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Frequently asked questions about Partners Dogs
Find your answer
Are you tired of apologizing for your dog's behavior? Are you looking for the perfect place to watch your dog while you're out of town? Are you looking for a place to drain your dog's energy while improving its socialization? With 100+ years of combined dog training experience, and 55,000+ dogs trained, we have seen it all. Whatever your needs, let Partners Dog School join you on the journey to a delightful relationship with your dog.
Most asked
Top questions
The questions our enrollment team hears most. Start here.
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Yes. We offer 3, 6, and 12 month payment plans through financing partners. Monthly payments start around $273/mo for Foundation Camp on a 12-month term. Apply online for a same-day decision.
Yes. We offer 3, 6, and 12 month payment plans through our financing partners. Most families can apply online and get a decision the same day.
Monthly payment examples on a 12-month term:
- Foundation Camp: ~$273/mo ($3,276 total)
- Behavior Camp: ~$497/mo ($5,964 total)
- Transform Camp: ~$709/mo ($8,509 total)
These examples assume no interest; actual terms, rates, and approval are determined by the financing provider.
See our financing page for full details or talk through a custom plan.
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Foundation Camp starts at $3,276 (14 nights), Behavior Camp at $5,964 (21 nights), Transform Camp at $8,509 (28 nights). All include private lessons and group classes. Memberships from $199/mo, drop-in classes $65, PD360 assessment $199. Financing available.
Our three core board-and-train programs at our Scottsdale and Cave Creek facilities:
- Foundation Camp — $3,276 (suite: $3,486), 14-night obedience and manners program
- Behavior Camp — $5,964 (suite: $6,279), 21-night behavior modification for reactivity, anxiety, and reactive bites
- Transform Camp — $8,509 (suite: $8,929), 28-night intensive for multi-bite histories, family-member bites, or outward aggression
All include private lessons for your family, DaySchool/DayCamp days, and Pet Parenting group classes.
Other options:
- PD360 Assessment: $199 (discounts often available for families ready to sign up for a program)
- DaySchool memberships: $199-$599/mo
- Group classes: $65 drop-in
- Rattlesnake Avoidance: $109
- Private lessons: paid in full at booking
See our full pricing guide or request a custom quote. Financing is available.
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Three required vaccines: Bordetella, Rabies, and Distemper/Parvo (DHPP). All vaccines must be given at least one week before arrival. We verify with your vet, the Pet Parent Portal, or by email before check-in.
All dogs at Partners Dogs facilities must be current on these three core vaccines:
- Bordetella (kennel cough) — typically annually
- Rabies — typically 1-3 years depending on vaccine type
- Distemper/Parvo (DHPP or DA2PP) — typically annually or every 3 years
All vaccines must be given at least one week before arrival to allow immunity to develop. We verify records with your vet directly, through the Pet Parent Portal, or by email before check-in.
Dogs showing signs of illness (vomiting, diarrhea, coughing, lethargy, parasites) may be refused service. If symptoms develop while your dog is in our care, you'll be asked to pick up promptly. Dogs in heat are not permitted in daycare or group settings.
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48 hours' notice or more = store credit toward a future program (no cash refunds). Inside 48 hours, credit may be limited. The $100 camp deposit is nonrefundable. Memberships need 30 days' notice. Reach out early at 480-595-6700.
Our cancellation policy across programs:
- 48 hours’ notice or more — store credit toward a future program, class, or service. (Refunds are issued as store credit only, not cash back.)
- Less than 48 hours — credit may be limited or unavailable depending on the program and trainer time already blocked.
- Camp reservations — the $100 reservation deposit is nonrefundable because it blocks trainer time on the calendar.
- Monthly memberships — 30 days’ written notice required to cancel.
- Boarding — 48+ hours before check-in to preserve your deposit.
Plans change — reach out as early as you can at 480-595-6700 or enroll@partnersdogs.com. Full terms at /terms-of-service.
See also:
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Your dog pulls because every tight-leash step has rewarded the pulling — they got closer to whatever they wanted. It's not stubbornness or personality, it's mechanics no one has taught yet. Loose-leash walking is highly teachable.
Dogs pull because pulling works. Every step you take while the leash is tight, your dog has just been rewarded for pulling — they got closer to whatever they wanted. After a few hundred reps, the dog has learned that tight leash equals forward motion. The fix is not a stronger collar, it is changing what tight-leash predicts.
A few common contributors we see in Scottsdale and Cave Creek:
- Under-exercised dogs are carrying too much energy onto the leash from the start.
- High-drive breeds (huskies, shepherds, hounds, sporting breeds) have generations of selection pressure for pulling and running ahead.
- Never-taught loose-leash mechanics — most dogs were simply never shown that a loose leash is what produces forward motion.
Loose-leash walking is one of the most teachable skills in dog training. It is not personality. It is mechanics that no one has installed yet.
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Refunds are issued as store credit only, not cash back. 48 hours' notice or more = store credit. Inside 48 hours, credit may be limited. The $100 reservation deposit is nonrefundable. If trajectory isn't visible at 30 days, we adjust the plan or credit the unused portion.
The simple version: cancellations are handled as store credit, not cash refunds.
- 48 hours’ notice or more — store credit toward a future program, class, or service.
- Less than 48 hours — credit may be limited or unavailable depending on the program and trainer time blocked.
- Camp reservation deposits ($100) — nonrefundable. They block trainer time on the calendar.
- Boarding — 48+ hours before check-in to preserve your deposit.
Trajectory check: if we’re not seeing trajectory after the first 30 days of a training program, we’ll either adjust the plan at no extra cost or issue store credit on the unused portion. We’d rather have an honest conversation early than keep collecting payments on a plan that isn’t working.
Full terms at /terms-of-service.
See also:
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Barking is five different problems that look the same — alert, demand, anxiety, boredom, and reactivity. Each one needs a different fix. Treating all barking the same is why most correction-based approaches fail.
“Barking at everything” is rarely one problem — it is usually two or three problems happening in the same dog. We sort barking into five categories and the fix is different for each:
- Alert barking — something moved, the dog sounds the alarm. Normal in moderation, problem when it cannot stop.
- Demand barking — the dog wants something (attention, food, the door opened) and is using volume to get it. Learned behavior.
- Anxiety barking — the dog is barking when alone or in unfamiliar situations. Fear-driven, not discipline-driven.
- Boredom barking — too much energy, too little stimulation. Common in the Arizona summer when outdoor time is limited.
- Reactivity barking — barking at the trigger of another dog, person, or vehicle (covered in our leash reactivity guide).
Treating all barking the same way is why so many owners try correction after correction and get nowhere. Knowing which type you have is the first step.
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It takes systematic desensitization to departure cues, graduated absences starting from seconds, independence work at home, and broader confidence-building. At Partners Dogs this is a Behavior Camp case paired with private lessons in your actual home.
Real separation anxiety responds to a structured behavior modification protocol, not generic obedience work. At Partners Dogs we treat it through Behavior Camp paired with in-home private lessons. The core components:
- Systematic desensitization to departure cues. Keys, shoes, bag, coat — your dog reads these like a countdown. We decouple them from your actual leaving by performing them dozens of times a day without leaving.
- Graduated absences. Starting from absences your dog can handle without panic — sometimes just five seconds — and building duration in small steps.
- Independence work at home. A dog who shadows you everywhere when you are home does not have the practice of being alone — we build that capacity first.
- Confidence work in general. Place commands, structured walks, and impulse control training all build the dog's sense of being okay on their own.
This is one area where DIY rarely succeeds because the steps are too small to feel like progress and the timeline is too long to sustain alone. Get professional eyes on it.
Where we are
Locations
Scottsdale, Cave Creek, hours, parking, what each campus is best at. Grouped by location to make it easier to scan.
Both Locations & Service Area
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Both locations offer the same programs, methodology, and quality — Foundation Camp, Behavior Camp, Transform Camp, DaySchool, daycare, group classes, private lessons, boarding, and rattlesnake avoidance.
The differences come down to facility and geography:
- Scottsdale (Shea & 101): Modern, indoor, climate-controlled facility with expanded indoor training rooms, a dedicated DaySchool wing, upgraded boarding suites, and overnight staff on-site. Best for families in central Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Gainey Ranch, Grayhawk, DC Ranch, Desert Ridge, Kierland, McCormick Ranch, and the 101 corridor.
- Cave Creek (north of Lone Mountain): Sprawling desert property with real-world outdoor terrain, wider open space for distraction-proofing, and one of the owners living on-property for overnight security. Best for families in Cave Creek, Carefree, Desert Hills, New River, Anthem, Black Mountain, Spur Cross, and the north valley.
Not sure which fits? Schedule a call and we'll point you to the right campus based on your dog and what you're working on.
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Yes. Every Partners Dogs program runs at both Scottsdale and Cave Creek — same methodology, same trainers' standards, same results.
That includes:
- Foundation Camp (14-night board & train)
- Behavior Camp (21-night behavior modification)
- Transform Camp (28-night intensive)
- DaySchool and daycare
- Group classes (Puppy & Me, Levels 1-3, Agility, CGC Prep)
- Private lessons
- Boarding
- Rattlesnake avoidance
Pick the location closest to you or the campus that fits your dog's training environment best.
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Between our Scottsdale (Shea & 101) and Cave Creek (north of Lone Mountain) campuses, Partners Dogs serves the entire Phoenix Valley.
