Meet the Owner

Manuel Villanueva, owner and head trainer at Oceanside and , is one of the most sought-after dog trainers in the United Stated and beyond.

Background

Manuel’s career started when he was just 18 years old and he specialized in breeding Dobermans. Manuel was one of the few trainers to study under Fon Johnson, a pioneer in the dog training world who specialized in the training of police dogs. In fact, Fon developed many of the K-9 training programs and canine psychology models that are now used throughout the country and he founded the first full-service pet boarding facility in San Diego in 1950.

Family Dog Training

Recognizing Manuel’s skills in working with dogs, Fon took Manuel under his wing and together they trained hundreds of dogs in various fields from Puppy training, general and advanced obedience to Police Service dogs.

During the 1980s and 90s Manuel trained thousands of family dogs while serving as the head dog trainer for leading facilities in the region, including:

• San Diego Humane Society
• San Diego Obedience Club
• Fon Jon Pet Care Center
• Oceanside Pet Hotel
• North County Humane Society

Specializing in:

• AKC Training
• AKC Competition
• Aggression Problems
• Behavioral Problems

Award Winning Community Service

Serving the community is important to Manuel. Over the years Manuel has devoted countless hours to the Humane Societies by working to educate the public in the care and training of our canine friends. In 2003 Manuel’s work was recognized with The Friends of Animals award from the North County Humane Society.

Police K9 Training

Manuel is Founder and President of Man-K9 Inc., a company specializing in the importation, evaluation, training and sale of police canines, as well as the training of police officers in K9 work. Manuel is the only civilian K9 trainer in San Diego County qualified, recognized and contracted by Law Enforcement Agencies.

Manuel has worked with hundreds of Police K9s in Patrol work, narcotics, tracking, trailing and evidence searching. His police dogs have been responsible for apprehending thousands of criminals. He has also trained some special canines for work with S.W.A.T. teams and is a sought-after judge for national and international Police K9 competitions. His Police K9s have won many Top Dog awards at national and international competitions, including the 2008 Riverside Police K9 Trials.

Over the years Manuel has received recognition and awards for his substantial contributions in the area of Police K9 training. Manuel has also organized several Police K9 competitions throughout southern California to promote the public understanding of and respect for Police Service dogs. Manuel is considered an expert dog behaviorist and has conducted numerous interviews for television and newspapers. Manuel is one of the few Civilian K9 trainers in California to be a member of Law Enforcement Associations.

Memberships and Certifications

• DEA Certified
• California P.O.S.T Certified Police K9 Evaluator
• Member San Diego Regional Police Canine Association
• Canine Good Citizen Evaluator (AKC)
• Certified Narcotic Detection Trainer
• Kennel Tech Certification