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FAQs

Dog Training Elite in Fitchburg / Leominster, MA

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Frequently Asked Questions

General
One of our trainers will visit your home to meet you and your dog and discuss any issues you're facing. We will then demonstrate one of our model dogs so you can see what you can expect after hiring our trainers. From there, we will discuss the various packages we offer and which we feel best suit your (and your dog's) needs.
We provide full obedience training that covers all basic commands, both on and off-leash. Our in-home visits target specific issues like counter-surfing, digging, and more. Unlike some trainers, we work with all breeds, including those often considered challenging.
Yes. You (and anyone in your family who wants to be involved) are integral to your dog getting trained. We need you to practice 5-6 days a week, about 15-20 minutes a day for optimal results.
Once a week. We come to you (with the silver, gold and platinum packages) once a week to start your dog off, then you come to park sessions which are held once a week in Fitchburg / Leominster.
To effectively resolve specific issues, we need to start with a solid foundation in obedience. This approach helps you become a confident leader for your dog, which is key to addressing and preventing behavioral problems.
Nope. Those are dangerous grounds to tread upon. We'd much rather train a vicious dog!
We train dogs of all breeds, sizes, and temperaments. Whether your dog is a tiny Chihuahua or a large Mastiff, we have the experience and expertise to work with them.
Yes. Working with and controlling aggression is one of our specialties in Fitchburg / Leominster.
We focus on training companion dogs for veterans and individuals with PTSD and other psychological conditions. In addition to service animals, we also train therapy dogs that visit hospitals, nursing homes, and treatment centers.
To be a service dog, your dog needs to have an even temperament. Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers, Standard Poodles, Goldendoodles, etc. typically have a great temperament for service work. For some types of service work, your dog will need to have AKC certifications (such as Canine Good Citizen or Community Canine) which we are able to certify. As always, we would be happy to assess your dog's aptitude for service work for free!

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About Dog Training Elite Fitchburg

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Dog Training Elite Fitchburg - Customer Reviews. Hear from Happy Dog Training Elite Fitchburg Clients
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In the Community

