Dog Training in Strafford, MO
Obedience lessons, board and train and puppy work for Strafford dogs, from the highest-rated dog trainers in Southwest Missouri.
Book a Free Consultation
Tell us about your dog and we'll call you back, usually same day.
"*" indicates required fields
Commands that hold on Main Street, whichever one you are on
Strafford is part of the Springfield metro, so owners here can pick weekly private lessons or an immersive board and train. Puppies under five months start with reward-based marker work and move up when they are ready.
Built for how Strafford dogs actually live
Strafford sits in eastern Greene County, with a small part reaching into Webster County, and it has been a railroad town since it was laid out in 1870. It is within the area we cover, so lessons and board and train are both realistic options for Strafford owners.
Ripley's Believe It or Not! once named Strafford the only town in the United States with two main streets and no back alleys: when Route 66 was built behind the businesses, the owners simply added new front doors. Traffic, storefront sidewalks and people stopping to say hello are exactly the kind of setting a Strafford dog has to stay calm and responsive in.
That is the standard we train to: the command works the first time, outdoors, with distractions nearby. It is why we train in unfamiliar places rather than in your living room, and why off-leash work belongs to the two week board and train rather than to a lesson package.
What your dog learns with us in Strafford
The core commands
Come, sit, place, down, heel and off. The same six commands sit at the base of every Off Leash K9 package, whether you train in lessons or send your dog for board and train.
Loose-leash walking
The fourth basic obedience lesson is loose-leash walking, so your dog walks beside you instead of towing you down the sidewalk. A 15 ft training leash is included with the package.
Off-leash reliability
Built through the two week board and train, where your dog works off leash, outdoors, with real distractions in play. It is a board and train outcome, not something lessons alone deliver.
Manners that hold up in public
Door, greeting and meal manners, plus socialization around people and other dogs and high-level distraction proofing, all covered in the two week board and train.
Daily updates, then a full handover
Your trainer sends daily updates with a photo or video while your dog is with them, and finishes with a two hour one-on-one session showing you how to handle everything your dog has learned.
Dog training programs for Strafford owners
Every package below is on our plans and pricing page. Payment plans are available. Call us today to learn more about payment options.
Basic Obedience
Four one-on-one hour lessons on the core commands, finishing with loose-leash walking. E-collar and 15 ft training leash included.
Basic & Advanced Obedience
Eight one-on-one hour lessons. Adds distance down, sit in motion or touch, and come to heel on top of the basic curriculum.
2 Week Board & Train
Two weeks living and training with your trainer. Practical everyday obedience finished off leash, outside, with distractions, plus manners and socialization.
1 Week Board & Train
One week with your trainer covering all of the basic commands, then a two hour handover session. This program is on leash, not off leash.
Behavior Modification Board & Train
For dogs struggling with dog-on-dog or dog-on-human aggression. Three weeks board and train plus three one-hour sessions, with muzzle training instruction.
Basic Marker Mastery™
Four reward-based one-hour sessions. The starting point for puppies under five months, introducing come, sit, place and loose-leash walking.
What Southwest Missouri dog owners say
“We did the 2 week board and train for our very difficult doodle. McKenzie did a great job with him. We received daily updates and videos and she was very honest and open about his progress and struggles. It was hard to be away from our dog for two weeks but absolutely worth it.…”
“We have a 2 year-old Goldendoodle who recently went through the two-week board and train program and the results were AMAZING! From intake through the last day of training, the staff was so helpful and reassuring. Miss Kasey, our trainer, was the ABSOLUTE BEST!…”
“Off Leash was AMAZING! We did the 2 week training and we got back a different dog! When we picked her up and the trainer spent 2.5 hours with us explaining how to use the equipment and how to continue with the commands. The daily updates were great, we got pictures and videos of her having fun and working hard. Worth every penny!”
Dog training in Strafford, answered
Do you train dogs in Strafford, MO?
Yes. Strafford is inside the area Off Leash K9 Training Southwest Missouri covers. We are not a walk-in storefront, so your trainer confirms the training location with you when you book. One thing worth knowing up front: we generally do not train dogs inside your house. It is easy for a dog to listen at home, and a dog that only listens at home has not really learned the command. Training in an unfamiliar place, with distractions, is what makes obedience hold up anywhere.
How does board and train work if I live in Strafford?
You drop your dog off and pick them up, which is the part most Strafford owners ask about first. For the one and two week programs your dog lives and trains at the trainer's home for the whole stay, not in a kennel run. You get daily updates with a photo or video of the work, and at the end you sit down for a two hour one-on-one session where your trainer shows you exactly how to handle everything your dog has learned so it holds up once you are home.
How much does dog training cost in Strafford?
Obedience lessons start at $750 for the four-lesson basic package and $1,100 for the eight-lesson basic and advanced package. Board and train runs $1,950 for one week, $3,150 for two weeks, and $4,150 for the behavior modification program. Every price is listed on the plans and pricing page. Payment plans are available. Call us today to learn more about payment options. Those prices are the same wherever you drive in from, including Strafford.
How old does my puppy have to be before training starts?
We do not start e-collar training until a dog is at least five months old, and that is our own stated rule on the FAQ page, not a rough guide. If your puppy is younger than that, Basic Marker Mastery is the right starting point: four reward-based sessions using a clicker and marker work to build come, sit, place and loose-leash walking. There is also a 10-Day Pawsitive Foundation Puppy Board and Train for puppies between twelve and twenty-four weeks. Families in Strafford usually start there and move up once the puppy is old enough.
How long does board and train take, and what do I do at the end?
The one week program covers all the basic commands on leash, and the two week program finishes practical obedience off leash, outside, with distractions, plus manners and socialization. Both end with a two hour one-on-one session where your trainer shows you how to handle everything your dog has learned, so the training carries on at home. Plan on keeping up the practice afterward. The owners who get the most from it are the ones who use the commands every day.
Serving Southwest Missouri
Ready for a dog that listens in Strafford?
Book your free phone consultation and we will recommend the right program for your dog and your goals, or compare every package and price first.