K9 Academy New England

K9 Academy New England offers several training programs. Level 1 Basic Obedience is a five-week introductory course for puppies and dogs up to 8 years old, covering commands like heel, sit, stay, come, and down, with an initial dog evaluation. Level 2 Advanced Obedience is a three-month off-leash course that refines basic commands with distractions, requiring prior completion of Level 1. They also offer K9 (Sport) Nose Work, a five-week course utilizing a dog’s scenting abilities, and Sport Tracking classes focusing on following human scent trails. Private lessons are customized for dogs up to 8 years old, addressing specific behavioral issues such as aggression, sibling rivalry, and separation anxiety. A 7-10 day board and train program is available for dogs aged 4 months to 3 years. Additionally, they provide a Service Dog Training Program for retrieving items for people with anxiety. Their training approach emphasizes positive reinforcement, consistency, and teaching owners to understand their dog’s behavior, including the importance of early socialization.

Pricing Summary

Group obedience classes (Level 1 & Nose Work) are $200 for a five-week course. Level 2 advanced obedience is $600 for a three-month course. Sport Tracking is $100 per hour. Private lessons are $125 per hour at their facility for non-aggressive dogs, and $150 per hour for aggressive dogs at their facility or for any dog at your home (aggressive dogs not done at home). Boarding is $30 per day or $40 for an overnight stay. All services are non-refundable and payable by cash or check.

Policies

All services are non-refundable. Payments must be made by cash or check.

K9 Academy New England, formerly K9 Academy of Revere, is a dog training business owned and operated by Joe Ferraro, a Certified Trainer and Proprietor, and Linda Ferraro, the Office Manager and Proprietor. Their slogan, “We train dogs…and people,” reflects their belief that owners need as much training as their pets. Joe Ferraro has over 30 years of experience working with dogs and studying canine behavior.

They offer a variety of services including dog training classes, private lessons, boarding, and specialized service dog training. Their programs focus on obedience, behavior modification, anxiety, and decision-making, emphasizing positive reinforcement and consistency. Joe Ferraro is a certified animal behaviorist and has extensive experience, including 20 years as the head canine trainer for the state Department of Environmental Management, coordinating the K-9 Unit.

K9 Academy New England works with all breeds and addresses various behavioral issues such as aggression, separation anxiety, nipping, and resource guarding. They also provide sport training like Nose Work and Tracking. Additionally, they offer in-home boarding for dogs up to 35 pounds and sell imported German Shepherds.

Accomplishments

Joe Ferraro has over 30 years of experience in dog training and canine behavior. He served as the head canine trainer for the state Department of Environmental Management for 20 years, coordinating the K-9 Unit, and is a certified animal behaviorist through the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for Search & Rescue and Obedience Training. He holds a two-year certification from the Dog House Training Center in Salem, MA (2000-2002) and has received instruction from international dog trainers Mike Ellis, Terry Haskins, Scott Dunmore, and Brandon Hayes. Joe Ferraro is also a member of the International Association of Canine Professionals. His notable work includes training police search and rescue dogs, such as Jake, who was instrumental in a missing child investigation.

How to Get Started!

To begin, clients can schedule a one-hour behavioral evaluation for their dog, after which a suitable training course will be recommended. Private lessons are available by appointment. For group classes, dogs undergo an evaluation during the first lesson.