How Much Does Dog Training Cost?

Last Updated on October 7, 2023
Written by CPA Alec Pow | Content Reviewed by CFA Alexander Popinker

We all love our precious pets but even if you have an amazing dot, he will surely need some training, along with all of the caring and love. This is to avoid them not listening to your commands and you having to repeat them over and over again, struggling to walk on a leash or calmly beside you, or even to avoid them getting anxious when noticing other dogs around them.

Training is even useful when the dog goes through a major life change, like a new family member or a new house that the dog seems to struggle to cope with. And of course, dog training is best for young pups that need to understand basic commands so that they can be a helpful member of your family.

But as with anything else, professional training costs money, so you will have to budget for this as soon as you get a new dog. So how much does dog training cost? This article will go over different types of training and their costs.

How Much Does Dog Training Cost?

Dog training usually costs between $35 and $200 per class and the average pet owner will spend about $50 per hour when hiring a professional dog trainer. Dog boot camp kennel training usually costs between $500 and $1,400 per week, while dog obedience schools charge between $250 and $750 per week. When it comes to training a dog for protection, therapy, or support, the prices are higher, averaging at about $120 per hour.

Factors Affecting the Cost of Dog Training

Your geographical location will have a big impact on the cost of the dog training services. Owners that live with their dogs in big cities like New York or San Francisco and want to train them there will probably be charged more than those having the pet trained in a small town outside of the highly populated areas.

As said above, the exact type of training you’re looking for will also affect the price you end up paying. So, training a dog for some very complex tricks or getting an aggressive pet to listen to its owner will cost a lot more than a basic obedience course for a puppy. How many pets are trained at the same time will also influence the price you pay, as pets trained privately are charged more than group sessions.

A very important aspect to remember is that the more expensive dog trainer isn’t always the best dog trainer out there. Dog training in general is rather unregulated, which means that industry certifications that exist don’t mean a lot, as people looking to train a pup don’t have a good understanding of what are the really serious certifications and what are the crap ones.

The 5 Types of Dog Training

Most people break dog training into five different categories:

Private dog training

Most people prefer private lessons offered at home, even though these can take place at the trainer’s facility as well. The trainer will work directly with you on your dog to make it develop the skills you want it to learn. It is really a combination of dog training with people training.

You might also like our articles about the cost of dog training at Pepco, Petsmart, or the prices of Teddy Bear dogs.

Your pet will earn hot to sit, stay, lay down, and be a good companion overall, while you’ll have to learn how to read your pet and their cues to you. Private training works best for people with pets having behavioral issues that can’t be fixed in group classes, as well as people who don’t have a lot of time to waste with this.

How Much Does Private Training Cost?

As you’d expect, the prices will vary considerably between different brands and individual trainers. Most New York City trainers, for example, charge between $200 and $500 per hour, While those in the San Francisco area are known to charge between $125 and $350 per hour.

PetSmart, a huge pet store, charges about $90 per hour for private less, according to their official website. The price you end up spending depends not only on the trainer you go to but also on the session packs you buy, as more sessions are usually priced lower per session.

Group dog training

It isn’t uncommon for public training classes to have even 10 dogs to work with at the same time. These are meant to develop everything from basic skills to agility and guard dog skills. The most common ground classes include everything from obedience classes for adults to basic puppy training and classes for dogs with issues like anxiety and aggression.

These will teach pets all kinds of skills and tricks, like working with their scent. These are great not only to get your dog to learn new things but also to have it socialize with other pets while learning.

How Much Does Group Dog Training Cost?

If you’re interested in group sessions more, then there is good news for you. These are usually considerably cheaper than private sessions. While some trainers charge between $50 and $100 per session for group training sessions, You’ll find a 6-week training class at Petsmart for around $120. If you have a more difficult dog and need a special group training class, then expect a cost closer to $200 to $400 for a 5-6 week program.

Board and train

If you don’t have a lot of time to waste on training your dog, then you can be one of the dog owners who list their pet in a boarding and training program. These enable you to drop off your pet for the day and then pick it up in the evening. This is also called day training. there are some programs that go over several days or weeks in which the dog learns good habits.

Even though the bulk of your training will be passed to the trainer, you should keep in mind that dog training is a process that has to keep going, which means you will still have to practice commands with your pet when they get home. And of course, before you send your pet to a boarding facility, it is important to get in touch with their staff first, as not all pets are considered good for boarding-type training.

How Much Does Board and Train Cost?

Even though the prices will depend on the daycare center or boarder where you choose to send your dog to hang out to learn new skills and spend the day, the usually cost range is between $100 and $200 a day, with packages like two weeks of boarding and training costing at least $1,000.

Service Dog Training

Service dogs are trained to take specific actions to help different individuals who have disabilities have a closer to normal daily life. The person’s exact disability will require a specific task for the dog to perform. Guide dogs, for example, need specialized training to help visually impaired and even blind people navigate their environment.

The Perfect Dog Trainer

The cost isn’t everything when looking for a trainer. You will also want to find someone using science-based, positive reinforcement procedures.

Many trainers still choose to use aversion techniques like pinning dogs to the ground, sharp tugging, shock collars, choke collars, or other alpha training tools, even though these have been proven to offer worse results overall. The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior is strongly against using these training methods on your dog.

This should be discussed with your trainer before hiring them so that you’re sure they don’t use nasty tools to modify the dog behavior.