Let’s face it—finding the right trainer for your dog is like walking into a car dealership and saying, “I need a new car.”There are hundreds of makes, and within those makes, hundreds of models. If you don’t walk in with at least some idea of what you want, you’ll likely walk out spending way too much money on a car you don’t even love.
Finding a dog trainer works the same way. There are hundreds of trainers out there, all using different methods. If you have no idea what you’re looking for, you’ll likely end up spending way too much money on training that doesn’t last.
In this post, I’m going to break down the illusion of the quick fix, explain why real habits take time to build, show you the true cost of short-term programs, and share how our programs are different.
The Illusion of a Quick Fix
One of the most common programs you’ll come across is a board & train, where your dog stays at the trainer’s facility for the duration of training. The most popular version is the “quick fix” promise: Send your dog to us for two weeks and they’ll come home perfectly trained.
Oh—and did they mention it’ll cost you $3,000?
As more trainers flood the market, they’re realizing how easy it is to take advantage of the general public. Most people don’t know what training should cost, so trainers slap a price on it and people pay without knowing better.
Here’s the truth: any trainer offering a two-week program for $3,000 is straight-up robbing you. That’s about $215 per day. No trainer alive is doing $215 worth of work, every day, for 14 days straight.
The problem isn’t just the price—it’s the timeframe. Two weeks simply isn’t enough to break bad habits and build new ones. If I told you to reverse every bad habit you’ve developed in your entire life in just two weeks, could you? Of course not. So why would we expect our dogs to?
Yes, you might see changes after two weeks. I’d be lying if I said you wouldn’t. Dogs can learn concepts quickly—sometimes in minutes. But learning a concept and building a habit are two very different things. Habits take weeks, even months to solidify. That’s why dogs often behave well in training but fall apart once they’re back home.
Why Habits Take Time to Build
Dogs need three things to learn: consistency, repetition, and exposure. You cannot get enough of those three in just two weeks.
If I tried to cram consistency, repetition, and exposure into that short of a timeframe, I’d end up with an overwhelmed—and probably reactive—dog. At a normal pace, two weeks just isn’t enough time to create lasting change.
Training also has to be generalized. A dog may know how to sit in the training room, but can they sit on a sidewalk while a car drives by? Can they sit while kids are zooming past on bikes? Until they’ve practiced commands in multiple real-world scenarios, you can’t call them truly trained.
This is also where we see the difference between a well-behaved dog and a trained dog.
- A well-behaved dog might naturally avoid chewing furniture or jumping on people simply because of their temperament.
- A trained dog has reliable skills—they respond to commands the first time they’re told, in different environments, no matter the distractions.
For example, our schnauzer Chip has had extensive training. He heels beautifully on and off-leash, knows all his commands, and will stay on his bed in the house. But if I left him loose and unsupervised all day, my couches would be in shreds. He’s a highly trained dog, but he’s not naturally well-behaved. Knowing this about him, I don’t set him up for failure—he goes in a kennel when we’re gone.
The True Cost of Short-Term Training
Here’s how the quick-fix trap usually plays out:
You pay $3,000 for a two-week program. Your dog comes home improved—they sit on command, they walk nicely on leash. But then you go to the park, a squirrel runs by, and your dog rips the leash out of your hand.
Frustrated, you call the trainer. They apologize and say, “We’d be happy to fix that! It’ll just take another two weeks and another $3,000.”
Now you’re $6,000 in.
After a month of total training, you start noticing progress—but then the same old problems creep back. You leave your dog alone, come back to trash everywhere, and suddenly realize you have no idea how to handle it. So you call your trainer again, and now they recommend private lessons at $200 each, with a five-lesson minimum.
Now you’re $7,000 in—and you still don’t have the tools to maintain your dog’s training long-term.
This story is far too common. And honestly, it makes me sick. So much money wasted on programs that don’t give lasting results.
Why We’re Different
We don’t believe in robbing people who simply don’t know better. We charge for the work we actually do and for the results you actually get.
Our programs are longer than most competitors, and our main focus is building lifelong habits. Not only that, but we teach you—the owner—how to maintain those habits for a lifetime.
Our standards are higher, which means that even graduates of our basic program leave here better trained than dogs in other trainers’ advanced programs. Training doesn’t stop after a 15-minute session. Because dogs are with us full-time, training continues during play, meals, kennel time, and beyond.
And above all, we want you involved. We encourage owners to come work with us during their dog’s program, because here’s the truth: we could train your dog to perfection, but if you don’t know how to hold them accountable, those results won’t last.
You Deserve Better
At the end of the day, short-term training programs are expensive quick fixes that don’t deliver long-term results. Real training takes time, consistency, and owner involvement. Investing in a longer program not only saves you money in the long run, but it also gives you the tools to confidently maintain your dog’s progress for life.
Your dog deserves more than a quick fix. And honestly—you do too.
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Vitality K9 LLC 