POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT. CUSTOMIZED. CERTIFIED.

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Our Philosophy

Positive Reinforcement

Our training method stems from a LIMA approach and relies on operant conditioning, counter conditioning, and classical conditioning. We use dogs innate drives to stimulate FUN trainings, for you and your dog.

Customized

Human and dog relationships come with unique needs. We CUSTOMIZE our trainings to address your specific goals with detailed attention; backed by our certified, experienced trainer.

Certified

In an industry filled with uncertified trainers, our trainer, Marcia Newman, ABCDT, HAB, stands out as a certified professional. Ensuring an EFFECTIVE expertise and dexterity that sets her apart.

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Meet Our Trainer, Marcia ABCDT, HAB

Marcia Newman is a certified Animal Behavior College Dog Trainer (ABCDT), NAVC Human–Animal Bond Certified Professional (HAB), and the owner of DMV Dog Training and Boarding. She is an active member of the Association of Professional Dog Trainers (APDT) and the International Association of Canine Professionals (IACP).

Marcia is certified in Pet CPR and Pet First Aid (PetProHero) through ProTrainings and brings over 14 years of hands-on canine care experience. She volunteers with the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria and has worked extensively in dog training, professional dog daycares, long-term boarding, and dog walking.

Marcia specializes in leash training, puppy development, and child–dog introductions, helping families build safe and respectful relationships with their dogs.

As a dog trainer, she addresses the unique needs of your companion with positive reinforcement, along with customized and certified training. It has become her mission to empower healthy human-canine relationships.

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Our Professional Certification & Memberships

I got Cat and Dog First Aid and CPR certified at ProPetHero.com

Client Testimonials

  • "Marcia is so great! She does such a fantastic job with my dog Cindy who was having some behavioral issues. I took her to Marcia and within a few sessions cindy was back to her normal self. I will always use marcia for boarding as well! She does an incredible job and has been doing this for years!"

    – Kayla G.

  • "Marcia was a fantastic trainer for my senior dog with attachment issues, leash pulling and stubbornness. In just a few sessions she was able to modify walking on leash and teach her correction behaviors. In addition, Marcia has boarded my dog numerous times and I’ve always felt very comfortable because she provided proactive updates ensuring her safety in Marcia’s home. Highly recommend for boarding and training!"

    – Shannon G.

  • "Marcia was such a great trainer to work with. She helped build such a great foundation for my puppy during the board and train and continues to be a great resource. Will definitely continue training with her through all the stages."

    – Aleonna S.

  • "Fantastic experience! Our dog came back happy and well-behaved. Highly recommend for both boarding and training!"

    – Karen V.

  • "Excellent experience with Marcia and DMV Dog Training. Professional and effective. Highly recommend."

    –Kimberly G.

  • "Our experience with Marcia was fantastic. We left our 5-month old lab with her for two weeks and he came back a new dog! She is extremely professional and passionate about her job. Have already recommended her to friends and family."

    – Tyler B.

  • "Marcia was amazing with our puppy. Marcia tailors her training to your puppy's current level of capabilities and then successfully builds on those skills in a manner that allows your puppy to retain the skills. Marcia is very knowledgeable about natural puppy behaviors and the various growth and development periods, and uses this knowledge to teach the owners how to communicate effectively with their puppy and build on the training sessions after hours. Marcia provided us with the education and training "tools" needed to modify behaviors and build a healthy relationship with our puppy. We plan to hire Marcia again in the future!"

    – Vanessa P.

  • "Marcia is professional, passionate and great at what she does. My 7 month old puppy made great strides in his leash training during his two week board with her, and she set me up for continued training on my own. Would recommend for anyone looking to kick start their dog training journey!"

    – Mary S.

  • "So happy we found Marcia from DMV Dog Training. She is super responsive and accessible and makes the lessons very easy to understand. She really helped us with our rescue dog, Juno. I highly recommend DMV Dog training and will definitely use Marcia again!"

    – Chris J.

  • "Very practical and helpful training tips. So glad we decided to set up training for our puppy!"

    – Lia P.

  • "Marcia helped me work with my dog Lulu on lash walking manners, and she's made a huge difference in just 5 sessions!"

    – Jen F.

  • "Thank you to Marcia!! She took our anxious, shaking-at-the-sight-of-his-harness, velcro’d-to-me dog and returned him with new confidence and comfort with the outside world. He’s sniffing outside for the first time and we’re even getting little tail wags every so often. He’s sleeping in his own bed and chooses to come by us or not, instead of being attached and totally reliant on us. Now we have to work on our separation anxiety from him!"

    – Dannika

  • "After reading reviews and doing some research we decided to engage DMV Dog Training and Boarding. We scheduled one hour sessions with Marcia on a weekly basis to complete the training. The results of professional training we received are positive, noticeable, and will definitely form the basis of any future dog training we may envision. DMV provided great tools and techniques for us to get the training results we desired for our puppy and for we recommend DMV without hesitation."

    – Rowland T.

  • "We loved the board and train program for our puppy with Marcia. She gave him an excellent foundation, taught him so much, and taught me as well which is critical in me continuing his puppy education :) we love the positive reinforcement and the care he got while we are away. Thanks, Marcia!"

    – Erin M.

