Clever K9 Dog Training

Clever K9 Dog Training offers a variety of programs including Initial Consultations, Private Lessons, and Virtual Dog Training. Group classes include a 5-week Tricks Class and multiple Basic Obedience options, such as a 5-week course or an intensive 3-week course with two classes per week. An Advanced Obedience Class is also available, requiring completion of Basic Obedience.

The Basic Obedience classes serve as a foundation for AKC Star Puppy and AKC Canine Good Citizen tests, teaching commands like Touch, Sit, Place, Down, Stay, Come, Friendly Greeting, Leave it, and Heel, along with social skills and handling. The Advanced Obedience class builds on these skills with distractions and off-leash heeling, conducted at their facility and offsite parks.

Their ‘Learning Center’ provides Day Training, an enrichment program for all breeds and ages, focusing on consistent skill development. Puppy Plans within the Learning Center cover socializing, potty training, handling, and leash training, with an option for in-home puppy visits. Registration for classes involves filling out a Student Profile and Waiver form and emailing it to cleverk9dogtraining@gmail.com.

Pricing Summary

Initial Consultations are $125.00 per hour. Private Lessons are generally $100.00 per hour, though private lessons associated with ‘Upcoming Workshops’ are listed at $150.00. Virtual Dog Training is available for $50.00 per half hour.

Group classes include Tricks Class and Basic Obedience, both priced at $150.00 for 5 weeks. Advance Obedience Class is $175.00 for 4 weeks. Make-up classes are available at the instructor’s discretion for $15.00, which is half the price of a regular class. Payments are accepted via Zoom and Venmo.

Policies

Make-up classes are available at the discretion of the instructor and are half the price of a regular class, specifically $15.00.

Clever K9 Dog Training is a professional dog training business based in Wilmington, North Carolina, specializing in Beginner/Advance Obedience Classes, Boot Camp, Day Training at ‘The Learning Center’, Puppy Programs, and Private Instruction. The business is run by trainers Marjorie Evans and Joseph LaCapria, who aim to build relationships based on love and trust between owners and their canine companions.

Their training philosophy is “Train with your brain, not pain,” emphasizing positive, caring reinforced instruction. They offer programs designed to help clients pass AKC Star Puppy and AKC Canine Good Citizen tests, and they encourage rescue dogs to achieve these titles to improve their manners and skills for their forever homes.

Clever K9 Dog Training’s mission is to promote positive training with compassion for all animals through handling, socialization, and training. Their goal is to help create happy, helpful furry family members without destructive issues, contributing to a more dog-friendly community where companions are welcomed everywhere.

Accomplishments

Marjorie Evans is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer and holds two AKC Rally Titles (RN, RA). Her education includes a Connie Cleveland Seminar in June 2015, Pet Tech First Aid CPR in 2015, and a B.A. in Business/Economics from UCSC in 2010. She is a member of APDT and CCPDT.

Joseph LaCapria is a former Marine and disabled Veteran who worked with military working K9s. He possesses a natural ability to communicate with dogs and compassion for animals, having trained his own service dog. He also holds a Pet Tech/First Aid Canine CPR certification from 2015. The business itself achieved an AKC Rally Title in 2016.

How to Get Started!

To register for classes, clients must go to the Forms section, fill out a Student Profile and Waiver, and then scan and email them to cleverk9dogtraining@gmail.com. Initial consultations are available for those seeking to begin. Private lessons can be arranged by calling the business. For puppy programs, clients are encouraged to call for pricing and to discuss their specific puppy needs. Day training services at ‘The Learning Center’ are available for drop-offs.