Frank Bonomo has been one of New York’s premier dog trainers for more nearly two decades. President and founder of Best Friend’s Dog Training (www.muttmanners.com), as well as owner of the New York Academy for Dog Trainers, he has not only trained thousands of dogs, but has also gained a reputation as “trainer to the trainers” with his comprehensive New York Academy for Dog Trainers curriculum.

Frank founded Best Friend’s Dog Training in 1999 after completing his initial apprenticeship in obedience and protection training. He quickly made a name for himself in the dog training field, both for his ability to take on “problem dogs” that everyone else had given up on, and for his unique lifetime training program that provided one price “lifetime training” for all clients. His motto, “As long as you keep coming, I’ll keep teaching,” earned him numerous regular clients who stuck around for months and even years, and his weekly group classes quickly became so popular, he had to expand both the frequency and geographic reach.

Before long, he was offering three weekly classes at locations throughout Long Island and Queens. As his business continued to grow, he expanded his offerings even further, providing training for residents of Manhattan, Westchester, New Jersey, Connecticut and Virginia – and has even had clients fly him out to France to do private training work. He has trained service dogs, rescue dogs, and numerous dogs that were deemed “hopeless,” and is an active supporter of the Therapy Dog program.

Frank built his business on the idea that trainers need to continually evolve, and as such, he has studied virtually every major training methodology. Unlike many trainers who take a “one-size-fits-all” approach to dog training, he believes that there is no one “right” way to train, but rather, the training method must fit the individual dog and the dog’s needs, as well as the handler’s capabilities.

Recognizing that many dog trainers end up trapped in the “one way only” training rut, he opened the New York Academy for Dog Trainers, with the goal of furthering the education of dog trainers from all over the U.S. To address the needs of new dog trainers, as well as trainers looking to broaden their training horizons and grow their businesses, he developed a comprehensive curriculum covering puppy issues (housebreaking, teething, socialization), basic dog behavior, body language and temperament, principles of obedience and behavior, clicker/marker training, treat training, leash training, remote training, problem behaviors and solutions, working dogs/dogs in drive, health and safety issues, as well as a host of business-related issues that dog trainers need to be successful in today’s competitive marketplace.

Frank holds certifications for narcotics and scent-detection training, has titled dogs in protection sports, and does continuing education on a regular basis at various locations throughout the U.S.

He has authored a regular column for LongIsland.com and hosts and assists with seminars for both family pet owners and Police-Only training seminars, and was named a Director for www.NADFK9.org, an obedience and protection dog sport.

He currently lives in Virginia with his wife Kathy and their two daughters, as well as their canine kids, a Malinois/Lab cross named Hemi (his current competition dog), a Malinois named Baci, and a Labrador named Dolce.

frank@muttmanners.com