SEMPER AMICI CANINE TRAINING
TRAINER PROFILES
THE TRAINING TEAM
JOSE
(Owner, Training Director, & Instructor)
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With over 17 years of dog handling and training experience plus education, Jose began his career with dogs in 2006 after joining the U.S. Marine Corps the year prior, and was chosen to serve as a Military Working Dog Handler. During his enlistment, Jose completed two tours of duty in Iraq in 2007 and 2008 alongside his Patrol & Explosives Detection Military Working Dog, Gris (The face on our logo!).
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In 2010 Jose completed his active duty service. Thereafter he continued to pursue a career in dog handling and training. He worked as a K9 handler and instructor on a private security contract in Indonesia, then later as an explosives detection canine handler for a U.S. Government agency, before diving further into the world of pet training.
Jose attended Starmark Academy School for Dog Trainers and earned a certification as a Canine Training & Behavior Specialist. After a year of working at a reputable dog training facility in Houston where he became the Training Director, Jose decided to venture off on his own and fulfil his dream of owning and operating his own dog training business. Most recently he has completed training and received his certification in NePoPo®, a world renowned dog training system developed by one of the best dog trainers in the world, Bart Bellon.
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Jose is committed to Semper Amici's mission which is the proper development, care, and enrichment of dogs as well as the enlightenment of their owners. Through this mission Jose's goal is to keep as many dogs from being unnecessarily abandoned, re-homed, and/or euthanized while educating and guiding owners on the best ways to live and communicate with their fur-legged family members.
PAUL
(Lead Canine Trainer & Instructor)
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Paul has been training dogs for over 13 years... Upon graduating from Texas A&M, he one day walked into a feed store and saw a business card for a man advertising for personal protection dog training. Having been an animal lover ever since he can even remember, Paul reached out and learned to train his own dog. The intrigue of dog training remained with him and Paul then began to attend workshops and seminars in order to develop and hone his new skillset. This is when he realized there was more to training and began to explore a new-found interest in dog obedience and behavior training. His favorite part about training is, "taking a dog in its raw form, then molding it into a final product that’s custom tailored for that particular owner".
Throughout the years, Paul has had horses, snakes, scorpions, iguanas, and many other animals that he would often acquire. He is a firm believer that all kids should have to take care of at least one animal during their adolescent stage to guide their sense of accountability and build character in knowing that they are caring for a living being.
In explaining why he enjoys his job, Paul states, "I can honestly say I am living a dream. Doing what I love is not a job, it’s a career and lifestyle that I am truly passionate about."