How much does board and train cost?

Of the 258 programs in this directory, 42 publish a program price. Those range from $950 to $8,750, with a median entry price of $1,900. Most trainers quote after an evaluation rather than publishing a figure, so expect to ask.

Why do so few trainers publish their prices?

Because the price genuinely depends on the dog. A reactive 70lb shepherd needing six weeks is a different job from a puppy needing ten days, and trainers who publish one number end up re-quoting most enquiries. It is normal for this service, not a red flag — though it does mean you should get two or three quotes to know what local rates look like.

Is a more expensive board and train better?

Not automatically, but price does track two things that matter: how many dogs the trainer handles at once, and whether your dog boards in a home or a kennel. Both cost the trainer more and both tend to produce better outcomes for anxious dogs. Compare what is included rather than the headline figure.

What hidden costs should I expect?

Ask specifically about training equipment (a remote collar can be $200+), the go-home lesson, follow-up sessions, boarding over weekends if the program pauses, and transport if you need pickup. These are sometimes bundled and sometimes billed separately, which can move the real total by several hundred dollars.

What board and train actually costs

Most cost guides for this service quote a range without saying where it came from. Here is where ours comes from: the 258 programs listed in this directory, and the 42 of them that publish an actual program price on their own website.

That gap — 42 out of 258 — is itself the most useful thing to know before you start calling.

What programs actually publish

Published program prices run from $950 to $8,750. The median entry price — the cheapest tier a program advertises — is $1,900, and the average is $2,183.

Entry price	Programs	Share
Under $1,500	12	29%
$1,500–$2,499	16	38%
$2,500–$3,499	10	24%
$3,500–$4,999	3	7%
$5,000 and up	1	2%

Based on 42 programs publishing a program price, as listed on their own sites. Deposits, evaluation fees and nightly boarding rates are excluded — mixing those in is how cost guides end up reporting a floor several hundred dollars below what anyone actually charges.

Why so few publish a price

It looks evasive and mostly isn't. The price genuinely depends on the dog: a reactive 70-pound shepherd needing six weeks is a different job from a puppy needing ten days, and a trainer who publishes one number spends their week re-quoting.

The practical consequence for you is that you need two or three quotes to know what local rates look like. A single quote gives you no reference point, and this is a service where the spread between programs in the same city is genuinely wide.

What you get at each price

Price tracks length more than anything else. Roughly, using the length data from 114 programs that publish one:

Under $1,500 — usually one week, or two weeks at a facility with a higher dog-to-trainer ratio. A jump-start rather than a transformation.
$1,500–$2,499 — the most common tier. Typically two weeks of core obedience with a go-home lesson.
$2,500–$3,499 — two to three weeks, often with off-leash work and real-world proofing, and usually more follow-up included.
$3,500–$4,999 — three to four weeks, frequently in a trainer's home with few dogs, or early behaviour modification.
$5,000 and up — four to six weeks of behaviour work: aggression, severe reactivity, resource guarding, with ongoing support.

Day rates vs program prices

Some programs quote nightly instead — 7 in this directory do, at $100 to $250 per day. That is not cheaper; it is the same money expressed differently. At $250/day, a three-week program is over $5,000. Always convert a nightly rate to the full program length before comparing.

What's included — and what isn't

This is where the real variation hides. Ask every trainer the same question: what's included? Commonly billed separately:

Training equipment — a remote collar and transmitter can add $200 or more
The go-home lesson — usually included, but check the length; two hours is meaningfully different from twenty minutes
Follow-up sessions — some include three, some include none, some sell "lifetime" group classes
Weekend boarding, if the program runs Monday to Friday
Transport — pickup and drop-off is sometimes free within a radius, sometimes $50–$200
Evaluation fee — often credited against the program if you book

A program $400 more expensive with three follow-ups included is usually cheaper than the alternative once you've paid for the follow-ups you actually need.

What moves the price

How many dogs the trainer takes at once. A trainer running three dogs charges more than one running fifteen, and your dog gets more of them.
Home or facility. Boarding in a trainer's home costs more and tends to suit anxious dogs better. The difference is worth understanding.
Metro area. Urban programs run meaningfully higher than rural ones — one reason people travel for this service.
Behaviour vs obedience. Aggression work carries a premium for handling risk and longer stays.

Getting a real quote

Give trainers enough to quote accurately the first time: breed, age and weight; the specific behaviours you want changed; whether there's any bite history; and your timeline. Vague enquiries get vague quotes that change later.

Then compare on what's included, not the headline. And visit before you pay a deposit — the visit is where the real risk shows up.

Last reviewed September 2026. Figures cited come from the programs listed in this directory and are recomputed whenever the data changes.