Forsyth County, GA · Board & Train

Working dogs.
Real results.

I'm Andrew. I run private training and board-and-train for Belgian Malinois, blue heelers, German Shepherds, Cane Corsos — and Labs and mixes with more drive than their owners bargained for. These are dogs built to work. One dog at a time, based in Forsyth County, GA.

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Forsyth County, GA Working-breed specialists One dog at a time
K9 Guez — sitting working dog mark
Free • 60 seconds

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Answer 8 quick questions about your dog and we'll build a personalized training recommendation on the spot.

Programs

One method — fit to the dog

There's no package menu. The evaluation tells me what your dog needs, and the program follows from that. One dog at a time, every time. No prices listed — every plan is built around your dog's goals and quoted at the evaluation.

Flagship Program 01

Board & Train

Full-immersion program — one dog at a time. Standard program runs ~21 days through three capability-based phases. A 14-day intensive is available for focused, contained issues; a 28-day extended for aggression rehab and severe reactivity.

For working breeds and driven dogs that need obedience, impulse control and reliability built from the ground up — or patterns too entrenched to break in weekly lessons.

  • Three phases: Intake → Build → Proof & Transfer
  • A dog advances when it earns it, not by the calendar
  • Ends with hands-on owner transfer sessions
  • Two included follow-ups: week 2 and week 6
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Program 02

Private Lessons

6–12 weeks of 1:1 coaching, weekly or twice-weekly. For when the work that needs to change is the owner's handling — not just the dog's behavior.

For owners ready to do the work themselves with real guidance — or to sharpen handling on a dog returning from board & train.

  • A clear, repeatable system you can run at home
  • Better timing, mechanics and relationship
  • Targeted fixes for specific obedience gaps
  • Homework and a written plan after every session
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Hybrid Program 03

Hybrid

A short board & train (~7–10 days) for the hardest part of the work, followed by weekly private sessions to build the owner's handling and make it stick.

For cases that are entrenched — but where the owner can do consistent daily work once the hardest patterns are broken.

  • Board handles the reset; lessons build your skills
  • Best of both: immersion where it counts most
  • You're doing real work by week two
  • Evaluation determines if hybrid is the right call
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Program 04

Walk & Train

Structured walks plus training reps for maintenance and ongoing structure. I pick your dog up, work them, and bring them back better.

For busy owners and high-energy dogs that need consistent structure, exercise and mental work through the week.

  • Consistent structure without full board & train
  • A drained, fulfilled dog through real exercise
  • Reinforced obedience and leash manners
  • Steady momentum between lessons
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Breeds

These are dogs built to work

Most of the trouble I get called in on traces back to a dog whose drive isn't getting channeled into a job. High drive isn't a problem — it's potential. These are the breeds I work with most.

Belgian Malinois

Relentless engine

Intense, tireless, wired to work — and genuinely unpleasant if that drive has nowhere to go. I give it a job: clear expectations, real reps, and an off-switch that actually works.

Blue Heeler · ACD

Busy mind

Smart, relentless, and herding everything in sight if there's no real work to do. We redirect that drive into engagement and genuine impulse control — a dog that can finally settle.

German Shepherd

Loyal & sharp

Sensitive and smart, with a strong protective instinct. I build confident obedience and clear leadership without dulling what makes them good at their job.

Cane Corso

Calm guardian

Powerful, territorial, and not a dog for soft handling. These dogs demand structure and clear boundaries — we instill calm confidence, social neutrality, and rock-solid impulse control.

Labs, Mixes & High-Drive Everything

More drive than their owners bargained for

I work Labs and a wide range of mixes regularly. Breed label matters less than what the dog in front of me is doing. If your dog has a drive problem or a relationship problem, that's what I work on.

Every dog is evaluated as an individual. I'll tell you honestly at the evaluation what I see and what your dog actually needs — regardless of the breed on the paperwork.

The process

Evaluation to go-home — no mystery

The evaluation is the first piece of work, not a sales call. From there, the program follows the dog's capability — not the calendar.

1

Evaluation

I meet your dog hands-off, watch how it handles me and its environment, listen to you, then give you an honest written read: what I see, what your dog needs, and which program — or whether I'm the right fit at all.

2

Intake

Decompress and condition. Nothing goes on cold — every tool (e-collar, prong, markers) is conditioned so your dog understands what it means before it's ever used to communicate a correction.

