About Dan

Dan Rossignol is an Adirondack dog whisperer/behaviorist/trainer and former fast food executive. 

Q: When did you begin handling dogs? 

A: I started training under Judy Sherman back in the late 1980s — she worked with Rottweilers. I was working incredibly long hours while climbing the corporate ladder and my career was very stressful; the pressure was very high and working with the dogs really diffused me. We related well together. 

Q: What did Sherman teach you? 

A:  Judy was German and a master trainer; she handled dogs the European way. I started training with her three days a week. We worked with K9 police dogs. She was tough as nails. She trained in search and rescue, training dogs how to sniff bombs and drugs, and for military programs. I had to learn everything from soup to nuts. My very first day she required me to sanitize 60 dog dishes and clean 30 pens before I even started on the training. I loved learning her techniques and the psychological background of the dogs. 

Q:  When did you start your own kennels? 

A:  I eventually opened my own kennel for Rottweilers raising over 70 dogs — some were specifically for police work. I developed dogs that were better balanced, there were not hot heads. I raised dogs that serious dog owners could own. 

Q: When do you hear from dog owners the most? 

A: I address what the owner needs eliminated from the dog such as jumping, pulling, excessive barking, phobias such as separation anxiety (which is usually caused by the owner) and biting. I have the biggest impact on biting dogs. I can read a dog and tell if he’s a bully, or he lashes out in fear, or maybe he’s territorial. 

Q: Why do owners need training? 

A:  Many owners don’t realize how much a dog needs leadership, they are pack animals. Owners have to be as firm as their canine mothers were. When a dog is trained right it knows its place, it respects its owner and the reward is a calm submission and state of mind for the owner and the dog. Everyone should be a good parent to their dog. When I walk in the dog feels secure with me — he knows he’s off the hook as I take the lead. This is one of my teaching points — how to make the owner the pack leader. This cements the relationship when the owner leads. If there is a dog bite, an owner can call me immediately; I’ll go directly to the home and start working right away.