Hear From Our Customers

Learn Why Dog owners choose Dog Training Elite

  • Shelly Killian
    Apr. 28, 2025
    Totally happy with fabulous trainer. He was patient and explained things well and did a great job working with my German Shepherd, who has been going through a lot of adjustments since our recent move to the area.
  • denise ramsey
    Feb. 19, 2025
    Great information in regards to our puppy training. Patrick also helped set up the e-collar for the next step in our puppy training.
  • N Weathers
    Apr. 10, 2025
    Very professional and on time. Made me feel alot better with my choices.
  • Billy Carroll
    Apr. 3, 2025
    Patrick is fabulous! We are first time dog owners, he is very kind, so informative and helpful and teaching all of us what we need to know to train our puppy Callie. We look forward to our training journey😊
  • Michael Levitz
    Apr. 2, 2025
    Marcus is exceptionally professional, kind, and immediately intuitive with my very loving, but often difficult, big dog.
  • Lifestyle Of Mochadelicious
    Mar. 3, 2025
    I am so happy that I got to meet with Marcus. He’s an awesome person has patience has a lot of knowledge and what’s awesome is they do a free meet and greet He was very accommodating and I can’t wait to work with him and my fur baby
  • Elyse Bartkus
    Mar. 31, 2025
    We started working with Dog Training Elite Central Mass in July 2024, and we couldn’t be happier with the progress our 14-month-old Lab, Rusty, has made! From the very beginning, their team has been incredibly knowledgeable, patient, and supportive. The combination of private sessions and group classes has been a game-changer for Rusty’s training. The private sessions have allowed us to focus on specific challenges, while the group classes provide a great opportunity for socialization and practicing commands in a more distracting environment. Every trainer we’ve worked with has been fantastic, bringing their expertise and encouragement to every session. Rusty has gained so much confidence and obedience through their program, and we’ve learned invaluable skills as owners. We highly recommend Dog Training Elite Central Mass to anyone looking for professional, effective, and positive dog training!
  • Franny Osman
    Jan. 25, 2025
    First visit with Patrick from Elite and we and Poppy learned a lot. It was very successful! Second visit --with Matt --also quite helpful. Continues to be helpful. Place. Heel. Visitors.
  • Beth Morin
    Mar. 28, 2025
    We had a great lesson today. Very productive and we learned a lot.
  • Mia Cameron
    Mar. 27, 2025
    Marcus was great. He explained everything in detail and made me feel a lot better about getting my dogs behavior and getting my German Shepherd some help. We’re on our way to a good dog life!
  • Sol Correa
    Mar. 26, 2025
    Today was the first visit with Taina he was really good with her. Thanks
  • Olivia Meegoda
    Mar. 20, 2025
    Elite Dog Training is spectacular. They are very patient and clear trainers. Dog training is more about training the handlers. They are very experienced, patient with dogs and humans, answer all of the questions (in sessions, via email and through group classes). They have a great system to text reminders and they are quick to respond if there are any issues with the location. Each trainer has also been extremely experienced and consistent.
  • Wendy Chartrand
    Feb. 12, 2025
    Awesome class tonight! Thanks Matt
  • Steven G Cronis, Esq.
    Mar. 19, 2025
    Patrick is amazing with our puppy! His wealth of knowledge and advice makes having our puppy enjoyable and safe. Highly recommend to any serious pet owner who wants training. Thank you Patrick!
  • Elizabeth Smith MacKenzie
    Mar. 18, 2025
    A very pleasant and productive lesson. Marcus does a great job.
  • Ronna Northrup
    Jan. 23, 2025
    Patrick was amazing! He answered all our questions explained everything in depth, a lot of info, but very informative. Awesome training
  • Suzanne Faken
    Mar. 14, 2025
    We really have learned a lot training our 7 month old husky puppy through Dog Training Elite. Marcus and his staff are very professional and knowledgeable when it comes to dog training. In just three months, our dog has learned so much and we have gained confidence in knowing how to interact with him. Marcus and his staff take time to personalize training to our dog's needs and answer our questions. Our puppy is almost one year old and is getting ready for his public access test. we chose Dog Elite Training because of their expert ability in being able to train service dogs and we could not be happier!
  • Jess Zorge
    Mar. 7, 2025
    Making great progress in the short amount of time we have been able to meet. Quill is deaf and getting one on one assistance is just what we need!
  • Ashley Hartenstein
    Mar. 5, 2025
    Marcus was very helpful explaining everything that the program provides. He is very knowledgeable when it comes to dogs and I couldn't have asked for a better person to come out and talk to us.
  • Wendy Fenty
    Feb. 28, 2025
    Matt was very informative and knowledgeable about dog training , he gave wonderful advice, I’m excited to begin the training, I feel hopeful that my pups will be in a great place once the training is done.
  • Shelly Killian
    Apr. 28, 2025
    Totally happy with fabulous trainer. He was patient and explained things well and did a great job working with my German Shepherd, who has been going through a lot of adjustments since our recent move to the area.
  • denise ramsey
    Feb. 19, 2025
    Great information in regards to our puppy training. Patrick also helped set up the e-collar for the next step in our puppy training.
  • N Weathers
    Apr. 10, 2025
    Very professional and on time. Made me feel alot better with my choices.
  • Billy Carroll
    Apr. 3, 2025
    Patrick is fabulous! We are first time dog owners, he is very kind, so informative and helpful and teaching all of us what we need to know to train our puppy Callie. We look forward to our training journey😊
  • Michael Levitz
    Apr. 2, 2025
    Marcus is exceptionally professional, kind, and immediately intuitive with my very loving, but often difficult, big dog.
  • Lifestyle Of Mochadelicious
    Mar. 3, 2025
    I am so happy that I got to meet with Marcus. He’s an awesome person has patience has a lot of knowledge and what’s awesome is they do a free meet and greet He was very accommodating and I can’t wait to work with him and my fur baby
  • Elyse Bartkus
    Mar. 31, 2025
    We started working with Dog Training Elite Central Mass in July 2024, and we couldn’t be happier with the progress our 14-month-old Lab, Rusty, has made! From the very beginning, their team has been incredibly knowledgeable, patient, and supportive. The combination of private sessions and group classes has been a game-changer for Rusty’s training. The private sessions have allowed us to focus on specific challenges, while the group classes provide a great opportunity for socialization and practicing commands in a more distracting environment. Every trainer we’ve worked with has been fantastic, bringing their expertise and encouragement to every session. Rusty has gained so much confidence and obedience through their program, and we’ve learned invaluable skills as owners. We highly recommend Dog Training Elite Central Mass to anyone looking for professional, effective, and positive dog training!
  • Franny Osman
    Jan. 25, 2025
    First visit with Patrick from Elite and we and Poppy learned a lot. It was very successful! Second visit --with Matt --also quite helpful. Continues to be helpful. Place. Heel. Visitors.
  • Beth Morin
    Mar. 28, 2025
    We had a great lesson today. Very productive and we learned a lot.
  • Mia Cameron
    Mar. 27, 2025
    Marcus was great. He explained everything in detail and made me feel a lot better about getting my dogs behavior and getting my German Shepherd some help. We’re on our way to a good dog life!
  • Sol Correa
    Mar. 26, 2025
    Today was the first visit with Taina he was really good with her. Thanks
  • Olivia Meegoda
    Mar. 20, 2025
    Elite Dog Training is spectacular. They are very patient and clear trainers. Dog training is more about training the handlers. They are very experienced, patient with dogs and humans, answer all of the questions (in sessions, via email and through group classes). They have a great system to text reminders and they are quick to respond if there are any issues with the location. Each trainer has also been extremely experienced and consistent.
  • Wendy Chartrand
    Feb. 12, 2025
    Awesome class tonight! Thanks Matt
  • Steven G Cronis, Esq.
    Mar. 19, 2025
    Patrick is amazing with our puppy! His wealth of knowledge and advice makes having our puppy enjoyable and safe. Highly recommend to any serious pet owner who wants training. Thank you Patrick!
  • Elizabeth Smith MacKenzie
    Mar. 18, 2025
    A very pleasant and productive lesson. Marcus does a great job.
  • Ronna Northrup
    Jan. 23, 2025
    Patrick was amazing! He answered all our questions explained everything in depth, a lot of info, but very informative. Awesome training
  • Suzanne Faken
    Mar. 14, 2025
    We really have learned a lot training our 7 month old husky puppy through Dog Training Elite. Marcus and his staff are very professional and knowledgeable when it comes to dog training. In just three months, our dog has learned so much and we have gained confidence in knowing how to interact with him. Marcus and his staff take time to personalize training to our dog's needs and answer our questions. Our puppy is almost one year old and is getting ready for his public access test. we chose Dog Elite Training because of their expert ability in being able to train service dogs and we could not be happier!
  • Jess Zorge
    Mar. 7, 2025
    Making great progress in the short amount of time we have been able to meet. Quill is deaf and getting one on one assistance is just what we need!
  • Ashley Hartenstein
    Mar. 5, 2025
    Marcus was very helpful explaining everything that the program provides. He is very knowledgeable when it comes to dogs and I couldn't have asked for a better person to come out and talk to us.
  • Wendy Fenty
    Feb. 28, 2025
    Matt was very informative and knowledgeable about dog training , he gave wonderful advice, I’m excited to begin the training, I feel hopeful that my pups will be in a great place once the training is done.

