One of the premier dog training companies in the greater Cleveland area is Elite K911. The owner is Chuck Stella. I became acquainted with Chuck while I was working at Petco beginning in 2012. When I wasn’t conducting classes, I was trying to sell my obedience classes to customers. So many of them would tell me they were all set with their training needs because Chuck at Elite K911 took good care of them and he was an excellent trainer. He helped rehab their dogs and they were forever grateful to him. I had to meet this man!

As I have mentioned before, Petco’s policy was to not manage any aggressive dogs. Before meeting Chuck, I had to tell clients whose dogs had aggression issues that I could not continue to help them. I didn’t want to just leave them hanging with not knowing where to turn. This didn’t happen very often, but I wanted to be able to help more by referring them to someone reputable. Chuck was that guy. After meeting Chuck, I knew if he couldn’t help the client and dog, no one else could.

Over the years, I have referred about a dozen cases to Chuck and his trainers. They all had serious issues outside of my realm of experience. When I went out on my own, I decided that I did not want to handle “red zone” cases. In order to help these dogs, I consulted with Chuck, and either he or his trainers would work with the dog as a board and train situation. This is when the dog stays at Elite K911 for a period of time while the issues are being evaluated and worked out. Some cases did not have a good outcome, but others surely did. I cover this in more detail in my next episode with Chuck about reactivity and aggression.

Before Chuck built Elite K911 into a business of 15 employees, including trainers and groomers, he started rescuing dogs while working on construction sites. He would bring them home with him, but then he didn’t know how to train them. He met a young woman who showed him ways to work with the dogs to help correct their behavior. When Chuck implemented these strategies, they worked. That was the beginning of his interest in training dogs.

Over time, Chuck brought more dogs home and integrated them into his existing pack. Dog catchers weren’t as plentiful and efficient as they are today. So, Chuck felt that every time he would go to a new construction site, he would end up bringing a dog home! Along the way, Chuck was meeting more people who knew about dog behavior. The more he learned, the more he was interested in really helping these dogs. Ultimately, he contacted Mel McGrath from Paramount Dog Training Company, who took Chuck under his wing and even helped him form his own company.

After almost 35 years working construction and then forming his own construction business, Chuck was ready to focus all of his attention into starting a dog training business. He bought a dilapidated house where the owner bred chinchillas. Chuck had to completely strip down the interior due to the damage done by the chinchillas, and start from scratch. As he rebuilt the inside while living there, Chuck started doing in-home visits to help people with their problem dogs. Then, he built a training room where he could conduct group obedience classes. Elite K911 was under way!

One of my first interactions with Chuck was when I called him for advice to give to the son of a friend of mine whose dog spent all day and night in a crate that was too small for him. It was located in a rough section of Cleveland. Chuck went there, rescued the dog, and brought him back home to re-home him.

Fast forward to today, Chuck is still helping dogs in need. Chuck and his staff have been working with a dog belonging to another rescue organization that is mostly blind and very reactive. It is imperative to treat this case not only with caution, but also with respect for the dog. Chuck has found from his experience that when a dog is completely blind, it is easier to rehab the dog. They no longer try to use that sense of eyesight and therefore rely on their other senses. This is a work in progress and everyone on staff is trying all they can to save this dog.

Board and trains

When dogs come from different rescues to be rehabbed, they are considered part of Elite K911’s board and train service. A plan is devised that will best suit each individual dog, whether it is a rescue or a client’s dog who needs help. Chuck prefers to screen the pet parent who brings their dog to him because he wants to make sure that they will commit to continuing the work and progress made during the board and train once the dog is back at home. There is always a transition period after the dog has completed his stay at Elite K911 and ready to go home. Two transitional training home visits are included in the board and train contract, with unlimited follow-up visits if necessary.

Board and trains are not meant to be a shortcut to having someone else train your dog and relieve you of the hard work of training your dog and fostering a healthy relationship. Dogs don’t get fully trained in a 3 to 4 week board and train or in a 6 week group class. It can lay a nice foundation for the pet parent to expand upon. If there are serious issues like aggression or overcoming crippling fear, it can take your laser focused attention to these types of issues for the lifetime of the dog.

Dog training is not just training dogs. It is about making the humans aware of their dog’s behavior and knowing what signs to look for that could trigger those behaviors when interacting with other dogs and people.

A trained and well-balanced dog takes effort from the pet parent. Dog training is for the lifetime of your dog. It is about the relationship you have with your dog. Progress can be accelerated by getting professional help, but the bulk of the work has to come from you.

Boarding

As every smart and successful business owner knows, you have to keep developing a solid business plan to satisfy the demand for your services. Chuck has definitely been following a plan to grow his business by including other services besides dog training. A service that has been recently resurrected since COVID is boarding dogs when pet parents are out of town. The indoor kennels can handle 20 dogs. There is an additional 15 outdoor kennels so dogs can spend some time outside. Standard boarding includes taking the dog out multiple times each day and feeding them according to the pet parent’s instructions. Everything closes down at 8:00 p.m., but if a dog requires attention after hours, Chuck is there on site to tend to that dog. There are package deals that include socialization, swimming in the outdoor pool and supervised running through the agility course. Dogs have the option to get some exercise while being boarded there which can help limit the stress of being away from the familiar surroundings of their home.

Grooming

Within the last year, Elite K911 expanded their services to include grooming. There are 3 groomers and 3 bathers, with room to grow. On Saturdays from 8am-1pm, open grooming is available. No appointment is necessary for a nail trim or an ear cleaning. Otherwise, the salon is open Monday through Saturday for full grooming services by appointment only. Anna, the head groomer, is a behavioral groomer. She will take on difficult cases. Not all dogs love the sounds of a grooming salon. It is very common for dogs to avoid being touched on their paws and near their eyes. Some don’t even like to be on the grooming table. Dogs have to be conditioned to withstand all of the stimuli of the grooming salon. So, early exposure is key for your puppy. However, if you are rescuing an adolescent or adult dog, doing some exposure work at home to scissors. clippers, and being elevated on a table, can expedite this conditioning process.

Obedience classes

Elite K911 offers a variety of obedience classes starting with the 5-week Puppy Start class. This class addresses basic puppy behaviors like jumping, nipping, barking, and potty training issues. There is time for socializing off leash with the other puppies in the class. It also includes a time for the pet parents to get tips from their trainers about dog behavior. The goal is to provide information about optimal ways to deal with puppy issues and provide them with hands-on experience so they will have a well-balanced dog.

After completing the puppy start class, a 6 week basic obedience class teaches the Sit, Down, and Come commands. This is then followed by Advanced Obedience, which takes the basic skills and starts adding further distances, more distractions, and longer durations of holding the commanded behavior. It also sets the foundation for off leash reliability. If pet parents wish to continue their training even further, Canine Good Citizen is offered. The protocol for this class is dictated by the American Kennel Club(AKC) and is concluded with a 10 step test. For more information about this 10 step test, please access the AKC website: www.akc.org.

Scent and Mantrailing classes

The scent class at Elite K911 is taught by head trainer, Elise, who has trained both of her Belgian Malinois’ for live human and cadaver recovery. She is very skilled and knowledgeable in search and rescue work. This class introduces dogs to certain smells to track. The different scents for this type of work is derived from essential oils. Birch, Anise and Clove are the most commonly recognized scents that are found in scent kits and also used by the AKC in their classes.

Scent work is both physically and mentally draining for a dog. Their noses are exponen