Jacksonville, FL – Do you have a dog that is skittish? Are you afraid to introduce your dog to neighbors, whether other dogs or people? Did your dog chew up your designer purse? If you can associate with one of these scenarios, you might need a dog trainer and behavioral expert. Even more than that, you may need to stop diagnosing and labelling your pet by human behavioral standards--because dog psychology is distinctly different.

This is where the expertise of Dr. Gregory DiFranza comes in. He has worked with dogs and owners for years, helping them to better understand and communicate with each other, and to strengthen their bonds.

Greg has owned dogs his whole life and once coached humans (in fitness and tactical training) and often travelled for work. Greg noticed the difference it made when his dogs were in a setting that was familiar (read that as among family.) That is why he decided  to switch gears and established Kamp K-9 Jax Bch, which is not a physical camp, but a set of training sessions and tools to help people understand their dogs, pack behaviors, and become a more trusted and respected leader for their animal. His Kamp K-9 Jax Bch services are based in Jacksonville, Florida, but he travels to the client site, wherever that may be. He feels it is important to establish trust and let each relationship grow organically.

Greg learned much about dogs and pack position and what it means to create a keen sense of leadership. He began blogging about his findings about 15 years ago and said to himself one day, hey this would make a delightful book. He wrote Dog Stories, chronicling certain dogs and the messages they are sending to us ( and vice versa). The book is a composite of the posts documenting his adventures in dog and human trainings during his Kamp K-9 Jax Bch work.  The genesis of the stories were those who came to him to address their problems.

“Dogs have a pack mentality, Some are front, others middle and some rear of the pack. Their place in the pack determines if they are more proactive or reactive in situations and if they are watching out for the other dogs in their group. Front of the pack dogs are more confident and calm. Human psychology is about the past, but canines only live in the current space. Dogs also react to a human’s energy and scent. This is all part of the process.

Understanding not to apply human labels to dogs is a central theme in his work, including his writing for blogs and the book. It is also important not to treat your dog like a baby, not everyone should just rush up and gush and coo, nor go pet it. Establishing good boundaries for other people and area dogs are also key.

Greg says the idea for Kamp K-9 Jax Bch grew out of a joke about fitness. He used to walk along the beach with a group of people who had dogs and then started to notice that his balanced dogs were different from others, whose owners were trying so hard to control them. He recognized how his own behaviors over the years did not always yield the desired results and wanted to help others deal with anything potentially dangerous. Keeping a calm state of mind is a big part of the training.

“I’ve had problems. I’ve had clients who came to me with problems. And solving them was the genesis of the idea for my business and book.”

Learn much more about Dr. Gregory DiFranza’s philosophy, life story, dogs, and scope of work when you hear him in this two-part interview. You will learn many intriguing things including that he once worked with Cesar Milian, famed as the Dog Whisperer.

For more information about Greg and his work, visit www.kampk9jaxbch.com

You may also order his book