About D&C Dog Training

D&C Dog Training works out of Jim Taylor Road in Woodlawn, on the same rural side of the county as the Off Leash K9 facility, and it is the most completely priced operation in this metro – almost every program on its services page carries a number.

The method it states

The home page sets out three things it says a dog needs in order to succeed: "clear communication, fairness and manipulation of the dog's environment." The stated aim is a dog "wanting to obey and not being forced to obey." The site also states the range it works across in a single line: "Learn to speak to your dog, compete in sports, protection and good old fashion house/public manners." That mention of protection is the business naming a discipline it works in, so ask directly about protection work if that is what you need.

Programs and prices

Drop-off training runs up to four weeks. Obedience and behavior modification is "$2,550 for three weeks" or $3,400 for four, with $850 for each additional week. A separate line, "Behavior Modification with Aggression:", carries a "minimum of a 6-8 week stay" – the longest published aggression commitment anywhere in this metro. Day training, where the dog comes in for the working day and goes home at night, is $1,000 for two weeks, $1,500 for three and $2,000 for four, with transport available at $100 per week. Private lessons are "$125 at D&C Facility" and "$175 in-home", with four- and six-lesson packages at $400 and $600, and evaluations at $25 or $75 depending on where they happen.

Classes and titles

The group-class ladder is built around AKC titles. Foundation Obedience is an "8 week course- $420" ending in a Canine Good Citizen attempt. "Puppy Genius is for puppies from 8 weeks – 5 months of age." and runs six weeks at $300, ending in an AKC Puppy Star attempt. Refined Obedience and Tricks for Kicks are six-week courses at $340 each, aimed at CGC Advanced and the AKC Trick Dog levels. CGC testing on its own is $100. Online coaching is sold separately, from $100 for one session up to $2,000 for a year.

Worth knowing before you call

Board-and-train dogs stay in the trainers' own home rather than a kennel block – "Most importantly your dog trains in our house and gets many public outings" – and owners are asked to come out weekly to see progress and learn the handling. Two published items are not dog training: a "Stud Service" at $1,500 and an "IGP Workshop" at $1,500 per day. Vacation boarding is $30 a day, or $40 a day with refresher training for dogs that have trained here before.