About King K9 Academy — Professional Dog Training in Richmond, Maine
20 Years of Professional Dog Training. One Trainer. One Farm.
I've been training dogs professionally for over 20 years. Studied learning theory at Harvard, trained under world-champion protection dog trainers, and built a business around one idea: fewer dogs, more attention, better results.
King K9 Academy turns 10 this year. In that time, I've worked with hundreds of dogs on this farm — not in a strip mall, not in a rented gym, not in someone's garage. On 15 acres of working farmland with livestock, wildlife, open terrain, and real-world distractions that most training facilities can't offer because they don't have them.
I'm the only trainer here. That's by design. Every dog that comes through this program is trained by me personally. I don't hand your dog off to an assistant or a junior trainer learning on the job. When you see training photos and videos on this site, that's me working with clients and their dogs. The quality photos? I'm married to a professional pet photographer — so those are real too.
Why a Working Farm in Maine — Not a Kennel or Franchise
Most board and train operations scale up. More dogs, more staff, more revenue. I scaled down.
I take a maximum of three dogs at a time. I train on a 15-acre working farm in Richmond, Maine — sheep, chickens, ducks, a training barn, a confidence course, fenced and unfenced terrain, and miles of woodland. When dogs are ready, they go on field trips to towns, stores, and public spaces along the midcoast so the training holds in the real world.
This setup exists because it produces better-trained dogs. It's that simple. A dog that learns to hold a down-stay with a flock of sheep thirty yards away will hold it at your in-laws' house. A dog that recalls reliably on 15 acres of open farmland will recall at the park.
I didn't build King K9 Academy to be the biggest. I built it to be the best version of what board and train can be.
Published Author
I wrote The Dog Walker's Startup Guide: Create Your Own Lucrative Dog Walking Business in 12 Easy Steps — organizing years of experience pioneering the dog walking business into a step-by-step plan for aspiring entrepreneurs. The book was featured in Bark Magazine, Women on the Web, DogChannel.com, and on Halogen Network's Jump Shipp.
Training & Continuing Education
I've invested thousands of hours in continuing education — from academic programs to hands-on workshops with the best trainers in the world. Here's the short list:
-
Personal Mentor: James Hamm, former president of the International Association of Canine Professionals, Command Sergeant Major of kennel operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.
-
The Learned Dog: Learning Theory, Animal Learning and the Practice of Animal Training. Semester, (Harvard University)
-
The Cognitive Dog: Savant or Slacker. Semester, (Harvard University)
-
Animal Cognition, Taught by Dr. Irene Pepperberg. Semester, (Harvard University) Author of Alex & Me
-
Training Helper - The Critical Foundation Skills (Protection Training), Ivan Balabanov - 2x world champion
-
The Principles of Dog Training (16 week Course), Michael Ellis
-
Aggression Mastermind, Ted Efthymiadis
-
IPO (Schutzhund) Workshop, Fabian Robinson - World Champion
-
Biology and Human Behavior, (video lectures), Robert Sapolsky
-
Neurobiology of Learning, Lecture, Robert Sapolsky (MIT)
-
Obedience & Behavior Foundations, Tyler Muto
-
Mastering The Remote Collar, (5 Day Workshop) Tyler Muto
-
How to Work with Aggression Cases A-Z, Michael Shikashio
-
KMODT, Tony Ancheta
-
Psychology of Learning & Behavior, (Concentration) Rochester Institute of Technology, B.S. in film/video production
-
Socialized Wolf Behavior, Field Study, Institute for Environmental Learning, Lyndonville, New York
-
Red Cross K9 First Aid Certified
Service to Country
I owe tremendous gratitude to the U.S. Coast Guard for the training and opportunity to serve my country as a volunteer member. I served in an operational capacity on safety patrols after many months of boat crew training both in classroom and on the water. I also took part in educational outreach to schools and public training programs in the role of Flotilla Staff Officer.
In 2008 I received an official commendation for outstanding performance of duty for my participation in a life-saving rescue in severe weather.
Ready to Train With Me? Schedule a Free Consultation
Every engagement starts with a free, no-commitment phone consultation. We'll discuss your dog, your goals, and which program is the right fit.
Partners & Affiliations
