About Carrie Silva & The Doghouse

Your Trainer Carrie Silva

Carrie Silva

Carrie is the head trainer for “The Doghouse, LLC.” Carrie has also assisted with obedience training for the Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) enforcement dogs. Carrie has her own animal agency from which she has trained several dogs that have gone on to appear in commercials and movies. She has trained her personal dog, Ajax Ot Vitosha for several years. During this time frame Ajax has competed and won titles in several different competitions and shows to include; Mondio Ring 1 and 2, French Ring 1 and 2, and IPO 3 (tracking, obedience and protection. dog must pass all three phases to earn title.) Carrie also earned the title of High Obedience at the 2009 American Working Dog Federation. She has trained hearing ear dog teams to be successful service dogs and has rehabilitated many aggressive dogs to become great companion dogs for their families.

What Drives Carrie?

I’ve been around dogs all my life. My father, Bill Silva was an officer on the St Petersburg Police Department for 25 years. During his career 13 of those years were spent in the elite K-9 Unit. This is when I first discovered a passion for dogs and the art of dog training.

While enrolled in college I wanted to take my passion to a different level. I came across an agency called Florida Dog Guides for the Deaf. While working as a volunteer for this organization I was able to actively participate in the training process of dogs that would go on to help improve the quality of life for hearing impaired individuals.

The time I spent with this agency helped me learn the inner workings of different dog training techniques and methods. While volunteering for Florida Dog Guides my skill level increased so rapidly they hired me as a full time employee and trainer.

While preparing myself to make dog training a career I was able to travel to many other states and countries to gain as much experience as possible to include one on one skill advancements and attending numerous dog training seminars. The more time I spent with dogs of different breeds and with different needs the more I was able to evolve into the trainer I am today.

Being classified as an expert dog trainer and handler isn’t something that is gained from having a certain amount of clients or winning certain competitions, it’s about the accumulation of experience and having a feeling for the individual dogs you train as well as taking the time to understand the dog’s needs. It also means being able to communicate with the dog’s owner and understand what they are expecting from their canine companion.

For almost two decades now I have made it my life’s mission to understand dog behavior and to use that knowledge to both better the lives of each client I meet, as well as create a training method that gives a complete balance of human to dog connection though obedience and understanding.

Eleven years ago I opened The Doghouse LLC. I now specialize in hard to train dogs and severe aggression and socialization issues. There isn’t a dog out there that doesn’t deserve the chance to be a well-mannered and happy dog that fits into your life style. In fact, I feel so strongly about giving each dog the chance to successfully learn new skills; I offer a discounted rate for any dog that has been kicked out of previous obedience schools.

I stand behind my training 100%.

Throughout the past 2.5 years, Carrie Silva has assisted the federal government in the selection and training of their Special Response Team (SRT) canines. Ms. Silva has conducted foundation obedience and aggression training with six (6) SRT canines, to include the latest canine in August, 2010. The outstanding foundation training of these dogs by Ms. Silva has allowed the handler and canine to move more rapidly into tactical canine training, and thus increasing their potential for success during high-risk operations. “
Special Response Team, ATF National Academy