Pre-Trained Pet Dog Programs  

Written on May 29, 2024

Specialty Dog Training is comprised of an award winning team of certified dog trainers with decades of professional experience. We are not just great at what we do, we are incredibly passionate about dogs, dog training, canine behavior and the process of teaching and guiding you!

While many people come to us already owning a dog and seeking dog training support with their existing family pet, we also have people searching for the perfect companion to add to their lives. Bringing a dog into your life is a big commitment, and even when we have a great dog as the foundational starting point, there are so many things to consider to help match the right dog with your needs, wants and lifestyle. That’s where our pre trained family dog and trained protection dog programs take the guess work out and you rely on our 50+ years of combined experience to help you secure the best dog for you!

SDT offers varying levels of trained dogs and we make recommendations following our discovery call with you as to which program and level is the most ideal.

First, we need to identify if you’re seeking a family pet with special abilities such as:

• Protection (varying levels and options)
• Emotional Support Animal
• Service/Assistance Animal

Or, are you seeking a well trained pet dog that matches your needs, and has at minimum a foundation of obedience and house manners to help make the transition and life with your dog more enjoyable right from the start.

Our personal and family protection dog programs focus on placing trained working breeds at 3 different levels.

Much like our protection dog programs, our trained pet dog programs focus on placing a variety of breeds and mixed breeds at varying ages and also at 3 different levels. The levels provide a reference point of what the program includes, what you can expect from your dog at graduation and then the following weeks and months post graduation once settled in at home. Below we will breakdown these levels and list the main items included as well as the differences between each. Often the biggest challenge with the more advanced programs is age. Young puppies take time to mature and aren’t physically capable of completing certain commands, cues, and asks from us purely due to their maturity level, ability to retain information and what we can actually expect of them at a young age. This leaves clients with options of either still committing to a younger dog and having us start just a foundational puppy program with the first phase framework, or having us keep this younger dog longer to allow for maturity and more of a finished and trained dog.

The process is an interactive and supportive one. We have our complimentary discovery call, learn about your needs and wants, take note of things you want to avoid and then we collectively decide on the best level. From there, we review program pricing and payment options. We are fortunate to be able to offer a variety of payment options including payments plans and financing.

LEVEL 1 Trained Family / Pet Dog:

• Many different breed/breed mixes and size options for your dog (hand selected by our training team)
• Foundation basic obedience, with an emphasis on expectations on leash only.
• Crate training and house manners. We teach a command for your dog to enter the crate, be comfortable and content in the crate, and we either teach an indicator (whine, bark, scratch or similar) or a solid schedule and routine for potty breaks.
• Socialization to ensure your dog is safe and comfortable in many environments, with new people and also other dogs.
• Phase 1 vehicle manners.
• Acceptance of grooming and handling.

This program is a great fit for clients needing and wanting help to get started on the “right paw” and minimize the many hours of time and work that go into laying this foundation. It’s important to note that you are not taking home a “trained” or “finished” dog, BUT, you are taking home a new canine family member that has been carefully evaluated behaviorally and medically, has a wonderful foundation and jump start with the above and is set up for success to either cary on in the right direction or add more training over time to truly have that highly trained pet.

Level One Trained Pet Dogs range in price depending on age and if we are sourcing the dog from a reputable breeder versus adopting a dog from a rescue partner. Adoption is an easier and faster process, and it can save you thousands of dollars, help a homeless pup, but we do also work with excellent reputable breeders for many different breeds.

SDT LEVEL 1 Pre Trained Pet Dogs range in price, starting at $12,500 and up to $16,000. Pricing does not include the purchase of a pure bred dog from a reputable breeder or medical care. Pricing varies based on the a few factors as mentioned above, but the largest factor being the age of the dog (younger dogs take longer to train and mature so costs are higher).

