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Dog Training for the Real World

A dependable training program that empowers your dog to function as a responsible citizen in the real world

Well-behaved dog = happy owner

Even if your dog seems perfect, training can help him or her sail through life's stresses. Whether your pup is a nervous rescue or a pampered purebred, he or she needs dog training that will help them overcome any issues and thrive in a world of distractions. Our dogs deserve the same quality of education we provide for our two-legged kids. Our resident dog trainer, Jayme Feary, has a reputation for turning out stable, balanced dogs. When you enroll your dog in a Woofers Canine College course, your dog will graduate with a degree in living life well.

Woofers Canine College

Better Behavior Starts Here

Basic Obedience - $950        Most Popular
Residential Course
Two-week Semester

Your dog’s introduction to becoming a better pup, this course will teach your dog basic on-leash life skills, such as “sit,” “down,” “stay,” “come,” and learn to walk nicely while on leash. Dog obedience at this level lays a stable foundation for more difficult tasks in the future.

Advanced Obedience - $950
Residential Course
Two-week Semester

In the Advanced Obedience course, your dog will learn to obey the command “down” while moving, advanced stay, and off-leash work, such as the recall command (“come”) with distractions and heeling. Advanced obedience training is essential if you want a dog that will obey you in any situation.

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Total Recall - $950               Most Popular
Residential Course
Two-week Semester
 

Come right now no matter what. Even if you're off leash, some distance away, or distracted by turkey, deer, or a ham sandwich. Total Recall is the "come command on steroids." Take your dog anywhere and never have to worry about s/he running off and not returning. Enjoy the freedom of taking your dog to the dog park, on trails, or to the lake knowing s/he will come instantly when called.

Intro to Group Play - $200               Popular
Experiential Course
Training Happens During Day Play

Best dog socialization training around. Your dog will learn how to interact safely and enjoyably at doggy daycare. You bring Fido to several sessions of Woofers Day Play, and our trainer teaches him or her how to get along and enjoy the experience. The number of sessions depends on how quickly your dog gets comfortable. Day Play charges in addition to training.

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Good Citizenship & Socialization - $950
Residential Course
Two-week Semester

If you want a well-adjusted dog that you can take anywhere you go, this course will teach your pup to get along with other dogs, new people, and new places.

Private Sessions - $110/session

If your dog needs one-on-one attention, you can enroll in private, one-on-one training sessions where you and your dog will be the center of attention.

Specialized Dog Training for Behavioral Challenges

We specialize in solving behavior problems such as barking and whining, marking, house training, pulling on the leash, jumping on people, digging, ignoring, and other issues. If your dog needs rehabilitation, it’s always best to call us first to discuss your situation. After our conversation, we’ll schedule a no-cost, in-person evaluation, after which we’ll prescribe a training plan including the cost.

Telephone/Zoom Dog Training - $85/session

When you can’t come to our Sturgis, SD location, we can come to you through the phone or Internet. Whether you just want to learn to teach your dog to sit and stay or train your dog not to pull on his or her leash, distance sessions can help you conquer your dog’s various challenges.

Jayme Feary

Head Trainer

Woofers Canine College

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Our trainer, Jayme Feary, has worked with clients coast to coast. He has taught animal shelters how to foster a quiet, calm environment so potential adopters will spend more time perusing animals. In his former community he was a go-to trainer for dogs no one else could help. Judges would sometimes turn to him as a last resort before deciding to euthanize a dog.

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Jayme is known for his practical, real-world techniques and his post-training support for dog owners so they feel empowered to keep their dogs moving forward. Because of his unique approach, he requires owners and their dogs meet with him in person before agreeing to take a dog into training.

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Jayme's tight schedule means his training slots are limited, so we always suggest people plan ahead as far as possible.

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He is here to help however he can. Give him a call and let him know your needs.

Woofers Canine College

 Pricing

Woofers Canine College Courses* --- $950 per course + boarding includes 2-3 post-training coaching sessions with owners. Introduction to Doggy Daycare--$200--is taught while your dog participates in several sessions of Day Play (daycare charge additional). 

