Board and Train
Foundation Camp
Come home to a dog that finally listens at the door, on a walk, and around guests.
Cave Creek · Our 1997 Founding Location
Dog Training in Cave Creek for Dogs Who Live in the High Desert
This is where Partners began in 1997, and our founder still lives on the property. Out here a dog has to handle off-leash trails, rattlesnakes, and javelinas in the wash, so that is exactly what we prepare them for.
Are there board and train programs near Cave Creek?
Yes. Our founding Cave Creek campus at 4640 E Forest Pleasant Pl, 85331, sits just north of Lone Mountain and runs every program in one place: board-and-train camps, DaySchool, boarding, grooming, and rattlesnake avoidance. Leighton Oosthuisen has lived on this property since the school opened in 1997, so the desert savvy baked into our training is the real thing. We prepare dogs for the life this town actually demands, recall that holds on a Spur Cross trail, calm around horses and coyotes, and the instinct to back away from a rattler.
OUR FOUNDING LOCATION
Where Partners Dogs Started, In 1997
Cave Creek is home base. Leighton Oosthuisen opened Partners on this desert property in 1997 and still lives on site, which is why an owner is here overnight for every boarding guest. Nearly three decades later it is still the campus where our methodology was built and proven.
Everything happens in one place your dog comes to know: board-and-train camps, DaySchool, luxury-suite boarding, grooming, group classes, and rattlesnake avoidance. Same building, same team from day one, no handoffs to strangers.
WHY PARTNERS DOGS
Our Mission and Philosophy
Our mission is to give every pet parent and their dog an extraordinary education and a lifelong, delightful relationship. That has held true on this rustic desert campus since 1997. We are balanced, tool-agnostic trainers. We use whatever serves the dog and the family best, from treats and markers to slip leads, prong collars, and e-collars. Tools do not cause harm. People do. The trainer's skill is what determines the outcome.
REAL TERRAIN, REAL RESULTS
Distraction-Proofing You Cannot Get Indoors
A polished indoor room is a controlled environment. The Sonoran desert is not. Out here your dog learns to hold a recall with quail flushing from the brush, to settle when a horse and rider pass on the trail, and to keep focus around the coyotes and javelinas that actually share this land.
Dogs trained on our wide-open property generalize their obedience faster, because they are already working in the real Arizona conditions they live in every day. That is the difference between a dog that behaves in class and a dog that behaves on a Spur Cross trail.
WHAT DO YOU WANT TO WORK ON?
Every Program Runs at Cave Creek
Every Partners program runs at our Cave Creek campus, our founding location since 1997. Choose the path that fits your dog.
Board and Train
Behavior Modification
Behavior Camp
Walk your reactive dog past another dog without the lunging, barking, and dread.
Our Deepest Reset
Transform Camp
For the bites, the fear, and the cases other trainers turned down, real change is still possible.
Daily Structure
DaySchool and DayCamp
Drop off a restless dog and pick up a tired, better-behaved one, every single day.
Overnight Stays
Luxury Boarding
Travel without the guilt, with a calm suite, real attention, and training that keeps going.
Desert Safety
Snake Avoidance
Teach your dog to catch a rattlesnake's scent and walk away, before it becomes an emergency.
One-on-One Coaching
Private Lessons
One-on-one coaching that fixes the exact thing driving you crazy, on your schedule.
Pet Parenting Program
Group Classes
Where new puppies start and good dogs get great, across eight levels from Pre-School to Dogtorate.
THE PEOPLE ON THE PROPERTY
Meet Our Cave Creek Team
Leighton Oosthuisen, Founder and President. Opened Partners here in 1997 and still lives on site, an owner overnight for every guest.View Profile
Megan Fiedler, Head Trainer and Location Manager. With Partners since 2016, she takes the behavior cases other schools turn away.View Profile
Noa Holt-Shannon, Team Success Manager. With Partners since 2018, coaching team and parents so results hold at home.View Profile
Monica Jensen, DaySchool and Boarding Manager. Teaches Pre-School Puppy and Zoomers Agility.View Profile
Explore in 360
Walk the Property in 360, Right Now
Drag to look around the lobby, training hall, play yards, and boarding suites, then click your way across the property gate by gate.
TAKE A LOOK INSIDE
Tour the Cave Creek Property on Video
Walk the founding property before you ever visit. Start with the short program tours filmed right here in the high desert, then watch the full property walkthrough below.
PD360 Assessment at Cave Creek
Rattlesnake Avoidance at Cave Creek
DaySchool at Cave Creek
Three program tours filmed on this property. The full walkthrough with our team follows below.
