About The K-9 Center

The K-9 Center sits at 440 Wheeler Rd in Hauppauge and describes itself as 'Long Island's Trusted Dog Training Center – Based in Hauppauge, NY'. Its own summary is precise about the offer: 'Serving Long Island families for over 35 years, The K-9 Center in Hauppauge, NY is trusted for professional dog training, puppy classes, obedience programs, agility courses, and German Shepherd breeding.'

Who runs it

The founder and master trainer is John Browne, who the site says 'has been training and breeding dogs in the United States and abroad for more than 35 years'. An unusual detail sits in his biography: alongside training and breeding he has spent those decades 'designing and manufacturing his own line of custom-made dog training equipment', which the center sells through a merchandise store on the same site.

What is taught

The published class structure is group-first – group dog training classes, dog agility classes and obedience training each have their own page – with puppy classes for owners starting from the beginning. The argument the site makes for training is a safety one: 'A well-mannered, obedient dog is more enjoyable to be around, and this contributes to their own safety as well as that of others. A dog that will walk well on or off a leash and come when you call him or her is essential.' Behavioral correction is named as part of the remit for owners whose dogs already have problems.

Practical notes

The center posts its hours – 10am to 6pm on weekdays, 10am to 4pm Saturday and 10am to 2pm Sunday, with 'other training times available upon request' – and runs a free training evaluation as the entry point. Reviews, a gallery, policies and a blog are published on the same site. A business under a generic name at a Ronkonkoma address links to the same website, so ask the center whether it has a second location before assuming one.