Meet Vic Gasser of Don’t Worry, Be Waggy!

Today we’d like to introduce you to Vic Gasser.

Hi Vic, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’ve always had a love for animals, but not people… not at first. I got into dog training as a teenager because I found it fascinating to communicate with another species, and wanted to be someone who helped them be better understood (and I didn’t want to work with people!). I didn’t even realize you could have a career as a dog trainer until I saw some famous dog trainers on TV. That opened up a whole new world to me. I thought if I just did what I saw the ‘pros’ do then I’d be fine, but my mom made me go to college and it’s there I really learned about dogs, and that what I was fan-girling over from TV was not what it seemed.

From undergrad to grad school, I had to let go of what I had previously worshipped, and admit that life wasn’t as easy as just copying what others do and believing everything you see on TV. After moving back to the states from grad school in the UK I worked at multiple animal shelters, mostly in low-income areas, offering low-cost training classes and resources to pet adopters in those communities. It was around this time I started to notice a change in myself, that to truly help dogs and pets, you have to help the people in their lives also. It’s not enough to focus on just one end of the leash, the human on the other end matters too. I know many dog trainers get into this field because they love animals, like I do, but to be truly successful and make an actual difference for those animals you have to be good with people and want to genuinely help.

Now that I’ve been training pet dogs for over 15 years I’ve seen changes in myself, for the better, because of the different dog owners or ‘pet parents’ I’ve had the privelage to work with. I’ve become more open-minded, less judgmental, more empathetic, and just overall a nicer person (at least, I hope so!). I currently run Don’t Worry Be Waggy! Dog Behavior and Training Services in the West Valley to help dog owners live more harmoniously with their furry family members. My goals are to help reduce the number of dogs being given up to shelters, to reduce the stress and worry owners feel from living with a difficult/misunderstood dog, and to help dogs be better understood so they can be themselves and have a better quality of life.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Overall I’ve been lucky, and am grateful for the support I’ve always recieved from my friends and family. Of course there were some rocky parts of my journey, like after grad school when I didn’t have enough money to fly myself and my dog home from the UK, so we ended up sleeping in a park for a few weeks until I could save up enough funds!

Mainly my biggest struggle has been internal -am I doing the right thing? (Like, am I really making a difference for people?) Am I doing it the right way? (In the dog training world there is a huge rift between training philosophies.) Am I good enough? (If I can’t help every single individual who comes to me does that mean I suck?) There’s a psycological experience called “imposter syndrome” where you feel like a fraud, like you’re not smart enough and everyone is going to find out… even though I studied animal behavior and training, and can train more than just dogs, and have been successful in helping people and their pets for many years, I still feel like I’m missing something. Even though the vast majority of dog trainers are women, the most famous ones are men. The ones who get huge followings on social media are men who are overly harsh, even abusive, to dogs. Is this what people really want? Is my method of training just a tiny niche? Do you have to hurt dogs to be a successful dog trainer?

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Don’t Worry, Be Waggy!?
Don’t Worry, Be Waggy! was started in 2023 when I moved to L.A. to live with my partner and his two kids. It offers pet dog training and behavior services to dog parents in the west valley and neighboring areas, specializing in helping dogs that bark/lunge on walks, dogs who are aggressive at the vet’s/groomers, and newly rescued dogs needing help adjusting to their new homes. We are well known for our “No Worries Pet Sitting Service” which is only offered to dogs that regular pet sitters can’t handle, such a dogs who are very protective of their home, dogs that are too jumpy/mouthy with people, or dogs that are just afraid of strangers and may show aggression.

Our other popular service is our Home Schooling, where the trainer comes to your home to train your dog while you work/run errands/live your life! We do the heavy lifting for you, so you don’t have to learn to be a dog trainer to get results. This is very popular for busy professionals and families with young kids, and allows people to enjoy their lives with their dogs without having to sacrifice other important activities.

What sets Don’t Worry, Be Waggy! apart from others is the level of knowledge and experience I bring. Not only do I have two degrees in animal behavior, I’ve lived in a variety of places and have helped a variety of pet parents. Living in the UK for three years, then working for six different animal shelters across the US over the past ten years (from East Coast cities to the mountains in Idaho, now to Los Angeles), has allowed me to work with all different types of dog lovers. Dog owners across the country vary greatly in what their needs are, yet are so similar when it comes to loving their furbabies.

There’s no need to worry when you have us on your team; we make learning and training fun for the dogs and the people! We help without using special equipment or harsh corrections. Instead, we look at your dog from different lenses, from relationship to health to biological needs, and then onto training helpful skills that benefit everyone! Our methods are based in science and making learning fun, not scary.

Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
I strongly encourage anyone who wants to get into dog training to reach out to local trainers in your area and talk to them. Find trainers that allign with your ethical values first, but don’t ignore those who don’t, as you may still learn something valuable from them. I found my most recent mentor, Irith Bloom of The Sophisticated Dog, by reaching out and asking for advice on how to run a dog training business (she then offered me a job!).

When I was first starting out I didn’t really have a mentor, I learned a lot in school and then through trial and error as far as how to teach group classes and workshops. Having a mentor would have been amazing. Now, when a novice dog trainer reaches out to me for advice or asking to shadow me, I always say yes (and don’t charge, like some people do). It’s an honor being able to share what knowledge I have with others who also want to help dogs and their people.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.dontworrybewaggy.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dontworry_bewaggy_dogbx/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DontWorryBeWaggy
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@dontworrybewaggy
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@dontworry_bewaggy_dogbx

Image Credits
Lori Fusaro, Vic Gasser