So how much does dog training cost? Well the answer is, it depends… which isn’t all that helpful to you if are looking for an idea of how much you will spend on your dog training.
So, the first consideration is whether you are going for one to one training or classes.
One to one training, whilst more expensive can often work out to be better value. The training can be tailored to you, your dog, your household, your struggles and your vision of what life with your dog could be like.
However just because it COULD be better value that does not mean that it IS. A one to one session could cost you anywhere from £40 to £500 – so why is there such a discrepancy? Again there are many reasons for this. Firstly is the amount of support in addition to the actual training session that you get.
What will I get for my money?
For example, with an All To Play For one to one session you get:
· bespoke training which is planned after taking a large amount of information from you to ensure that the training is right for you.
· Following every session you are given a written for you workbook which goes through exactly what we did during your session with links to relevant video.
· I will also provide this as an audio or video file for you.
· You will also be given any All To Play For or third party eBooks which I feel would be useful to support your struggle.
· Not only are you given the opportunity to message me 24/7 with any struggles you are having or to share your successes, I will actively encourage you to do this! It’s so useful to see any issues you are having and intervene straight away as that we can make better progress more quickly. If you think you’re messaging me too much that’s probably about right.
If you’d like to have a chat about how I could help you with one to one training, book a discovery call here: https://calendly.com/alltoplayfor/phone-consulation
When I spoke to previous clients about what the best thing was about training with All To Play For was and whether it was good value, value was definitely a strength. The sort of responses I got were “she just makes you feel so positive and like you can succeed”. “I don’t feel guilty about getting things wrong like I have before”. “The training is actually fun and really works!” “Once you’ve trained with All To Play For, Julia is always there to help, even months after you’ve finished your sessions.”
I don’t guarantee you will get the results you want because we are working with sentient beings and humans! So much depends on the individual dog and how much good quality training you are able to do. I also don’t offer quick fixes. Quick fixes are sticking plaster where problems will start popping up elsewhere as you haven’t got to the root of the problem. Taking the time to find the root of the problem with ALWAYS provide great value.
The reasons that other trainers differ in their pricing are many! There may be hidden costs such as transport, or they may expect you to go to them, which make the experience more stressful for your dog, meaning they will not be able to learn as much. They may have decades of experience with a particular type of dog and struggle and have kept their knowledge current, or they may have decades of experience but their knowledge and methods are decades old. They may use aversive methods which often mean that you will find other problems start to appear after your training which will need to be solved – hopefully by another, force free, trainer using up to date methods!
Do you get support between sessions? Dog training can be stressful and having someone to go to at any time when you are struggling is invaluable. Some one to one training is done online, and that can work very well, particularly if the use of videos is included (both you being shown them and you having the opportunity to send videos to the trainer for feedback).
Of course trainers and behaviourists have different qualifications – often they will try to tell you that theirs is the only valid qualification. I have done training which gives me fancy affiliations and letters after my name and training which does none of these and I know which has been more useful in helping me to help my clients. I’d suggest looking for a trainer who takes continuing professional development seriously and is ALWAYS looking to improve their practice.
At the end of the day I can’t really comment on the pricing structures of other businesses, what I do know is that my pricing gives my clients good value as I make it my business to ensure that they get the service that you need. What matters, however, is that you have a trainer who shares your dog training vision and who genuinely “gets” the struggles you are experiencing and why they are important to you. And that they have the training and experience, not only to plan a great training package, but also to have the flexibility to change their plans where necessary rather than sticking rigidly to a plan which isn’t working – my experience in teaching teenagers has been the perfect preparation for this!
Classes vs one to one
What about classes? One to one will be more expensive, but it may be better value particularly if you are having specific struggles with your dog. One to one training can be (but isn’t always…) tailored to you and your dog. In general you will get more support in between sessions in the form of reports and videos, and where you are struggling, the training can be altered to help you.
Classes give your dog the opportunity to spend time with other dogs. However, research (Seksel et. al. 1999) shows that this not a crucial part of the socialisation process and that there isn’t any difference between socialisation of puppies who attend puppy classes and those who don’t.
Cost varies from around £40 for 6 weeks and £200. The reason for this varies, for example, how many dogs are in the class? This can range from 4 to 20!! Obviously this makes a big difference to your experience – classes with a lot of dogs in can be overwhelming for many dogs and can lead to bad experiences which affect behaviour later on. Is the class taught by the person you think? Sometimes cheaper classes are taught by a different trainer to the one you think you are booking with. Is the trainer transparent about this? One of the problems I seen repeatedly with people who have taken classes is that their dog can do a sit, a down and a wait in class but they still bark all the time in the house and lunge at other dogs – plus they can’t do ANY of those behaviours outside the training arena. Does the class take this into account and give you real life skills with the support to transfer these outside the class environment?
How about online only courses? The online only content we provide is produced both in house by me, and also by trusted third parties. Costs range from £7 to £97! With all my online only courses you can join the All To Play For Club on Facebook (Click here to join!) to get additional support. Of course online courses mean that I don’t get to see you and your dog in your environment and I don’t get to see HOW you are training together to make those small, but often crucial tweaks to what you are doing. It can, however, be really effective if keeping the cost really low is the most important factor to you. Have a look at the online courses I provide here:
I realise this wasn’t the concise price list you were looking for! But I hope that it has clarified what we offer for the prices we charge and that you are not always comparing like with like.
I am always really happy to chat about your dog training struggles and give you the info about pricing you need so please book a FREE discovery call here!
Once your call is booked in you will get more information about how I work here at All To Play For and what to expect.
Can’t wait to hear from you!!!
