GTA KNINE’S STORY
Established in 2017, helping families and KNINES enjoy a balanced lifestyle.
Meet Adriano Russo,
Head Trainer and Owner of GTA KNINE.
Growing up, I always had a passion for all animals, with my number one being dogs of course. When I was younger and owned my first dog, I began to wonder what it would be like if there was an actual career opportunity where I could work with dogs every day for the rest of my life. Believe it or not before putting my full attention and life into my passion I was a licensed plumber working/operating a family business, while still doing private sessions on weekends. I truly was not happy with working everyday as a plumber knowing well that I would love to pursue my passion and work with dogs.
I have been in many people’s situation before with my own dog starting out. Diesel (my Rottweiler) had every issue in the book you can think of. Aggression human/dog, food aggression, resource guarding, anxiety issues and the list goes on. So, I truly do feel for my clients who reach out to me who are having these similar issues as I too, in the beginning, struggled for answers. In working through these issues with Diesel, I was forced to try every form of training which is what ultimately led me towards the “balanced Training” model I now specialize in. This balanced approach which focused on a daily regiment of mentoring, structure, boundaries, accountability has made a huge impact on my life and and has totally transformed Diesel. Diesel is now an important leader and teacher for every dog that I train.
From the very beginning I sought a balanced approach to my learning – courses and hands-on experience. I really dug into the dog training industry and started learning, reading, and researching everything I could to get started. I began providing private lessons on weekends while still maintaining my full-time job. I was eventually presented with an opportunity to work at a board and train facility. I was promoted to head trainer of the facility shortly thereafter and this really gave me an opportunity to oversee and work with tons of dogs. I truly believe in having lots of hands on experience with different breeds, ages, and temperament. I am still to this day learning and furthering my education in dog training and will never stop learning and furthering my education to help my clients fully enjoy a proper life with their canines.
There is no stopping the learning process and new ways to approach certain situations because EVERY DOG IS DIFFERENT.
The Crew.
DIESEL
March 14, 2014 – August 7, 2021
Gone but never forgotten.
Diesel is a Rottweiler born on March 14, 2014. He is not only my dog, but he is also the strongest proponent of my balanced training methodology. As I mentioned above, Diesel started with every issue in the book. The best way to describe him is to say that he loves to work and needs a job/structure in his life daily. Most of his issues I have found to be based on his genetics. He is not overly affectionate and does not like people rushing his space to pet him. But, he is awesome with helping me rehabilitate/train dogs and accepts everyone in public places. This is him, and it is essential to understand who your dog is in order to find the balanced approach that works best for them. Remember, DOGS DO NOT HAVE TO LIKE EVERYBODY, WE DON’T EVEN LIKE EVERYBODY. They need to be given the guidance to work with and around their tendencies, likes and unique characters.
RICO
Meet Rico Suave! He is a Blue-Tri Merle American Bully who was born on May 6, 2020. This guy is my newest pack member and actually came all the way from New Jersey! He is just a pup so we have a clean fresh slate to work with. Rico is completely different from Diesel – personality and temperament wise. He is a goofy, confident, happy guy, always with a tail that does not stop wagging. Since him and Diesel live in the same household he will be learning so much from him. Overall I will be looking to maximize his potential in training so that eventually he too will become my demo dog and help me with the training dogs coming in, just as his brother Diesel has. You can always follow along with his training progress with videos on my Instagram! – @gtaknine
See what our clients have to say.
THE FACILITY
Our facility is made and structured with your dog in mind. All dogs will be dropped off at our home, where we have a specialized, practical set up to accommodate all the training sessions that we will be providing. Your dog will be trained in all aspects of real life, both inside our location and outdoors – whether it be out on the land or in public spaces.
*WE’VE MOVED – Updated facility photos coming soon!