  • "Marcia is professional, passionate and great at what she does. My 7 month old puppy made great strides in his leash training during his two week board with her, and she set me up for continued training on my own. Would recommend for anyone looking to kick start their dog training journey!"

    – Mary S.

  • "We hired Marcia for a Boarding and training program and I am so impressed with the amount of time, effort and knowledge. Marcia is an expert in her craft, and she is worth it. Our two puppies were trained beyond my expectations!"

    – Gary B.

  • "Marcia is a wonder. She took my totally untrained, 3 year old chocolate labs, and turned them into good citizens. Equally important, she trained ME out of bad habits and taught me how to be a good companion to my dogs. She is patient and kind, and my lady dogs loved her. I cannot recommend her highly enough."

    – Jenny Z.

  • "Our dog trainer Marcia was fantastic! She understands how a canine's mind works as well as how to train it's owner. She is very personable and made the experience really fun as well as educational and productive."

    – Julie B.

  • "Marcia is an amazing dog trainer who not only helped us with our newly adopted 11-year-old German Shepherd, but also trained my partner and me as first-time dog owners. Her approach of alternating one week of training with a week of practicing on our own was incredibly effective. It gave us time to integrate the lessons into our daily routine and truly make them stick."

    – Erin S.

  • "We had a great experience with DMV Dog Training and Boarding. Highly recommend!"

    - Kevin T.

  • "DMV dog training is the best around!! Marcia has a gift with dogs. We can go on walks and my dog will focus on me and not other dogs. If my child accidentally drops a small toy, he is no longer picking it up and chewing on it. Surgery’s can get expensive. Marcia is so talented, caring, kind, and a beautiful person in and out. I’m so glad we found her. In time when we get another dog she will be who I will call for training. Going on vacation and can’t take you doggy with you. She also does boarding. Your dog will be taking care of, loved and you won’t have to worry. She is so knowledgeable with dogs. She will take a stressful dog situation and turn it around. You won’t be disappointed. I would give 10+stars if I could."

    - Melanie A.

  • "Marcia is a wonderful trainer. I felt very safe leaving my puppy with Marcia last September and then again for two weeks in January. Maxi had difficulty bathrooming on leash and is doing much better now and the bonus of "down" and "down stay" on this last trip. Would highly recommend."

    - Suzanne D.

  • "Marcia did really well with my Shiba Inu. We had home visits with her. She was very flexible with scheduling though if you do not have the time to be able to wait, sometimes traffic affects scheduled appointment times. My Shiba was very happy to listen to her though I know we need to be consistent! She has a good knowledge base and is able to train dogs based on their individual personality versus cookie cutter training. She also had to do a little CPR on my pup because she choked on a treat, so she's well prepared."

    - Jess

  • "Marcia is so wonderful. She bonded with our dog and was able to make an impact in his social behavior. Our pup has (mostly!) adapted to the cues Marcia instilled in him (and us,...)....'focus!' :-) Marcia is kind, funny, empathetic, and a joy to talk to when we spend time together. We highly recommend Marcia!"

    - Pete & Brad S.

  • "Marcia was such a wonderful teacher to both Charlie and I. I noticed a different after one session. Her coaching was so important to help me understand how to communicate with my dog. Thank you, Marcia!"

    - Alice H.

  • "More than a year ago, we hired Marcia for a two-week Board and Train for our puppy. We were delighted when the puppy returned happy, toilet trained, and able to follow a handful of commands. Ever since, Marcia's been our #1 pick for boarding whenever we leave town -- she's scrupulous, kind, and of course much more hands-on than a bigger facility ever could be. We're thrilled with her work and recommend her to anyone seeking trustworthy pet training and care."

    - Anna S.

  • "Marcia is a great trainer. We did one on one training and I believe the was the best way to go. I needed to learn just as much as my dog. She is very patient and worked with us in our home. I highly recommend DMV DogTraining."

    - Jan B.

  • "I had my 80 lb pibble do a two week board and train with Marcia for leash reactivity, some resource guarding, and general obedience training for over-excitement. Fred made great progress with Marcia and learned lots of knew things, I am able to control the reactivity much better now and have him listen to me much more often. It was important to me to have non-aversive training as well. I highly recommend Marcia and DMV Dogs for board and train."

    - Julianne L.

  • "Marcia's customized approach was exactly what we needed. She didn't just train Lisboa, she trained me too, giving me the confidence and tools to be the dog parent I needed to get started. Her methods are practical, effective, and easy to follow. The in-home sessions allowed me to learn alongside Lisboa in our own environment, while the boarding component gave her intensive, hands-on training that accelerated her progress tremendously."

    - Juan H.

  • "We had a wonderful experience with Marcia. She provided training for our 16 week old pup [2-week board and train] and we saw a clear improvement in his responsiveness and confidence. It’s obvious how much he enjoyed working with her and we felt completely at ease knowing he was in safe, experienced hands. We appreciate her guidance and the tools she gave us to continue supporting his growth. The final training review was super helpful and gave us a chance to connect with him in a different way. "

    - Shane B.

  • "Marcia really helped us out with our enormous, enthusiastic puppy. She was quite knowledgeable and professional, and our dogs behavior has improved greatly since we started working with her."

    Amanda K.

POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT. CUSTOMIZED. CERTIFIED.

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