A Very Good K9

Offering 2-week and 4-week board and train programs with personalized training, real-world exposure, and take-home lessons. The 2-week program focuses on foundational obedience (sit, stay, heel, come) and leash manners. The 4-week advanced program adds off-leash reliability and impulse control using e-collars. The 4-week adventure program combines training with outdoor excursions across states for socialization and confidence-building. In-home private lessons available for all ages, with puppy-specific programs covering crate training, potty training, biting, and basic commands. Custom Raise and Train programs available for puppies on a case-by-case basis.

Pricing Summary

One-on-one lessons start at $100/hr ($150/hr in-home); puppy lessons start at $60/hr ($110/hr in-home). Board and train programs: 2-week foundational at $1,800, 4-week advanced obedience at $3,300, and 4-week adventure program at $4,500. Trekking services: $40/hr (1 hour), $60/hr (2 hours), $80/hr (3 hours). Mountain trek: $100/hr. Trail running: $55/hr. E-collar included in advanced and adventure programs.

A Very Good K9 is a dog training business based in Brooklyn, CT, offering balanced, relationship-based training to help dog owners build trust and respect with their pets. They provide personalized training programs tailored to each owner’s lifestyle, focusing on practical, real-world obedience and behavior modification. Services include in-home lessons, board and train programs, outdoor adventures like trekking and trail running, and puppy-specific training. Their approach combines modern tools like e-collars with hands-on guidance, ensuring long-term success. Owners receive regular updates, take-home lessons, and ongoing support after training. They also offer specialized programs for reactive, anxious, or high-energy dogs, and their team trains their own seven dogs in protection sports, demonstrating their expertise firsthand.

They serve clients across New England, including the Quiet Corner area of Connecticut, parts of southern Maine, and surrounding towns in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Pick-up and drop-off are available for outdoor adventure and board and train services. Their trainers, Haley and Austin Avery, hold bachelor’s degrees in Health Sciences and Criminology respectively, and actively compete in PSA (Protection Sports Association), earning PDC and PSA titles with their dogs.

Additional services include dog trekking, mountain hikes, and trail running with pick-up/drop-off, providing exercise and socialization for dogs while owners are busy. They also offer a customizable Raise and Train program for puppies.

The business emphasizes communication, consistency, and confidence-building for both dogs and their humans, with testimonials highlighting dramatic improvements in behavior, recall, and overall quality of life.

Accomplishments

Haley and Austin Avery compete in PSA (Protection Sports Association) and have earned PDC titles with their Belgian Malinois (Una and Zephyr in 2023/2024) and a PSA2 title with Thor. Austin is a Certified PSA Trial Decoy. Both hold Bachelor’s degrees from the University of Southern Maine — Haley in Health Sciences, Austin in Criminology. They own and train seven dogs, including Belgian Malinois, Dutch Shepherd, and German Shepherd, demonstrating hands-on expertise in high-drive and working breeds.

How to Get Started!

Client engagement begins with a consultation to discuss goals, lifestyle, and dog’s needs. After consultation, clients can schedule private lessons, board and train programs, or outdoor adventure services. Board and train programs require advance booking and include pre-program communication to tailor training to the dog’s specific behaviors.