When it comes to dog training, lessons and trainers can vary in price. An expensive trainer does not always mean they are of better quality. Different training methods and factors influence the cost and we are here to tell you all about them. So if you want to know how much do dog training lessons cost, read on!
The cost of dog training lessons is not only influenced by the kind of training, but also your trainer’s experience. A more costly trainer does not mean they are better, highly rated reviews and years of positive influence do. Consider all of these factors when deciding the appropriate cost for training your dog.
Factors Influencing the Cost of Dog Training Lessons
Added elements can increase the overall cost of training lessons for dogs. Let’s take a look at these influential factors.
Location
Depending on the type of training you are considering, a trainer may offer to drive to your house. The further away you live, the more travel costs will have to be increased. Obedience trainers may travel to your home as they can observe your dog in their natural environment. They may also witness possible triggers and reasons for their behavior. Whereas specialized training such as service dog training is often conducted at an academy or dedicated institute. Therefore traveling costs are not usually added.
Travel costs, although not added to the direct bill for a trainer, can be pricey if you have to drive to a location. There are training academies located all over America. However, if you have one in mind that is quite a distance away, your petrol costs and potential hotel costs can increase your total payment price. You will have to decide which factors are more important for you when choosing a dog trainer, cost or quality. That’s not to say a good trainer will not live near you, but this may be a potential problem to think about.
Trainer’s Experience
Generally, the more experience a trainer has, the more they can increase the price for their services. This is because they have encountered and, hopefully, fixed or trained more dogs in their area of training. Therefore, they should have developed more techniques to train dogs of different personality types and breeds. They should be able to combat any behavioral problems your dog has and treat their individual difficulties. This is an added benefit as some dog personality types benefit better from different types of training.
Experience is especially beneficial for specialized training such as therapy training, this will increase the cost though. This is because a trainer is able to train a dog more quickly by using more effective training plans and techniques. The quicker a dog is trained, the quicker they display the desired behaviors or responses, which increases the cost. Furthermore, experienced trainers can answer any of your questions alongside explaining to you further training techniques to perform at home. Inexperienced trainers may simply follow a procedure until the desired outcome is achieved. You are therefore paying for knowledge and individual tailoring with training.
Type of Training
Different types of training have different costs. This is because of the training it requires for each trainer to learn about their field. For example, those interested in teaching tricks such as sit and lie down will require less training than those who teach search and rescue dogs. Therefore, you will be paying more for dog training that requires more education to learn. There is also the financial influence of equipment required. General trick training, for example, will need a lot less equipment than agility training. A dog learning to sit may not require any equipment. Whereas a dog learning to jump over hurdles may require hurdles of differing heights. Therefore, you are paying towards these added expenses.
Another factor that influences the cost is how long the training will take. Teaching your dog a single trick or behavior will be a lot less expensive than teaching your dog a profession, such as being a dog for the blind.
Cost of Dog Training Lessons
Each type of dog training has different cost ranges and we will go into the depth of why the cost of dog training lessons varies.
Group Dog Training Classes
- Cost range: $30 – $80 per class
- Average time range: 4 – 8 weeks
Many dog owners prefer group dog training classes as it can benefit them and their pup socially. These classes usually teach basic training and tricks for an obedient pup and therefore trainers are often teaching the owners and not the pups! They educate owners on the proper methods to teach these behaviors and tricks both in class and at home.
Owners benefit from being surrounded by other new owners able to give each other support and advice. Puppies are also able to socialize with one another and develop social skills in those crucial developmental periods of their life. Furthermore, it is more time effective for trainers as they are able to train multiple owners and pups at once. These are the main reasons why owners love these community dog training classes and why they are an affordable method of training.
Private Dog Obedience Schools
- Cost range: $200 – $600
- Average time: 1 week
An initial assessment is often conducted to evaluate how bad a dog’s behavioral issues are and how much training needs to be put into place. Furthermore, trainers need to recognize which areas to target such as separation anxiety or potty training. These initial assessments will often cost around $75 and help obedience schools know how to cater to each individual.
These schools will direct you to an appropriate trainer who can either visit you in the home or you can visit the obedience school. Each school has its own protocols and some may prefer one option to the other. Also, note that travel costs may be added to your end bill, so you may want to discuss this with your assigned trainer. As these sessions are private, consistent, and tailored to your dog, they are more expensive than group sessions.
Dog Boot Camp
- Cost range: $500 – $1,250 for 1 week
- Average time: 1 to a few weeks
The time your dog remains in doggy boot camp all depends on the severity of their behavioral problems combined with what level of obedience you wish your dog to have. This can be decided from an initial assessment between you and the doggy boot camp. Your dog will remain at the dog boot camp for the entirety of their stay until you pick them up at the end of their training period.