3

Build

Install behaviors, build drive into the work, and proof under progressive distraction. The tools become communication. A dog advances when it earns it, not by the calendar.

4

Proof & Transfer

Real-world proofing in environments that count — then the program transfers to you. Hands-on owner sessions, a go-home plan, and two included follow-ups (week 2 and week 6). The handler is the program.

5

Go-Home + Follow-Ups

Your dog goes home with a written plan and concrete standards. Two included check-ins keep things on track. I'm honest if something needs more work — no gimmick finish lines.

The Method

Balanced training. No shortcuts, no gimmicks.

I'm a balanced trainer. That means I use rewards — food, toys, access to what the dog wants — and I use correction tools, including the e-collar and prong, when they're the right call. The part that matters most: nothing goes on cold.

Nothing goes on cold

Every tool — e-collar, prong, markers — is conditioned so the dog understands what it means before it ever communicates a correction. Used that way, these tools are clearer and lower-stress than a raised voice or a yanked leash.

One dog at a time

Limited intake is not a marketing line — it's how this works. Your dog gets real, individual attention and a program built around what that specific dog needs.

Drive + relationship

Reactivity is almost always a drive problem and a relationship problem — not a "bad dog" problem. I work both sides: give the dog a clear picture of what to do, and build the owner's handling skills so the relationship holds it together.

Real-world proofing

I don't train for the living room. Obedience is proofed around the distractions that actually exist in your dog's life — other dogs, people, vehicles, livestock.

Honest expectations

Some reactivity improves dramatically. Some becomes manageable. Some patterns no program fully resolves. The evaluation says so honestly. No gimmick guarantees — that's not a dodge, that's how this has to work.

The handler is the program

Every board-and-train ends with hands-on owner transfer sessions, a go-home plan, and two included follow-ups. My job is to show you how to keep doing this long after I'm out of the picture.

Results

Dogs transformed. Owners empowered.

Real obedience, real reliability, real relationships — built one dog at a time. Here's a snapshot, and there's plenty more on Instagram.

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Dogs transformed
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Core working breeds
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Years with working dogs
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Owners coached
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Our Malinois went from impossible to walk to fully off-leash reliable in the neighborhood. The handler transfer at the end is what made it stick.

M Placeholder Client · Malinois
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We came in with a reactive shepherd and left with a calm, confident dog. Honest about what it would take and there for every question after.

S Placeholder Client · German Shepherd
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Real structure, no gimmicks. Our Cane Corso finally has an off-switch and listens the first time. Worth every bit of the program.

C Placeholder Client · Cane Corso

See more transformations on Instagram

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Reactivity

Most of what I get called in for is reactivity.

A dog that goes off on people, other dogs, cars, livestock. That behavior is almost always a drive problem and a relationship problem — not a "bad dog" problem.

My approach: find the dog's threshold — the distance at which it notices a trigger but hasn't yet reacted — and work there. Then close that distance, slowly. The whole time I'm working both sides: building a clear picture for the dog, and building the handling skills and relationship that make any of it hold up once the dog comes home.

I'll be honest at the evaluation about what's realistic. Some reactivity improves dramatically. Some becomes manageable but not gone. That's not a dodge — that's how this has to work.

Book your evaluation

How I work reactivity

  • → Find the threshold — the distance the dog notices without reacting
  • → Work at threshold with clear communication, not suppression
  • → Close the distance as the dog earns it — no rushing
  • → Build the owner's handling so the relationship holds it up
  • → Honest debrief at the evaluation — realistic targets set upfront
Go-home standards

What your dog goes home knowing

These are honest targets — not marketing promises. Off-leash and reactivity outcomes depend on the individual dog and are set honestly at the evaluation.

Place & duration

Hold place ~10 minutes with household-level distraction happening around them.

Sit/down stay

Hold position ~2 minutes with the handler moving out of sight.

Structured heel

Heel past multiple trigger types — other dog, person, vehicle — without coming unglued.

Recall

~80% reliable off-leash recall in a known environment. Off-leash in novel environments is a separate conversation — that's set at the evaluation.

Threshold hold

Hold position while a known trigger appears at threshold distance — then recover. Not "cured," but in control.

Crate calm & owner-ready

Crate calm 4+ hours. And you — the owner — can run the full repertoire solo and read your dog's signals.

The evaluation is where we set honest targets for your specific dog. Book it and we'll tell you exactly what's realistic.

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Meet Andrew

I'm Andrew.

