About Off the Beaten Trail Canine Facility

Training, boarding and daycare in Newark

Off The Beaten Trail (OTBT) is a canine facility in Newark run by husband and wife Jeff and Gillian Scarpino, about 15 minutes from Burke Mountain and 30 minutes from St. Johnsbury. Jeff started officially training dogs in 2011 and the facility opened in 2014. They are members of the International Association of Canine Professionals, Jeff holds the IACP-CDT credential and served on its board from 2019-2021, and OTBT is a mentorship site for the Animal Behavior College. Training takes a full spectrum approach, using different styles to suit each dog, from basic obedience to aggression.

Training options

Phone consultations cost $150 and come with a training plan and a check-in about two weeks later. Puppy class is for dogs under 6 months, focused on socialization and confidence. The adult group class teaches obedience, socialization and impulse control over 7 sessions for $450. A 4-pack of private lessons is $400. Board and train is also offered, and the Calm Canines Academy online membership costs $29 a month or $290 a year, with self-paced courses and a monthly live Q&A. Training clients get lifetime access to a private Facebook training group. OTBT also runs boarding, daycare and Sunday socials.

What owners say

One client wrote that "Not only do they train the dogs, but they also train the owners so they can continue the techniques at home."