Raise & Train in Kansas City
Book a free phone consultationYou're not alone
They took our 4 month lab puppy and instilled a great foundation in him and us for a lifetime of success.
Training In Action
Oops, the videos are buried.
We're digging them up. Training clips coming soon!
What Is a Raise & Train?
This is for people who want their dog raised properly. A three or four week board and train gets a lot done, but the deepest level comes down to time: the more time I have to ingrain the behaviors, the more solid they become. Two to three months with me builds an unparalleled foundation, with enough owner practice along the way that you end up truly confident handling your dog, anywhere.
Raised, Not Just Trained
For at least two months your dog lives as part of my family, around my kids and my own dogs. The change comes from time and lifestyle: a dog raised under structure, not a rushed few weeks of drilling.
Socialized Everywhere I Go
Hardware stores, parks, car rides, kids' events, my appointments, around other dogs: basically anywhere a dog can go, your dog goes. They practice calm behavior in every distraction Kansas City can offer, every single day, until going anywhere together feels normal.
Obedience as the New Baseline
This isn't more reps: it's a new normal. Over months, the patterns get so ingrained that calm, responsive behavior becomes your dog's default state, with my own dogs modeling it every day.
Dogs Learn From Dogs
Dogs learn from other dogs far more than people realize. My dogs model calm behavior all day, I model how to lead them, and then I teach you to hold the same boundaries. Because dogs don't do gray areas: give them an inch of gray and they take it, and they don't give it back. Months of clear, consistent boundaries is what makes this stick.
The Handback
Early in the stay we meet a little less, every week or every couple of weeks, while I focus on ingraining the foundation. Then you learn in pieces through check-in sessions, and get a full handoff and coaching so the change holds at your house. And I stay in your corner for the life of your dog.
One Dog, By Application
I take one dog at a time, so yours gets all of my attention. Fair warning: your dog still won't be a robot, and if you don't hold the boundaries, any dog will test them. It's a serious investment that isn't right for most people. But if you want a foundation you can build anything on, this is it. If in-home training gets you there for a fraction of the price, I'll tell you on the phone.
From First Call to Lasting Change
-
Free phone consultation
We start with your dog's background and story. Then I walk you through how I train, what we'll work on, and how it all works, including pricing, payment plans, and the package I'd recommend. I'm a coach here to teach and guide you, and I'm always here for advice and feedback.
-
First session
We meet at your house. We go back over everything together, and I see it all in your world, where the behavior actually happens, so I get an even better understanding of what's happening and why. Then we start the foundation: building the behaviors you want, stopping the ones you don't. You leave with specific skills to practice: 10 to 20 minutes, 3 to 5 days a week.
-
Follow-up sessions
Every 2 to 3 weeks. You do the work between visits, then we do three things: troubleshoot what came up and adjust, build on the skills you have or add new ones, and keep moving toward your goals. Dogs are moldable. Usually it's just that the human hasn't had the right information yet.
-
Lifetime Support Guarantee
Every program includes call, text, and email support for as long as you have your dog. Any hands-on sessions down the road are paid, but I'll always be honest about whether you actually need one.
How Often Do We Train
Homework built into your life
You don't need an hour a day. You just need 10 to 20 minutes practicing specific skills that fold into your routine. No drilling: short, engaging work that's actually fun to do with your dog, practiced around real events. The doorbell stuff when the doorbell rings, the leash stuff on walks you already take.
Sessions are every 2 to 3 weeks on purpose: low pressure for your dog, for you, and for me. You get plenty of time to practice and feel confident. Three to five short reps a week isn't a New Year's goal, but a habit you can keep.
What every package includes
One-on-one, in-home training sessions, about an hour long.
A plan tailored to you, your dog, your household, and your lifestyle.
Every dog in your home included, with no per-dog charge.
Unlimited text, call, and email support between sessions.
Equipment guidance: what to use and how to use it.
I come to you, anywhere in the Kansas City metro.
Lifetime support: text, call, and email, plus another session if we ever need it.
