Equipment  now included!

This program is designed for dogs with reactivity, aggression, anxiety, fear, overstimulation, and people who just don’t have the time to put in all the training repetitions themselves. Your dog will come to our facility for 10 days, going home each day. This program includes aproximatly 70 hours of training time! Drop-off is from 7:30-8 and pickup ranges from 3-5:15 Monday - Friday.

This program gives us the perfect opportunity to work on overexcitement and reactivity when it comes to other dogs and people because we are located in such a busy area and constantly have other dogs around. We try to identify as many things as we can that are a trigger for the dog and set up scenarios around those triggers. For example, maybe your dog is afraid of men or even random objects such as a laundry basket or cars on the road. Besides correcting bad behaviors like jumping, excessive barking, reactivity, and aggression, we teach the dogs how to walk nicely beside us, sit, down, stay, place, leave it, and to remain neutral in chaotic environments. 

For the owner, we show you how to properly use a prong collar, e-collar and other concepts that will help you better communicate with your dog. We can also work on more specific problems you are experiencing, for example bolting out the door, food aggression, or resource guarding. As the training progresses, the dogs are taken to stores and other public places where they are going to encounter strange people, strange dogs and new sights, sounds and smells. 

More important than what we teach the dog; we need to teach the owners how to replicate the same results at home. Every day, we will run you through everything the dog did that day and what your homework should be for that night, as well as answer any questions you may have. Every night, an email gets sent out with what we worked on, and in many cases, it includes a video demonstrating what that should look like. 

After a few days of training, we will schedule a one-on-one session with you and your dog. This allows us to show you everything we are working on and to have you practice with your dog under the guidance of our trainers, so everyone is on the same page. These different commands and concepts will become the foundation of what we are going to hold the dog accountable for. 

Once the dog understands the rules/boundaries, we as the human must enforce the rules/boundaries, provide consequences for violation of the rules/boundaries, and be consistent in the enforcement of the rules/boundaries. Does that sound just like raising kids? It is the same concept! You might be surprised by what your dog is capable of after they understand what you want from them.

Equipment included with this program:

• A standard Herm Sprenger prong collar
• A buckle for the prong collar
• An E-Collar Technologies e-collar
• A bungee collar with buckle
• Upgraded contact points 

*If your dog requires any specialty equipment such as a micro size, hypoallergenic or a half link prong, you will be asked to pay the difference.

Equipment  now included!

The first 2 weeks of this program will be the same as our 2-Week Day Train Program. While we can accomplish a lot in the basic 2 weeks, this program gives us extra time to proof your dog and allows you to better customize our program to your personal goals. For your third week you will pick a focus week from the focus list below that best fits your goals for your dog.

Advanced Obedience

A level above the basics offered in the 2 week program. This focus week will get you on track to take the AKC Canine Good Citizen test.

Reactivity/Aggression

This focus week builds upon what we do in the 2-week program.  This gives us more time to focus on addressing their triggers and make further progress on their rehabilitation.

Anxiety

This focus week gives us more time to build their confidence and focuses on working through more situations that cause anxiety.

Off Leash

This focus week focuses on off leash work and working the dog off leash in more distracting environments.

Grooming Desensitization

Only available in Bismarck - This is a focus week for owners who would like to ease their dog's fear of grooming. Each day, the dog will be exposed to grooming practices, such as brushing, nail trims, dremmeling, blow drying, anal gland expressing, ear cleansing, teeth brushing, and a final bath at the end of the week.

We do this through repetition throughout the week with the trainer to help your dog  become more comfortable with the grooming process.

Tricks

This is a fun focus week where we teach your dog tricks.  Not only is it a fun way to bond with your dog, but it is also fun to show off to friends and relatives.

*Equipment included with this program:

• A standard Herm Sprenger prong collar
• A buckle for the prong collar
• An E-Collar Technologies e-collar
• A bungee collar with buckle
• Upgraded contact points 

*If your dog requires any specialty equipment such as a micro size, hypoallergenic or a half link prong, you will be asked to pay the difference.

Equipment not included in price

This is our more budget-friendly program and is designed for dogs that are at least 17 weeks old. The program consists of four 1-on-1 training sessions, each lasting one hour, scheduled weekly. These are typically scheduled during the early afternoon or  evenings Monday – Thursday.

Think of this program as "train the trainer." Since there is a limited number of repetitions we can do with the dog in one hour, it is the owner's responsibility to practice with their dog between sessions. We cover the same topics as in our Day Training program; however, this program does not typically include other dogs or strangers to work through reactivity. However, we will still teach you how to address reactivity in this program. 

We do offer some distractions between 12 pm and 3 pm since we also have day train dogs in the building at this time, but these time slots are first come first serve and may not always be available. 

Participants must have the following equipment for the class: a flat leash, a Herm Sprenger prong collar, an E-collar Technologies e-collar, a treat bag, a clicker, and a high-value treat. The approximate cost of this equipment is $330, and it is available for purchase from us on the dog’s first day. 

*Additional one-hour sessions can be purchased for $115 each.

