Animal Consulting & Empowerment

Marius’ first memory as a child, living in Lithuania, was of his father coming home with a wicker basket. Inside the basket was an American Cocker Spaniel. The pup was named Jessi and became the newest addition to the Geykman family.  In 1992, the whole family, including Jessi, picked up and moved to the United States.

Jessi, in her late teens, after winning her battle with breast cancer unfortunately passed due to other maladies. Losing Jessi broke his heart. After a few years without a canine companion, Marius was ready for a new canine companion and brought home Kitsune, a Pembroke Welsh Corgi. Kit, as he became known, helped mend his heart and reminded him of the power of unconditional love.  His love for Kit opened the door for him to rescue a Cardigan Welsh Corgi named Cleo, for her love of lounging on her throne aka the couch. She is the yin to Kit’s yang.

Snappy! Pet Services is the brainchild of Marius Geykman. Marius, a formerly dissatisfied corporate 9-to-5er, realized the most pleasure he found in life was from his beloved dogs Kit and Cleo. Throwing caution to the wind, Marius decided to leave corporate America and reinvented himself as an animal trainer.

After completing extensive training (please see below for a list of his certifications and continuing education efforts), Marius founded Snappy! Pet Services on the foundation of non-aversive training techniques for the betterment of all animals. Through positive reinforcement training, Marius has found a wide range of behaviors can be taught to all animals – this includes everything from a simple shake to behavior modifications for fears, anxieties, and aggression cases. Snappy! Pet Services strives to make the teaching and learning experience as stress-free and enjoyable for the owners and their companion friends. In October 2014, Marius began the process of re-branding Snappy! Pet Services into Animal Consulting & Empowerment.

Marius firmly believes both Kit and Cleo have taught him as much as he has taught them. Kit and Cleo, in terms of personality, are night and day. Cleo, in particular, suffered from many fears and anxieties. Through training, she has blossomed from being shy and anxious to a relaxed and accepting companion. Their polar opposite personalities not only broadened Marius’ experience as a trainer but also helped him coin his motto, “Behavior modification is not a sprint, but a marathon.”

Marius was named February 2013 Certified Training Partner of the Month, you can read his interview by clicking here. Please see below for a list of his certifications and continued education as a trainer.

Marius enjoys working on training mechanics as well as procedures to become an efficient trainer to get the best behaviors in the shortest amount of time possible. Marius has trained many different behaviors in various species including chickens, wolves, foxes, bison, cats and dogs. Currently Marius works with pet owners coaching them on how to train their dogs most humanly and efficiently with least amount of frustration and misunderstanding.

Marius has trained his numerous dogs in obedience, tricks, behavior modification and scent work.

“Kit” - EN Millbrooks History Phan NW1

First Pembroke Welsh Corgi to receive UKC Nose Work Elite Title. National Association of Canine Scent Work: Nose Work 1.

“Rōnin” - HIT EN NHD BIS Ch. Drake Darkstar Amant Gris SPOT TT-CZV-1

US National Breed Club Qualified Stud Dog, UKC Show Champion, UKC Elite Nosework Titled, First-ever UKC Novice, Advanced, Superior and Master Nosework-titled in Breed. (Second to Harley)

“Harley” - HIT EN Borrasca Gaditana de la Manada de Tuky NW2

First NACSW titled in Breed, First-ever UKC Elite Nosework-titled in Breed. National Association of Canine Scent Work: Nose Work 2.

Certifications:

• Karen Pryor Academy for Animal Training & Behavior – Certified Training Partner (KPA-CTP)

• Kyra Sundance’s Do More With Your Dog – Certified Trick Dog Instructor (CTDI)

• Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers – Certified Professional Dog Trainer - Knowledge Assessed (CPDT-KA)

Associations:

• Association of Pet Dog Trainers

Continuing Education:

• Clicker Expo 2012, Nashville, Tennessee  Lectures and Labs with Kathy Sdao, Kay Laurence, Alexandra Kurland, Ken Ramirez, Cecilie Køste, and others, March 2012.

• Two Timely Topics: Separation Anxiety and Dog-Dog Play with Nicole Wilde, August 2012.

• Play! Play! Play! Seminar on Dog-Dog and Human-Dog play with Patricia McConnell, August 2012.

• Are You Thinking What I’m Thinking? Seminar about the mental lives of animals and what new discoveries in neurobiology can tell us about the minds of our companion animals. With Patricia McConnell, October 2012.

• Lost in Translation? Seminar on how dogs use sight, sound, and smell to communicate. With Patricia McConnell, October 2012.

• So Many Choices: Kathy Sdao Unplugged Two-day workshop with Kathy Sdao, October 2012.

