Tessa
“In just six weeks, Nick completely transformed Tessa’s behavior, and just as importantly, he trained us.”
Paul G.
A calmer dog
a happier home
together
I’m Nick. Board-and-train and private lessons in Baltimore County, Maryland. Your dog trains in my home, not a kennel run.
16 yrsOwning and training dogs
Our clients’ stories
Off leash, and confident
“After training my dog is good off-leash, more attentive, better behaved, but I also noticed he is more confident.”
Ben C.
Huck
“Huck came home more confident, better behaved, and so much more enjoyable to take anywhere.”
Katie R.
Jacqueline’s three
“Their listening skills and overall behavior are greatly improved, and they are easier to manage as a pack.”
Jacqueline F.
Taught, not just told
“He took the time to explain not just what to do, but why it works, which made a huge difference in my dog’s progress.”
Louie P.
Mandy
“Nick taught us how to reinforce his training at home so we would have success.”
Wendy M.
I train the owner, too
Any trainer can hand back a dog that behaves for them. What lasts is what you learn while your dog is with me, so every program ends with a go-home lesson and you knowing exactly how to hold the line.
I don’t run a cookie-cutter system. I build the plan around your dog and the way you actually live, driven by play and games rather than treats alone. Board-and-train dogs stay in my home, and I’ll come to you for the follow-up lessons.
— Nick Gallina, owner & head trainer
More about Nick139 American Ave, Halethorpe, MD 21227 · Serving Baltimore County
- 5.0
- Google rating, 6 reviews
- 16 yrs
- Owning and training dogs
- 2022
- Went professional
- 1–4 wks
- Typical board-and-train
Our core services
-
Board & Train, learn more
from $1,000
Living and training with me, in my home rather than a kennel run.
Obedience, impulse control and off-leash reliability.
- 1–4 weeks
- Go-home lesson
- Follow-ups
-
Private Lessons, learn more
from $1,000
You do the handling.
I teach you and your dog together, so you finish knowing how to train.
- 10 or 15 lessons
- Weekly
- 1 hour each
-
Behavior Modification, learn more
Quoted after evaluation
For reactivity, aggression, resource guarding and severe anxiety.
I start with an in-person evaluation where the behavior actually happens.
- 5–8 weeks
What is board-and-train, and who is it for?
Board-and-train means your dog comes and lives with me for one to four weeks and I do the training, rather than you coming to a weekly lesson and doing it yourself. At Big Nick K9 that happens in my home in Halethorpe, not a kennel run — your dog is in the house, around people and other dogs, which is the environment the training has to hold up in anyway.
It suits you if you want the result faster than weekly lessons can deliver, or if the problem is one you would rather not practise on your own: a dog that pulls hard enough to hurt someone, a puppy learning everything at once, or reactivity that makes walks miserable.
Programs run $1,000 for a one-week puppy foundation up to $4,000 for four weeks on and off leash. Every one ends with a go-home lesson and follow-up private lessons, because a trained dog that goes back to an untrained household does not stay trained.
If you would rather learn to handle your dog yourself, private lessons cover the same obedience for about half the cost, and more of the work sits with you between sessions.
Free · 2 minutes · No phone call
Not sure which one you need?
Answer six questions about your dog and I’ll show you which program usually fits a situation like yours.