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Local Chico trainer • 30+ years experience • Results focused • One-on-one guidance
From basic obedience to real-world behavior, we have Chico covered. Call Sierra Canine at (530) 418-9898, or fill out the form below and we will reach out shortly.
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Your Coach, Dennis Gulla: Building Partnerships That Last
Dogs learn most efficiently when guidance is clear and consistently fair. People learn best under those same simple conditions. I am Dennis Gulla, the lead trainer and founder of Sierra Canine, and for more than three decades I have passionately helped families build calm, reliable, and trusting partnerships with their dogs. My proven approach expertly blends balanced, motivation based training with simple, step by step coaching so your results hold up perfectly in the face of all real life distractions and stressors. I work diligently across Chico and the entire Northstate region, training successfully everywhere from busy, local neighborhoods to the quiet, country roads of Durham and Oroville. Whether your goal is a peaceful, loose leash walk, a highly dependable recall, or preparing for a fully reliable service dog, the plan we meticulously build together will make your daily life easier, significantly safer, and much more enjoyable.
How My Journey Began: From Military Standards to Chico
My professional path in dog training began at the young age of eighteen with an intensive, two year apprenticeship under Tom Massalino, a decorated Vietnam veteran and dedicated Navy sailor who trained and handled dogs within the military. Those crucial early years ingrained a profound understanding that clarity, unwavering patience, and true pressure tested standards are the only reliable ingredients that successfully create reliable dogs and highly confident handlers. Early in my career I spent extensive time training dogs primarily for law enforcement and various private security companies while simultaneously competing vigorously in high level working dog sports and competitive obedience events. At the age of twenty five, while living in Florida, I incorporated my first dedicated company, All Point Canine, and continued to consistently refine a results first training style built upon predictable structure and transparent communication.
In 2010, my family and I made the life changing decision to move to beautiful Northern California, settling in Butte County. I founded Sierra Canine here specifically to bring that same professional, non negotiable standard of excellence to local families who desperately needed more than just temporary, quick fixes for complex behavioral issues. Since founding the company, I have dedicated my focus to creating powerful, results driven programs that build dependable control and restore peaceful homes across the Northstate. This long term commitment to our community ensures you receive training that is both serious and deeply personal.
Credentials That Matter: Precision, Fairness, and APDT Affiliation
My commitment to precision and fair standards extends beyond just client work. I proudly served as a trial steward and later achieved the demanding rank of a trial judge for Working Dogs of America or WDA, meticulously judging numerous trials throughout Southern California, Lake County, and Oroville. That professional role required the utmost precision, absolute fairness, and a deep, nuanced understanding of exactly how dogs perform successfully under high stakes pressure and intense distraction. Service to the local community is also extremely important to my mission. I have personally trained and registered service dogs with Butte County Health and Animal Services and prepared two therapy or facility dogs for essential work within the Thermalito School District. Furthermore, I am an active member of the Northern California Better Business Bureau and a proud member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers or APDT. I keep ongoing education as a cornerstone of my routine. I have hosted and attended many specialized seminars and completed a rigorous two week workshop at the renowned Michael Ellis School for Dog Trainers titled The Power of Marker Training.
No Classes, Just Private Dog Training That Works! Get Started Today!
My Training Philosophy: Balanced, Clear, and Motivation First
My training philosophy is often summarized simply, balanced absolutely does not mean harsh or punitive. It means clear, immediate communication, prioritizing motivation and engagement first, and setting fair, predictable boundaries that make absolute sense to the dog’s mind. I strategically use high value food rewards, engaging play, and sincere, enthusiastic praise to effectively build desire and foundational understanding in the dog, ensuring they love the work we do together. I then reliably layer in necessary accountability and guidance so the dog consistently knows how to succeed even when faced with significant, real world distractions like squirrels or other dogs. The reliable outcome of this consistent approach is a steady, predictable dog and a highly confident owner who possesses the skills to keep the positive progress going long term.
I fundamentally train for transferability. Your hard earned results should never live only within the context of the trainer's session or the training facility. I coach owners carefully on all essential skills, explaining crucial timing and proper leash mechanics in detail, and I use marker training so that both you and your dog instantly speak the exact same, clear language. When you leave a private lesson or pick up your dog after a comprehensive board and train program, you will know precisely what exercise to do, exactly how to do it correctly, and why that specific technique consistently works to achieve your goals. This comprehensive approach builds reliable partnerships across Chico.
Focused Expertise: What I Specialize In for Your Dog’s Success
My extensive experience has allowed me to specialize in programs that deliver the most profound, life changing results for families across the Northstate.
Board and Train with Real World Reliability
I design immersive, highly structured board and train programs that address complex, chronic issues like severe leash reactivity, intense separation anxiety, and deeply ingrained obedience gaps that may have built up over years. Critically, I then proof these new, reliable skills extensively in daily, real world settings and public places so the successful habits stick permanently when your dog returns to your home.
Service Dog Preparation
I provide essential training focused on task clarity, impeccable public access manners, and steady, reliable performance under pressure, with every element matched precisely to the handler’s unique medical needs and active lifestyle. I have hands on experience training mobility support and psychiatric service dogs for Chico clients.
Behavior Modification
I create practical, customized plans for severe reactivity and complex aggression issues that place a primary focus on safety, clear communication, and teaching the dog to consistently make calm, informed decisions instead of relying on emotional responses.
Owner Coaching
I deliver clear, comprehensive walkthroughs, simple, manageable homework assignments, and dedicated ongoing support that makes it genuinely easy for you to confidently maintain the amazing progress your dog achieves during their focused training time with Sierra Canine.
Your Next Step: What to Expect When We Work Together
The first step in our partnership is always a thorough, insightful evaluation followed by a plain language, transparent plan. I set clear, measurable milestones, explain all the tools and techniques we will use, and meticulously outline exactly how we will practice your new skills in real world settings around Chico.
Throughout the active training period, you will receive consistent, timely updates on your dog’s progress and achievements. At the final handoff, you receive a detailed, structured lesson, clear written guidance to reference, and dedicated follow up support to ensure a smooth transition home. My unwavering professional standard is simple and non negotiable. Your dog must be completely reliable in public and private settings, and you must feel absolutely confident and skilled enough to maintain that performance yourself.
Ready To Talk With Dennis?
If you are prepared for a serious training commitment that yields real results, I am ready to hear your story. Tell me about your dog's unique personality, your current daily routine, and precisely what long term success looks like for you and your family. I will listen intently, confidently recommend the right training path for your specific needs, and give you a clear, honest picture of both the required timeline and the expected, life changing outcomes. You will know exactly how we will get there successfully together.
