Find the right program for your dog
Five ways to train, one standard of work. Compare every program and price below, then book the one that fits your dog and your home.
Board & Train
A board and train program is the fastest way to set a foundation. Your dog stays with us for one to four weeks, lives in a real home environment, and works through structured one-on-one training every day. We hand the skills back to you at the end with a private session so the progress holds when your dog is back home.
Every program is built around your dog. The tiers below describe what is typically achievable in each length. Before training begins we run a personalized consultation to design the actual plan.
- ›Focused one-on-one training dedicated to your dog for the day
- ›Ideal for specific tasks or behavioural challenges that need intensive hands-on work
- ›A structured, immersive day designed to accelerate learning
- ›Useful for refining obedience or fine-tuning skills in a controlled environment
- ›Proper leash walking, including loose-leash heel
- ›Sit, lie down, stay, place, recall, out and leave it
- ›Desensitization and socialization
- ›Impulse control and thresholds, relationship building
- ›Detailed report of everything your dog learned
- ›1 hour transfer session with the family
- ›Crate training and potty training
- ›Confidence building
- ›Mild behavioural issues: jumping, mouthing, destructive chewing, counter-surfing
- ›1 hour transfer session with the family
- ›One follow-up private session after your dog is home
- ›E-collar training
- ›Reactivity, aggression, resource guarding
- ›Separation anxiety, fear and anxiety
- ›Mid-program private session at our location
- ›1 hour transfer session and a detailed report
- ›One follow-up private session after your dog is home
Private Sessions
One hour, one-on-one, focused on your specific goals. Sessions happen at our location or at your home. You stay in the room and learn alongside your dog so the work continues between sessions.
We cover basic obedience, leash manners, and behavioural challenges including jumping, barking, and anxiety. You get personalized coaching, hands-on guidance, and a clear plan for what to practice before the next session.
Train in the real world
A structured class with up to a dozen other client dogs. Not free play. The goal is to practice real-world skills with the distraction of other dogs present, the way your dog will actually encounter the world on a walk.
We work focus, neutral behaviour, and handler confidence in a controlled environment with people whose dogs have already been through our system. That is why this class is gated.
Virtual Sessions
One hour over video. Real-time coaching for owners who are outside our service area, who cannot make an in-person session work, or who want a quick expert read on something specific without the logistics. Available over Google Meet, FaceTime, and WhatsApp.
We cover obedience, leash pulling, jumping, anxiety, and most behavioural issues we would address in person. You get the same step-by-step coaching and a follow-up plan to practice on your own.
Train your dog into a working role
Service dogs are trained to perform specific tasks that mitigate a handler's disability. That can include scent detection, allergy alert, hearing alerts, mobility retrieval, medical alert for seizures or blood sugar changes, pressure therapy for anxiety, and interruption of harmful behaviours. With the right evaluation and a structured program, you can train your own dog into this role.
Not every dog is suited for service work. The first step is a consultation. From there we build a task-specific training plan tailored to the handler's needs.
Before you book
No reputable trainer can promise guaranteed behaviour, because every dog learns at their own pace and the environment at home matters as much as the work we do. What we do guarantee is honesty about what is realistic for your dog, a clear plan, and the support to keep progress holding after the program ends.
Balanced training. Clear corrections paired with positive reinforcement, in balance. We reward behaviours like calm focus, impulse control, and recall, and we use fair, consistent correction for behaviours like reactivity, counter-surfing, or pulling. We tailor methods to the breed and temperament of the individual dog.
We work in two regions. Hope Verra trains across the GTA and York Region from Richmond Hill, and Alexis Taylor covers Georgian Bay and Simcoe County from Meaford, from Owen Sound and Collingwood down to Barrie. As a rule we travel about an hour from either base. Pickup and drop-off are available for board and train programs, and distance restrictions apply.
Most dogs are. The consultation before the program is where we figure out if the program length and goals make sense for your specific dog. If a different format would serve you better, we will say so.
At the end of every board and train, you get a one-hour session where we teach you everything your dog learned, how to maintain it, and how to keep building. This is the most important hour of the program. Skills do not transfer to a dog that is back in an old environment without an owner who knows how to handle them.
Yes. Reactivity, resource guarding, and aggression are covered in the 4 week program and in private sessions for owners who want a longer-form approach. We assess first, then design a plan.