About iDog Academy
Meet Alex the dog trainer.
About Alex Alvarez, "Alex The Dog Trainer" Alex Alvarez has been an apprentice of the craft since 1997, when he was known as the pit bull guy in his neighborhood, doing bite work and learning what dogs are capable of. In 2005 he took that passion professional, starting at the top by training some of Florida's best tracking bloodhounds for search and rescue, helping locate lost children and Silver Alert cases. That same year he began training service dogs for children and disabled veterans, work he still does today. He has also turned shelter animals into working service dogs, giving overlooked dogs a second chance and families the independence they need. Alex is a CPDT-KA (Certified Professional Dog Trainer, Knowledge Assessed) through the CCPDT, a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant (CDBC) through the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC), and an AKC Canine Good Citizen Evaluator. He holds a master's degree in wildlife science and keeps up his continuing education units so his methods stay grounded in current animal behavior science. His experience goes well beyond household dogs. Alex has trained wild cats, wolves, and even chickens, and he has worked with Miami-Dade Animal Services, training their staff on several occasions and performing ASPCA SAFER behavior assessments on the animals in their care. He has also helped shape the next generation of trainers. Through his apprenticeship programs, Alex has created some of the best dog trainers in South Florida and helped them start their own businesses. He speaks at seminars and summits, and trainers from around the world travel to learn from him. In 2019, Alex founded iDog Academy in Miami. Every member of the iDog team is trained by Alex personally and works from curriculum he writes himself, so every dog gets the same professional standard of care.
“Although I've trained my own dogs to do tricks since I was a child, I began my professional career training bloodhounds for search and rescue in 2006 and completely fell in love. A few months later, while still working trails with the hounds, I started training service dogs for disabled children and veterans — which became my specialty for the next nine years.”
Credentials
Certified, accredited and still studying.
Alex is a member of the CCPDT (Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers) and an AKC (American Kennel Club) Canine Good Citizen Evaluator, and has received more certifications from service dog programs and rescues than are worth listing here.
He was the first to use “THEdogtrainer” after his name — and is amused that others now use it too.
The story
More about Alex the dog trainer
From search-and-rescue bloodhounds to a Miami academy with its own service mark.
- 1
2006
Bloodhounds and search & rescue
Alex began his professional career training bloodhounds for search and rescue — and completely fell in love with the work.
- 2
2006–2015
Service dogs become the specialty
Months later, while still working trails with the hounds, he started training service dogs for disabled children and veterans. That became his specialty for the next nine years.
- 3
2009
Training the trainers
He began teaching other trainers to train service dogs — mobility work, turning lights on and off, bringing the wheelchair, bringing the meds, calling parents after a fall. He learned there is nothing you cannot train with positive reinforcement.
- 4
2012
Shelter dogs and behavior work
Focused on adoptability, he began training sheltered dogs to become service dogs — a great success, and the door into behavior modification, which he fell in love with.
- 5
2019
iDog Academy is born
Alex incorporated iDog Academy and shortly after received a US service mark, then moved into an air-conditioned space and grew through word of mouth.
- 6
Today
A team trained personally by Alex
Alex trains every team member himself and makes sure they are properly equipped for the dogs assigned to them. "I love my team, my clients and their pets, and I make sure that they know it."
What makes us different
Personalization is the whole point.
The concept for iDog Academy was a dream Alex had for a long time. In 2019, that dream became reality. What makes our process unique is the personalization we offer with customizable packages for your pet.
We extend that expertise beyond training into boarding, transportation and doggy daycare — and we build custom services for whatever our clients actually need.
We strive to be a household name while keeping a warm, personalized atmosphere where clients feel right at home. The business runs professionally, with cutting-edge software and a dedicated management team.
Trust your dog's training to a true professional.
Book an assessment and we will tell you honestly what your dog needs.