Have you rescued a dog within the last three months? Well, this is the class for you! This is a free class to help you get started on the right foot with your furry friend. 

This is a class we provide to give an introduction to training. We work on some basic skills such as walking, "sit," "down," and eye contact, as well as walk you through concepts such as the "place" command. We are also happy to answer questions and help you establish goals as well as advise on what program may best suit those goals if you wish to continue on with one of our programs.

 If you wish to continue training beyond this session, you could continue onto our General Obedience program or enroll in our Day Training program. We can help you asses which program best fits your goals during your session.

At our facility, we provide a streamlined training process designed to meet the needs of various dog behaviors without the requirement of an initial assessment. Our philosophy is grounded in the belief that consistency in methodology is key to effectively addressing a range of canine issues. Consequently, we find no necessity to meet with the dog prior to the commencement of our programs.

However, we recognize that exceptional cases exist, particularly when dealing with dogs exhibiting extreme aggression towards humans. In such situations, a preliminary assessment may be prudent to ensure the safety of our trainers and the environment. This is our only exception, as we prioritize the well-being of both dogs and humans in our training ethos.

*We invite interested individuals to visit our facility to discuss our programs further and observe our training methods in action. For those seeking personalized guidance or wishing to address more complex or hazardous behaviors, we offer the option of a one-hour session priced at $115. 

This session serves dual purposes: it can provide valuable insights into extreme fear or aggression issues, or it can facilitate a meeting to discuss specific goals for your dog.

Our commitment is to provide a safe, supportive environment for all dogs and their owners, ensuring that training is both effective and tailored to individual needs.

This session serves as an introduction to training and our methods. In this session, we focus on fundamental skills such as leash manners, "sit", "down", eye contact, and introducing you to concepts such as the place command.

This session can be used as an introduction to our programs and methods. Your trainer will be happy to answer questions, help you establish goals and assist you in determining which of our programs may best assist you in acheiving those goals, should you wish to continue onto one of our programs.

This program is designed for puppies aged 10 to 17 weeks. In this group class we will go over more age-appropriate topics like potty training and crate training. We also work on walking without pulling, sit, down, stay, place, and leave it. This is 3 sessions, meeting once a week for an hour. These are scheduled in the evenings during the week. If you go through our puppy class, you also get $200 off our day training program, should you choose to enroll after your puppy is older. 

The AKC’s Canine good Citizen Program (CGC) is designed to recognize dogs who have good manners at home and in the community. This rapidly growing nationally recognized program stresses responsible dog ownership for owners and basic training and good manners for dogs. Dogs who pass the 10 step CGC test can receive a certificate from the American Kennel Club. 

$45 for a single session, $200 for a 5 session punch card or $300 for a 10 session punch card

This class will be taught by one of our in-house AKC Approved CGC Evaluators, so you can do the practice and the test without needing to hunt down a test administrator. This program is open enrolment, and you do not need to attend each week, though it is encouraged. Classes will be held at local pet friendly stores, and you will be notified of the exact location prior to the class day. You can take this class as many times as you need until you and your dog are ready to take the test. CGC Classes are offered in Bismarck every Monday at 6:00 PM and Fargo every Thursday at 7:30 P.M.

The test is $25. Upon passing, you may request your certificate from the AKC for $25, you may also choose to earn your CGC as an official AKC title at that time if you wish.

What can I do with a CGC certificate?

A CGC certification is a prerequisite for many therapy dog programs, it is also a great start for many dog sports such as Rally, Obedience Trials, or Agility. A CGC certificate may also help you when applying for rental housing or insurance as the CGC certificate often indicates a lower risk compared to an untested dog.

There are no breed, size or age restrictions for dogs to go through the program and take the test. We also do not require the dog to have gone through one of our training programs prior to the class. However, any dog who has not been through our program will be asked to come to the facility and demonstrate their current skills to prove they are ready for the class.

The CGC test will be focused on 10 skills that we will practice during the class sessions. 

1. Accepting a friendly stranger 

2. Sitting politely for petting. 

3. Appearance and Grooming, the dog will welcome being groomed and examined and will permit someone, such as a veterinarian, groomer or friend of the owner, to do so. 

4. Walk on a loose leash. 

5. Walking through a crowd and prove that they can behave politely around pedestrians and is under control in public places. 

6. “Sit” & “Down” on command and stay in place.

7. Coming when called.

8. Reaction to another dog. The dog will remain neutral, under control and polite when seeing and passing another dog in public.

9. Reaction to distraction. The dog is confident when faced with common distracting situations. For example loud sounds such as a dropping chair, a rolling dolly, a runner / jogger passing by or a cane or crutch being dropped.

10. Supervised separation. The dog can handle being left with a trusted person and will remain under control even when their owner is out sight for a period of time.

For more details about the test and expanded descriptions of the exercises above, please visit http://www.akc.org/events/cgc/training_testing.cfm

To schedule for this program please reach out to marina@elevatecanine.com for the Bismarck location and ez@elevatecanine.com for the Fargo location