I run private training and board-and-train programs for active working dogs. Most of my work is with high-drive breeds — primarily Belgian Malinois, blue heelers, and German Shepherds, with regular work in Cane Corsos, Labs, and a wide range of mixes. These are dogs built to work, and most of the trouble I get called in on traces back to a dog whose drive isn't getting channeled into a job.

I'm a balanced trainer. That means I use rewards — food, toys, access to what the dog wants — and I use correction tools, including the e-collar and prong, when they're the right call for the dog and the behavior. The part that matters most: I condition the dog to every tool before I ever use it to communicate a "no." The dog understands what the pressure means before the pressure ever shows up in a real-world moment. Used that way, these tools are clearer and lower-stress than the same information delivered with a body, a voice, or a yanked leash.

The first step is always an evaluation. I meet the dog, watch how it handles me and its environment, listen to the owner, and then I tell the owner honestly what I see and what the dog actually needs. My job is to show the dog clearly what works and what doesn't — and to teach the owner how to keep doing that long after I'm out of the picture.

"Every owner has to build a real relationship with their dog."

Some dogs need a board-and-train to reset patterns too entrenched to break in a weekly lesson. Others need private sessions because the work that has to change is the owner's handling. Some need both, in that order.

"The handler is the program."

That's why every board-and-train ends with hands-on owner transfer sessions and two included follow-ups. I'm not done when your dog comes home — I'm done when you can run it.

Primary breeds

Belgian Malinois · Blue Heeler / ACD · German Shepherd · Cane Corso · Labs & high-drive mixes

FAQ

Questions, answered straight

No fluff. If you don't see your question here, reach out — we'll give you an honest answer.

The standard program runs ~21 days through three capability-based phases. A 14-day intensive is available for focused, contained issues. A 28-day extended is available for aggression rehab and severe reactivity. The evaluation recommends which length — a dog advances when it earns it, not by the calendar.
Yes — I'm a balanced trainer. I use rewards (food, toys, access to what the dog wants) and correction tools, including the e-collar and prong, when they're the right call for the dog and the behavior. The critical piece: nothing goes on cold. Every tool is conditioned so the dog understands what it means before it ever communicates a correction. Used that way, these tools are clearer and lower-stress than a raised voice or a yanked leash.
Reactivity is most of what I work on. It's almost always a drive problem and a relationship problem — not a "bad dog" problem. I'll assess your dog at the evaluation, be honest about what's realistic, and tell you which program makes sense. Some reactivity improves dramatically. Some becomes manageable but not gone. Some patterns no program fully resolves. The evaluation says so honestly — no gimmick guarantees. Book the evaluation and we'll go from there.
Every board-and-train ends with hands-on owner transfer sessions and a written go-home plan — so you leave knowing how to run the program. Two follow-up sessions are included in the fee: week 2 and week 6. The handler is the program. My job isn't done when your dog comes home — it's done when you can run it.
Primarily Belgian Malinois, blue heelers, and German Shepherds — with regular work in Cane Corsos, Labs, and a wide range of mixes. If your dog has a drive problem, the breed label matters less than what the dog is actually doing. Every dog is evaluated as an individual.
No — and anyone who promises a "100% fixed" dog isn't being straight with you. I'll tell you honestly at the evaluation what I expect to be able to achieve, and I'll set realistic targets. Lasting results depend on your follow-through after the dog comes home. That's not a dodge — that's how this has to work. That's exactly why the handler transfer and the included follow-ups matter.
Yes. Early puppy foundations — engagement, socialization, manners and impulse control — set working dogs up for life. Private lessons or a tailored board & train both work depending on age and goals. The evaluation determines the right approach.
Based in Forsyth County, GA (Cumming area), serving North Metro Atlanta — Cumming, Alpharetta, Johns Creek, Dawsonville and Gainesville. Drop-off and Walk & Train logistics are arranged at booking. Reach out and we'll work out the details.
Pricing depends on the program and your dog's goals — it's quoted at the evaluation, not posted publicly. Every plan is built around what your specific dog needs. Request a quote or DM @k9guez and I'll get you numbers.
Book your evaluation

The evaluation is the first step.

Tell me about your dog and your goals. I'll follow up to schedule your evaluation — honest assessment, clear plan, no pressure. That's where we figure out what your dog actually needs.

Instagram @k9guez — fastest reply Email [email protected] Phone (470) 555-0199
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