• Clicker Expo 2013, San Francisco, California Lectures and Labs with Kathy Sdao, Kay Laurence, Alexandra Kurland, Ken Ramirez, Susan Friedman, Ph.D., Cecilie Køste, and others, Janurary 2013.

• Dr. Ian Dunbar's Crucial, Cutting Edge & Common Sense Concepts in Dog Training A collection of diverse concepts and topics that Dr. Dunbar considers to be crucially important for raising and training dogs to be good-natured, well-behaved and reliable off-leash.

• Dr. Susan G. Friedman - Living & Learning with Animals: The Fundamental Principles and Procedures of Teaching and Learning LLA Professional is designed to provide the foundation for a comprehensive and coherent understanding of behavior analysis as it relates to facilitating the lives of captive and companion animals. The principles and procedures discussed throughout the class apply to all species.

• “Out of the Lab” with Bob Bailey and Parvene Farhoody Bob likes to say that anyone can eventually get behavior from an animal, BUT getting reliable, strong, high-quality behavior effectively and efficiently takes an understanding of behavioral technology.  The latest in applied behavior analysis including: response strength, resistance to extinction, persistence of behavior in context shifts, response cost, behavioral economics, matching law, stimulus control, stimulus/response generalization, and more. Bob and Parvene go far beyond "good enough" behavior to high-end consistent excellence.

• 2014 Kay Laurence Weekend Seminar Kay will present the relevance of precision teaching, precision understanding and precision application. She will dive deep into the importance of how a behavior is acquired and how one should begin with reinforcement, not just end with it.

• Clicker Expo 2014, Long Beach, California Lectures and Labs with Kathy Sdao, Alexandra Kurland, Ken Ramirez, Susan Friedman, Ph.D., and others, Janurary 2014.

• “Out of the Lab” with Bob Bailey and Parvene Farhoody - Chicago Demo Dog Team Bob likes to say that anyone can eventually get behavior from an animal, BUT getting reliable, strong, high-quality behavior effectively and efficiently takes an understanding of behavioral technology.  The latest in applied behavior analysis including: response strength, resistance to extinction, persistence of behavior in context shifts, response cost, behavioral economics, matching law, stimulus control, stimulus/response generalization, and more. Bob and Parvene go far beyond "good enough" behavior to high-end consistent excellence.

• Bailey-Farhoody Operant Conditioning Chicken Workshops - Discrimination 2015 5-Day (40 hours) Objectives: Teach the fundamental principles (use of stimulus, reinforcement, extinction, etc.) and practices (timing, criteria, rate of reinforcement) of applied behavior analysis, develop observational and mechanical skills, and develop efficient training practices; behavioral evolution and ethology, training philosophy.

• Bailey-Farhoody Operant Conditioning Chicken Workshops - Cueing 2015 5-Day (40 hours) Objectives: Teach applied behavior analytic procedures; plan and institute simple training tasks, especially those involving shaping and place behaviors under stimulus control (on cue); evaluation behavior; allocation of training resources, including time; introduction to data collection and analysis.

• Bailey-Farhoody Operant Conditioning Chicken Workshops - Criteria 2016 5-Day (40 hours) Objectives: Teach behavior analytic procedures; planning and instituting simple training tasks, establish reinforcement criteria for simple and moderately complex behaviors especially those involving shaping; evaluating behavior; teaching training as a dynamic not a static process; differential reinforcement/shaping as a mechanical skill not as a theory, allocating of training resources, including time, an introduction to data collection and analysis. This Workshop demands intense trainer focus on reinforcement issues and trainer behavior change.

• 2016 Advanced Three Day Seminar at Wolf Park with Ken McCort Three day workshop training Wolves, Coyotes, Foxes and Bison at Wolf Park, Battlegrounds Indiana.

• Training Dogs and People Efficiently with Bob Bailey, Sc.D. and Elisabeth Catalano, M.A. - May 2017 - This unique, 2 day seminar is dedicated to helping understand how to increase training efficiency and improve coaching/teaching skills. The seminar will discuss creating a training plan, understanding criteria shifts, and effectively communicating that plan to a student all while allowing the student to enhance their own training ability. Effective teaching requires trainers to have flexibility in their approach and encourage that flexibility in their students. This seminar will teach how to plan a training session that has structure but allows students to express their own creativity while still following the fundamental operant principles.

• Training Dogs and People Efficiently with Bob Bailey, Sc.D. and Elisabeth Catalano, M.A. - November 2017 - On Stage Training Team.

• Bob Bailey and Friends at Hot Springs 2019 - Dr. Bob Bailey will be joined at this event by Simon Prins, Susan Garrett, Shelley Wood, Viviane Theby, and Margaret Simek. Each will share their perceptions of animal training’s past and visions for the future and give hands-on instruction.