Our Scottsdale facility serves families across Scottsdale, North Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Gainey Ranch, Grayhawk, DC Ranch, Desert Ridge, McDowell Mountain Ranch, McCormick Ranch, Old Town Scottsdale, Kierland, Pinnacle Peak, Phoenix, Tempe, Mesa, and Fountain Hills.
Our Cave Creek facility serves Cave Creek, Carefree, Desert Hills, New River, Anthem, Black Mountain, Spur Cross, and North Phoenix.
We also operate the Dog School Bus with pickup stops across Scottsdale, Cave Creek, and North Phoenix for DaySchool members.
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Yes. We work with families across Arizona and from out of state. Many families travel to Partners Dogs for our Transform Camp and Behavior Camp programs — especially clients with severe reactivity, bite histories, or complex cases that other trainers won't take.
Out-of-area clients typically fly or drive in for check-in, leave their dog for the full board-and-train program at our Scottsdale or Cave Creek facility, then return for pickup and the final go-home lessons.
If you're considering traveling to us, schedule a call and we'll help plan logistics, timing, and which campus fits best.
Scottsdale — Shea & the 101
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Our Scottsdale facility is at 8642 E Shea Blvd, Scottsdale, AZ 85260, in the Pima Crossings Center at Shea Boulevard and the 101 (across from the PGA Superstore).
Office hours are Monday through Friday 8am-5pm and Saturday 8am-4pm. Sunday is closed.
Daycare and DaySchool run on extended hours to accommodate working schedules: Monday-Friday 7am-6pm and Saturday 8am-4pm.
Call 480-595-6700 or visit our Scottsdale location page for directions and a virtual tour.
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Yes. Our Scottsdale campus has staff on-site overnight in case of emergency. They're there to passively monitor the dogs without disturbing their sleep.
Dogs sleep on raised Kuranda cots in either luxury suites or standard chain-link enclosures (6x4ft for large dogs, 4x4ft for smaller dogs), with constant access to clean water and frequent rotations throughout the day.
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Yes — we encourage it. You can schedule a facility tour any time during business hours at our Scottsdale campus (Mon-Fri 8am-5pm, Sat 8am-4pm).
On a tour, you'll see the indoor training arena, outdoor enrichment yard, luxury boarding suites, DaySchool play floors, grooming station, splash pad, and the quiet rest rooms where dogs sleep on raised Kuranda cots.
Call 480-595-6700 or schedule a tour online to lock in a time with our team.
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Our Scottsdale campus is at 8642 E Shea Blvd in the Pima Crossings Center, located at the intersection of Shea Boulevard and the Loop 101 — one of the most accessible intersections in the Valley.
You'll find us across from the PGA Superstore. From the 101, take the Shea Blvd exit and head east; from central Scottsdale, take Shea east toward the 101.
It's a short drive from Paradise Valley, Kierland, Gainey Ranch, DC Ranch, Desert Ridge, Grayhawk, McDowell Mountain Ranch, McCormick Ranch, Old Town Scottsdale, Pinnacle Peak, and the entire 101 corridor.
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Yes. We have free on-site parking at our Scottsdale campus in the Pima Crossings Center. Pull into the shared lot and look for our entrance signage at 8642 E Shea Blvd.
For check-in, drop-off, or pick-up, you'll find designated spaces near our front entrance. If you're attending a group class, daycare drop-off, or a tour, there's plenty of room throughout the lot.
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Dogs sleep on raised Kuranda cots in either our luxury suites or standard chain-link enclosures.
Enclosure options:
- 6x4ft for large dogs
- 4x4ft for smaller dogs
Dogs always have access to clean water and are rotated frequently throughout the day for play, training, potty breaks, and rest. Suite upgrades are available for an additional fee on board-and-train programs (Foundation Camp suite: $3,486; Behavior Camp suite: $6,279; Transform Camp suite: $8,929).
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Our Scottsdale campus in the Pima Crossings Center is a purpose-built, modern facility with expanded indoor training rooms, a dedicated DaySchool wing, upgraded boarding suites, an indoor DaySchool play floor, outdoor enrichment yards, an outdoor splash pad and pool, agility setups, a grooming station, and quiet rest rooms.
It's the largest and highest-rated dog training facility in the Southwest, with capacity to host all of our board-and-train programs, daycare, and group classes simultaneously without crowding.
The best way to get a feel for the space is to tour it.
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We recommend booking ahead so we can give you focused time with a trainer or team success manager. Walk-ins during business hours are welcome, but a quick call or online booking ensures you'll get the full conversation about your dog and program options.
Call 480-595-6700 or schedule online.
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Yes. Our Scottsdale campus in the Pima Crossings Center has ground-floor access, accessible parking, and step-free entry to our lobby and main training areas.
If you have specific accessibility needs (mobility, vision, hearing, or service animal accommodations) and want to plan ahead, call 480-595-6700 before your visit and we'll walk you through what to expect and any adjustments we can make for your tour, class, or check-in.
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Our Scottsdale campus sits in the Pima Crossings Center at Shea Boulevard and the Loop 101 — one of the most accessible intersections in the Valley. You'll find us across from the PGA Superstore.
Nearby: easy freeway access in all directions, shopping at Scottsdale Quarter and Kierland Commons, restaurants throughout central and North Scottsdale, and quick connections to Paradise Valley, Gainey Ranch, McCormick Ranch, Old Town, DC Ranch, Desert Ridge, Pinnacle Peak, and Grayhawk.
Cave Creek — Original Lone Tree Ranch
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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-5pm and Saturday 8am-4pm. Sunday is closed.
Daycare and DaySchool run extended hours: Monday-Friday 7am-6pm and Saturday 8am-4pm.
This is our founding location, opened by Christopher Oosthuisen in 1997. Call 480-595-6700 or visit our Cave Creek location page for directions.
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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 sleep on raised Kuranda cots in luxury suites or standard chain-link enclosures (6x4ft for large dogs, 4x4ft for smaller dogs), with constant access to clean water and frequent rotations throughout the day.
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Yes — you can schedule a facility tour at our Cave Creek campus any time during business hours (Mon-Fri 8am-5pm, Sat 8am-4pm).
On a tour, you'll see our sprawling desert training property, real-terrain outdoor work areas, boarding suites with raised Kuranda cots, and the wide-open space where dogs can generalize their obedience in real Arizona environment.
Call 480-595-6700 or schedule a tour online to lock in a time.
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Our Cave Creek campus is at 4640 E Forest Pleasant Pl, located one block north of the intersection of Lone Mountain Road and Cave Creek Road — approximately 10 minutes north of the Loop 101 and Cave Creek Road exit.
From central Phoenix or Scottsdale, take the 101 to Cave Creek Rd, head north on Cave Creek Rd past Lone Mountain, then turn onto Forest Pleasant Pl.
It's an easy drive for families across Cave Creek, Carefree, Desert Hills, New River, Black Mountain, Spur Cross, Anthem, and North Phoenix.
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Dogs sleep on raised Kuranda cots in either our luxury suites or standard chain-link enclosures.
Enclosure options:
- 6x4ft for large dogs
- 4x4ft for smaller dogs
Dogs always have access to clean water and are rotated frequently throughout the day. One of the owners lives on the same property, providing overnight oversight. Suite upgrades are available for board-and-train programs.
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Yes. We have free on-site parking at our Cave Creek campus on Forest Pleasant Pl. The property sits on a wide desert lot, so there's plenty of room to pull in and park.
Look for the designated drop-off area near our entrance when you arrive for check-in, daycare drop-off, group classes, or a facility tour.
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Our Cave Creek campus sits on a sprawling desert property just north of Lone Mountain Rd. It's our founding location and offers something no indoor facility can: real-world Sonoran desert terrain, wide-open outdoor training space, and the kind of distraction-proofing dogs can't get inside.
The property includes indoor training rooms, boarding suites with raised Kuranda cots, daycare and DaySchool space, and extensive outdoor work areas. Dogs that train here generalize their obedience faster because they're already working in real Arizona environment.
The best way to see it is to tour it.
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Walk-ins during business hours are welcome, but we recommend booking ahead so we can give you focused time with our team to talk through your dog and program options.
Call 480-595-6700 or schedule online.
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Our Cave Creek campus has ground-floor access, on-site parking, and step-free entry to our main training areas. The desert property has some natural terrain that may be uneven in spots.
If you have specific accessibility needs and want to plan ahead, call 480-595-6700 before your visit and we'll talk through what to expect, where to park, and any adjustments we can make for your tour, class, or check-in.
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Our Cave Creek campus is one block north of Lone Mountain Rd and Cave Creek Rd, just a short drive from downtown Cave Creek — close enough that families from Carefree, Desert Hills, New River, Black Mountain, Spur Cross, and Anthem can easily fold training into the rest of their day.
The campus sits on a sprawling desert property surrounded by Sonoran terrain. Rural charm on the outside, professional training operation on the inside. Plenty of nearby walking paths, dining in downtown Cave Creek, and quick access back to the 101 via Cave Creek Rd.
Board-and-train, day, and lessons
Programs
Foundation, Behavior, Transform Camps, Day School, Group Classes, Private Lessons, Snake Avoidance.
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Behavior Camp starts at $5,964 for a standard enclosure and $6,279 for a luxury suite upgrade. A PD360 behavioral assessment is required before enrollment ($199, with discounts often available for families ready to sign up for a program).
