Los Angeles is known for being a busy hot spot with endless entertainment, businesses, and schooling opportunities. If you’re a pet parent living in one of the many areas surrounding LA, there are plenty of places to bring your pup along. Still, it’s essential that you also make sure your canine companion is well-trained to keep these adventures as safe and as comfortable as possible.
On the fence about hiring a dog trainer? Here’s what you need to know about the importance of providing your dog with even just the basics of training and your options for training if you live in the Los Angeles area.
Why Should You Train Your Dog?
Every little bit helps. Before taking your dog out anywhere, it’s essential to make sure they’ve had a bit of training, even if that training is only the most basic of commands. Not only will training your dog help you bond even closer to your furry companion, but it also serves as a fundamental way of ensuring your dog’s safety. For example, when you’re out in public or in other situations, an effective recall or stopping your pup and making them sit on command could keep them out of harm’s way.
Although you may be able to train your dog yourself, a lot of pet parents like to enlist the help of a professional, whether this is due to a lack of experience, a lack of time to provide the training needed, or many other reasons that might make training their dog themselves a bit too difficult to manage. Whether you take your dog to group classes or stick to one-on-one sessions, there are plenty of options to help your dog learn the basics and many more advanced commands to keep them safe, easy to interact with, and mentally stimulated.
Training Consultations — Cost: $250*
Regardless of your training plans for your pup, the first step you’ll need to take is setting up an initial consultation. This helps us meet you, meet your furry companion, and determine the training goals you’d like your dog to be enrolled in as well as figure out what type of training would be the best possible fit for your specific pup’s personality.
During a consultation, our experts help to determine what’s just normal puppy behavior that needs to be worked on and if your dog may have some behavioral concerns that need to be addressed. Behavior concerns we commonly see are separation anxiety, having too much pent-up energy, or even a lack of socialization, making your dog uncomfortable around other dogs, other animals, or new and unfamiliar people.
*The consultation fee is completely waived for those who decide to purchase an actual training session.
Private Training Sessions — Cost: $200-$300/session
If you’re new to dog training, have a pup that doesn’t do so well in social situations, or need a more focused training session for your furry companion, a one-on-one private training session is often the ideal choice. This is one of the most commonly offered training courses for dogs, allowing the pup, their pet parent, and a trainer to work together without distractions to address a number of different undesired behaviors.
These one-on-one sessions are great for working on issues like barking, lunging, overexcitability, communication difficulties, recall, pulling when on a leash, jumping, and more. One-on-one private sessions are an excellent option for dogs of any age, whether you have a young puppy, an adult dog, or even an older canine pal. Here at Pawsitive K9 Solutions, we offer these exclusive, focused-solely-on-you-and-your-dog training opportunities for just $200 per session. In general, many of these one-on-one courses will run you about $200 to $300 per session at most locations. Some organizations may offer discounts for those who sign up for packages of multiple sessions to be listed at a slightly lower price once bundled.
Boarding with Training — Cost: $220+ per day
Pet parents with dogs that need some serious training or have the means to enroll their pup in a more intensive training program while they’re away at work may want to consider what is often referred to as a “Puppy Bootcamp.” Some of these programs involve dropping your canine companion off for a few days or weeks at a time, while others (like the ‘Board and Train’ options offered by Pawsitive K9 Solutions) will offer shuttling services from your home to your trainer’s location.
For pet parents than afford these services, training that’s coupled with boarding and significant time spent working with your dog can have a considerable payoff! This can speed up the training process by having far more time to consistently work with your best bud than what they’d be able to do in just one-hour sessions here and there. Having this significant amount of hands-on time with your dog means that the trainer can form a great bond and sense of familiarity with your pup.
We offer our “Board & Train” sessions for $300 per day, with packages ranging from 5 days of boarding and training at a bundled price of $1,500 to a 30-day boarding and training package for $8,400. Although this may seem like a lot, you’ll be investing in the most hands-on training experience possible while allowing your dog to stay with your assigned trainer for 5 to 30 days, ensuring they have their undivided attention and are receiving the highest quality training available.
Most board-and-train training programs start at $220 per day and up, and they offer a variety of different services and methods of training. Be sure to research which programs would be most suitable for your specific pup before signing up!
Puppy Day School — Cost: $1,500-$7,800
If you’re the pet parent of a brand new puppy, you know how overwhelming it can be to teach your new little pup every single thing it needs to know to be well-trained, happy, and well-behaved. With puppy day school and puppy daycare programs, you’ll be able to let professionals handle the hard work while you go to work for the day or take care of your other responsibilities.
These group sessions are perfect for helping young puppies receive proper socialization and training. They’ll learn potty training, basic obedience, proper walking with a lead, and how not to jump, nip, or engage in other potentially troublesome behaviors.
Pet parents can drop their pups off in the mornings and pick them up at the end of the day, and if you choose to train with Pawsitive K9 Solutions, we’ll shuttle your pup to and from your home for you, so you won’t even have to make the drive. We also provide plenty of online resources after enrolling in the program to allow you to research and learn more about training your pup on your phone or computer.
The pricing for puppy day school and puppy daycare programs can vary based on how often the pup visits during the week and the pet parent’s choice regarding the duration of such training. In general, you can expect these classes to begin at around $1,500 for shorter amounts of training on fewer days up to $7,800 for a 12-week package of all-day training for five days each week.
Free and Discounted Dog Training
For those without homes, those who have a monastic lifestyle, or pet parents that have difficulties making financial ends meet, FunPawCare in Los Angeles offers free and discounted training courses—as well as help with nutrition, behavioral issues, and enrichment—for pet parents that fall into these categories.
This organization is always open to helping pet parents in need. We know not everyone can afford top-of-the-line training but still desires to give their dog the best possible care and training they can. There are often many community events and programs, and you can easily keep up with those opportunities via social media or by contacting your local shelters and rescues.
The Cost of Not Training Your Pup Properly
Training is an essential part of caring for your pet and ensuring they’re obedient and confident enough to handle going to various places. Whether you want to take your pup to a busy dog park, enroll them in a doggie daycare program, or bring them over to a friend’s house, it’s vital to ensure that they have the best possible training to be as well-behaved, in control, and safe as possible no matter what your outings may entail.
Even in the home, making sure they’ve received at least some level of training can help you navigate behavioral issues and better manage unwanted behaviors such as regressing in potty training, chewing on items that are definitely not chew toys, or making too much of a fuss when a neighbor or mail carrier comes to the door.
By helping your dog learn the ropes of behaving in the home, in public, and based on your commands, you’re ensuring that your companion will always be safe and well-behaved no matter where you go.
Hire a Professional Dog Trainer
It may seem intimidating to financially invest so much into proper training for your pup, and you may wonder if it’s truly necessary. However, when you enlist the help of the professionals at Pawsitive K9 Solutions, you can be confident that your investment is going into acquiring the best possible trainers with the best possible education and experience in dog training to help teach your dogs the ropes of safety, obedience, potty training, leash training, and so much more.
The most valuable thing you can afford for your canine companion is ensuring that they are well-trained to help them remain safe, healthy, and as comfortable as possible in the home, outdoor and social situations, and anywhere else life may take you. To learn more, check out the services we offer for dogs of all ages, and feel free to contact us if you have any questions!
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