K9 Master Training
Dog Training & Behavior Modification
Meet the Trainer
Lena Abuarafeh is the head trainer and owner of K9 Master Dog Training. She has been training dogs in the Bay Area since 2011. She grew up in the small town of Pacifica and has always been a huge dog lover, which led her to fostering many dogs over the years. She takes pride in serving the needs of her clients and their dogs - It is her goal to help keep dogs in their homes by working with owners on correctable behavioral issues. Lena's personal dogs include a male Rottweiler named Diesel who is her training assistant and a chihuahua named Pablo.
APPROACH
Lena believes every dog deserves a chance, and that a trained dog not only makes a happy dog but a very happy owner. She also understands the key to a successful training program is the understanding that every dog is very different and needs a different training approach - Lena will tailor the right training plan for you and your dog. She prides herself on having a deep knowledge of all breeds, temperaments and the best approach to fit each dog as an individual - her true specialty is making sure the owner is learning just as much as the dog along the way. Training does not end when the lessons are over - the commitment to her clients is ongoing.
EXPERIENCE
Lena has over twelve years of experience training with thousands of dogs. She started her career volunteering with a local non profit dog rescue in San Francisco and took a deep interest in working with the more difficult behavior cases - that led to a passion of wanting to help rehabilitate and give more dogs a second chance. While she loves all breeds for their unique personalities and traits, she has a soft spot for the bully breeds.
Lena has interned under well respected trainers in the industry where she earned invaluable experience. Her behavior experience includes extensive work with dog on dog aggression, resource guarding, severe dog reactivity, and separation anxiety. She attended the MHS Dog Behavior Academy, as well as attended the 2016, 2017, 2018, & 2019 Canine Behavior Symposium conferences with leading animal behaviorists from around the country. Lena is also an AKC approved evaluator for the CGC (canine good citizen testing.) She always continues to expand her knowledge in the field and attends dog training workshops often. In her extensive experience dealing with more difficult dogs, Lena has also been able to help many clients successfully prepare, navigate and attend the city's vicious and dangerous dog court hearings.
GIVING BACK
Lena co-founded Go Beyond Rescue, a non profit dog rescue in San Francisco (gobeyondrescue.org) and sits on the board of directors. She spent nine years volunteering with Rocket Dog Rescue and has been an ongoing training resource for Copper's Dream Rescue. Lena also works closely with many bay area animal shelters doing dog temperament evaluations in her free time.