Cara Diatta Dog Training

Cara provides one-on-one training sessions with clients and their dogs in their home environment. The training process typically begins with an introductory session designed to gather information about the dog and client, discuss expectations, create a customized training plan, and teach basic foundational skills.

Subsequent sessions can be booked to cover a variety of topics. These include foundational skills and basic obedience, focusing on reliable responses to cues like Sit, Down, Stay, and Come, as well as proper leash manners and appropriate behaviors outside the home, including working through distractions. The programs also address overcoming behavioral issues such as reactivity, separation anxiety, resource guarding, fear of strangers, and dog aggression, utilizing techniques like desensitization, counter-conditioning, and management strategies.

For puppies, training covers setting a strong foundation by integrating basic training into daily routines, understanding developmental stages, and implementing effective housebreaking strategies. Socialization and desensitization training involves exposing dogs to various people, places, and situations, reducing environmental sensitivity, and learning redirection techniques. Additionally, Cara offers enrichment guidance to help owners understand their dog’s physical, mental, and emotional needs, providing ideas for games, puzzles, and problem-solving activities. Extra practice sessions are also available where Cara works directly with the dog when the owner is not present, focusing on skill practice, real-world training, and providing physical and mental stimulation.

Cara Diatta Dog Training offers in-home dog training and behavior modification services primarily in the New Haven area. Cara Diatta is a highly qualified trainer, holding certifications as a Certified Guide Dog Mobility Instructor (GDMI) through the International Guide Dog Federation and a Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT-KA) through the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers. She brings extensive experience from her six years training over 100 guide dogs for a prominent non-profit organization in New York, followed by four years of providing in-home training to private clients in Philadelphia and New Haven.

Cara’s training philosophy centers on relationship building, basic skills/obedience, proper socialization, desensitization, counter-conditioning, puppy training, and housebreaking. She specializes in addressing behavioral issues such as reactivity, separation anxiety, resource guarding, fears of strangers, and dog aggression. Her approach is firmly rooted in positive reinforcement, marker/clicker training, relationship-based training, and force-free methods, ensuring that training is tailored to the unique needs of each dog and client.

Committed to continuous improvement, Cara actively learns from other trainers in fields like service dog training, scent detection, and law enforcement. She emphasizes effective communication, teaching clients to understand their dog’s body language and how dogs think and feel. Services begin with an introductory session to establish a training plan and foundational skills, with subsequent one-on-one sessions available to cover a wide range of training needs.

Accomplishments

Cara is a Certified Guide Dog Mobility Instructor (GDMI) through the International Guide Dog Federation and a Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT-KA) through the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers. She trained over 100 guide dogs for people with vision loss at a prominent non-profit organization in New York for six years. Following this, she spent four years providing in-home dog training and behavior modification to private clients, initially in Philadelphia and currently in the New Haven area.

Throughout her career, Cara has actively sought to expand her knowledge and skill set by working with trainers in diverse fields, including service dog training, scent detection, and law enforcement. She holds a bachelor’s degree in history, which has provided her with a solid foundation in critical thinking, writing, communication, and research.

How to Get Started!

To begin, prospective clients are encouraged to fill out an inquiry form available on the website. Cara recommends starting with an introductory session. This initial session is designed to gather necessary information, discuss client expectations, create a tailored training plan, and introduce basic foundational skills.