The price includes the full 21-night stay, 3+ daily training sessions, 4.5 hours of private lessons for you and your family, 8 weeks of Pet Parenting group classes, 16 DayCamp days, and free Pet Parent Guide access. A nonrefundable $100 deposit holds your dates, 50% is due at check-in, and the balance is due at pickup. Financing is available through our third-party financing partner.
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Three things, in order:
- Data depth. Most trainer intakes are a phone call or a 5-question form. PD360 is a structured, in-person evaluation across seven dimensions — behavior, temperament, learning style, environment, lifestyle, tool compatibility, and family coaching needs. We've refined the protocol over 28 years and 70,000+ dogs.
- Tool-agnostic by design. Most trainers walk into the assessment with their methodology already decided — they're a force-free trainer, or a correction-first trainer, or an e-collar trainer. They'll fit your dog to their methodology. We're balanced and tool-agnostic. The right tool is whatever produces the clearest communication for the dog in front of us. Tools don't cause harm; people do.
- Progress tracking that continues after intake. A normal assessment ends when you sign the contract. PD360 runs on the same framework for the entire program — same dimensions, same scorecard, same dashboard. The baseline we capture at intake becomes the before-and-after comparison at graduation and at every follow-up.
The combination is what we mean by “the smartest dog training system ever created.” It's not a slogan — it's a system that measures what other trainers guess at.
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DaySchool memberships are offered at three tiers:
- Plus — $199/month — entry-level membership with regular training days
- Premium — $399/month — more training days, additional services and perks
- Platinum — $599/month — maximum training days, full service access, top-tier perks
Each tier progressively includes more training days, services, and perks. The DaySchool drop-in day rate is $65 (DayCamp drop-in is $115). Memberships include weekly Pet Parenting Classes, daily Pupdates with photos and videos, and a personalized training plan for your dog. Ask our team about any active membership promotions when you book.
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DaySchool is for dogs already comfortable with off-leash group play — social dogs that love other dogs and people. It combines structured training with supervised play and enrichment. Drop-in rate is $65/day; memberships start at $199/month with discounted per-day rates inside membership.
DayCamp is for dogs that need structured behavior work before group play — reactive, fearful, anxious, newly adopted, or recovering from a behavior program. It is daily 1:1 trainer time and small-group skill drills, with a pathway to DaySchool once their behavior is stable. Drop-in rate is $115/day; discounts available through memberships and prepaid packages.
Both run Monday-Friday 7am-6pm and Saturday 8am-4pm at our Scottsdale and Cave Creek facilities.
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PD360 isn't only an intake assessment — it's also the framework we use to track your dog's progress for the entire program. Once your dog is enrolled, the same dimensions we measured at intake (behavior, temperament, learning style, real-world performance) get re-scored at every milestone.
Progress tracking includes:
- Behavior scorecards — updated at intake, mid-program, end-of-program, and at every follow-up benchmark
- Milestone trackers — concrete skills your dog has demonstrated under increasing distraction
- Real-world test results — how your dog performs in the situations that actually matter (door greetings, leash walks, dog-park edges, neighborhood triggers), not just isolated commands
- Photo + video updates — from your dog's lead trainer during board-and-train programs
- Parent dashboard — one place to see all of the above, with milestone badges as your dog hits them
- Follow-up benchmarks — check-ins at 30, 60, and 90 days after the program ends to confirm the change held
The point is that you can see real change, in writing, with dates attached — not vibes.
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Transform Camp (28 nights, from $8,509) is built for severe aggression cases — multi-bite histories, bites toward family members, or outward (non-reactive) aggression. It is the most intensive program we offer and uses specialized trainers who handle aggression cases every day.
Behavior Camp (21 nights, from $5,964) is built for moderate behavior issues — reactivity, anxiety, fear of other dogs, resource guarding, destructive behavior, separation anxiety, and reactive bites (single, situational incidents that haven’t hardened into outward aggression).
If you are unsure, the PD360 assessment is the fastest way to find out which fits your dog. We will not put a dog in a more intensive program than they need.
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Behavior Camp is 21 consecutive nights of residential training at our Scottsdale or Cave Creek facility. Your dog receives 3+ active training sessions per day plus modeling time on our training floor and structured socialization.
The 21-night length is intentional — reactivity, anxiety, and destructive patterns dissolve fastest in a calm, structured environment with consistent expectations around the clock. Behavior Camp graduates also continue with DaySchool, follow-up private lessons, and Pet Parenting Classes to lock in the change.
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DaySchool runs Monday through Friday from 7am to 6pm, and Saturday from 8am to 4pm. Drop-off is anytime within those hours; pickup must be before close.
DaySchool is available at both our Scottsdale facility (8642 E Shea Blvd in the Pima Crossing Center) and our Cave Creek facility (4640 E Forest Pleasant Pl, about 10 minutes north of the 101 and Cave Creek Rd). If the drive is the hard part, our Dog School Bus picks up DaySchool members from neighborhood stops across Scottsdale, Cave Creek, and North Phoenix.
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Group classes at Partners Dogs are weekly small-group obedience training sessions at our Scottsdale and Cave Creek facilities. We offer puppy, basic, intermediate, and advanced levels across 8 progressive grade levels covering 130+ behaviors — and the catalog keeps growing as our trainers add new skills.
The curriculum is cumulative: behaviors taught at Elementary are reinforced in Middle School and proofed in High School, with each behavior moving through at least four stages of learning. Sessions are taught by master trainers in groups of 6 dogs or fewer, with open enrollment year-round — you can start any week, no waiting for a new session to begin. Drop-in classes are $65 per session with no long-term contracts. Class lineup includes Puppy and Me, Level 1, Level 2, Level 3+4 Obedience, Agility Foundations, Rally Obedience, and AKC CGC prep.
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Private lessons at Partners Dogs are one-on-one training sessions with a master trainer at our Scottsdale or Cave Creek facility, or in your home. We build a custom curriculum around your dog's specific needs and your training goals, starting with a PD360 Assessment.
In-facility lessons are 1 hour. In-home lessons are 1.5 hours and ideal for puppies not yet fully vaccinated, dogs that learn best in familiar surroundings, or owners who need help with home-specific issues. We offer in-home sessions across Scottsdale, Cave Creek, North Phoenix, and the East Valley. Lifetime trainer support is included.
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Scent work — also called nose work — is a dog sport where dogs locate specific target odors (typically birch, anise, and clove) hidden in boxes, rooms, vehicles, or outdoor settings. It mirrors what professional detection dogs do but is built for pet dogs of every age, breed, and energy level.
Fifteen minutes of searching is the mental equivalent of an hour-long walk. At Partners Dogs we teach scent work as both a daily enrichment tool and a competitive sport leading to AKC Scent Work and NACSW titles. Beginner cohorts run in 6-week blocks at our Scottsdale and Cave Creek facilities.
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Aggression Rehabilitation is Partners Dogs' most specialized program — built only for severe cases involving bite history, multi-incident aggression, child reactivity, or handler-redirected aggression. It is not Behavior Camp with a longer name — it is a specialized program with specialized trainers, an extended timeline (typically 4-8 weeks of board-and-train), and lifetime handler support included.
Every enrollment begins with a PD360 behavioral assessment so we can tell you honestly whether rehabilitation is realistic. We turn cases away when rehabilitation is not the right answer — typically routing to Behavior Camp, Leash Reactivity Intensive, or a veterinary behaviorist referral.
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Behavior Camp is a 21-night immersive board-and-train at our Scottsdale or Cave Creek facility, built for dogs with moderate behavior issues — leash reactivity, separation anxiety, fear of other dogs, resource guarding, destructive chewing, growling, and socialization problems.
Each program is custom-built around your dog's specific case and includes 3+ active daily training sessions, 4.5 hours of private lessons for you and your family, 8 hours of Pet Parenting group classes, 16 DayCamp days, and free Pet Parent Guide access. Behavior Camp also covers the Foundation Camp obedience commands (Heel, Sit, Down, Free, Stay, Come, Place, Watch) on top of the behavior work.
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DayCamp is Partners Dogs’ structured daycare for dogs that are not ready for off-leash group play yet — reactive dogs, fearful dogs, newly adopted rescues, and dogs working through behavior challenges. Instead of unstructured play, every day is focused 1:1 trainer time and small-group skill drills.
The goal is for your dog to earn their way into DaySchool once their behavior is stable. Most dogs progress to DaySchool within 4-12 weeks of consistent attendance, though some need longer — we are honest about pace. Drop-in rate is $115/day; memberships and prepaid packages offer the best per-day rate.
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DaySchool is Partners Dogs’ daily training-plus-daycare program — structured training combined with supervised play and enrichment at our Scottsdale or Cave Creek facility. It is the daytime program for social dogs that are already comfortable with off-leash group play.
Every DaySchool day includes daily obedience training, enrichment activities, real-world socialization, and rest periods. Dogs progress through 8 grade levels covering 130+ behaviors in the PD360 system — a catalog that keeps growing as our trainers add new skills. The curriculum is cumulative: a behavior taught at Elementary is reinforced in Middle School and proofed in High School, with each behavior moving through at least four stages of learning. We maintain the lowest trainer-to-dog ratios in Arizona (10:1). Drop-in rate is $65/day; memberships start at $199/month.
