About K9 Adventure Camp, LLC

What they do

K9 Adventure Camp sits on 3.6 acres in Amherst with several fenced fields, a dedicated training field, outdoor runs and boarding inside the home. Its published price list is one of the most complete in this metro.

**Training.** Off Property Training at $80-$100 per hour depending on distance, where the trainer travels to the client's home or a preferred location. Day Training at $80-$100 per one-hour session, where the dog is trained in home or taken to an appropriate location while the owner is at work, after a required initial in-person session. Virtual training at $45 for 30 minutes.

**Classes.** Six-week courses at $200: an AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy class built around puppy social time, confidence-boosting activities and games; a CGC prep class in which the Canine Good Citizen test is performed during the final class; and a CGCA and CGCU prep class with CGC or comparable skills as a prerequisite.

**Residential.** Board & Train at $800 per week, including a go-home lesson and one follow-up. Adventure Camp + Training at $1,000 per week, adding adventure trips to obedience work. Puppy Raising at $4,000, in which a puppy is raised for 30 days with basic training, cooperative care and handling skills, crate training, potty training, human and dog socialization, exposure trips, public training practice, adventure trips, play, enrichment and an introduction to sports. Specialized Board & Train covering behavior modification, sport foundations, therapy dog and service dog training is available on request.

**Boarding and add-ons.** Boarding at $45 per night in home with dog play; adventure trips at $40 covering hiking, swimming, paddleboarding, hanging out in town, public socialization and exposure; add-on 15-minute training at $20; treadmill sessions at $15; nail trim at $15, restricted to dogs that do not require special handling, with cooperative care training offered for those that struggle with grooming and veterinary handling; a go-home bath at $20; and a five-night Adventure Camp at $500.

The "beyond basic training" list the business publishes includes using play and toys in training, building enthusiasm to work, the Premack principle to turn distractions into assets, Control Unleashed exercises, body awareness, sport foundations, scent work, behavior modification, confidence building and enrichment.

Method

"Utilizing positive reinforcement based methods and following the LIMA (least intrusive, minimally aversive) model, we offer effective, fun and truly individualized training to meet every need." The business frames training as relationship work as much as obedience: "Training isn't just about obedience, it's also about strengthening your relationship."

Who runs it

Tiffany Willey, owner and trainer, states over 17 years of professional dog training experience with thousands of dogs. Her own account: a childhood and early adulthood spent in the horse world, then an opportunity to train dogs while at college studying behavioral biology. She attends training seminars, conferences and workshops every year, and competes in agility, disc, dock diving, barn hunt, bikejoring and Schutzhund. She was previously the PetSmart area trainer for Lynchburg – a former post rather than a credential – and says the move to her own business was about offering more comprehensive behavior-modification training and partnering with veterinarians, veterinary behaviorists and clients.

Credentials the company publishes

AK9I certified patrol/detector trainer; PAT accredited; Fear Free certified in cooperative care; CTDI for trick dog; and AKC Canine Good Citizen, S.T.A.R. Puppy and Tricks evaluator. Two further certifications – Family Dog Mediation and MAR lost-pet tracking – are stated as courses currently being worked on and are therefore not held. The site describes the business as certified, licensed and insured.

Practical detail

Amherst, Virginia. In-person training serves Lynchburg and surrounding counties; board and train is offered to all of Virginia and surrounding states. A training waiver and vaccination information are required by the first class.