Our Team

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Michaela Macchia - Owner / Lead Trainer
Michaela Macchia
Owner / Lead Trainer

Meet Michaela, co-owner of Dog Training Elite, whose entrepreneurial drive and love for dogs are at the heart of everything she does. Originally from Massachusetts, Michaela earned her degree in Marketing from the University of Rhode Island. After college, she moved to Tempe, Arizona, where she met her fiancé and now business partner, Marcus. The two later returned to Massachusetts to launch and grow their business together.

While Marcus leads in the field, Michaela runs the backend operations — handling client communication, scheduling, marketing, and the day-to-day systems that keep everything running smoothly. Her background in marketing, combined with her attention to detail and natural empathy, helps ensure every client feels heard, supported, and confident from start to finish.

Michaela’s love of dogs is central to her story. She and Marcus share their lives with three beloved companions: Fisher, their loyal black lab and working dog; Quinn, a one-eyed rescue who survived a coyote attack as a feral puppy; and Tiki, a resilient rescue adopted from a homeless individual. Michaela has a soft spot for dogs that others may overlook, and that compassion shines through in how she supports both clients and her team.

With her strong organizational instincts and heart for helping others, Michaela ensures the entire experience — for both people and their dogs — is thoughtful, professional, and grounded in care.

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Marcus DiBenedetto - Owner / Lead Trainer
Marcus DiBenedetto
Owner / Lead Trainer

This is Marcus and his one-eyed rescue dog, Quinn. Originally from Santa Clara, California, Marcus attended Arizona State University in Tempe, earning a degree in Business Administration. After relocating to Massachusetts with his fiancée Michaela, he became co-owner and lead trainer at Dog Training Elite. Together, they bring a deep passion for helping families and their dogs build lasting, positive relationships.

Marcus’s training philosophy blends structure, empathy, and problem-solving. He’s known for his calm, caring approach and his ability to understand and meet each client’s specific goals. By focusing on trust, consistency, and communication, Marcus helps both owners and dogs gain confidence and clarity throughout the training process.