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The AKC Canine Good Citizen (CGC) is a 10-skill test from the American Kennel Club that certifies your dog as a well-mannered, socially reliable companion. Test items include:
- Accepting a friendly stranger
- Sitting politely for petting
- Appearance and grooming
- Loose-leash walking
- Walking through a crowd
- Sit, down, and stay on command
- Coming when called
- Reaction to another dog
- Reaction to distractions
- Supervised separation
At Partners Dogs, our 6-week prep program teaches every skill in order, then administers the official AKC test on-site at our Scottsdale or Cave Creek facility by an AKC-approved CGC evaluator.
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Foundation Camp is a 14-night immersive board-and-train program at our Scottsdale or Cave Creek facility, built for dogs that need a solid obedience and manners reset. It is the right starting point for puppies past 6 months, adolescents, and adult dogs without significant behavior issues.
Your dog learns every essential obedience command — Heel, Sit, Down, Free, Stay, Come, Place, Watch — plus loose-leash walking, polite greetings, and everyday manners. The program includes 2+ active daily training sessions, 3 hours of private lessons, 8 Pet Parenting group classes, 16 DaySchool days for reinforcement, and free Pet Parent Guide access.
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Dog boarding at Partners Dogs is overnight care at our Scottsdale or Cave Creek facility — built on a flexible rotation model, not a rigid hourly schedule. Every boarding stay includes multiple daily potty and stretch rotations with light individual play, temperament-matched group or solo time, climate-controlled rest periods with raised Kuranda cots, meals on your dog's home schedule, medication administration, daily wellness checks, and a complimentary exit bath and brush at checkout.
Optional add-ons (not included in the base rate) include DaySchool sessions, private training, treadmill conditioning, enrichment add-ons, and grooming — request at booking or call us mid-stay to add. Boarding starts at $55/night with a 3-night minimum stay.
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The Puppy Program is Partners Dogs' suite of training options for puppies 8 weeks to 12 months old. It is not a single program but a set of age-matched paths because puppies need different things at different stages:
- 8-16 weeks: The Socialization Window — Puppy and Me Classes
- 4-8 months: The Adolescent Phase — Foundation Camp or Level 1 Group Classes
- 8-12 months: Building the Foundation — DaySchool, Private Lessons, or Level 2 Group Classes
Partners Dogs has trained over 5,000 puppies in 28+ years. The right starting point depends on your puppy's age, the critical socialization window, and your household's schedule and goals.
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Rattlesnake avoidance training is under $110 per dog per session — one of the most practical and potentially life-saving training investments you can make as an Arizona dog owner. Sessions last 15-20 minutes per dog. Annual refreshers (typically every 6-12 months) are recommended to maintain the avoidance behavior.
For context: an Arizona rattlesnake bite emergency vet bill typically runs $3,000-$10,000 — or worse. One session can prevent a bite event entirely.
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Boarding starts at $55/night with a 3-night minimum stay. Pricing varies by enclosure type (standard or suite) and any add-on services you choose.
The base boarding rate includes multiple daily potty and stretch rotations with light individual play, temperament-matched group or solo time, climate-controlled rest with raised Kuranda cots, meals on your dog's home schedule, medication administration, daily wellness checks, periodic photo report cards, and a complimentary exit bath and brush at checkout.
Add-on services billed separately (not included in the base rate): DaySchool sessions, private training, treadmill conditioning, enrichment add-ons, and grooming. DaySchool members receive priority boarding access at both locations.
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Foundation Camp is 14 consecutive nights of residential training at our Scottsdale or Cave Creek facility. Your dog receives 2+ active training sessions per day plus modeling time on our training floor between sessions.
Two weeks is enough time to instill reliable obedience and manners on every dog that does not have deeper behavior issues. If your dog needs more intensive work — for reactivity, anxiety, or aggression — Behavior Camp (21 nights) or Transform Camp (28 nights) is the right call.
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The Leash Reactivity Intensive is a 14-night focused board-and-train specifically for dogs that lunge, bark, or fixate on triggers — other dogs, strangers, bikes, cars — while on leash. Unlike a general behavior camp, every session focuses on threshold work, calm exposure, and structured walks in real environments around our Scottsdale and Cave Creek facilities.
Pricing starts at $3,879 and includes the full 14 nights, daily threshold walks, two owner handoff lessons, a written take-home handling plan, and one week of post-graduation check-ins. PD360 is required before enrollment.
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Transform Camp is the most intensive board-and-train program at Partners Dogs — a 28-night residential rehabilitation program built for dogs with multi-bite histories, bites toward family members, or outward (non-reactive) aggression: severe sibling aggression, resource guarding that has hardened past warning, predatory drive, or stranger reactivity that has escalated past reactive incidents. It is designed for the cases other trainers have refused.
Dogs live at our Scottsdale or Cave Creek facility for 28 days with 3+ active daily training sessions, modeling time on the training floor, and structured exposure work. The program includes 7 hours of private lessons, 12 weeks of Pet Parenting group classes, 24 DayCamp days, and free access to the Pet Parent Guide so the family can maintain the work at home.
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Agility is a timed dog sport where you and your dog navigate a sequence of obstacles — jumps, tunnels, weave poles, A-frame, dog walk, teeter-totter, and pause table — in a specific order set by a judge. It builds athleticism, confidence, and off-leash communication.
At Partners Dogs, agility classes run weekends at our Scottsdale and Cave Creek facilities on a full-spec course (not foam jumps in a parking lot). Three progressive levels — Foundations, Intermediate Sequences, and Trial Prep — let your dog start where they are and move up as they go. Open to any sound, healthy dog over 12 months old.
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Transform Camp starts at $8,509 for a standard enclosure and $8,929 for a luxury suite upgrade. A PD360 behavioral assessment is required before enrollment ($199, with discounts often available for families ready to sign up for a program).
The price includes the full 28-night stay, 3+ daily training sessions, 7 hours of private lessons for you and your family, 12 weeks of Pet Parenting group classes, 24 DayCamp days, and free Pet Parent Guide access. A nonrefundable $100 deposit holds your dates, 50% is due at check-in, and the balance is due at pickup. Financing is available through our third-party financing partner for qualified clients.
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Foundation Camp starts at $3,276 for a standard enclosure and $3,486 for a luxury suite upgrade. The price includes the full 14-night stay, 2+ daily training sessions, 3.5 hours of private lessons for you and your family, 16 DaySchool days after camp, 8 Pet Parenting group classes, and free Pet Parent Guide access.
A nonrefundable $100 deposit holds your dates, 50% is due at check-in, and the balance is due at pickup. Financing is available through our third-party financing partner — we are one of the only professional dog trainers offering long-term financing for training programs.
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Drop-in group classes are $65 per session — no contracts, no long-term commitments. Multi-class packages are available for families who want to commit to a regular schedule. Every session is 60 minutes, held once per week, with open enrollment running year-round.
Pricing is per dog. If you have multiple dogs, contact us about household pricing. View current pricing and package options on the pricing page.
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PD360 is Partners Dogs’ proprietary in-person dog assessment and progress-tracking system — the foundation of every training program we run. The 360° in the name reflects how broadly we evaluate your dog: behavior, temperament, learning style, environment, lifestyle, family dynamics, and tool compatibility, all captured during a full assessment day at our facility.
It’s the result of 28 years of refinement and more than 70,000 dogs trained. We built PD360 because every dog is different, and a quick online quiz can’t tell us how your dog handles a new environment, processes pressure, or interacts with a stranger. The assessment runs about 4-plus hours at our Scottsdale or Cave Creek facility — drop-off around 9-10am, pickup around 3-4pm — for $199, with a custom program recommendation at the end.
Discounts are often available — especially for families ready to sign up for a program. Ask our team about active offers when you book.
Once you enroll, the same PD360 framework continues as our progress-tracking system: behavior scorecards, milestone trackers, real-world test results, and parent-dashboard updates from your dog’s lead trainer.
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As early as possible — and earlier than most people think. Puppies can begin structured socialization and basic training as young as 8 weeks old. The critical socialization window closes around 16 weeks, and experiences during this window have an outsized impact on your puppy's adult temperament.
Waiting until your puppy is "old enough" or until problems appear is the most common mistake. By then, you are not preventing problems — you are fixing them. Dogs trained before 6 months are 3x less likely to develop behavior issues later in life. Our Puppy and Me classes are designed specifically for the 8-16 week socialization window.
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Rattlesnake avoidance training conditions your dog to actively avoid Arizona rattlesnakes by associating the sight, sound, and scent of a live rattlesnake with a small e-collar stimulation. After training, dogs naturally avoid rattlesnakes when they encounter the same scent or sound in the wild.
Partners Dogs has trained over 18,000 dogs in rattlesnake avoidance since the early 2000s, making us one of the most experienced rattlesnake-avoidance providers in Arizona. Sessions are 15-20 minutes per dog at our Scottsdale or Cave Creek facility, using live Diamondback rattlesnakes in double-mesh wire cages.
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Transform Camp is a 28-night residential program at our Scottsdale or Cave Creek facility. Your dog stays on-site for 28 consecutive nights and receives 3+ active training sessions every day, plus modeling time on our training floor between sessions.
The 28-night length is intentional. Severe behavior change requires deep neural-pathway reinforcement — shorter board-and-train programs often produce skills that fade within weeks. Most Transform Camp graduates also continue with DaySchool, follow-up private lessons, and Pet Parenting Classes to lock in the change.
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Partners Dogs offers three progressive agility levels on the same full-equipment course:
- Foundations — equipment introduction at safe heights and angles, plus the handling vocabulary (front cross, rear cross, send, lead-out). No prior agility experience required. 6-week block.
