Founder & Head Dog Trainer
Meet the Founder & Head Trainer
Tod McVicker (IACP Member #2591, CDT/PDTI/CDTA) has trained dogs professionally across the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex since 2006.
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IACP Member #2591
Professional Level
Tod McVicker's credentials
Training dogs across DFW
Home & in-home training
Review the credentials, training philosophy, and background of Tod McVicker, Founder and Head Dog Trainer at Redeeming Dogs in Lewisville, TX 75077.
Tod has trained dogs professionally since 2006 after beginning in conformation dog shows with Cardigan Welsh Corgis around 1987.
He is a Professional Level member of the International Association of Canine Professionals (IACP Member #2591), a former IACP Board of Directors member and IACP Ambassador, and holds all three peer-reviewed IACP certifications: Certified Dog Trainer (CDT), Professional Dog Training Instructor (PDTI), and Certified Dog Trainer Advanced (CDTA).
Tod is also certified in Martin Deeley's E-Touch Method™ and leads Redeeming Dogs' 21-day Home Board & Train program (capped at 2 client dogs at a time in his home) alongside In-Home Trainer Jon Van Dyke.
- Professional ExperienceTraining dogs professionally in Dallas-Fort Worth since 2006; working with dogs since 1987.
- IACP CertificationsIACP Member #2591 holding CDT, PDTI, and CDTA certifications; former IACP Board Member and Ambassador.
- Training Method & BaseCertified in Martin Deeley's E-Touch Method™; based in Lewisville, TX near DFW Airport.
Verified Credentials & Roles
Tod McVicker's Qualifications & Team Structure
Unlike written-test certificates, IACP certifications require peer review by seasoned dog professionals, documented client and trainer endorsements, and verified years of hands-on dog training.
Credential 1 • Advanced Certification
IACP CDT, PDTI & CDTA (#2591)
- Credential: Certified Dog Trainer (CDT), Professional Dog Training Instructor (PDTI), and Certified Dog Trainer Advanced (CDTA).
- Issuing Organization: International Association of Canine Professionals (IACP Professional Member #2591).
- Leadership Service: Former member of the IACP Board of Directors and named an official IACP Ambassador.
- Verification Standard: Evaluated by a board of seasoned dog professionals based on proof of training skill, professional and client endorsements, and years of active service.
- Continuing Education: Spends approximately two weeks each year in advanced workshops, conferences, and mentoring new trainers.
- Primary Focus: Reaching dogs whose behavior problems persisted even after seeing other trainers, behaviorists, or veterinarians.
Credential 2 • Gentle Communication
Certified E-Touch Method™ Practitioner
- Methodology: The E-Touch Method™, pioneered by internationally respected dog trainer, author, and behaviorist Martin Deeley.
- How It Works: Uses subtle, low-level communication that taps the dog to focus on a command without causing pain, fear, or anxiety.
- Where Used: Included exclusively in our 21-day Home Board & Train program (including a professional-grade collar and transmitter for the owner to keep).
- Owner Transfer: Tod personally coaches every Board & Train owner at go-home so leadership transfers smoothly from trainer to owner.
- First Step: Direct phone assessment with Tod McVicker (no home visit required).
- Learn More: 21-Day Home Board & Train
Role 3 • Home Board & Train + Alumni Boarding
2-Dog Maximum Home Training Environment
- Setting: Tod McVicker's family home in the Lewisville, TX area near DFW Airport, shared with his wife, daughters, and resident pack.
- Capacity Limit: Capped at a maximum of 2 client dogs in Board & Train at a time so every dog lives as part of the family and pack.
- Who It Helps: Puppies, adult dogs, and dogs with reactivity, fear, or aggression challenges across Dallas-Fort Worth.
- Graduate Boarding: Exclusive home boarding in Tod's house for Redeeming Dogs Board & Train graduates with no minimum stay.
- First Step: Submit our contact form to schedule your phone assessment with Tod.
- Service Area: Lewisville, Flower Mound, Highland Village, Southlake, Frisco, Plano, Dallas, Fort Worth, and all of DFW.
Role 4 • In-Home Coaching Team
In-Home Training With Jon Van Dyke
- Program: Private 1-Hour In-Home Dog Training Visits and 3-Hour In-Home Puppy Consultations.
- Trainer & Format: In-home sessions are handled by Redeeming Dogs Trainer Jon Van Dyke inside your home and neighborhood.
- Session Structure: 1-hour visits for adult dogs (working with all dogs in the household) and 3-hour first consultations for puppies 16 weeks and younger.
- Tools Used: Traditional training tools (slip collars, pinch collars, head halters) tailored to your dog's breed and temperament.
- Scheduling Rule: Pay-as-you-go with no subscription or contract; schedule your next visit whenever you are ready.
- Learn More: Training at Your Home
Professional Background
About Tod McVicker IACP CDT/PDTI/CDTA
I began showing Cardigan Welsh Corgis in conformation dog shows around 1987.
After many years spent with dogs, I realized that I had a special aptitude and gift for aligning dogs with their owners and with other dogs.
After I turned over control of my life to my Good Master, I found a clear calling to follow this path: helping owners and dogs break down walls and repair their relationships.
My wish is to create for you the calm role of leader and move your dog into the role of a trusting pack member.
The dogs I work with have often already been seen by professional trainers, dog behavior therapists, and veterinarians, yet their problems still persist.
I have shown time and again that I can reach these dogs.
By combining my intuitive abilities with the training style pioneered by Martin Deeley (the E-Touch Method™), Redeeming Dogs uses the best of both worlds.
I have been training dogs professionally since 2006, and I am active in the International Association of Canine Professionals (IACP).
I have served on their Board of Directors, and I was named an IACP Ambassador.
I hold three professional certifications through this group: the CDT (Certified Dog Trainer), the PDTI (Professional Dog Training Instructor), and the CDTA (Certified Dog Trainer Advanced).
Unlike written-test certification programs, these require proof of training skills, endorsements by clients and fellow training professionals, and verified years training dogs reviewed by a board of seasoned professionals.
I also spend about two weeks each year in workshops and conferences and mentor new trainers getting started in the field.
Life in North Texas
Personal History
I live in Lewisville, TX near the Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) airport with my wife and two daughters.
I moved to Texas from Indiana in 1984 and love my adopted home state.
I share my house and my life with three dogs: two rescued from local shelters and one bought from a careful, responsible breeder.
There are also usually visiting rescue dogs or up to two client Board & Train dogs enjoying a structured stay with my pack.
When I get a chance, I enjoy bird hunting, exercising with kettlebells, spending time with my family, and worshiping at Bridgeway Church in Flower Mound.
There was a time when my world revolved around what I wanted and what I thought I deserved, chasing money, possessions, and status.
After going through a season of deep soul searching and hitting rock bottom, I came out the other side realizing what is truly important in life: God, relationships, serving others, and reaching each owner and each dog right where they are right now.
That changed perspective is what enables me to reach out to dog owners and redeem dogs.