Private Training Sessions

Let us teach you how to train your dog! Our experienced trainers will coach you and your family on ways to improve your relationship with your dog, teach new skills, and take steps to improve your life with your furry friend. Private lessons are available for basic obedience problems like leash pulling, jumping on guests, not listening to commands, etc. Dogs with more serious behavior issues like aggression, reactivity, or anxiety will need to be booked through our Behavioral Modification Program.

Get in Touch

Lessons At TCD - $100/Session

Join our trainers at TCD for individual, private sessions to work on various obedience behaviors.

Book a 4 session package to be used on consecutive week days and times (ie. the next 4 Tuesdays at 3:30 pm) for only $350! Only available for lessons at the TCD facility.

Lessons At Home - $150/Session

Our trainers can also come to you! Learn from the comfort of your own home and practice your desired behaviors in the same spaces your dogs are most likely expected to perform them.

Training Radius

Our in-home lesson radius extends up to 30 miles outside of Topeka, KS. This expands to 60 miles if your lessons are booked in conjunction with a Board & Train. If you are outside of this radius but are still needing help with your dog, reach out to us anyways! We have many friends and colleagues in the industry and would be happy to steer you to a respectable trainer in your area.

Private Sessions: The Process

FIRST CONTACT: BOOKING YOUR SESSIONS

Contact us to begin! You will be asked to fill out some paperwork that gives us the necessary info about you and your dog. We will discuss your goals for training and what we can offer through private lessons.

Once we've received your paperwork we will set a start date based on our availability and will send your invoice.

WHAT REWARDS TO BRING?

HIGH VALUE treats for your dog. No milkbones, no kibble, nothing "dry and boring". Coming to a new place and working under new distractions will require some high quality initial bribery. We recommend using items that need to be refrigerated like Freshpet, Redbarn, or Biljac Frozen Dog Food (our favorite!), single-ingredient "human" treats like deli turkey or mozzarella cheese sticks, or even bits of chicken, steak, or hot dogs. Bring something that smells like YOU would want to eat it.

WHAT EQUIPMENT TO BRING?

A well-fitted collar (we recommend martingales), a 6' leash, and of course your dog!

LET THE TRAINING BEGIN!

Arrive for your session on time and ready to work. Please do not feed your dog prior to arriving - its okay for them to skip one meal because they will eat during training. We want them hungry and ready to work too!

Remember, we are here to instruct YOU on how to effectively train your dog. There will be a lot of talking while we explain the what-to-do and whys to you. We may demonstrate a thing or two, but it will be you doing the majority of the work with your dog in private sessions. If you are more interested in having US train your dog for you, a Board and Train program might be worth exploring.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best age to send a dog for training?

We can work and make improvements with dogs of any age, however the younger they are the less opportunity they will have had to practice bad habits and get away with them. There is less for us to "un-do" before instilling new behaviors.

What vaccinations are required for training?

DHPP, Rabies, and Bordatella. Since we are a country-based facility we also strongly recommend the Leptospirosis vaccine, but have a discussion with your vet about the pros and cons of this one. We also require that dogs are up-to-date on flea/tick/heartworm prevention.

I don't believe in vaccination - can my dog still train with you?

For the safety of our staff, other guest dogs, and the dogs that live here on our property we require standard vaccination procedures. We are willing to accept legitimate titer results from a veterinarian that prove immunization in lieu of annual vaccines.

Does my dog need to be spayed/neutered to participate in training?

Nope! TCD does not require sterilization for any of our programs.

Can my kids come too?

Absolutely, but they must be supervised, under control, and not disruptive to the lesson. We are not children trainers.

What methods do you use to train?

We proudly follow the LIMA model of dog training, which stands for "Least Invasive, Minimally Aversive." While 90% of what we do is through positive reinforcement, we recognize that some behaviors that we as humans do not appreciate are self-reinforcing for a dog, so corrections to their behavior may be required. We will work to find the lowest level of correction required for the dog to stop pursuing that unwanted behavior and then immediately reward them for making better choices.

Do you guarantee results?

You are paying for the time that our trainers put into your dog while they are here, our experience, and our expertise. If there is no intentional practice of the things learned during our sessions and the dog reverts back to their initial behaviors, that is not our responsibility to fix free-of-cost. Remember in private sessions we are teaching you how to train your dog, not training your dog for you.