Raise & Train pricing
2-month immersion
$10,000
The full reset: raised in my home, one dog at a time.
Book a free phone consultation
2-Month Raise & Train
$10,000
Your dog lives as part of my family for two months and is raised through real life: my kids, my dogs, errands, parks, everywhere I go. By application, one dog at a time. Client covers food and training supplies.
- Two full months living in my home
- Daily real-world outings across Kansas City
- Pack learning alongside my own two dogs
- Check-in sessions during the stay so you learn as we go
- Full handoff plan plus follow-up coaching
- Lifetime support for the life of your dog
3-month immersion
$15,000
A full season of structure through adolescence.
Book a free phone consultation
3-Month Raise & Train
$15,000
The longest runway I offer: three months of raising under structure, ideal for puppies growing through adolescence or serious cases that need a true reset. By application, one dog at a time. Client covers food and training supplies.
- Three full months living in my home
- Raised through adolescence under structure
- Daily outings: stores, parks, car rides, patios
- Check-in sessions during the stay so the learning comes in pieces
- Full handoff plan plus follow-up coaching
- Lifetime support for the life of your dog
Frequently asked questions
Why is Raise & Train by application?
I take one dog at a time, so yours gets all of my attention. It honestly isn't for everyone: if in-home training gets you there for a fraction of this, I'll tell you on the phone.
What isn't included in the price?
You cover your dog's food and training supplies during the stay. The raising, the daily outings, the check-in sessions, and the follow-up coaching are all part of the program.
How do I learn what my dog learned?
In pieces, through check-in sessions during the stay, then a full handoff plus coaching so the change holds at your house. And I stay in your corner for the life of your dog.
Wondering if Raise & Train is the right fit?
Free phone consultationAn Investment in Yourself and Your Dog
Training your dog the right way is an investment: your peace of mind, your dog's future, and honestly your next dogs too. I know my training isn't cheap, but sometimes you have to invest to get the results you want. My program isn't right for everyone, and that's okay. If it sounds like a fit, let's schedule a consultation. If it's not, no hard feelings.
Meet Andrew
When you hire Good Dogz KC, you get me every session, not a rotating staff. You're paying for quality, educated information: not from somebody who's still learning, but from an expert who's been doing this with dogs of all ages, sizes, and breeds for nearly seven years. I've worked with thousands of dogs, I've had hundreds of dogs board and train at my house, and I've lived with them around kids, around other dogs, navigating new places, new houses, and new people. I have a training program that works.
What I care about isn't an obedient robot. It's a calm dog and a household that finally feels easy. Obedience is a great tool, but it's skill-based; it doesn't manage how a dog feels under stress. So I start with the emotional side, helping your dog actually settle, and use clear, fair boundaries to get there.
If you're reading this, you already know you're the one who needs the education. It's not that you can't do it; you've never been taught the skill. So how could you teach it to your dog? My program starts with a foundation and moves into harder and harder things as we progress, keeping it low stress. Progress happens over time; it's behavior. And these are normal things: every dog owner is dealing with something, and all dogs, just like humans, have things they could use help with.
My job is to be your coach and your mentor. I'm never going to tell you "you have to do this." I'm a resource and a springboard: I'll give you advice, tell you honestly what's worked and what hasn't across the thousands of dogs I've trained, and I'll always be in your corner. My goal is to see you and your dog succeed. This is an investment, and it isn't cheap, but you'll learn a skill that lasts the rest of your dog's life and every dog after: from then on it's troubleshooting, not starting from scratch.
We highly recommend Good Dogz to set your pup and you up for success! The earlier start the better!
Book your free phone consultation
Raise & Train FAQs
What people ask about the deep-immersion program.
What exactly is Raise & Train?
Raise & Train is my deepest program: your dog lives and trains with me for at least two months, and I take on just one dog at a time so it gets my full attention. It grew out of the hundreds of board and trains I've done over the years, but it's longer and goes further, closer to raising the dog than boarding it. Your dog learns in real life, around my family and my own dogs, not sitting in a kennel. And it still ends the way all my training does, with me coaching you so the results actually stick once your dog comes home.