- Intermediate Sequences — stringing obstacles together with speed and accuracy. Weave-pole entries, contact criteria, and short numbered courses.
- Trial Prep — full-length courses, timed runs, mock trials, and start-line/ring procedures for AKC or USDAA events.
You re-enroll level by level so you only pay for what your dog is ready to do.
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Both paths lead to a better-behaved dog, but the best choice depends on your situation.
Private lessons are best for schedule flexibility (book around your week), focused work on specific behaviors like leash reactivity or recall, and heavy emphasis on owner coaching so you can reinforce at home.
Camp programs are best for intensive immersion (your dog trains all day with pros), socialization with other dogs in a structured environment, and full behavior transformation when a dog needs a structured reset.
Many families do both: camp first for the reset, then private lessons to maintain and polish specific skills. Get a personalized quote and we will recommend the right path for your dog.
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Scent work is one of the most accessible dog sports — built for almost every dog:
- High-energy dogs — cognitive load burns mental energy faster than physical exercise, often producing a calmer dog at home.
- Shy or anxious dogs — searching is autonomous (the dog leads, the human follows), so under-confident dogs blossom because every find is a win they earned themselves.
- Senior dogs or dogs with mobility issues — searches can be set at any height, distance, and surface. Three-legged dogs, dogs with hip issues, and dogs over 13 are common in our classes.
- Reactive dogs — most reactive dogs end up in scent work eventually; we just want the timing right (Leash Reactivity Intensive first if reactivity is severe).
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The AKC CGC prep program is 6 weeks long, following a structured curriculum:
- Week 1 — Foundation, focus, and accepting a friendly stranger
- Week 2 — Sit, down, and stay under pressure
- Week 3 — Walking through a crowd and loose-leash polish
- Week 4 — Recall and reaction to distractions
- Week 5 — Supervised separation and a mock test
- Week 6 — Official AKC CGC evaluation on-site
Daily homework after each class keeps the work compounding between sessions. Make-up sessions are available for missed weeks if booked in advance.
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Foundation Camp teaches every essential obedience command:
- Heel — loose-leash walking next to you
- Sit — reliable sit on cue
- Down — lying down on cue
- Free — release from command
- Stay — holding position with duration and distractions
- Come — reliable recall
- Place — going to and staying on a designated spot
- Watch — making eye contact on cue
The program also covers everyday manners — polite greetings, calm door behavior, and impulse control around food and toys.
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Foundation Camp is right for dogs that need a solid obedience reset and everyday manners — pulling on leash, jumping on people, not listening, and other typical training-gap issues. It is the right starting point for adolescent dogs (6-12 months), adopted adult dogs without behavior issues, and any household that wants reliable basic obedience.
Foundation Camp is not the right program if your dog is dealing with reactivity, anxiety, destructive behavior, or aggression — in that case, Behavior Camp addresses root causes. For severe aggression or bite history, see Transform Camp. If you are unsure, take our quiz for an honest recommendation.
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The Leash Reactivity Intensive (14 nights, from $3,879) is right when on-leash reactivity is the ONLY major issue — lunging, barking, spinning toward triggers. Every minute of training focuses on that single outcome, which produces faster results than a broader curriculum.
Behavior Camp (21 nights, from $5,964) is right when your dog also has separation anxiety, resource guarding, in-home destruction, or other behavior problems alongside reactivity — including single reactive bites (a situational, warning-driven incident toward another dog or a person). Behavior Camp addresses the full picture.
If there is a multi-bite history, a bite toward a family member, or outward (non-reactive) aggression, Transform Camp is the right call. PD360 confirms which program fits.
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In most cases, yes — PD360 is designed for exactly that situation. We've trained more than 70,000 dogs over 28 years, and a meaningful share of them came to us with aggression, bite history, severe fear, or reactivity that other trainers turned away.
If PD360 surfaces aggression or fear, your senior trainer will recommend one of these paths based on the case:
- Behavior Camp — for reactivity, resource guarding, leash aggression, anxiety, and single reactive bites
- Transform Camp — for multi-bite histories, bites toward family members, or outward (non-reactive) aggression
- Aggression Rehabilitation — specialized program for severe aggression cases that need an extended timeline
- Private behavior work paired with a structured at-home protocol
If your case is beyond what we can responsibly take on, we'll tell you that too. We do not enroll cases we cannot help. In rare situations we'll refer to a veterinary behaviorist or recommend a hard conversation about safety — but those are the exceptions. Most aggression and fear cases have a path forward at Partners Dogs.
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The PD360 Assessment captures a full 360° picture of your dog and your household across one structured day at the facility. Every section is run by a senior trainer and recorded in your dog’s profile so the same baseline drives whichever program you enroll in.
- Behavioral baseline — how your dog greets, settles, recovers from a startle, and handles handling.
- Temperament profile — drive, confidence, sociability, reactivity thresholds, sensitivity to pressure.
- Learning style — whether your dog learns fastest off food, toys, praise, environmental rewards, or release of pressure.
- Environment + lifestyle intake — household composition, other pets, schedule, exercise, sleeping arrangements, neighborhood triggers.
- Tool compatibility — which equipment will produce the clearest communication for your specific dog (flat collar, slip lead, prong, e-collar, place, crate).
- Family coaching needs — how confident the humans are, who’s the primary handler, who needs the most coaching.
- Custom program recommendation — which Partners Dogs program fits, with a realistic timeline.
You leave with your dog’s baseline measurements and a written training roadmap. PD360 is a full day — about 4-plus hours — with drop-off around 9-10am and pickup around 3-4pm.
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Transform Camp is built for severe aggression cases — dogs with a multi-bite history, bites toward family members, or outward (non-reactive) aggression: stranger reactivity that has escalated past warning, severe sibling aggression, predatory drive, or fear-based behaviors that have hardened past what Behavior Camp can address.
Every enrollment starts with a PD360 behavioral assessment. We map your dog’s bite history, triggers, household context, and medical factors, then tell you honestly whether Transform Camp is the right call. Sometimes the right answer is Behavior Camp for single reactive bites or non-aggression behavior work, or a veterinary behaviorist referral. We say no to cases we cannot help — that is part of saying yes to the cases we can.
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Aggression Rehabilitation follows a 6-phase structure with no fixed timeline — we will not move to the next phase until the previous is solid:
- PD360 Assessment — required before enrollment. Bite history, triggers, household context, medical context.
- Decompression and Trust Build (Week 1) — your dog settles. No training yet.
- Impulse Control Rebuilding (Weeks 2-3) — foundational frustration tolerance, place work, structured decision-making. No trigger exposure.
- Threshold-Based Trigger Work (Weeks 3-5) — controlled, distant exposure to your dog's specific triggers. Distance closes only when previous distance is rock solid.
- Handler Integration (Final week + ongoing) — multi-day handler training so you can run the management plan cleanly.
- Lifetime Support — written management plan, refresher access, direct line to your trainer.
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You leave PD360 with three things, every time:
- A custom program plan — the specific Partners Dogs program (Foundation Camp, DaySchool, Behavior Camp, Transform Camp, Private Lessons, Group Classes) we recommend for your dog, with the reasoning behind it.
- Your dog's baseline measurements — behavior scorecard, temperament profile, learning style, and reactivity thresholds, all captured in your parent dashboard so we can track real change.
- A training roadmap — realistic timeline, the milestones we expect to hit, the tools we plan to use, and what your role looks like during and after the program.
If you enroll, that baseline is the starting line for every progress update we send you. If you don't enroll, the plan is still yours to keep — many parents use it to train at home or come back to us six months later when timing is right. There's no pressure to commit at the end of the assessment.
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Partners Dogs offers four paths for puppies, each suited to different ages and goals:
- Puppy and Me Classes — $65/session, 60 min — Small group (max 6 puppies) socialization and basic commands. Best entry point for puppies 8 weeks to 5 months.
- Private Puppy Lessons — personalized, in-facility or in-home — One-on-one for shy or reactive puppies, or families wanting accelerated results. Paid in full at booking.
- Foundation Camp — from $3,276, 14 nights — Immersive board-and-train. Ideal for adolescents (4-12 months) who need intensive structure.
- DaySchool — memberships from $199/mo — Daily training and socialization 2-5 days/week. Best long-term solution for puppies who need consistent socialization.
Many families do multiple paths in sequence — Puppy and Me first, then Foundation Camp at adolescence, then DaySchool for maintenance.
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Each 15-20 minute session follows the same proven structure:
- Check-in. A trainer is paired with you and your dog. We put our equipment (e-collar) on your dog and ask about age, background, and any medical issues.
- Training. The trainer brings your dog to our desert habitat. When your dog shows curiosity toward a caged live Diamondback rattlesnake, we deliver a small e-collar stim to create a negative association. The trainer then runs the dog away to encourage a flight response. This is repeated several times.
- Debrief. We explain how your dog performed, identify their default stress response (Fight, Flight, Freeze, Fawn), and recommend when to come back for a refresher — typically 6-12 months.
The e-collar uses the minimum stim needed for the dog to associate the rattlesnake with avoidance. We test the e-collar on ourselves before every session.
