We've been working with Micaela and her team for the past five years and cannot imagine where we would be without their support, community and guidance. We have a very high-drive, high-energy Shetland Sheepdog named Bruce. Like most Shelties, Bruce is smart, sensitive, and social but he is also highly triggered by movement and very VERY very vocal. He developed pretty significant leash reactivity, especially towards other dogs, when he was an adolescent. Bruce wasn't technically a covid puppy, but a gotcha day of Halloween 2019 means he got the combo of isolation and overrun dog parks that were typical of that time. We live in busy Coolidge Corner and began to dread taking him outside. I was often in tears I was so embarrassed. We had resorted to excessive fetch and taking him outside the city to run off his energy. We 100% were "those people" shouting "he's friendly!" as he charged, off leash, towards other dogs. We were pretty desperate by the time we found Community K9. Micaela is talented, educated and effective. She understands and applies dog psychology like no one else. She taught us about barrier frustration, biological fulfillment and frustration tolerance training, emotional regulation and so much more. She is empathetic and supportive and never made me feel embarrassed or anything other than empowered. Through introduction of an ecoller, brain games, teaching him and off switch, focusing on making sure he is biologically fulfilled every day and structured walks with other (non-reactive) dogs, Bruce has thrived (and re-earned off leash privileges). After each training session, we are sent a long document reiterating everything we had learned and with many other resources included. I have assembled all her guidance into a training book of sorts and consult it often. Micaela doesn't just train your dog, she trains YOU. Investing in this type of service is not cheap regardless of who you go to. If you do find someone cheaper, my advice would be simply to remember that you get what you pay for. Micaela's prices are industry standard and as described above, the value you get for that money is exceptional. Bruce still hikes with Zack from Mikaela's team twice a week to fulfill his need for socialization and play with other dogs in a safe environment with dogs who are all trained to the same high standard. Zack is kind, enthusiastic and skilled. Bruce adores him. We also board with Community K9 for all vacations and holidays. We have had the pleasure of working with Annie, Clara, Micaela & Zack as well as other wonderful former employees that have gone onto great things! Micaela's team is so top-notch that I ultimately ended up becoming very very close friends with one of her former employees (Amanda) whom Bruce and I regularly went for structured walks with so he could learn from the good example set by Amanda's dog Gracey. I also recommended Micaela's team to my sister who worked with Annie for her large (part Great Pyrenees, lab and husky) fearful, reactive rescue dog. My sisters dog had always been nervous around children and Annie successfully helped my sister prepared for the birth of her first child and a seamless integration. I see Cannoli and my niece now and it's hard to believe anyone ever worried which is such a testament to the skill Micaela cultivates in her team. This short (haha) review is all to say that Micaela is outstanding, and her business name is on point. She skillfully and compassionately teaches you and your canine to live harmoniously within your existing community, and then she provides a like-minded community for you and your dog that is worth its weight in gold. I cannot imagine either of our lives without Community Canine. I HIGHLY and without reservation recommend Micaela, Zack, and the rest of her team. You will find the answers you are looking for with them. read more

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We've been working with Community K9 and Michaela's team for over five years with our dog Scout, a rescue lab-pit mix, who has significant reactivity issues. We knew that Scout needed a special kind of training: patient, consistent, and grounded in a deep understanding of dog behavior. Michaela and her team deliver that and so much more. What started as basic obedience evolved into a long-term partnership to help Scout navigate his fears and reactivity toward strangers and other dogs. From group classes to private sessions, Michaela and team were with us every step of the way to make sure Scout could be successful and safe in our home and around our growing family. I remember having the team come help us prep before we had our twins, setting up our house and establishing guidance for how things should work in the house long before the children arrived. Scout's not always easy, but because of Community Canine, we've been able to give him a safe, loving home. He adores our kids, we've learned how to introduce him to new people, and we feel supported every step of the way. We also rely on their weekly group hikes and boarding services, which we love. Scout gets excellent care, attention, and even some training refreshers while we're away. Everyone on the team--Michaela, Beth, Clara, Marie, and others--car deeply about the animals they work with. If you have a dog with complex needs, are looking for thorough training, or just want to give your pup a great start, we couldn't recommend Community K9 more highly. read more

