Jackie Moyano

CPDT-KA, PMCT, SAPro

Behavior United, LLC has ten years of experience training dogs of all ages from puppies and adolescents to adult through senior dogs. Behavior United, LLC offers dog training for basic manners and advanced training around distractions. Behavior United LLC, also offers behavior modification for dogs experiencing reactivity, aggression, fear, and separation anxiety.

Jackie Moyano at Behavior United, LLC has been doing behavior modification with her own dog and clients' dogs for ten years. She really enjoys helping dogs living with reactivity, aggression, fear, and separation anxiety plus the people who love them.

Life is challenging enough, training your companion animal doesn't have to be. Behavior United, LLC provides proven, aversive-free, efficient, reward-based solutions with all of our clients, human and animal alike. Whether it's basic canine obedience training or more serious dog behavior issues, we apply the science of behavior and a team approach to help you meet your goals. Training time should be rewarding for both people and their pets. Training/behavior consultations in-person and live online, we offer curated training/behavior modification packages and single sessions to balance your busy life with your quality pet time. All private training/behavior consultation sessions include a training plan summary with the skills introduced and tailored to your dog's needs, your lifestyle, and your goals. Between sessions, we're available for support via email, text, or phone calls as you and your dog progress.

I am a dog trainer because of my cat and my mom. In 2007 my mom passed away from breast cancer. Suddenly, life was so finite. Why am I wasting time in a career I no longer enjoy? What do I enjoy? I didn't know what my next step was, but I knew I didn't want to be a respiratory therapist for the rest of my life. Time to make another dream come true, because who knows how much time any of us has left. I slogged through the grief abyss, experiencing milestones like marriage and buying our first home without my mom. She loved my husband and would have loved the condominium, except for the original 1980s kitchen. After surviving a challenging 3-month kitchen remodel during snowmageddon 2010, I wanted to reward myself with a companion animal. Because our condo was on the 8th floor, we decided to adopt a cat instead of a dog. We named our 1-year-old gray Siamese cat Slinky. One night after we had gone to sleep we heard a crash. We jumped out of bed and immediately realized our kitchen design flaw. Open shelves above the countertop instead of cabinets. Slinky knocked a stemless wine glass off of the shelf. Not a great financial loss, the glass cost about $3. The financial and wellbeing impact was watching Slinky try to eat the glass! WHY!? we shrieked. We were able to intervene in time and no Slinkys were harmed. Glass eating had to be prevented. I did what anyone with animal problems does, I asked Google. I spent hours researching cat behavior articles and books. I finally ordered a book called Think Like A Cat by Pamela Johnson Bennett. With a few changes in my behavior, I was able to change Slinky's behavior. That was incredibly reinforcing for me. Helping Slinky change his behavior reminded me of my childhood dream. I wanted to work with animals! I cold-called trainers asking if I could apprentice with them. One woman turned me down because I had a cat instead of a dog. I described the training and behavior modification I had done with Slinky, but that did not matter to her. That no was the best thing that happened to my training career. Because of that no, I apprenticed with another trainer, Sandy Modell of Wholistic Hound Academy in Alexandria, VA. Sandy told me about Pat Miller's academies at Peaceable Paws. I completed all three of Pat Miller's academies making me a Pat Miller Certified Trainer. At Pat Miller's 1st academy, another trainer told me about Bob Bailey, ScD. I worked for and completed all 5 Bailey-Farhoody Operant Conditioning Workshops where, after scientific lectures, training principles were practiced by training leghorn chickens. In addition to numerous hours of animal training education, I passed the Certified Professional Dog Trainer exam. Between 2013 and March 2018 I volunteered at an animal shelter, I got my first paid part-time dog training job, quit my job as a respiratory therapist, transitioned to a full time dog trainer, adopted my own dog, became an entrepreneur and launched Behavior United LLC with my former business partner. Had you told me at the launch of Behavior United, LLC in 2018 that I would have to navigate a government shutdown, business partner moving away, and a pandemic, I wouldn't have believed you. But, we're still here, helping dogs and their people live their best lives!

My favorite part of being a dog trainer is helping people communicate and improve their relationship with their dogs.

My number one dog training tip is to ask yourself, "What do I want my dog to do?" Next, realize that your dog can't change his/her behavior until you change your behavior.