Julie Case knew she wanted to be a dog trainer as early as age 4.
“My mom and dad bred and trained dogs and competed with them. I grew up watching my parents train dogs, so unavoidably, I loved doing that too,” Case said.
By age 14, she was training and competing with dogs for others. Today, she owns Ultimate Canine Training in Westfield.
She launched the business in 2012 and opened a newly built, 15,000-square-foot facility last summer at 17901 Eagletown Road. The expanded space allowed her to offer more services and establish what she calls a “little Taj Mahal for dogs.”
Ultimate Canine provides training for all types of dogs, from well-mannered family pets to highly specialized police, service and emotional support dogs. The business also offers boarding and doggy daycare, but what sets it apart are its unique features: a full-time on-site veterinarian, grooming services and a roster of fully trained, adoptable dogs.
The facility includes a state-of-the-art air filtration system to reduce illness risk and ensure cleanliness. “I wanted to do something unique, not just a typical dog kennel,” Case said. “We help owners and families have better relationships and connections with their dogs, and we also train dogs that change lives. That’s how this facility was born.”
Originally from Russia, Case moved to the United States in 2001 and has long trained dogs from around the world. “I can tell dogs apart by voice,” she said. “We have dogs from Holland and the Czech Republic for police training. We also have dogs from France, Romania, Colombia, Poland and Belgium.”
Case credits word of mouth as key to the company’s international reputation. “We have amazing customers that we are forever thankful to for allowing us to do what we love so much and allowing us to follow our passion,” she said.
Her team uses a customized approach to training, which she says makes it possible to train nearly any dog. “We can train any breed, any age, any behavior problem,” she said. “We can train just about any four-legged canine creature that resembles a dog.”
Ultimate Canine also offers fully trained, adoptable dogs. “We have a team of amazing breeders that produce amazing dogs,” Case said. “The puppies are raised to a very high standard and are highly socialized.” These dogs are ideal for families wanting a safe, child-friendly pet without the effort of training from scratch.
The team also works with local shelters to rehabilitate and rehome rescue dogs. “We take two to three dogs at a time from shelters, administer a temperament test and prepare them for adoption,” Case said.
One such dog is now headed to South Carolina after being adopted. “We found her at a local shelter, trained her up, and she’s already officially adopted,” Case said. Another dog currently in training is being prepared to work as a police dog.
For more information, visit ultimatecaninetraining.com.