How much does Raise & Train cost, and how long does it take?
It starts at $10,000 and runs a minimum of two months, often longer depending on your dog and your goals. You also cover your dog's food and training supplies during the program. It's a real investment and I'm upfront about that, this is the deep end, not a quick fix. For a lot of families, in-home coaching gets them where they want to be for a fraction of this, and I'll tell you honestly if that's the better call for you.
Who is Raise & Train actually for?
It's for the owner who wants the deepest possible transformation and would rather I do the heavy lifting up front, or for a serious case where full immersion genuinely moves faster. Because I only take one dog at a time and pour months into it, I'm selective about which dogs I bring on. It isn't right for everyone, and that's okay. On the free phone consultation I'll give you my honest read on whether it's the right fit or whether we get you there another way.
How do I apply?
Start with a free phone consultation. Tell me about your dog, what you're dealing with, and what you're hoping for, and we'll talk through whether Raise & Train is the right fit. Since I only run one at a time, spots are limited and it's by application, so the sooner we talk the better. If it's a match, I'll walk you through exactly how it works and what happens next.
Do you use e-collars / "shock collars"? Is that safe?
Yes, I use an e-collar. It's a communication tool, like a tap on the shoulder: a leash for when your dog is off leash. It's not punishment and it's not a forever tool; it's there to help your dog build boundaries while we train. It has three core functions: a low-level stim that guides your dog like a leash (come back to me), a higher adjustable level, and a vibrate that teaches your dog to move away from things they shouldn't get into. I use it for recall, off-leash walking, boundary setting, and stopping unwanted behaviors like barking or digging. The level is Goldilocks, like a hot stove: your dog has to notice it's on, but it can never be painful, and it can't be so low they don't care. Just enough for them to pick a different choice. Pair that with a positive path that still gets them what they want, and your dog learns there are two avenues to the same result. Over time their brain naturally rewires toward the behaviors we want.
Will this actually work for my dog? Is my dog too far gone?
That's up to how hard you want to work for it. All dogs, just like humans, can change; how far they go depends on how committed you are. I've had really hard behavioral cases do phenomenally well because the owners put in the work: they invested in themselves, invested in their dog, spent the time, and succeeded. If you want results without putting anything in, you'll fail. That's why I build training into your everyday life. I'm a busy father with kids, my own dogs, and client dogs, so I know exactly how important your time is: 10 to 20 minutes, 3 to 5 times a week. You don't need an hour a day and you don't have to train every day. You just have to be consistent over time, with guidance and expertise on what to do next. And for what it's worth, rescues with unknown histories are most of my work, and age isn't a wall (dogs aren't even mentally mature till around three).
We tried training before and it didn't stick.
Common, and it makes sense. Group classes teach your dog a cue ("sit," "stay"); they don't teach you how to hold a boundary. And for a lot of dogs, a group class is just too much: they're past their threshold and can't pay attention. It's like taking your kid to a playground and trying to teach them math. That's not setting them up for success. Group classes are great for dogs that can already handle that environment, but if your dog hasn't learned that skill yet, you're going to fail. That's why I start training in your house: fewer distractions, so we can practice and build a solid foundation. Then we work your neighborhood as your dog gets confident, then bigger and more chaotic environments: more stimulation, more dogs, more real life. Laying the foundation is everything.
How often are sessions, and how much homework is it?
Sessions are every 2 to 3 weeks, on purpose, so you're never overwhelmed and the change has time to stick (it's reps in real life between sessions, not a cram). Homework is about 10 to 20 minutes a few days a week, built into your normal routine and practiced in the moments the behavior already happens (the walk, the doorbell, dinnertime), not an hour of drilling sits and downs. As for sessions and cost: packages are 4, 6, or 8 one-hour in-home sessions, most people start with 6, and all the dogs in your home are included. When you're ready, you can either schedule a free phone consultation, or pick your package up above and sign up right away.