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DayCamp is the right program for dogs that:
- Are reactive — lunge, bark, or freeze around other dogs or people
- Are newly adopted — fresh from a shelter, rescue, or breeder and need decompression before group play
- Are fearful or anxious — shut down in crowds or panic when separated
- Are too aroused — can't self-regulate, bite at leashes, jump on everything
- Are in recovery — coming off Behavior Camp, Transform Camp, or Leash Reactivity Intensive and need continued structure
- Need supervision — household has changed (new baby, surgery, travel) and dog needs a calm daytime environment
A PD360 assessment confirms fit and identifies the right starting point.
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Behavior Camp is built for moderate aggression and reactive bites — growling, leash reactivity, resource guarding, fear-based reactivity, or a single situational bite incident toward another dog or a person. For dogs with a multi-bite history, bites toward family members, or outward (non-reactive) aggression, Transform Camp is the right program. For dogs with on-leash reactivity only, the Leash Reactivity Intensive may be a faster, more focused option.
Every enrollment begins with a PD360 behavioral assessment so we can tell you honestly which program is the right fit. We turn cases away when rehabilitation is not realistic and route you to the appropriate next step.
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Partners Dogs offers a modular 8-level cumulative curriculum across 130+ behaviors in the PD360 system — and the catalog keeps growing as our trainers add new skills:
- Puppy and Me — first socialization and obedience basics for puppies 8 weeks to 5 months
- Level 1 Obedience — foundational manners, leash skills, name response, basic commands
- Level 2 Obedience — duration and distraction work, polite greetings, reliable recalls
- Level 3+4 Obedience — off-leash reliability, distance work, advanced impulse control
- Agility Foundations — body awareness, obstacle work, team-building drills
- Rally Obedience — competition-style course work blending obedience and movement
- AKC CGC Prep — preparation and testing for the AKC Canine Good Citizen certification
The curriculum is cumulative: a behavior taught at Elementary is reinforced in Middle School and proofed in High School. Each behavior moves through at least four stages of learning, so the same skill keeps deepening as your dog progresses. Open enrollment lets you progress at your own pace through the levels.
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The PD360 Assessment is $199. That covers a full day with your dog at our Scottsdale or Cave Creek facility — drop-off around 9-10am, pickup around 3-4pm, with a senior trainer running the structured evaluation, family interview, and written program recommendation.
Discounts are often available — especially for families ready to sign up for a program. Ask our team about active offers when you book.
If we don’t think Partners Dogs is the right fit for your dog, we’ll tell you that during the debrief.
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An online quiz tells you what you already think about your dog. PD360 tells you what an expert sees when your dog walks into our facility for a full assessment day.
Online quizzes are useful for one thing — getting you in the door. They cannot:
- Watch your dog’s body language change when a stranger enters the room
- Measure how fast your dog recovers from a startle
- See whether your dog’s reactivity is fear, frustration, drive, or learned
- Test which reward your dog actually works for in a new environment
- Read the family dynamic and tell you who in the household needs the most coaching
A full assessment day captures all of that. After 28 years and 70,000+ dogs trained, we’ve learned that pet parents are usually right about what their dog is doing and almost always wrong about why. PD360 is how we get to the why — and the right program plan flows from there.
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DaySchool is for dogs already comfortable with off-leash group play — social dogs that love other dogs and people. Dogs need to be at least 20 weeks old, current on Bordetella, Rabies, and Distemper/Parvo vaccinations, and willing to play appropriately with other dogs.
If your dog is reactive, fearful, anxious, or new to social environments, DayCamp is the right starting program — structured 1:1 behavior work with a pathway to DaySchool once their behavior is stable. We group dogs by play style, size, and energy to create a positive experience for all guests.
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It depends on the program.
PD360 is required for:
- Any case involving aggression toward dogs or people
- Any case with a bite history
- Any case considering Behavior Camp or Transform Camp
- Any case considering Aggression Rehabilitation
- Any case where you're unsure which program fits
PD360 is recommended but not required for:
- Foundation Camp — we can intake over a phone call for friendly dogs with standard goals
- DaySchool — phone intake works for most cases
- Private Lessons — we can start with a discovery call
- Group Classes — standard enrollment, no PD360 required
Even when it’s not required, we recommend PD360 if you have any uncertainty about which program fits or if you’ve been turned away by another trainer. The full assessment day saves weeks of guessing.
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Every intensive begins with a PD360 assessment to tailor the protocol to your dog's specific triggers, threshold distance, and history. The 14-night arc:
- Day 1 — Intake, baseline video, threshold mapping
- Days 2-4 — Pattern game foundations (engage-disengage on quiet streets)
- Days 5-7 — Threshold walks with planned trigger exposures, closing distance one foot at a time
- Day 8 — First owner handoff lesson — you take the leash for the first time
- Days 9-12 — Real-environment generalization (pet-friendly retail, parking lots, neighborhoods)
- Day 13 — Second owner handoff lesson with full walk in real environment
- Day 14 — Graduation walk and written protocol
If your dog needs more than 14 nights, we tell you on Day 7, not Day 13.
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DayCamp is $115/day for a single-day drop-in (full retail). Discounts are available through monthly memberships and prepaid day packages — ask our team for current options.
A PD360 Assessment ($199) is required before enrollment to evaluate fit and set a behavior plan. Some dogs need a short series of private lessons first to establish baseline obedience before joining DayCamp. We post current rates on the pricing page.
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No. Group classes focus on obedience, manners, and building a strong bond with your dog in a social setting. They are not designed to address behavior issues like reactivity, aggression, or severe anxiety — these require individualized attention.
For behavior modification, the right programs are Behavior Camp (moderate cases like reactivity, anxiety, resource guarding) or Transform Camp (severe aggression, bite history). For on-leash reactivity specifically, see the Leash Reactivity Intensive. Take our quiz for an honest program recommendation.
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Your dog needs solid sit, down, and recall, plus the ability to focus around other dogs at a distance. We strongly recommend completing AKC Canine Good Citizen prep or equivalent obedience first.
If your dog reacts to other dogs in class, address that in the Leash Reactivity Intensive before agility. Heavy breeds and dogs with structural issues should be cleared by a vet for the impact of jumping. Dogs must be 12+ months old before joining agility — younger dogs need more growth-plate maturity before jumping.
See also:
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Every Behavior Camp enrollment includes:
- 21-night minimum stay at our Scottsdale or Cave Creek facility
- 3+ active training sessions every day
- Immersive, structured environment for socialization and desensitization
- 4.5 hours of private lessons for you and your family
- 8 hours of Pet Parenting group classes
- 16 DayCamp days after camp
- Free access to our Pet Parent Guide
- 1000+ structured opportunities to practice new behaviors
Behavior Camp also covers the foundational obedience commands — Heel, Sit, Down, Free, Stay, Come, Place, Watch — alongside the behavior modification work. Every behavior is tracked in the PD360 system through at least four stages of learning, with each grade level reinforcing and proofing skills built in earlier levels.
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The Leash Reactivity Intensive starts at $3,879 for 14 nights of board-and-train. The price includes daily threshold walks, two owner handoff lessons, a written take-home handling plan, and one week of post-graduation check-ins.
PD360 assessment ($199) is billed separately because it precedes enrollment. Discounts on PD360 are often available for families ready to sign up for a program. If your dog needs more than 14 nights, extension pricing is transparent and per-night. We quote you in writing before you decide.
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Because the dog that sits in a quiet training room is not the dog that ignores a sit when a delivery driver walks past the front door. PD360 progress tracking is built around real-world test results — on purpose.
Examples of what we test:
- Door greetings — with a stranger entering, with another dog entering, with multiple people
- Leash walks in genuinely distracting environments — not the back parking lot, real sidewalks with bikes, joggers, and other dogs
- Recall off-leash, at distance, with active distractions present
- Settle in a restaurant patio, lobby, or coffee shop — not just in our quiet training rooms
- Trigger passes — the specific situations that triggered enrollment (kids on scooters, big black dogs, the mailman, the vacuum)
The behavior scorecard captures performance on the real-world dimensions, and you'll see those tests on your parent dashboard. Commands are a useful proxy for training quality — but only outcomes in real life prove the training transferred. That's the bar we hold ourselves to.
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Your parent dashboard is where every piece of PD360 data lives for your dog. You can log in from any device and see:
- Your dog's PD360 profile — behavior scorecard, temperament profile, learning style, tool compatibility, current baseline
- Active program + timeline — where you are in the program, what's been completed, what's next
- Milestone tracker — skills demonstrated, badges earned, real-world tests passed
- Photo + video updates — from your dog's lead trainer (especially during board-and-train)
- Trainer notes — daily or weekly observations from your lead trainer
- Homework + handouts — what to practice at home between sessions and after the program ends
- Upcoming sessions + follow-ups — group classes, follow-up lessons, 30/60/90-day check-ins
It's the same dashboard our trainers use internally, so what you see is what we see — no marketing layer, no curated highlights, real data.
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Less than most classes. Your dog needs to be comfortable in a class setting and not reactive toward other dogs at a distance. Strong obedience is not required — searching is largely autonomous, with the dog leading the search.
If reactivity is severe enough that your dog can't settle around other dogs in the room, the Leash Reactivity Intensive is the right starting point — then scent work after. Cohorts run in 6-week blocks at our Scottsdale and Cave Creek facilities.
