About MasterPeace Service Dog Training

  • Corey Silva

    PROGRAM FOUNDER AND LEAD TRAINER

    Corey Silva, Dog Trainer, MS, ABCSDT, CTDI, AKC CGC Evaluator, Software Engineer by day

  • Mike Masters

    PROGRAM INSPIRATION AND LEGACY FOUNDER

    Mike Masters, DogFather, Co-Founder of MasterPeace Dog Training, pictured with his Service Dog, Paxton

About the Trainer

Corey Silva is a certified service dog trainer, certified trick dog instructor, and AKC CGC evaluator with a passion for problem-solving and helping dogs live their best lives. He firmly believes, “to love your dog is to train your dog!”

Corey’s journey in dog training began when he found himself living alone with a hyperactive Wheaten Terrier puppy in a 9th-floor apartment. Determined to give his dog the best life possible, Corey enrolled in group training classes for many months. He successfully trained his Wheaten Terrier, Bruno, to be off-leash, allowing them to enjoy hikes and travels together. Soon after, Corey welcomed his second "son," a British field lab named Zuko from Southern Oak Kennels. Corey applied his training knowledge to his personal goal of training Zuko to be a service retriever. Today, Zuko works as Corey’s service dog, capable of retrieving almost anything Corey points to. Zuko has also earned titles and competes in obedience competitions.

In 2017, Corey was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, which began with tingling in his hands and eventually led to a temporary loss of control. This challenging experience inspired Corey to train a retriever to assist him as his "backup hands." During this journey, Corey discovered the scarcity of resources for owners wishing to train their own service dogs, despite it being entirely legal and reasonable under the ADA. This led to the creation of the MasterPeace Service Dog Program, a resource Corey once sought, uniquely positioned to support individuals from puppy kindergarten to specialized task training.

Professionally, Corey Silva is an applied mathematician with degrees from Brown University and Tufts University. He utilizes his problem-solving skills as a software engineer by day and brings the same dedication to the dog training world by night.

Corey is committed to continuous learning and staying updated with the latest dog training techniques to help his clients and their dogs. He attended the “5 Months to a Great Waterfowl Retriever” seminar in South Carolina and completed Emma Parsons' course “Click to Calm.” He is also part of the training team at MasterPeace Dog Training.

Corey loves what he does and is excited to train with you!

About the Inspiration

Mike Masters, affectionately known as the DogFather, co-founded MasterPeace Dog Training in Franklin with his wife, Fran, in 2001. Fran continues to run the center today. Mike was a passionate dog owner, trainer, and competitor, most notably with his service dog, Paxton, a Spinone Italiano. His passing in June 2015, joining Boo and Paxton on the Rainbow Bridge, was a significant loss to the agility and dog community.

Mike's deep love for dogs was mutual; they adored him just as much. He began teaching agility in the 1990s when the sport was in its infancy. Many top agility competitors who now hold multiple MACH titles started their journey with Mike's guidance. Truly, he was the DogFather.

Remarkably, Mike was training his own service dogs since the early 1980s, long before the concept of service dogs was widely recognized. In one memorable instance, he crawled up a flight of stairs from his wheelchair to demonstrate to a landlord the necessity of his service dog, Mariah, for operating elevator buttons. Following Mariah, Mike self-trained two more Golden Retrievers and Paxton, his heart dog, as service dogs. He also assisted many others with disabilities in training their own service dogs at MasterPeace Dog Training. Mike’s legacy endures through the MasterPeace Service Dog program.