Dog Training Services, Prices & FAQ

Our programs and prices

Private lessons: $749 for 6 sessions

One-on-one training customized to your dog, your family and your goals.

• 6 one-on-one sessions, about 1 hour each
• Once a week or once every other week
• Book, reschedule or cancel online from your phone, at times that fit your schedule
• Sessions usually take place at our Apple Valley location. In-home sessions may be possible depending on the situation and distance (see “Service area and travel”).

What happens at the first session: The first half is planning. We go over the issue, clarify what you actually want to accomplish, and map out a customized plan so we’re both moving in the same direction. Then we set up your home environment to support that goal, because “no amount of training will outrun a bad environment.” The second half starts hands-on training, usually leash walking, heeling, or whatever is most urgent for you.

Every session after that uses “behavior through obedience.” We fix many behavior problems through the way we teach basic obedience, as long as we’re using the right science. A session may look like basic commands, but at the same time we may be working on leash reactivity, separation anxiety or food aggression, using those basic commands as the tool to change the harder behaviors.

Private lessons give you an expert plan and coaching. Results depend on daily practice at home, usually 30 to 45 minutes a day.

Board & Train: 4 weeks $2,495 · 6 weeks $3,495

Your dog lives and trains with us, and we do the heavy lifting.

• Two options: 4 weeks ($2,495) or 6 weeks ($3,495)
• Your dog lives in our home, treated like family. We don’t do facility or kennel training. Dogs are not kept in a kennel all day and taken out only to train. Training in a real home means your dog learns in the same kind of environment they’re going home to.
• We only take as many dogs as we can care for like our own pets, with daily exercise.
• Built-in daily socialization: Because we run a doggy daycare with social dogs, every Board & Train dog, puppy or adult, is socialized with other dogs every day. For a puppy, that daily socialization is priceless, and it’s something most trainers can’t offer.
• Includes 3 one-on-one follow-up sessions (half of our private lesson program).

Pickup (go-home) appointment, about 1 to 1.5 hours: We sit down together and go over the good, the bad and what still needs work. We walk you through the environmental and philosophy changes to make at home so the training holds up, and the how-tos for carrying the training into your home. Then it’s hands-on: your dog does it, we do it, and then you practice in front of us. That practice gives you the confidence that you can do it at home.

Two more follow-up appointments after pickup let you keep learning and work through any issues that come up.

Board & Train is a popular way to give a puppy a strong start, and it’s the right choice when a dog needs us to do the heavy lifting.

Board & Train for families outside the High Desert: Because your dog lives and trains with us, distance isn’t a barrier. Families regularly bring their dogs to Apple Valley for Board & Train from Riverside, San Bernardino, Ontario, Fontana, Rancho Cucamonga, Temecula, Orange County, Los Angeles and San Diego. You come to Apple Valley for drop-off, the pickup appointment and your follow-up sessions.

Dog boarding: $45 per night

In-home boarding, not a kennel.

• $45 per night. Discounts for a second dog or longer stays may be available, case by case.
• Dogs stay in our home, treated like family, and play with our social daycare group.
• Mostly offered to our training clients. Dogs that have not been in our training program must do a meet-and-greet first.
• Dogs must be social with other dogs.
• Must be up to date on vaccines (see “Vaccines”).

Many Riverside-area families drive up to Apple Valley to board with us because we’re among the most affordable options with the most enrichment, which saves them hundreds of dollars per stay.

Doggy daycare: $25 per day

• Monday–Friday
• Current hours: drop-off from 7:00am, pickup by 5:00pm (extended hours of 6:30am–7:00pm are planned)
• A full day of play and socialization with other dogs
• Mostly for our training clients. Same requirements as boarding: up-to-date vaccines, a meet-and-greet for dogs not in our training program, and dogs must be social with other dogs.

Why daycare matters: It doesn’t matter how well a dog is trained. If a dog has excess energy and busy lives or the home environment aren’t giving them the enrichment they need, problem behaviors show up: separation anxiety, boredom, destructive behavior and attention-seeking. Daycare gives dogs exactly what they need on a daily or weekly basis and helps prevent those behaviors.

Brush-Up Training + Daycare: $75 per day

A new service for dogs that have already been trained and just need a brush-up.

• A full day of doggy daycare plus training to refresh your dog’s skills
• Morning drop-off between 7:00 and 10:00am
• To book, call or text 760-265-9887
• Same requirements as daycare: up-to-date vaccines, social with other dogs, and a meet-and-greet for dogs not in our training program

Group classes: not currently running

We recommend one-on-one training instead. Our example: a group class is like trying to teach a kid to read at another kid’s birthday party. There are too many distractions, and it just doesn’t work well for young dogs.

Puppies: We train puppies one-on-one first, then use a group setting later to proof behavior once the puppy knows it. A puppy learning in a group from the start is mostly being baited with food and rewarded for being distracted. We teach the behavior first, then proof it around distractions.

Online program: paused

Our online training program is paused and in development.