If his own dog, Nestle, is a prototype of a Bark Buster graduate, the training is effective. The 3-year-old chocolate English springer spaniel has impeccable manners; he does not bark loudly or pull on his leash. When his owner calls his name, he responds immediately, and the hardwood floors in Pagano’s Jackson home are completely unscathed.
"He’s obedient," said Pagano, a wildlife biologist who traded in a 25-year-old corporate job to become a certified dog trainer. "He still gets happy. He just gets happy under control."
Founded in Australia in 1989, the Bark Busters Home Training Method has helped polish the behavior of more than 150,000 dogs worldwide. According to Pagano, the training is based on the way dogs communicate with one another. In the wild, dogs have a pecking order determined by a dog’s dominance within the group. Problem or disobedient dogs are the result of dogs perceiving themselves to be higher up on the pecking order than they really are.
"Dogs perceive themselves as pack leaders," he said. "Ninety-nine percent of dogs in America consider themselves to be the leader of the family. What we do is re-establish the structure so that the owner becomes the leader."
Without revealing the specific secrets of his dog-training method, Pagano said he visits the customer’s home, conducts a lengthy interview with the pet owner, evaluates the dog’s temperament, and custom designs the dog’s behavioral methods to the owner’s needs. Always working inside the dog’s home, Pagano works with families to debunk several dog-training myths.
"Whether it’s nuisance barking, ignoring the owner, not coming when called, digging, scratching, chewing, toilet training, whatever it is, there is no point in yelling at them three hours after the fact," he said. "Dogs learn by association. People like to treat their dogs like children, but you have to communicate with a dog on a canine level."
Other common myths, such as repeatedly yelling the word "no" and rewarding the canine with a doggie biscuit, are ineffective training methods, he said.
Although there are 62 certified Bark Buster instructors throughout the United States, Pagano is the only one serving Monmouth and Ocean counties.
For $150, he will conduct an evaluation and work with a canine for a few hours. For $395, he’ll be on call for an entire year, and for $495 Pagano will work with the dog for its entire lifetime. "The adult pet owners must also work with their dog for about 10 minutes a day," Pagano said.
For more information, visit www.barkbusters.com or call (877) 280-7100.