Marcus and Michaela share their home with three dogs—Fisher, their black lab and working dog; Quinn, a one-eyed rescue who survived a coyote attack as a feral puppy; and their newest addition, Tiki, a sweet and resilient dog adopted from a homeless individual. Their commitment to rescuing dogs others might overlook is a reflection of their belief that every dog deserves a chance to thrive.

Outside of training, Marcus is an avid sports fan—especially baseball—and finds joy in helping families overcome challenges and grow closer through the training journey.

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Matt F - Trainer
Matt F
Trainer

Meet Matt, a dedicated military veteran with a deep-rooted passion for helping dogs and their humans build stronger bonds. With 21 years of service in the U.S. Coast Guard, Matt discovered his calling while working as a protection dog decoy alongside his regular duties — an experience that sparked his lifelong dedication to canine behavior and training.

During his time in the Coast Guard, Matt became involved in training programs that supported service members with PTSD, gaining firsthand experience in how dogs can transform lives. That work laid the foundation for his transition into full-time professional training after retirement, where he now specializes in helping dogs with behavioral issues and reactivity.

Matt is known for his calm presence, methodical approach, and unwavering commitment to progress — especially with dogs that require extra patience and structure. His goal is to create lasting change through trust, consistency, and clear communication.

At home, Matt shares life with Echo and Nova, two loyal companions who embody the bond he strives to create for every client. Whether working with a reactive dog or guiding an overwhelmed owner, Matt is committed to helping each family find clarity, confidence, and connection.

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Tiffany - Trainer
Tiffany
Trainer

Meet Tiffany, a former client turned trainer whose journey with Dog Training Elite came full circle. What began as a desire to better connect with her own dogs quickly became a deep passion for helping others do the same. Today, Tiffany brings both personal experience and professional skill to every training session, making her an empathetic and results-driven member of the team.

Tiffany shares Marcus’s balanced training philosophy, rooted in clarity, structure, and trust. Her firsthand experience as a client gives her a unique perspective — she knows exactly what it’s like to be in the owner’s shoes and uses that insight to support families with patience, compassion, and clear guidance.

She shares her life with two beloved dogs, who continue to be both her motivation and her practice partners. Tiffany is deeply committed to training her own dogs to the highest standard so she can lead by example, demonstrating what’s possible with consistency and teamwork.

Whether working with new puppies or guiding owners through complex behavior challenges, Tiffany is passionate about helping each dog reach their full potential while making the journey rewarding and empowering for their humans.

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Matt K - Trainer
Matt K
Trainer

Matt K is a professional dog trainer who joined the team in 2023 and brings six years of hands-on experience working with dogs. He began his career as a handler at a doggie daycare and gradually worked his way up to training, eventually earning a puppy training certification. His passion lies in helping new dog owners, especially during the critical early stages of puppy development. Matt believes in making training an effective and positive experience through clear communication, consistency, and trust—building a lifelong bond between dog and owner. Clients can expect a cool, calm, and consistent presence in every session. One of his favorite success stories is about a high-energy Lab puppy named Milo, who learned impulse control and basic obedience through structured routines and short, positive sessions. Outside of training, Matt enjoys hiking, outdoor sports, and spending time with family. He shares his life with a Dutch Shepherd and enjoys working with clients directly in their homes to create lasting results.

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Patrick - Trainer
Patrick
Trainer

Patrick joined our team in 2023, bringing with him over eight years of hands-on experience working with dogs—especially high-drive breeds like Australian Shepherds. His passion for dog training started with his own herding dog, and that experience inspired him to dive deep into the craft and later work alongside Marcus to refine his skills and help others build better relationships with their dogs.

Patrick has a particular interest in shaping behavior in puppies and preparing them for more advanced training tracks. He’s especially drawn to herding breeds and understands the importance of giving energetic, intelligent dogs a fulfilling outlet. His training style is rooted in consistency, communication, accountability, and positive reinforcement. Clients can expect a practical, real-world approach that integrates training into everyday routines like feeding, walking, and play. Patrick’s goal is to help owners see their dog not just as a pet—but as a responsive, well-adjusted partner.

When he’s not training, Patrick is usually outside mountain biking, skiing, hiking, or playing basketball. He grew up in Framingham, MA, where his first job was on a working farm caring for horses and chickens. That’s also where he met the herding dog that sparked his lifelong passion for working dogs and the training process.

Patrick currently shares his life with an Australian Shepherd—his favorite training partner and best trail buddy.

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