Portland, Oregon
503.439.6063
MEET THE TRAINER
My name is Nicole Nicassio. I have over 16 years of professional animal care and training experience and maintain an understanding of current advances in the field.
• I received my degree in Behavioral Psychology and Zoology from Oregon State University in 1993.
• I currently work at the Oregon Zoo as part of the animal care staff where I train and care for a variety of animals.
• I teach dog obedience and specialty classes at Doggone Fun! Doggy Daycare Center in Tualatin, Oregon and BarkZone Inc. in Hillsboro, Oregon.
• Other professional positions include; Senior Mammalogist at the Oregon Coast Aquarium and the Alaska SeaLife Center where I developed and managed animal training, husbandry, research and enrichment programs for marine mammals, birds, primates, and other terrestrial animals.
• I am an Active Member of the International Marine Animal Trainers Association (IMATA).
• I am a certified dog trainer through Animal Behavior and Training Associates (ABTA) and follow the training methods of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT).
• My teaching method, called “clicker training”, uses positive reinforcement to shape behavior. This type of training is based on the scientific principals of operant conditioning.
• My experience working with various animals (dogs, wolves, marine mammals, bears, primates, Keiko the killer whale, etc.) and my ability to understand their behavior is something to be desired in an animal trainer.
I’m the perfect candidate to teach you and your dog an effective way to communicate with one another.
I parent one dog of my own, Drake, a 13-year old English Springer Spaniel. I truly understand the importance of the animal-human bond.
• I received my degree in Behavioral Psychology and Zoology from Oregon State University in 1993.
• I currently work at the Oregon Zoo as part of the animal care staff where I train and care for a variety of animals.
• I teach dog obedience and specialty classes at Doggone Fun! Doggy Daycare Center in Tualatin, Oregon and BarkZone Inc. in Hillsboro, Oregon.
• Other professional positions include; Senior Mammalogist at the Oregon Coast Aquarium and the Alaska SeaLife Center where I developed and managed animal training, husbandry, research and enrichment programs for marine mammals, birds, primates, and other terrestrial animals.
• I am an Active Member of the International Marine Animal Trainers Association (IMATA).
• I am a certified dog trainer through Animal Behavior and Training Associates (ABTA) and follow the training methods of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT).
• My teaching method, called “clicker training”, uses positive reinforcement to shape behavior. This type of training is based on the scientific principals of operant conditioning.
• My experience working with various animals (dogs, wolves, marine mammals, bears, primates, Keiko the killer whale, etc.) and my ability to understand their behavior is something to be desired in an animal trainer.
I’m the perfect candidate to teach you and your dog an effective way to communicate with one another.
I parent one dog of my own, Drake, a 13-year old English Springer Spaniel. I truly understand the importance of the animal-human bond.
Read the Dog Nose News article and interview with Nicole.
Portland, Oregon 97006