My name is Matthias Schmid. I have been working as a dog trainer and behavior consultant for over 20 years and am lucky enough to live in picturesque Switzerland. My journey as a dog trainer began with more than just a love for these faithful companions - it was a desire to build a harmonious and respectful relationship with dogs based on trust and understanding.
It all began with the adoption of Tajo, a 10-year-old Akita-German shepherd mix that I took over from my late grandmother. Shortly afterwards, in 1987, the Pyrenean mountain dog Nuvé came to me - my gentle giant. At that time, knowledge about dogs was strongly influenced by dominance thinking and the idea of the "pack leader". Despite my affection and attachment, these methods repeatedly led to conflicts with Nuvé. So I decided to take a different approach with my next dog, one based on mutual respect and understanding.
In 1999 the time had come. I went to puppy school with Taro, a Bergamasco-Bobtail-Groenendael mix, and it was there that I first encountered the principle of positive reinforcement and clicker training. This method, which is based on rewards rather than punishments, felt right to me from the start. It corresponded to my values and my desire for peaceful and cooperative interaction at eye level.
From then on, I pursued this method with enthusiasm. I attended my first clicker seminar, read numerous books and immersed myself in the subject of non-violent dog training. Taro was the perfect teacher - through him I experienced the positive changes that this training could bring about. I often attracted positive attention on walks, and many people were interested in my training method and asked if I could show them how it worked. This is how the first training sessions as a dog trainer came about.
The transformative power of positive reinforcement ultimately led me to turn my fascination into a career and dedicate myself to the training and welfare of dogs. My goal was clear: I wanted to learn the art of dog training from scratch and develop my professional skills. In the years that followed, I completed numerous training courses, took part in countless seminars and learned from renowned experts. This professional journey is a path of constant learning and growth.
Since founding my own dog school in 2004, I have accompanied countless dogs and their owners and helped them to build a deeper connection. My commitment to non-violent education and animal-friendly training has paid off in every way.
The greatest joy in my work is the positive changes I see in dogs and their owners. It is a wonderful feeling to know that my work enriches the lives of many.
My extensive qualifications and experience range from trainer training in clicker training to behavioral counseling and adult education. At the heart of my work is a scientifically sound, non-violent training method based on positive reinforcement.
But the best teachers were and are always the dogs themselves, be it Taro, my white shepherd dog Leal, who accompanied me for 13 years, or Yuki, a dog from the animal shelter in Apulia, southern Italy.
With this knowledge and my conviction for respectful, partnership-based training, I am committed to a human-dog relationship based on trust and joy. This passion for clicker training and my vision of making it easier and more practical for pet owners worldwide ultimately led to the development of the CLICINO Clicker Ring.
Find out more about the history of CLICINOS
