Our Training Philosophy
At Catskill Mountain Canine, our mission is to help handlers and dogs build a deep, fluent connection through clear communication and mutual understanding. We don’t believe in a cookie-cutter, one-size-fits-all approach to training. Every dog and their human is unique, and that individuality is reflected in the way we work with them—focusing on their specific goals, personalities, and challenges.
With years of hands-on experience and hundreds of dogs trained, we’ve developed a keen ability to interpret canine communication and body language, work through challenging behaviors such as dog and human reactivity, and teach handlers the most effective ways to build a solid foundation of obedience and trust with their dogs.
Our work is rooted in passion—for dogs, for the people who love them, and for the process of learning. Training is an ongoing journey, one that evolves as we do. That’s why we’ve made it our mission to grow in knowledge alongside our clients— because our clients deserve a trainer who’s as dedicated to learning as they are.
At Catskill Mountain Canine, we don’t just train dogs—we help make the canine world clearer from the human perspective.
Cipriana Costello - Owner/Trainer
Hi, Cipriana here! I'm the Owner/Professional Dog Trainer at Catskill Mountain Canine LLC. I handle all of your dog training needs here at CMC as well as heading of our boarding/daycare services.
As every other full-time animal -lover wil tell you, I have always loved all animals. When I was young, my answer to “what do you want to be when you grow up?" was “ I want to rescue animals”. My mother nurtured my love for rescue from a young age. From moving turtles and lizards from the road, to stray cats and loose dogs darting through traffic, we helped them all. But since "animal rescuer" isn't a widely available nine-to-five gig you find in the online classifieds I spent my young adult life trying to figure out how to get as close as possible.
After graduating from Rider University in 2017 after studying Entreprenurial Studies, I started working as a veterinary assistant at a local veterinary office in Saugerties, NY. I filled the rest of my time pet sitting, boarding, and dog walking which was the seed that grew into the business you see today.
In the years following I spent the better part of two years interning and volunteering for a local dog trainer where I handled working breeds like Belgian Malinois, Dutch Shepherds, German Shepherds while learning the basics of dog training, puppy whelping/raising, scent work, tracking, trailing, search and rescue, detection, service dog training, bite work, protection sport, and more.
During that time, I put my childhood dreams together with my passion for dog training and realized that one of the best ways to “rescue animals” is to get and keep them out of shelters (and in their homes) with owners who just need some help. And now that is what I get to do every day by providing individuals and families who are looking for a better relationship with their dog with the tools and resources to reach their training and lifestyle goals.
Today my days are filled with helping owners understand their dog, how they learn, their motivations, and how to work with all of those things to live with them in a way that fufills them both and provide pet care that gives pet owners peace of mind like no other.
I am constantly honing my skills and continuing my education, most recently mentoring under Jonas Black. This mentorship has greatly changed the way I view behavior modification and has allowed me to help some of the most challanging behavior cases that have come to me for help. And while may not always be an owners first trainer, I strive to be their last by bringing more than just your average "paint-by-numbers" approach to challenging cases.
When not doing all things CMC, you'll find me hiking with my pups, traveling, singing, at a concert with friends, or melting into the couch with a cup of tea and a good show.
