Last Updated on February, 2025
The first thing that comes to every pet parent’s mind when they think about getting their fur baby trained is, ‘How much does dog training cost?’ The same query must have itched you, too, if getting your dog trained has been on your mind lately.
Dog training prices may vary based on your place and what type of dog training service or product your private dog trainer offers. In a nutshell, it all depends on the dog and the training.
We have prepared a lowdown of the costs of different types and modes of puppy training to give you an estimate of the possible price of your puppy training classes. So let’s take the guesswork out!
Quick Summary
The average cost of dog training is $30-$50 per class, but can vary based on location and type of training.
Service dog training can cost up to $120 per hour.
Private dog training from a professional trainer can cost $109-$120 per session.
Table of Contents
Average Price for Dog Training
Whether you enroll your pet in online dog training, hire private dog trainers for private sessions, or opt for physical canine training, you should expect to spend some good bucks. Here is an overview of what different types of dog training can cost you.
- The average dog training cost is approximately $30-$50per class (with most spending about $50 per hour).
- Obedience schools charge $200-$600 per week for providing obedience training classes.
- The boot camp training price also ranges somewhere between $500 and $1200 per week.
- The average cost of a service dog training for support, protection, and therapy purposes is $120 per hour.
- The cost of dog training for private training sessions (like Petco and Petsmart) can range between $109 to $120.
Now, let’s dig deep into the different types of training and discover their average prices.
3 Types of Dog Training
We can classify the major dog training trends into three categories:
- Group Dog Training
- Dog Obedience Training
- Dog Boot Camps
What is the Average Cost of Group Dog Training Classes?
Group training costs you $120-$600 if you go for a 6 to 8-week package deal. However, mostly the group classes that last up to 6 weeks are an ideal choice if you want to improve your communication with your dog.
Group training has the edge over private lessons because they help remember the commands and training tools for both – the dog owner and the dog!
In fundamental group classes, your dog or puppy will learn basic commands, basic skills, dealing with separation anxiety, and interaction with other dogs. In addition, group training is a great way to socialize your dog.
How Much Do Dog Obedience Classes Cost?
Has your dog or puppy turned into a bad guy and is refusing all your commands? If so, obedience dog training is your best option. The cost of a basic obedience training class will be lower, but high-end obedience training will come with a higher price tag.
For example, the average cost for training your canine for basic obedience through a private obedience training school is $45-$120 per session.
However, if you book a series of three to ten dog training classes for more success, there is a chance that you can reduce the cost of your dog’s introductory obedience training sessions.
How Much is the Cost of Dog Boot Camps?
Boot camp kennel training, also known as ‘Board and train programs,’ is perfect for busy pet parents. In a dog boot camp, your dog hangs out at the trainer’s facility for a series of days or a few weeks to learn good habits.
The charges for a dog boot camp can be $45-$75 per day or $500-$1250 per week based on the duration you choose for your canine’s training.
Service Dog Training Cost
Besides the basic dog training, some exclusive activities have a specific purpose behind them. For example, service dog training focuses primarily on teaching dog skills to perform tasks for disabled persons.
Below you’ll find the average cost of each specialized training:
Therapy Dog Training
The training for a therapy dog can cost you $30 per session. Therapy dogs are often used for therapeutic purposes at hospitals and child care centers.
For example, a therapy dog serves to deal with loneliness, recognize the stress levels in individuals, and comfort most people.
Check out the video to train yourself:
Guide Dog Training
Guide dog training is another type of service dog training. It takes a total cost of $45,000 to $60,000 to train a guide dog for two years. However, as guide dogs lead the way for blind and visually impaired people, they are available for FREE!
Hearing Dog Training
A hearing dog recognizes different sounds like the doorbell, smoke alarm, or the sound of crying children. Hearing dogs are free for people with hearing disabilities. The cost of training a hearing dog is $1000 after grants, donations, and sponsorships. (1)
However, if a pet owner wants to train his doggie as a hearing dog, they should get ready to pay about $6,000.
Protection Dog Training
Protection dogs help save people from a head injury during an epileptic seizure. They can also detect low blood sugar levels in diabetic patients. The training cost for a protection dog is $120 per hour.
Related: How to Train a German Shepherd to be a Guard Dog
Search and Rescue Dog Training
Search and rescue dog training is a 600 hours long training process. In primary search and rescue dogs’ training, you should expect to spend $2,500-$5,000.
However, for providing advanced training, you should put $15,000-$20,000 aside to get your rescue dog fully trained. (2)
The Cost of Private Dog Training
There are two popular professional private dog training programs. Petco and PetSmart! Both have their pros and cons. Which one you should go for highly depends on your preferences and the teaching goals you have set for your pet.
PetSmart
PetSmart dog training is designed for younger puppies (aged 10-weeks to 5 months). PetSmart has a six-week training program that can cost you $120. Their training program comprises three stages: puppy, intermediate, and advanced.
- Stage 1 teaches the basic cues like sit, come, stay, and loose leash walking.