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Every Transform Camp enrollment includes:
- 28-night minimum stay at our state-of-the-art Scottsdale or Cave Creek facility
- 3+ active training sessions every day focused on aggression modification, desensitization, and counter-conditioning
- 7 hours of private lessons for you and your family during the transition phase
- 12 hours of Pet Parenting group classes
- 24 DayCamp days for ongoing structured reinforcement after camp
- Free access to our Pet Parent Guide
- 1000+ structured opportunities to practice new behaviors
- Modeling time between sessions on our training floor
The transition phase — where we teach you to maintain the behaviors at home — is the most critical part of the program. Every behavior is tracked in the PD360 system through at least four stages of learning, so progress compounds across grade levels.
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Yes. During any board-and-train program (Foundation Camp, Behavior Camp, Transform Camp), your dog's lead trainer posts photos and short video clips to your parent dashboard on a regular cadence — typically every few days, with extra updates at major milestones.
What you'll see:
- Training clips — short videos of your dog working real exercises so you can see the progress, not just hear about it
- Real-world test footage — your dog handling the situations that triggered the enrollment in the first place
- Off-duty photos — your dog playing, resting, hanging out with their kennel friends
- Milestone moments — first successful recall off-leash, first calm pass with a trigger, first relaxed place command in the lobby
This is one of the biggest differences between Partners Dogs and a kennel that disappears your dog for three weeks. You stay connected to your dog's progress in real time, and so does your trainer team — the same updates we post for you are the ones we review in our weekly internal program meetings.
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Refreshers are recommended every 6 to 12 months. Most clients schedule annually, typically before Arizona's peak hiking and rattlesnake season (March through October). Some dogs benefit from twice-yearly refreshers, especially active hiking dogs.
Refresher sessions cost the same as first-timer sessions (under $110) and follow the same 15-20 minute format. Each refresher reinforces the original avoidance training so it stays sharp when your dog encounters a live rattlesnake in the wild.
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Yes. Partners Dogs requires a 3-night minimum stay for boarding reservations. This allows your dog to settle in, establish a routine, and get the full benefit of the care program.
For shorter daytime stays, see DaySchool or DayCamp instead — both run Monday-Friday 7am-6pm and Saturday 8am-4pm with no minimum-stay requirement.
See also:
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Yes — that is the goal. DayCamp is a stepping-stone, not a permanent solution. Every dog in DayCamp has a behavior plan with target progression milestones:
- Calm crate time on first arrival
- Polite greeting with a structured leash present
- Loose-leash walk past a closed kennel with another dog inside
- Successful 5-minute small-group play with one hand-selected partner
- Full integration into DaySchool group play
Most dogs progress within 4-12 weeks of consistent attendance. Some need longer. A small number do better staying in DayCamp long-term. We do a progress review every 30 days and are honest about pace.
See also:
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Yes. Your dog should know basic sit, down, and come, and walk on leash without constant pulling. Dogs must be at least 6 months old and current on vaccinations. Every breed is welcome — purebred or mixed. The CGC test is breed-neutral.
If your dog does not yet have foundational obedience, a private lesson first is the fastest way to get evaluation-ready. Puppies under 6 months should start with the Puppy Program. Many CGC families also complete Level 1 or Level 2 Group Classes before enrolling in CGC prep.
See also:
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Yes — and we are upfront about that on the PD360 call. Cases we refer out:
- Severe predatory aggression toward small children — risk profile is outside what board-and-train can safely manage. We refer to a board-certified veterinary behaviorist.
- Suspected neurological or medical drivers — if the behavior pattern suggests seizure activity, pain-related aggression, or sudden-onset aggression in a previously stable dog, a veterinary specialist is the right first call.
- Households unable to commit to long-term management — aggression rehab is not a one-and-done. If the household can't safely follow the management plan after graduation, the dog is at risk of regression.
Saying no to a case we can't help is part of saying yes to the cases we can.
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Plan for the full day. PD360 runs 4-plus hours at our Scottsdale or Cave Creek facility. Drop-off is around 9-10am and pickup is around 3-4pm, with flexibility if those exact windows don’t fit your schedule.
The time includes greeting your dog, a structured behavior evaluation across multiple environments, rest periods, a family interview, and a written program recommendation we walk through with you before you leave.
If your case is complex — aggression, bite history, severe anxiety, multi-dog household conflict — we may extend the day. We never rush a behavior case to hit a clock.
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You choose. PD360 is held at either of our two Arizona facilities, whichever is more convenient for you:
- Partners Dogs Scottsdale — our urban training campus, easiest access from Phoenix, Tempe, Mesa, Paradise Valley, and Scottsdale proper
- Partners Dogs Cave Creek — our flagship campus, where founder Leighton Oosthuisen lives on-site, with larger outdoor evaluation spaces for high-drive and behavior cases
Both facilities run the same PD360 protocol, the same senior trainers rotate between them, and the same baseline gets recorded either way. We default to whichever location is closer to your home unless your dog's case calls for the larger Cave Creek footprint — for example, certain reactivity setups benefit from outdoor space.
If you'd like to see the facility your dog would board at for Behavior Camp or Transform Camp, request the same location for PD360 and we'll show you the kennels, training fields, and trainer team.
See also:
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A behavior scorecard is the Partners Dogs document that converts how your dog actually behaves into a measurable, comparable score — on the dimensions that drive real-world outcomes.
Each dog's scorecard rates behaviors like leash reactivity, recall reliability, settle quality, greeting manners, frustration tolerance, recovery from a startle, and resource guarding — on a calibrated scale your trainer is trained to apply consistently. We score at intake (your PD360 baseline), at mid-program, at end-of-program, and again at every follow-up benchmark.
That gives you something most dog training has never offered: a before-and-after picture of your dog, in writing, with dates. You can see exactly which behaviors moved, which ones moved the most, and which ones still need maintenance work. Trainers use the same scorecard to plan the next session and to decide when a dog is ready to graduate to the next milestone.
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For Puppy and Me classes, your puppy needs at least their first round of DHPP (distemper, hepatitis, parainfluenza, parvovirus) and Bordetella. We follow the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB) position that the benefits of early socialization outweigh the small risk of incomplete vaccination.
For board-and-train programs like Foundation Camp and DaySchool, full vaccination including Rabies is required. We typically recommend waiting until about 6 months for board-and-train so all vaccinations are complete. We'll review your records at enrollment.
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Both programs handle severe aggression cases, with key differences:
Transform Camp is a 28-night fixed program at $8,509 starting price, with a published curriculum and ongoing follow-up. It is built for severe aggression cases — multi-bite histories, family-member bites, or outward aggression — that respond to the standard 28-night structure.
Aggression Rehabilitation is an open-timeline program (typically 4-8 weeks) with case-specific pricing quoted at PD360. It uses specialized trainers and an extended threshold-based trigger work model, with lifetime handler support included. It is built for the cases that need more than the standard 28-night structure — or cases where the household needs more handler integration than Transform Camp provides.
PD360 confirms which is the right fit for your dog.
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The AKC Canine Good Citizen title is more than a trophy — it is a prerequisite for several programs and communities:
- Therapy dog programs
- Many apartment communities and rental properties
- AKC sports including agility, rally, and obedience competition
- Some hotel and travel programs
- Foundation skill set for scent work, agility, and other advanced classes at Partners Dogs
Beyond the credential, most CGC families tell us the dog they actually take home is the prize — a settled dog around the doorbell, the in-laws, and the off-leash dog at the corner.
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Yes. The base boarding rate covers rotation-based potty breaks, light individual play, climate-controlled rest, meals on your dog's schedule, medications, and daily wellness checks. For more enrichment or training progress during the stay, Partners Dogs offers these optional add-ons (not included in the base rate):
- DaySchool sessions — full-day off-leash group play and structured training with our trainers. Great for social dogs who want more activity.
- Private training sessions — 30 or 60-minute one-on-one work with a certified trainer to maintain commands or address a specific behavior.
- Treadmill sessions — 15-25 minute controlled-pace cardio that decreases anxiety, builds confidence, and drains energy.
- Enrichment add-ons — frozen Kongs, sniff walks, puzzle feeders, extra one-on-one play.
- Grooming — bath, nail trim, ear cleaning, or full grooming so your dog comes home spa-fresh.
Request add-ons at booking or call us mid-stay — most can be added or removed if plans change. See current pricing or call 480-595-6700.
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Please bring your dog's food (enough for the stay plus one extra day), any medications labeled clearly in original containers with dosing instructions, written notes on any special diet or feeding schedule, and your vet's contact info for emergencies. We accommodate raw, kibble, and prescription diets at no additional cost, and our staff administers oral and topical medications at no charge.
Please leave outside bedding, blankets, towels, toys, chews, bones, and anything sentimental or breakable at home. We provide raised Kuranda cots, clean bedding, and a curated selection of safe-tested enrichment toys for every guest. Outside items often get destroyed, lost, or pull stitches we'd then need to manage — and we have plenty of equipment so your dog won't go without.
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Yes. Our rattlesnakes are live and intact — we do not defang or milk them. We want the most natural training scenario possible so dogs learn to recognize the real scent and sound of a rattlesnake they would encounter on a trail or in their backyard.
For safety, our snakes are housed in double-mesh wire cages — there is no way they can reach your dog. Our Lead Rattlesnake Avoidance Instructors complete a minimum of two years of training before running sessions, so they can read every situation and adapt.
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Yes. Our Scottsdale location has staff on-site overnight for emergency response and passive monitoring. At our Cave Creek facility, one of the owners lives on the same property for overnight oversight. Your dog is never truly alone.
