The Stray Dog Program
Training people and rehabilitating dogs, at the same time — the core of what makes Besnik Canine Academy different.
Our mission
Two problems, one solution.
Albania's stray dog population needs more than shelter space — it needs consistent, skilled training so dogs become genuinely adoptable, and it needs more trained people to do that work. Instead of running these as separate charity and business efforts, we built them into the same program.
Every Dog Trainer Certification candidate completes supervised training hours with stray and rescue dogs as a formal graduation requirement — not optional volunteer work on the side. The dog gets consistent, professional training toward adoption-readiness. The student gets the hardest, most valuable experience a new trainer can have.
How it works
A structured, supervised practicum
Placement
Certification candidates are placed with a partner shelter or rescue dog under direct supervision.
Structured hours
A required number of supervised training hours, tracked and evaluated as part of certification.
Evaluation & adoption-readiness
Progress is assessed for both the student's skill and the dog's readiness for a permanent home.
Working together, not around each other
Built to support existing shelters, not compete with them
The program is designed to complete the work Albania's existing shelters and rescues are already doing, through placements and partnership agreements — not to duplicate it. If you run a shelter or rescue and want to discuss a partnership, we'd like to hear from you.
Partner With Us