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Private Sessions --- $140 / session

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Videoconference Sessions --- $90 / session

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Specialized Behavioral Training --- Fee depends on the type of behaviors covered, as well as your dog's age and breed.

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Payment Plans

If paying for training all at once is a strain, you may arrange a payment plan that fits your needs. Talk with us about details.

*Includes training and follow-up coaching

All dogs can learn new tricks.

1. Lots of attention, discipline, and love

At Woofers, we focus on positive reinforcement training -- rewarding good behaviors more than disciplining bad ones. We create a comfortable environment for your dog to learn new behaviors and skills without fear.

2. Safe, effective training that turns any dog into an ideal citizen

Effective training relies heavily on the confidence of the owner. Through Woofers training, you will learn how to command good behavior and your dog will learn to obey the first time, every time — in any situation.

3. Communication and coaching that will turn you into a confident pet parent

We don’t just train your dog and turn you loose; our training method educates you to be an effective handler that can handle all kinds of situations, with training tips that work in the real world.

  • Do you take intact dogs?
    As of 1/1/23 we no longer accept new intact males. Why? Even when an intact unneutered male is friendly, its presence almost always causes other males to act more aggressively, and therefore the risk of altercations and injuries is much higher. Unspayed females may board but may not, because of the chaos they cause, board when in heat.
  • What does a typical day of Day Play look like?
    Day Play is a continuous cycle of play and rest that focuses on much-needed play. For an hour or two, your dogs will play in a group (or groups) with other dogs. Then, they rest for a half-hour or so. That process continues throughout the daylight hours. We allow them to be outdoors throughout the year unless extreme weather arises. When your dog comes home, expect him or her to be happy – and tired, both mentally and physically. After arriving back home, your dog will probably drink quite a bit. Many dogs enjoy playing so much that they forget to drink water, even though we make fresh water available at all times to our four-footed guests. To see pictures of our state-of-the-art play yards, check out our facility photos.
  • What about dogs that are not well-socialized?
    Daycare may seem like a great place to socialize a dog, but Including an undersocialized dog or one that does not get along in a group is, because of potential altercations, a safety risk for that dog and the others. Any dog who participates in our Day Play must already get along well in a large group. We are willing to try any dog that is under-socialized, but if it shows signs of distress, anxiety, or aggression, we will pull it from Day Play and suggest it receive training and experience in preparation. We offer a simple training course, "Introduction to Doggie Daycare," which teaches dogs to get along safely at our place. See the training page for more info.
  • Do you organize different playgroups based on age, size, or energy level?"
    Playgroup organization depends on the dogs we are caring for. Generally, most dogs play in one group, but sometimes we organize a small group for older, small, or shy dogs.
  • Will my dog get dirty or muddy during Day Play?
    Dogs love to roll and roughhouse, so--yes--yours might come home with dirt or mud on their coat, especially after rain or wet snow – or if it’s so dry that there’s lots of dust. We always allow our guests to play outdoors when the weather permits. We brush and spritz each dog before it leaves, but if you'd like your dog to arrive home super clean, you can have us bathe him or her before departure.
  • Are all dogs day play dogs vaccinated?
    Yes. Before booking, we confirm that all dogs planning to attend day care are up to date on Bordatella/Kennel Cough (within last six months), Distemper/Parvo, Rabies and flea/tick/lice prevention. Despite this, dogs in any group environment can transmit various diseases and parasites, but strong vaccination requirements reduce this risk.
  • Do you manage the behavior of the group?
    Yes. One of the advantages of our Day Play versus others' daycare is our behavioral supervision. Our priorities are (in order of importance): safety, quiet, and fun. Because our in-house trainer is highly experienced with behavioral issues, he trains our handlers to minimize the risk of disagreements, altercations, and injuries. They can and will happen, of course, but at Woofers they are rare because of how we actively manage the pack.
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