As generalized training does not target your dog’s specific issues nor the direct reasons why it can often take much longer for your dog’s behavior to improve. In a contained area with one on one personalized training sessions, your dog’s behavior can quickly improve. Furthermore, due to boot camp usually lasting a minimum of a week, your dog will be taught consistency in their training routine to ensure their good behavior and tricks are learned and remembered.
Professional Training Lessons for Dogs
- Cost range: $100 – $120 for six weeks
- Average time: 6 weeks
Professional training lessons are those run by stores and companies such as Petco. They offer training sessions, usually for a period of six weeks to train your dog basic commands and behavior. These span from sit to come. Furthermore, these programs have different levels of intensity depending on your dog’s age and behavior.
The classes cover both trick training and behavioral problems. Some stores also offer puppy and dog-specific classes. These help to target how ingrained a behavioral problem may be and attempt to combat that. Some of the behaviors that are tackled in these classes are socialization, potty training, and destructive behavior. These classes cover all the basics that you may require for an obedient pup. If you are considering to further the training of your now well behaved dog, definitely check out the intermediate and advanced classes.
Therapy Dog Training
- Cost range: $30 per session
- Average time: 6 – 8 weeks
A therapy dog is a dog who has been trained to comfort often vulnerable humans in times of extreme anxiety, fear, or any negative emotions. Therefore, the training can be difficult and is one of the longest in dog training courses. As it is such a sensitive profession that requires a gentle and patient dog. some individuals are not appropriate. So you may have to pay for an initial assessment of their temperament.
You will have to bring your dog to the appropriate center in order for them to participate in their training. Therefore be prepared for long traveling journeys which will add to the overall costs of the training. As these centers are specialized, they aren’t commonly spread around the country so you may have to drive quite a distance to reach one. Some facilities allow you to drive and leave your dog at the facilities, but often this can contribute to added costs. Food, cleaning, and walking can all add to your final training costs.
Service Dog Training
- Cost range: 0 – $1000 (dependent)
- Average time: 6 – 8 weeks
There are different service dogs to consider, such as a guide dog or hearing dog. These aid towards helping humans with disabilities such as blindness and deafness. However, these costs can vary. A guide dog is free to train and for the recipient, whereas a hearing dog costs $1000 to train but is free for the recipient. Therefore, if you are considering training your dog to be a guide dog, this process is not a concern financially. However, if you are interested in putting your dog through hearing dog training, this is the second most pricey cost on our list, so be prepared.
It should also be noted that the training time for service dogs is an average of 6 – 8 weeks. This time period often means a dog may be kept at a center and therefore the costs are also used to pay for their food, cleaning, and carers.
Search and Rescue Dog Training
- Cost range: $2,500 – $20,000
- Average time: 600 hours
This is easily the most expensive training form on our list. Search and rescue is exactly as it sounds, dogs are trained to find those missing, usually during avalanches or earthquakes. Basic search and rescue training for a dog can cost anywhere from $2,500 – $5,000, whereas full training can range from $15,000 – $20,000. It is safe to say this is one of the more expensive training procedures. However, due to its life-saving qualities, this training is well worth the price.
Each dog specializes during their training in one of the four areas of behavior including trailing, air scent, tracking or cadaver search. Each specification requires in-depth training to ensure that they are able to thoroughly detect whatever is required.
Dog Training Lessons Cost – FAQs
So we can guarantee that you know everything when questioning how much do dog training lessons cost, we have composed the four most popular FAQs.
How Many Training Sessions Does a Dog Need?
This all depends on why you are training your dog. Generally, if you are paying for basic trick training, such as group training classes, then you are looking at about $120 minimum for four weeks’ worth of training. However, if you are interested in training your dog towards a career, such as a hearing or search and rescue dog, you will have to pay thousands. If your dog has behavioral issues, then it is difficult to predict how long these will take to treat. A dog trainer can estimate, but due to the difficulty of predicting training times, it is then difficult to estimate the price.
Is It Okay to Send Your Dog to Boarding for Training?
This is all based on preference. Some owners are happy to send their dog to boarding in order to train them, others would rather keep them at home. There is no definitive right way to train your pup as long as they are happy and healthy through the process. Furthermore, some types of training require very thorough schedules, therefore it is easier to provide this level of consistency by sending them to boarding.
How Many Hours a Day Should a Dog be Trained?
Try training your dogs for multiple fifteen-minute periods throughout a day with breaks between. Training a dog is often more effective when it is used in multiple, short periods. Make sure to give them rest as too much training can cause physical and mental fatigue. Excess treat training can be especially detrimental as it can lead to obesity. Each dog has different capabilities for training times and some individuals may be able to be trained for longer and some shorter.
When Should a Dog be Trained?
A dog can be trained as soon as they as born, but very, very gradually. From gently letting a young puppy wear a collar to be comfortable with it, to training tricks at around 7 – 8 weeks of age. Each behavior can be trained at different ages.
The cost of dog training lessons varies depending on the kind of training your dog is going through. Make sure to do your research and check out many different trainers before deciding on one so that you can get the best price.