Joel Silverman

Joel Silverman is a Hollywood animal trainer with 36 years of experience and a long list of TV and film credits. For the past 17 years, working with the Saatchi & Saatchi ad agency, he has been responsible for the coordination/training of the dogs and cats for the IAMS national commercials and print ads.

Joel started off picking up trash at Sea World at the age of 16, and over many years found himself working in almost every theme park in Southern California. This included achieving his dream of training and riding killer whales at Sea World in Aurora, OH and San Diego, CA. After working at Sea World, in 1983 Joel got hired by Ray Berwick (“The Birds”, Bandit/”Little House on the Prairie”, Boomer/”Here’s Boomer”) at Universal Studios in Hollywood, CA.

He hosted a very successful Animal Planet show “GOOD DOG U” which ran from 1999-2009, and within a few weeks of its first airing, became one of the highest rates shows on Animal Planet.

METHOD

Joel uses what he calls a “hybrid” style of training to teach dogs. He uses much of what he learned as a marine mammal trainer, and throughout his career as a Hollywood dog trainer. This style is based on two things:

• Building a great relationship with your dog PRIOR to dog training.

• Understanding that all dogs are different; what works for one may not work for another.

• As a motion picture and TV dog trainer, Joel had no choice other than to teach dogs to understand control and distance. Joel teaches owners that control and distance are key.

AUTHORED BOOKS

• WHAT COLOR IS YOUR DOG? (2009)

• TAKE 2 – TRAINING SOLUTIONS FOR RESCUED DOGS (2010)

• BOND WITH YOUR HEART; TRAIN WITH YOUR BRAIN (2013)

In 2011, Joel came out with his new nationally syndicated TV series, DOG & CAT TRAINING WITH JOEL SILVERMAN. The show is airing in 80% of the country, and Season II began airing January 2014 under a new name of WHAT COLOR IS YOUR DOG? based on Joel’s first book.

REGISTERED TRADEMARKS & PATENTS

• Bond With Your Heart; Train With Your Brain®

• What Color is Your Dog®

• The Alternative Training Collar – US PATENT #D645,213S

AWARDS

• 1986 – Joel received the prestigious IMATA (International Marine Animal Trainers Association) “Behavior of the Year” Award for the Triple Bow; a behavior where two Atlantic bottle-nosed dolphins shot him 15 feet out of the water on their noses.

• 2009 – Joel received the 2008 Trainer of the Year Award, which was presented at the Westminster Dog Show in New York City.

Currently, Joel resides with his wife Michelle, and their two dogs in Reno, Nevada. Viewers of his TV series are familiar with the Nevada Humane Society, as a large part of his show is filmed there. As a way to give back to the community, he teaches dog-training classes a few days a week at the Nevada Humane Society.