Item descriptionThe Evaluation

Before anything else, we meet your dog.

Every client relationship at Align Canine begins with an in-person evaluation. This isn't just a formality — it's where we assess your dog's drive, temperament, play engagement, and current behavior, and where we have an honest conversation about what path makes the most sense for you and your dog.

The evaluation determines which program fits, what timeline is realistic, and whether your dog is ready to go straight into training or needs foundational work first. It also gives you a chance to see how we work before committing to anything.

What to expect:

• We'll interact with your dog directly — observing how they engage, play, and respond

• We'll ask about your dog's history, bite history if any, and your goals

• You'll leave with a clear recommendation and next steps

All boarding, training, and membership clients begin with an evaluation.

→ Book your evaluation

AGES 8 WEEKS – 6 MONTHS

Puppy Lessons

The foundation you build now is the dog you'll have for life.

Puppyhood is the most important window in your dog's development — and the most underutilized. Our puppy program focuses on building the right habits from day one: drive, confidence, social skills, and the early foundations of obedience, all introduced through play and positive engagement before bad habits have a chance to take root.

We work with puppies and their owners together, so you're learning alongside your dog from the start. By the time your puppy is ready for more advanced training, you'll already know how to communicate with them.

What we focus on:

• Play drive and engagement development

• Basic manners: sit, down, place, recall foundations

• Leash introduction and confidence on new surfaces

• Socialization and impulse control

• Building the handler-dog bond early

Puppy lessons are available as private sessions. Contact us to discuss your puppy's age, breed, and current stage.

→ Get started

Learn to play with your dog, set clear rules, and fix the everyday problems.

Most problems between people and dogs are communication problems. In private sessions I teach you how to play with your dog the right way, how to set rules your dog understands, and how to use that relationship to fix everyday issues. You handle your dog and I coach you as you go.

What we work on

• Play with purpose. Structured games done in a way that makes play the reward your dog works for.

• The rules of the game. Clear starts and stops, letting go of a toy on cue, and impulse control, so your dog knows what's expected.

• Relationship. A dog who wants to work with you, not one who listens only when you have a treat.

• Simple fixes. Pulling on the leash, jumping on people, rushing doors, not coming when called, mouthiness, and tuning you out around distractions.

Is this the right fit?

Private sessions are for foundations and simple fixes. If your dog has aggression, serious reactivity, or problems that have been building for a long time, Board & Train is usually the better choice. I'll tell you which one makes sense at the evaluation.

How it works

1. Free evaluation. We meet, I watch you and your dog together, and we decide what makes sense.

2. Sessions. [60]-minute sessions at [my training facility / your home / a local park].

3. Homework. You get specific things to practice between sessions. That practice is where most of the progress happens.

Pricing

Single Session $200

5-Session Package $800 ($160 per session)

Equipment isn't included. I'll tell you what your dog needs and why.

Moving up to Board & Train: if you decide your dog needs more, the private sessions you've had in the last 30 days are credited toward Board & Train.

SHORT-TERM IMMERSIVE STAY | DURATION VARIES BY DOG

Board & Play

Some dogs need a head start before training with their owner can work.

Play is the foundation of everything we do at Align Canine. For dogs that are shut down, under-stimulated, or simply haven't been taught how to engage — trying to teach obedience before play is unlocked is like trying to build a house without a foundation. It doesn't work, and it's not fair to the dog.

Board & Play is a short, intensive stay where your dog lives with us and works one-on-one with Josh to unlock drive and engagement in a distraction-free, pressure-free environment. This isn't board and train — we're not teaching obedience. We're doing the foundational work that makes real training possible.

Once play is unlocked and the dog is engaging with confidence and intention, they go home — and your private session program begins from a completely different starting point than if we'd tried to skip this step.

Board & Play is right for your dog if:

• They're disengaged, shut down, or difficult to motivate

• Play sessions at home go nowhere

• Your eval reveals low or inconsistent drive

• Previous training attempts stalled in the early stages

Duration and pricing are determined at evaluation — every dog is different, and we won't put a timeline on something this important.

→ Talk to us about your dog

3-WEEK MINIMUM | FULL IMMERSIVE PROGRAM | EQUIPMENT INCLUDED

Board & Train

The fastest path to a transformed dog — for owners who are ready to receive one.

In our Board & Train program, your dog lives with us full-time while we do the heavy lifting. Training happens everywhere — in our dedicated indoor training facility, throughout the house, in the backyard, around the neighborhood, at the park, Red Rock Canyon, Home Depot, and anywhere else the next level of distraction and challenge needs to happen. Real obedience gets built in real environments, not just a controlled room.

Dogs sleep in clean, climate-controlled kennels in our dedicated training facility — an insulated, heated, and cooled space that's an extension of our home, purpose-built for dogs. Depending on the dog and their progress, some earn the privilege of sleeping inside the house. Either way, your dog is comfortable, secure, and never in a commercial kennel environment.

We work with your dog's drives, not against them. That means building obedience that comes from a dog that wants to work — not a dog that's been suppressed into compliance.

Standard Board & Train covers reliable foundational obedience: heel, sit, down, place, come, and off-leash control with e-collar. Most dogs complete this program in 3–4 weeks.

Behavior Modification is for dogs with reactivity, aggression (dog or human), or significant behavioral challenges. These cases require more time, more nuance, and more experience — and the timeline reflects that.

Every Board & Train includes:

• Full-time care in a dedicated home training environment

• E-collar and all necessary training equipment

• Regular progress updates with photos and video

• Four follow-up sessions after your dog comes home, included in the program price

• A structured handoff session teaching you everything your dog learned

• Ongoing support after the program ends

Pricing is based on your dog's needs and program length — determined at evaluation. Contact us to get started.

→ Book your evaluation

TRAINED DOGS ONLY

Boarding

Your dog deserves more than a kennel.

When you need someone to care for your dog, they stay with us — in our home, not a facility. They get real attention, real structure, and real activity: time in the training garage, backyard play, and outings to the park or trails depending on their energy level and temperament.

We only accept boarding clients whose dogs have completed formal training. This isn't about being exclusive — it's about being honest. A structured home environment with clear expectations only works for dogs that already understand structure. It's better for your dog, and it's safer for everyone.

Boarding rates are provided upon inquiry. Contact us to check availability.

→ Inquire about boarding

ItemAPPLICATION REQUIRED | GRADUATES & APPROVED DOGS WELCOME

Adventure Club & Memberships

Training doesn't end when the program does.

For graduates of Align Canine programs — and for dogs from outside our programs who pass an evaluation — we offer ongoing membership options designed to keep skills sharp, build community, and give well-trained dogs the kind of enrichment and adventure they've earned.

This isn't a drop-in class. It's a curated group of owners and dogs who've put in the work, maintained the standard, and want to keep doing something real together.

Full details, tiers, and pricing on the Membership page.

→ Learn about the Adventure Club