Meet Joe Amick 

West Chester Dog Training

Have you ever wondered why dogs are so good at detecting your emotional cues?

“She knew I needed a hug.”

“I was beyond frustrated, angry, full of anxiety and ready to blow my lid today and my beautiful PTSD service dog came and nudged me and laid her head on my shoulder.”

This was a post by one of my clients, Heather.

I helped turn her service dog, Chara, into a well-trained companion.

According to Real Clear Defense, about 140,000 veterans in the USA struggle with PTSD. For many of them, medications and medical treatments have not been enough.

Service dogs like Chara help veterans cope with flashbacks, anxiety, sadness, socialization and nightmares. One recent study conducted by Dr. Kun Guo showed that dogs combine visual and oratory inputs to understand human emotion.

That’s some pretty cool stuff, right?

You see today I work with an organization called TADSAW (Train A Dog Save A Warrior) in which I train service dogs for veterans and citizens who suffer from PTSD.

But, to understand my passion and dedication to dog training, I have to take you back to my roots.

I got my start in dog training in the Air Force.

I served for six years and trained explosive detection dogs (aka bomb sniffers) with the security police.

If you know anything about training dogs in the Air Force is that the dog training never stops.

It’s there I learned about patience, reward, repetition, and correction as key principles in dog training.

But above all, I learned about loyalty like no other.

That’s a man’s best friend.

Fast forward just a bit…

When I got out of the Air Force I knew I wanted to continue working with dogs.

I reached out to several rescues and the SPCA and began fostering and rehabilitating their worst-case “unadoptable” dogs.

If you have ever seen a dog with serious human and dog aggression, then you’ll know what I mean.

My job was to get them in a mental, physical and emotional state so they are ready for adoption.

A new beginning.

A better life.

I have an affinity for powerful dog breeds, so most of these rehabilitations were of pit bull and pit bull mixes.  My love for pit bulls and powerful dog breeds never left me.

Each dog transformation from “unadoptable” to “admired” strengthened my skills and provided powerful dog training techniques.

My next chapter took me to training companion dogs for the public.

I quickly realized that many people were looking for answers on how to stop bad behavior in their dogs.

“Wouldn’t it be great if I could turn dogs that had become a source of stress into sources of joy?” I thought to myself.

Because that’s what dogs are supposed to be.

Sources of joy.

Loyal snuggle partners.

Goofy best friends.

The bottom line is that I’ve been working with dogs for 15 years. 

I have trained dogs of all ages.

Some problems were serious where the training is the last resort before re-homing the dog.

Other problems involved basic, intermediate and advanced obedience training that enabled dogs and their humans to grow a remarkable bond built around trust.

I am an ADA certified Service Dog Trainer & TADSAW certified PTSD Service Dog Trainer.

But, that's not all.

My Bachelors Degree of Science in Education from Bowling Green State University and my teaching experience gave me a unique set of skill I am able to apply to dog training as well.

Like, how to be more engaging.

How to reward positive behavior to create change.

And, how to promote discipline & build rapport needed for a trusting relationship.

So, I want you to feel confident in one last thing:

I WILL HELP YOU OVERCOME ANY DOG ISSUE INCLUDING WALKING, JUMPING, BARKING, HOUSE BREAKING, RECALL, AGGRESSION, ANXIETY, NERVOUSNESS, FEARFULNESS, GREETINGS, AND LUNGING.

Because I have mastered what it takes to strengthen the bond with your dog.

Fast.

And, lasting.

Regardless of dog breed or problem.

And without wasting your time on methods that don't work or hopping from trainer to trainer in despair.

So now, the real question now is this:

Are you ready to have a loyal and well-mannered companion for life?

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