MATT DELLAIRA
CERTIFIED DOG TRAINER
Matt brings over 12 years of professional experience in canine behavior and training. Early in his career, he trained under renowned trainer Joel Silverman, then continued to refine his approach through collaboration with respected trainers, veterinarians, and behavior professionals. Over time, Matt developed a comprehensive training methodology grounded in learning theory, behavioral psychology, and emotional regulation.
As Founder and Head Trainer of K9 Learning Academy, Matt is responsible for overseeing all training programs, standards, and trainer development. His approach emphasizes clarity over control, focusing on how dogs think, feel, and respond to their environment rather than relying on force or repetitive commands.
Matt is known for his calm, largely non-verbal handling style, which allows dogs to learn through structure, timing, and clear reinforcement rather than constant verbal input.
Matt works closely with local veterinarians and other animal professionals to ensure training plans align with each dog’s overall health and well-being, including nutrition, stress management, and lifestyle factors. This interdisciplinary approach allows him to address behavior holistically, recognizing that behavior is influenced by both physical and emotional states.
A core principle of Matt’s philosophy is that lasting behavior change requires owner involvement. Training is not something done to a dog—it is something built with the dog and their family. Matt and his trainers prioritize owner education, ensuring clients understand why behaviors occur and how to maintain structure and clarity at home.
By tailoring every training plan to the individual dog and household, Matt helps create calmer dogs, more confident owners, and stronger human–canine relationships. His programs are designed not just to resolve immediate challenges, but to provide families with a foundation for long-term success built on trust, understanding, and consistency.
Stuart Ringelheim
CERTIFIED DOG TRAINER
Stuart brings over six years of hands-on experience working with dogs and their owners, with a strong focus on clear communication, behavior understanding, and practical application. He is known for his ability to connect easily with both dogs and people, helping clients feel confident and informed throughout the training process.
Rather than focusing solely on commands, Stuart prioritizes explaining why behaviors occur and how training can address the underlying causes. He takes the time to break down complex concepts in a way that is easy for owners to understand, ensuring they can actively support their dog’s progress outside of training sessions.
Stuart has completed professional training and certification under Matt Dellaira and Joel Silverman, and has worked with hundreds of dogs across a wide range of breeds, temperaments, and behavior challenges. This experience has given him a strong understanding of how factors such as genetics, environment, and learning history influence behavior.
His training focuses on:
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Foundational and advanced obedience
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Leash manners and impulse control
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Reactivity and over-arousal
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Owner education and confidence building
Stuart’s approach is rooted in positive reinforcement, patience, and structure, creating an environment where dogs can learn without fear or pressure. By emphasizing calm guidance and consistency, he helps foster stronger relationships between dogs and their owners while supporting meaningful, lasting behavior change.
Caleb Lapoint
CERTIFIED DOG TRAINER
Caleb is a dedicated dog behavior specialist with a strong academic foundation in animal behavior and psychology. He spent six years studying animal behavior and earned a formal diploma in Animal Psychology, giving him a deep understanding of how learning, emotion, environment, and experience shape canine behavior.
Caleb’s approach goes beyond traditional obedience training. He focuses on identifying the root causes of behavior, including stress, fear, frustration, arousal, and reinforcement history. By understanding what drives a dog’s behavior internally, he is able to create thoughtful, ethical behavior modification plans that support long-term change rather than short-term management.
Grounded in science-based behavioral psychology, Caleb emphasizes emotional regulation, clear communication, and humane training methods. He works to help dogs feel safe, understood, and capable of learning, recognizing that behavior cannot change sustainably unless a dog’s emotional state is addressed first.
Equally important to Caleb is owner education. He believes lasting progress depends on helping owners understand how dogs learn and why behaviors occur, empowering them to support their dog confidently at home. His calm, analytical approach helps reduce confusion and builds trust between dogs and their families.
With his strong academic background and practical application of behavioral science, Caleb brings a thoughtful, structured perspective to training—helping dogs and owners achieve clearer communication, reduced stress, and more reliable behavior.