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We have been working with Micaela and Beth for over 4 years and couldn't be happier. They have helped resolve reactivity issues in our German Shepherd through one-on-one classes, group classes, and training walks. He's now "graduated" to pack hikes which are the best part of his week. Beth continues to work with him on his challenges (being overstimulated around water) which is so appreciated. They are also very responsive to training questions that come up and always have ideas for helping us and our dog to manage new situations. read more

The team may work for some, but in our case, we emphasized the needs we had for training and spent lots of money on preliminary meet and greet and then 'training walks' without a clear training plan. We also had a mix of trainers, including our house access provided to someone we did not initially approve and who seemed timid around our dog. Since we are working on reactive behavior, this was a poor fit and upsetting we were paying significant money for this. Communication was also poor. read more

I am SO THANKFUL for Community K9. I will forever be grateful for the wisdom and knowledge that was provided to me for my Doberman sassy girl MAYA! The original plan was to do off-leash training on the e-collar with Michaela. And that we did! Along with tons of behavior work on the side. I thought that Maya was beginning to get reactive due to some interactions we had. Michaela gave us our homework and not just one but a few protocols to interact with Mayas behavior. With lots of guidance and many emails exchanged between Michaela and I, Maya is now the happiest Doberman that you will ever meet. Why? Michaela helped me understand what dog behavior means, what they need, and what is required of me as a Doberman owner. I now understand what it means to biologically fulfill my dog, I know how to read her, and our relationship has improved SO much. I am eternally grateful for you Michaela, thank you for working with us! Community K9 is a GEM! If you are looking to build a better relationship with your dog, give community k9 a call. Everyone on their team TRULY cares about the dogs mental and physical well being. We absolutely loved working with Community K9!! read more

AMAZING trainer that is focused on training dogs in an ethical and scientifically accurate way. Micaela has given me the tools I need to clearly and effectively communicate with my dog. I adopted my dog when she was 9 months old and quickly realized that she was obsessed with playing with other dogs. She was hyper focused on her friends and struggled immensely with recall. Micaela started by addressing the communication and relationship issues that were the root of my dog's refusal to come when called around other dogs. Once I understood how a dog thinks and processes situations, I was able to change how I interact with my dog to a way that she actually understands. Now my dog values playing with me more than with her friends. My dog is now a master of recall but, even more importantly, we have a strong, healthy and balanced relationship. read more

Community Canine - My dog can now safely play off leash! - Pet Training Near Me

Simply put Alex is amazing! We adopted an 8 month old puppy in September who was under socialized and fearful of anything new. We hired a trainer as soon as we could who helped us with basic obedience but Coco's "reactivity" continued to get worse and she started developing new behaviors that aren't desirable in a family dog. Then we found Alex! We started private lessons with Alex at the end of January. From day 1, she pinpointed possible "triggers" and solutions to Coco's reactivity and unwanted behaviors. With her approach and methods, Coco's behaviors were changing (for the good!) and her reactivity was lessening but I wasn't haven't success as quickly as I wanted when walking her or with building her confidence or communicating effectively with her. Alex suggested Board and Train to accelerate the training and conditioning techniques she was teaching us in the private lessons. I was very hesitant at first but after making it through my separation anxiety for the month, it was the best decision for Coco and our family. Alex was able to turn our reactive pup from a fearful, frustrated girl into a calmer and more confident dog. She is crate trained, more affectionate and easier to redirect when triggered on our walks or by noises. Also at a recent visit, our vet even commented on how more confident, relaxed and easier it was to work with Coco! I'm looking forward to continuing to work with Alex to get my "training" up to par and seeing Coco become a more confident, happy and trusting girl. Thank you so much Alex! read more

I started working with micaela 2 months ago after an unexpected bite from my 3 year old rescue. Micaela has taught us so much!!!! Before we started working with her he was reactive, he was very anxious on walks and was really looking for direction/advocacy from me. With Micaela's help in a very short time we see a completely different dog. My children have engaged in training sessions as well as my dog walker to reinforce good habits and build a strong communication system across the board. Micaela follows up every training session with an email reviewing everything we practiced and attaches relevant training videos and resources to assist. Micaela is so knowledgeable and intuitive and our family is so grateful for helping us give our pup the best life possible. read more