PLAN YOUR VISIT
Hours, Address and Contact
Hours
Office and DayCampMon to Fri, 8am to 5pm
Sat, 8am to 2pm
Sun, closed
Sat, 8am to 2pm
Sun, closed
DaySchoolMon to Fri, 7am to 6pm
Sat, 8am to 4pm
Sun, closed
Sat, 8am to 4pm
Sun, closed
Visit Us
4640 E Forest Pleasant Pl
Cave Creek, AZ 85331
One block north of Lone Mountain off Cave Creek Rd, with on-site parking inside the gate.
Contact
THE NORTH VALLEY'S HOME CAMPUS
Training Dogs From Carefree to New River Since 1997
We know Spur Cross and Seven Springs trails, Black Mountain horse traffic, and the wildlife your dog will meet. We have trained this land for nearly three decades.
- Carefree Our next-door neighbor.
- Desert Hills Straight along Carefree Highway.
- New River An easy drive, no freeway.
- Anthem Down the I-17 corridor.
- North Scottsdale Often your closer campus north of Lone Mountain.
- Phoenix Worth the drive for desert terrain training.
WHAT FAMILIES SAY
What Our Cave Creek Families Are Saying
Real reviews from real Partners Dogs families. 4.8 stars across more than 2,000 reviews.
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Come Walk the Property Where It All Started
Book a tour of our Cave Creek campus and see the desert training grounds for yourself. Not sure which program fits? A PD360 Assessment gives you a clear plan built into PD360 for your dog before you commit to anything.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the address and hours of the Partners Dogs Cave Creek location?
Our Cave Creek facility is at 4640 E Forest Pleasant Pl, Cave Creek, AZ 85331, one block north of Lone Mountain and Cave Creek Road, about 10 minutes north of the 101.
Office hours are Monday through Friday 8am to 5pm and Saturday 8am to 2pm. Sunday is closed.
DaySchool runs extended hours: Monday through Friday 7am to 6pm and Saturday 8am to 4pm.
This is our founding location, opened by Leighton Oosthuisen in 1997. Call 480-595-6700 or visit our Cave Creek location page for directions.
Which Partners Dogs location should I choose: Scottsdale or Cave Creek?
Both campuses run the same programs, methodology, and quality, Foundation Camp, Behavior Camp, Transform Camp, DaySchool, group classes, private lessons, boarding, and rattlesnake avoidance.
The difference comes down to facility and geography. Our Scottsdale campus at 8642 E Shea Blvd is the convenient choice for families in central Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, and the 101 corridor. Our Cave Creek campus is our founding location on a sprawling Sonoran desert property, ideal for off-leash recall, real-terrain distraction work, and dogs that share their world with horses, javelinas, and coyotes. Call 480-595-6700 and we will help you pick the campus that fits your dog best.
Is someone at the Cave Creek facility overnight?
Yes. One of the owners lives on the same property at our Cave Creek facility, providing overnight oversight and security for every boarding guest.
Dogs rest on raised Kuranda cots in clean, climate-aware luxury suites with constant access to fresh water and frequent rotations throughout the day.
Are all Partners Dogs programs offered at both locations?
Yes. Every Partners Dogs program runs at both Scottsdale and Cave Creek, same methodology, same trainer standards, same results.
That includes:
- Foundation Camp (14-night board and train)
- Behavior Camp (21-night behavior modification)
- Transform Camp (28-night intensive)
- DaySchool and daycare
- Group classes (all 8 grade levels from Pre-School through Dogtorate, plus Agility)
- Rattlesnake avoidance
- Boarding and private lessons
Call 480-595-6700 and we will help you choose the campus that fits your dog's training environment best.
Can I tour the Partners Dogs Cave Creek facility before enrolling?
Yes. You can schedule a facility tour at our Cave Creek campus any time during office hours (Monday through Friday 8am to 5pm, Saturday 8am to 2pm).
On a tour you will see our sprawling desert training property, natural outdoor work areas, luxury boarding suites with raised Kuranda cots, and the wide-open space where dogs generalize their obedience in everyday Arizona conditions.
Call 480-595-6700 or schedule a tour online to lock in a time.
Where does my dog sleep at the Cave Creek facility?
Dogs rest on raised Kuranda cots inside our climate-aware luxury suites, with plenty of room to stretch out and settle.
Every guest has constant access to fresh water and is rotated frequently throughout the day for potty breaks and enrichment. One of the owners lives on the same property, providing overnight oversight. Suite stays are included for board-and-train programs.
Where can I get rattlesnake avoidance training near Cave Creek?
Right here at our Cave Creek campus. We run rattlesnake avoidance training on the same Sonoran desert property where local dogs actually encounter snakes, and we recommend an annual refresher to keep the response sharp.
Call 480-595-6700 to book the next clinic.