- Stage 2 teaches basic commands but with duration, distance, and distraction in mind.
- Stage 3 focuses on complex dog skills and tricks.
Petco
Petco dog training has two levels, and both levels stretch over six weeks. This training is specifically designed for two months to four months of a slightly older dog.
This training aims to teach your pup basic obedience cues and socialization with positive reinforcement techniques. This private training costs you $109 for their 6-week program. However, they keep on offering different deals.
How to Hire a Dog Trainer?
When you hire a dog trainer, you should consider a few factors. Such as:
Certification
Though there is no law about dog trainers’ certification, you can ask your dog trainer about their certification. Most professional dog trainers have training certificates from the Association of Pet Dog Trainers or the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers.
A certified dog trainer is always an ideal choice because they are well-equipped with modern teaching techniques and receive their certification from reputable sources.
Training Method: Reward-Based Training vs. Punishment Based Training
When you hire a private dog trainer, you should decide what kind of training method you are looking for. Then, you can talk to your dog trainer about the type of training they are providing.
The two approaches are opposite, and a dog owner must be comfortable with the teaching methods their dog trainer will employ.
Here is the difference:
Reward-Based Training: This type of training is also known as positive reinforcement training. This training incorporates positive interactions.
Your pup gets rewarded for showing progress in the form of praise, petting, encouraging sounds, and food.
Punishment-Based Dog Training: This type of training includes choking and shocking the puppy with shock collars when negative or aggressive behavior occurs. (Checkout the best shock collars for long haired dog breeds here.)
Note that: American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior does NOT recommend the punishment-based training method.
Benefits of Hiring Dog Trainers
Training your dog or puppy by yourself seems fascinating as it costs ZERO dollars—all you have to invest in is the time with your pup.
But, after trying too hard, you still struggle with your dog’s behavioral problems, hiring a dog behaviorist becomes a must. (3)
When you hire a professional trainer, you enjoy the following perks:
- They fix your pet’s behavioral issues.
- Your dog learns good manners in the environment he is in.
- Your dog and the dog trainer can focus on specific things.
- They save you time and money.
So, What is the Best Professional Dog Training Program?
Why pay for dog training programs when you can get top-notch training from professional dog trainers for free?
That is what my friend said when I first asked, “How Much Does Dog Training Cost?”
K9 Training Institute is a dog training program that provides all the necessary training materials to train your dog for absolutely FREE.
This is a full-fledged video training program that you can use to train your dog at your own pace.
I couldn’t believe what he said until I signed up for it, which by the way, takes just a minute or two.
For starters, here’s everything this Free dog training program offers:
- Potty training techniques.
- Training tips to stop unnecessary barking and alert you to strangers with zero barking.
- How to leash train your dog and stop them from pulling?
- How to get your dog to come when called. EVERY TIME!
- How to train your dog to stop jumping on people.
- Steps to train your dog to ignore distractions.
- How can you train your dog to respond to non-verbal cues and gestures, eliminating the need to raise your voice or use verbal commands in public places?
- How do you train your dog to follow your commands and other cues and signals?
These are everything that comes with the K9 training institute. Only a few paid programs offer this much content, to begin with, but yeah, everything for absolutely $0.
No matter whether you have a puppy or an adult dog, the training is tailored to fit both, any breed too, which is another huge advantage.
As mentioned above, the training is put together by two experienced dog trainers, Dr. Alexa Diaz, who holds a Ph.D. in animal behavior, and Eric Presnall, the host of Animal Planet’s TV show “Who Let the Dogs Out.”
As I said, professional dog training for free, why should anyone miss out on the chance?
Since both trainers are very experienced, the program’s effectiveness is also top-notch. And all of the contents are well-polished and super easy to follow through; everything is simple and easy to understand.
That is partly due to the training technique used, positive reinforcement. K9 training institute utilizes reward-based force-free training techniques, which are super effective when it comes to dog training.
There are not many free dog training programs or even paid ones as good as this. Even if you’re looking to hire a professional dog trainer, give this one a shot; its dog training right in the comfort of your home and at your own pace.
Conclusion
By now, we hope you have a better understanding of the pricing of different types of dog training. However, if you are still indecisive about training your dog by hiring a pro or yourself with an online training program, we recommend going with the latter.
Online dog training programs these days are highly effective and way too cheap compared to hiring professional trainers. Some are even free like the K9 Training institute we looked at above, which by the way is an excellent program to train your dog.
Online programs are also a more systematic and result-driven way to train your dog plus, since it’s you and your dog alone, it’s a great way to bond too.
However, it’s what we THINK, you can take the final decision by conducting extensive research at your end.
The choice is all yours!
REFERENCES:
- https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/training/hearing-dogs/#:~:text=Training%20a%20hearing%20dog&text=Instruction%20starts%20with%20basic%20socialization,a%20knock%20at%20the%20door.
- https://animals.howstuffworks.com/animal-facts/sar-dog4.htm
- https://toppuppytraining.site123.me/what-are-the-benefits-to-hiring-professional-dog-trainers
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