LEVEL 2 Trained Family / Pet Dog:

SDT’s Level 2 Pre-Trained Pet Dogs have everything noted in Level 1, with the main differences being the following:

• A longer more thorough program allowing us to take the training expectations to a higher level. We move from foundational on leash basics and house manners to what we classify as Intermediate Obedience and completed house manners. A Level 2 pet dog will be proficient in advanced on leash obedience, with the ability to behave and be controlled in high level distraction environments while on leash. They will also be proficient in off leash obedience in controlled settings such as your home, back yard, and areas with reduced distractions.
• The majority of the teaching is completed but the proofing stages of certain more advanced commands and control haven’t been fully completed. A level 2 dog will be a highly trained well behaved house pet with the foundation built to take training to the fully finished advanced on and off leash end result we execute at Level 3. If your lifestyle is more focused on home life, neighborhood walks, occasional outings to pet stores, dog friendly cafe’s and similar, this could be an excellent fit for your needs.
• SDT Level 2 pre trained pet dogs will be able to take and pass a CGC (Canine Good Citizen) exam. This is the first standard in CGC testing and is an on leash test.

SDT LEVEL 2 Pre Trained Pet Dogs range in price, starting at $16,000 and up to $22,000. Pricing does not include the purchase of a pure bred dog from a reputable breeder or medical care. Pricing varies based on the a few factors as mentioned above, but the largest factor being the age of the dog (younger dogs take longer to train and mature so costs are higher).

LEVEL 3 Trained Family / Pet Dog:

SDT’s Level 3 Pre-Trained Pet Dogs have everything noted in Level 1 & 2 with the main differences being the following:

• Our level 3 pet dogs are fully proficient and responsive on and off leash regardless of environment or distraction. They have received not just the foundational teaching and reinforcement of commands in varying challenging environments, but they are also proofed in all commands. This means we have had the time to properly help the dog fully understand the cues and commands, integrate them in many settings, reinforce the expectations and finally polish and proof where it is now fair to hold the expectation of high level control.
• SDT level 3 pet dogs are also able to take and pass the following series of exams to prove their temperament and abilities. A) AKC Canine Good Citizen (CGC), B) AKC Community Canine and C) CGC Urban.
• This advanced dog training program also provides the stepping stones for emotional support dogs and service dogs. For emotional support dogs, the key difference will be us teaching 1-2 at home cues to support the handlers needs. For service dogs, we have to add task cues to support the handlers medical needs and also additional off site public access training. We ultimately add two other exams for service dogs as well. A level 3 pre trained dog is a special companion that has undergone extensive temperament assessment, obedience training, socialization and environmental exposure and is a dog that can lead an active lifestyle while showing off outstanding control at places like your home, neighborhood walks, trail hikes, camping, busy outdoor markets and shopping centers, dog friendly establishments like pet stores, hardware stores, outdoor cafes or similar, and is able to take on more environmental pressure and stress due to the preparation and prior experiences.

SDT LEVEL 3 Pre Trained Pet Dogs range in price, starting at $20,000 and up to $28,000. Pricing does not include the purchase of a pure bred dog from a reputable breeder or medical care. Pricing varies based on the a few factors as mentioned above, but the largest factor being the age of the dog (younger dogs take longer to train and mature so costs are higher).

Please note that when we start with younger dogs, the length and cost of the programs will vary as we must allow for the dog to mature and be physically and mentally capable of each phase dependent on their individual age and maturity.

For clients seeking specific breeds, we accept these program enrollments on a case by case basis following review of breed availability and costs. Clients are responsible for the training program fees, the purchase price (or adoption fee) of the dog, and all medical care needs.

SDT recommends adoption of an older puppy to young adult dog as it is much easier and less costly for us to locate dogs ages 5 months to 2 years of age through our rescue partners. We are often able to locate certain breeds via breed specific rescues. Some examples of dog breeds we have secured and trained for clients are:

• Labrador Retriever
• German Shepherd
• Golden Retriever
• Belgian Malinois
• Standard and Miniature Poodle
• Varying Doodles

And many wonderful small, medium and large mixed breed dogs

Click below to view our other trained dog programs: