hi, I’mNick Gallina
Owner and head trainer at Big Nick K9, in Halethorpe, Maryland.
Sixteen years of dogs
I grew up around dogs and I’ve owned them for sixteen years. Here is how I got from training my own to doing this for a living.
- Nineteen and twenty I bought my first two dogs while I was still in college, both German Shepherds. I trained them myself with no professional help, mostly on instinct, and that is where the whole thing started.
- 2022 — went professional After those dogs passed I decided to make a career of it, and started apprenticing at a pet and working dog facility under a number of well-known trainers.
- Basic obedience through to bite work Pet obedience, behavioral issues, bite work, tracking and detection. I moved through several facilities in the area, each time working up to top trainer, taking on the most dogs and the hardest cases.
- Seminars, and one of the top schools in the world I kept studying before opening my own place, and I still keep up with new methods — with a particular focus on dog and human psychology, so the plan always fits the individual dog in front of me.
Read the science behind how I train
139 American Ave, Halethorpe, MD 21227 · Serving Baltimore County
Talk to me
- 5.0
- Google rating, 6 reviews
- 16 yrs
- Owning and training dogs
- 2022
- Went professional
- 1–4 wks
- Typical board-and-train
In my own words
Who I am, how I got into this, and how I run Big Nick K9.
“I see every dog as an individual, looking deep into each animal’s personality to figure out what best motivates that dog. Training should be fun for both you and the dog.”
Nick Gallina, Owner & Head Trainer
What makes me different
Four things, and they are the reason the results hold up once your dog is back home with you.
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Every dog is an individual
I don’t run a one-size-fits-all, cookie-cutter system. I tailor the training to your dog and to how you actually live.
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Play over treats
I use some treats, but my primary motivator is play and games. Once a dog’s other needs are met, most would rather chase a ball or play tug, and that builds a different bond than food does.
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A home, not a kennel
Your dog stays in my home, not a kennel run. Going back to your house is then a much easier and more realistic transition.
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One-on-one, plus socializing
Every dog gets one-on-one sessions with me as well as group socialization, handled safely.
Ready when you are
Tell me what is going on with your dog and I’ll tell you straight whether I can help.