Emilio’s involvement in dog training began with The Ohio Buckeye Schutzhund Club, where European trainers were brought in to establish their program. Emilio’s physical aptitude made him an ideal candidate for training helper work, and he was subsequently mentored by one of the European trainers.
In the early 1980s, Emilio’s timing coincided with the Medina County Sheriff’s Department’s decision to launch a Canine Unit. He was selected as an Associate Canine Trainer official helper by the late Chief Dan Norton and Deputy George Rogers, assisting in the training of dogs in the Canine Division, focusing on protection, defense, and tracking.
In 1984, Emilio trained the first police dogs deployed in Trumbull County, Ohio.
Emilio completed the basic police officer training program accredited by the Ohio Police Officer Training Council in 1985. He went on to complete specialized courses in Basic Drug Investigations through the Ohio Peace Officer's Training Council in April 1986 and Basic Homicide Investigations at Case Western Reserve University in June 1987.
In 1987, Emilio became paraplegic due to a car accident. Following his accident, he began training his own service dogs. Encouraged by others, he expanded his training to include service dogs for individuals with diabetes, epilepsy, and autism.
Emilio earned an Associate’s Degree of Applied Science with a concentration in Corrections and an Associate’s Degree of Applied Science in Law Enforcement in 1990.
He furthered his education, receiving a Bachelor’s Degree of Applied Science in Criminal Administration from Youngstown State University in 1994.
In 2015, Emilio became a certifying official for the state of South Carolina, granting him the privilege of certifying apprehension K-9s for police departments statewide.