Dog Training

Start by looking at your dog’s age and your top two or three frustrations. Puppy Training is designed for 8–16 week puppies and first‑time owners who need help with crate, potty, and early leash skills. Obedience Training fits families with older pups or adults who need calm at home and reliability in real‑world environments, while the Anxiety & Aggression track is reserved for dogs struggling with fear, reactivity, or more serious behavior concerns.

Puppy Training focuses on confident crate time, reliable potty routines, name recognition, and early loose‑leash skills so your puppy learns how to live peacefully in your home from day one. Sessions also cover place/settle, door and greeting manners, guest routines, and early AKC Canine Good Citizen foundations, and include a branded cot to make “place” work simple. Most puppies follow a 6‑week, once‑a‑week in‑home format so families can practice between visits without feeling overwhelmed.

Obedience Training is built for families who want predictable, calm behavior at home and polite, focused behavior in public. Core skills include a reliable place/settle, leash focus around real‑world distractions, calm household energy, and manners at doors, around food, and on neighborhood walks. By the end of the program, most dogs can join family activities—meals, walks, errands—with far less pulling, jumping, or chaos.

The Anxiety & Aggression program is for dogs whose emotions are getting in the way of everyday life—reactivity on walks, growling at guests, fear in public, or explosive responses to triggers. Instead of only teaching more commands, the plan focuses on low-stress assessments, desensitization, counterconditioning, and confidence‑building so your dog can think instead of just react. Every plan is customized to your dog’s specific triggers and can include a pathway toward AKC CGC readiness once safety and stability are in place.

Yes. For dogs who already have a good foundation, there is a dedicated CGC preparation track focused on the 10 CGC test items—friendly greetings, polite handling, loose‑leash walking, crowd work, stays, recalls, neutral dog passes, distractions, and supervised separation. Programs typically run 6–8 weeks with a 90 percent first‑attempt pass rate, and testing can be done by an in‑house AKC CGC evaluator. Many families layer this on after Puppy or Obedience Training for a clear, standards‑driven milestone.

Most families meet once a week so they have time to practice between visits. Puppy Training is usually structured as a 6‑week progression; Obedience Training commonly runs 8–12 weeks depending on goals; Anxiety & Aggression work ranges from 4–12 weeks based on severity. Each visit is focused and practical, with clear homework so you always know exactly what to do before the next session.

Every program is delivered where your dog actually lives—your house, your yard, your neighborhood, and your usual walking routes across the Kansas City metro. Trainers coach you through real scenarios like door greetings, family dinners, kids’ routines, and park walks, then adjust the plan around your actual schedule (evenings, weekends, or busy weekday mornings). That way, skills don’t just work in a classroom; they hold up during your real life.

Yes. The program table on the page outlines typical paths, but each plan is tailored after your trainer sees your home, your dog, and your goals. Families with multiple dogs, children, or specific lifestyle needs (travel, apartments, frequent guests) can have the curriculum adjusted so everyone follows the same clear set of rules. The focus is always on standards that fit your life, not a one‑size‑fits‑all checklist.

Every Marquis program is a flat price, not an estimate. Marquis Start (Puppy Training) is $2,699, Marquis Family (Obedience Training) is $2,899, and Marquis Freedom (Anxiety & Aggression, up to off-leash reliability) is $3,899. AKC Canine Good Citizen (CGC) preparation is available as an add-on with our in-house evaluator. Every program includes weekly in-home sessions and support between visits. Payment plans are available, and your free assessment confirms the right fit before you commit.

Programs are led by a trainer who is an AKC Canine Good Citizen evaluator with advanced education in positive reinforcement and behavior modification. Experience includes hundreds of successful dog transformations across puppies, family companions, and reactive or rescue dogs, supported by full insurance and Animal Bailee protection for your peace of mind. This combination of real‑world case work and formal certification keeps your program both humane and standards‑driven.

Behavior involves your dog, your environment, and your family’s follow‑through, so no ethical trainer can promise identical results for every household. Instead, each program sets clear, realistic goals for things like crate comfort, leash behavior, household manners, and public confidence, and gives you step‑by‑step coaching to reach them. The commitment is simple: if a standard is set for your family, the trainer will stay focused on it and end sessions on a positive, achievable win.

Begin by completing the short online form or 3‑minute survey linked on the Our Programs page so your trainer can understand your dog’s age, history, and your top concerns. From there, you’ll schedule an in‑home consultation where a custom plan is mapped to Puppy, Obedience, Anxiety & Aggression, or CGC preparation as needed. You leave that first visit with a clear path, estimated timeline, and next steps for creating a calmer home and a more confident dog.