BEST IN BOSTON. I have a 2 years old boston terrier who's full of unbelievable amount of energy. When I am too busy or I go on a vacation, I send him to Community K9. They take care of my dog like one of their own, and update you photos of your extremely happy dog. My dog Benji loves them. He Wouldn't even bother looking back at me every time I drop him off. COMM K9 is definitely the spot for your dog when you have to be away. read more

My partner and I reached out to Micaela a couple years ago because our young female dog had unreliable recall, barked at novel objects and people, counter surfed, and pulled hard on her leash. Micaela worked with us over a series of 1:1 sessions where she taught my partner and me how to better understand dog behavior and communicate with our dog. Due to Micaela's guidance, we've been able to improve my dog's behavior enormously. We've addressed issues far beyond what we originally presented to her, and my partner and I have become happier, more responsible, and more compassionate dog owners. For the better part of this year, Micaela has also taken our dog on pack hikes 1x per week, which has helped solidify her recall and increase her confidence around other dogs. We've also taken a handful of group classes taught by Micaela at Falco K9, and recently started participating in weekend group hikes with the Community K9 team. We are so excited that Community K9 has grown to include Annie, Alex, and Val as trainers. We've really enjoyed attending the group hikes they've led, where they've orchestrated unique opportunities for owners to safely train their dogs in new environments. We are looking forward to working with them more! read more

Community Canine - My dog cooling off on a pack hike with Micaela. Micaela sends text, photo, and video updates after every hike! - Pet Training Near Me

I adopted a ~2 y/o pit mix from a local shelter with tellings that my new dog had severe guarding and "unpredictable" behaviors. What I noticed was that whenever I was alone with the dog, yes, he seemed very exuberant, excited and happy. However, I never saw these aggressive behaviors that shelter had warned me multiple times of, even in the notes and some board and train documents, the dog seemingly had none of the behaviors besides ones that seemed to be from being constantly at the shelter and not getting consistent and balanced training. I was suspicious of the warnings as I knew this dog was considered an "aggressive breed" and was already once adopted and then returned in under 12 hours. From my several weeks of taking my personal time to work with the dog at the shelter, I could visibly see the dog needed a consistent regiment to learn mannerisms and actions effectively. I heard of Community K9 through a friend and the training was brought to me (So convenient!), they specialize in severe animal behavior which was arguably perfect for what I was told by the shelter. Through now months of consistent upkeep with training, I have learned tools and methods that I am teaching my dog with the guide of a trainer, not just someone telling me whats right and whats wrong with no reasoning, or taking my dog from me for a week leaving us both in an uncomfortable situation. My dog who, at first, could not sit in one place for more than 30 seconds and would hump and rip up everything in sight if left alone is now happily going in his crate on first command, being able to sit in a stay position until I choose to release him, and most importantly can even eat his food while other dogs or humans are nearby. These are traits that deemed my dog "untrainable" by the shelter he was from, traits that I felt were used to scare me out of helping a really amazing animal. Drop a line to CK9, because you'll lose nothing from it and you may gain a new understanding of how to train a dog that makes you feel comfortable and not pressured. Also, they often offer free social walks that everyone is welcome to join and they all include free basic training just for showing up. read more

Highly recommend, and cannot say enough good things about Community K9! I appreciate their research-based training approach, and they genuinely care about our pet's long term well-being to help us build attainable goals and specific steps to achieve them. Prior to working with Community K9 we felt frustrated and defeated, and we judged our inability to yield the behavior we wanted from our pup. We were so nervous that "all hope was lost" and we were too late to try to modify her behavior and make our dog less anxious or impulsive. We never felt judged or criticized, and instead they "met us where we were at" to build a line of communication with our dog. By not judging or shaming us, we felt far more empowered to make incremental changes and also more educated on the drivers for introducing new communication patterns. 100% call Community K9; we are so grateful for the lasting impact on our family! read more