Both facilities feature climate-controlled enclosures, raised Kuranda cots, hospital-grade sanitation, daily feeding and medication logs, and state-of-the-art security monitoring temperature, humidity, and noise.
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PD360 is built on the same methodology that drives every Partners Dogs program: balanced and tool-agnostic by design.
Concretely that means:
- We don't pre-commit to a methodology before we meet your dog. The dog tells us what works.
- Our primary method is positive reinforcement — that's how we build every new behavior.
- We use the full operant conditioning model when it serves the dog: positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, positive punishment, negative punishment — with most work happening in the reinforcement side.
- We use whatever equipment communicates clearly for the dog in front of us — treats, markers, flat collar, slip lead, prong, e-collar, place, crate, basket muzzle. Every tool is conditioned before it's used to ask anything.
- Tools don't cause harm; people do. The skill of the trainer determines outcomes, not the quadrant or the equipment.
What we don't do: alpha rolls, dominance theory, hot-stove setups, yelling, training out of anger, or using any tool we haven't conditioned the dog to first. See our full methodology for the long version.
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All agility classes at Partners Dogs run on weekends — Saturday and Sunday sessions at both our Scottsdale and Cave Creek facilities. This schedule fits working families and lets us dedicate the course to agility for full sessions.
Pricing is set per 6-week block per dog. Current rates are posted on the booking page; call 480-595-6700 for the current rate or to ask about repeat-enrollment incentives. Most students don't own equipment at home and progress just fine with weekly class plus simple flatwork drills we'll teach you.
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You can start as soon as we complete the PD360 behavioral assessment and confirm Behavior Camp is the right fit. PD360 is required before enrollment and is $199 (discounts often available for families ready to sign up for a program).
Once enrolled, we work with you to choose a check-in date that lines up with availability at our Scottsdale or Cave Creek facility. Most families schedule check-in within 2-6 weeks of PD360, depending on calendar availability. A $100 deposit holds your dates.
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Yes — bringing your dog is the entire point. PD360 is a full in-person evaluation day, not a paperwork meeting. We need to see your actual dog in our actual environment to give you a real answer.
What to bring on assessment day (drop-off ~9-10am, pickup ~3-4pm):
- Your dog on a flat collar or martingale with a 4–6 foot leash (no retractable leashes — we’ll explain why during the visit)
- Current vaccination records (Rabies, DHPP, Bordetella) — required for any dog entering the facility
- At least one decision-maker from the household for the pickup debrief — ideally both primary handlers if there are two
- A short written history of any incidents, prior training, or current concerns
If your dog has a bite history or significant reactivity, let us know when you book so we can prep the facility and choose the right space for the day. We’ve evaluated dogs every other trainer has turned away. Yours will not be the first.
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Every PD360 is run by a senior Partners Dogs trainer — never a new hire, never a junior assistant. Our senior team holds credentials including CCPDT, CPDT-KA, KPA, IAABC, and AKC CGC Evaluator, and most carry 5–25+ years of professional dog training experience.
For complex behavior cases — aggression, bite history, severe anxiety, multi-dog conflict — your PD360 is conducted by one of our most senior behavior specialists, typically with 10+ years of behavior modification work and dozens to hundreds of similar cases on record.
The trainer who conducts your PD360 isn't necessarily the trainer who'll run your full program, but they record the baseline that your full program team works from. The team meets weekly to review active cases, which means the senior trainer who saw your dog at intake stays involved in the plan even when day-to-day work is handled by your assigned lead.
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Because dog training is a physical, environmental, relational thing — and none of it can be captured over Zoom or in a web form.
The first 90 seconds of a PD360 visit tell us more than 20 minutes of intake questions ever could. We see:
- How your dog gets out of the car
- How your dog handles a new building, new floor, new smells
- Whether your dog locks onto a stranger or settles
- How fast your dog recovers from any startle in the new environment
- How you and your dog communicate — which one is leading, which is following
- What your dog actually does, not what you think your dog does
None of that translates to a quiz. It's also the only honest way to evaluate cases involving aggression or bite history — we have to see the dog. After 28 years and 70,000+ dogs, we've learned the most accurate first impression of a dog comes from a senior trainer in a controlled environment, watching real behavior unfold. Anything less is a guess dressed up as an assessment.
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Yes. Partners Dogs' advanced scent work classes follow both AKC Scent Work and NACSW (National Association of Canine Scent Work) rules so you can move directly from class into trials. We host trial prep sessions before major events.
Competition is optional — many families do scent work purely for enrichment. But the sport is uniquely inclusive: three-legged dogs, dogs over 13, and reactive dogs all compete and earn titles in scent work. If a goal is competition, our progression starts at Intro (Primary Box Search) and builds through Foundations, Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced (multi-odor, blind hides).
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Boarding requires current Bordetella, Rabies, and Distemper/Parvo (DHPP) vaccinations for every dog. Records can be verified directly with your vet, uploaded to your Pet Parent Portal, or emailed to our team. All vaccinations must be given at least one week before check-in.
We verify vaccinations before every check-in to keep all boarding guests safe. Have your vet records available when you book.
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Yes. Partners Dogs is one of the only professional dog trainers offering long-term financing for training. Once you select a program, we send an initial application. You prequalify with a soft credit pull (no impact to your credit score), select financing terms and rates that fit your budget, and sign the financing agreement to lock in your check-in date.
All approvals and financing terms are through our third-party lending partner — please read terms clearly before applying. Financing is available for Foundation Camp, Behavior Camp, and Transform Camp.
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Yes. Our Scottsdale location has staff on-site overnight for emergency response and passive monitoring. At our Cave Creek facility, one of the owners lives on the same property for overnight oversight. Your dog is never truly alone.
Dogs sleep on raised Kuranda cots in either luxury suites or standard enclosures — 6x4 ft spaces for larger dogs, 4x4 ft for smaller dogs — with climate-controlled glass-and-stainless-steel construction, clean water access at all times, and regular rotations throughout the day.
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DaySchool requires current Bordetella, Rabies, and Distemper/Parvo (DHPP) vaccinations for every dog. We can verify records directly with your vet, you can upload them to your Pet Parent Portal, or you can email them to our team.
All vaccinations must be given at least one week before your dog's first day. Dogs do not need to be spayed or neutered to attend, but we ask that dogs in heat stay home until their cycle is complete. Dogs must be at least 20 weeks old to enroll.
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It's rare, but it happens — and we'd rather tell you up front than enroll a case we can't responsibly help. Roughly we see three scenarios where Partners Dogs isn't the right answer:
- Veterinary behaviorist required. A small percentage of behavior cases have a medical or neurological component (severe anxiety on the wrong meds, undiagnosed pain, true neurological dysregulation). We'll refer you to a veterinary behaviorist and stay involved in the case if they want a training partner.
- Safety risk too high. In rare cases — serious unprovoked bite history with children, predatory aggression toward people — we'll have an honest conversation about realistic outcomes, including options most trainers won't bring up.
- Timing or fit mismatch. Sometimes the household isn't ready (newborn arriving, mid-move, recent family loss), or another local resource is the better starting point. We'll point you there.
Even if we don't enroll you, you keep your PD360 plan. Many parents come back to us 6 or 12 months later when timing is right.
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Yes. Children can absolutely participate in private lessons — many families want everyone in the household speaking the same training language. There are two limitations:
- Children must be at least 8 years old and well-behaved during the session.
- A parent MUST be present at all times during the lesson.
Parents must understand the potential risks of having children around dogs with behavioral issues. For severe aggression or bite-history cases, child-handler involvement is determined case-by-case during the PD360 assessment.
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Dogs must be at least 20 weeks old to participate in standard group classes — this allows time for vaccinations and immune system development. Puppy and Me classes accept puppies starting at 8 weeks old with their first round of vaccinations.
There are no breed restrictions. We welcome dogs of every shape, size, and breed. All dogs begin with a PD360 assessment so we can place them in the right grade level based on their current skill, temperament, and training history.
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Cancellations made 48 hours or more in advance receive store credit on your account. Inside 48 hours, credit may be limited or unavailable. Refunds are issued as store credit only — not cash back.
If you need to reschedule with 48+ hours’ notice we make it easy — morning, evening, and weekend slots are available at both our Scottsdale and Cave Creek facilities to keep training consistent without rearranging your whole week. Private lessons are paid in full at booking, so giving us notice early protects the value already in your account.
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Bring any special diet food, medications, or items our team has specifically requested. Bedding, toys, and most personal items can stay home unless we tell you otherwise — our trainers provide everything else your dog needs.
You'll also need current vaccination records on file before check-in. Required vaccines are Bordetella, Rabies, and Distemper/Parvo (DHPP). Records can be verified directly with your vet, uploaded to the Pet Parent Portal, or emailed to our team — all vaccinations must be given at least one week before arrival.
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You should bring a structured six-foot leash, a flat collar, and some kind of reward — high-value treats your dog already loves, or a favorite toy. Everything else is determined case-by-case during the lesson, and your trainer will make equipment recommendations as needed.
For specific programs we may fit training-focused equipment (slip lead or properly-fitted prong collar for reactive dogs under trainer supervision, e-collar for snake avoidance or off-leash work), but those are introduced when appropriate — not as a default. The trainer fits the tool to the dog.
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Private lesson pricing varies by location, package, and whether you choose in-facility (1 hour) or in-home (1.5 hours) sessions. Multi-session packages offer the best per-hour rate. Current rates are posted on the pricing page — call 480-595-6700 if you want a number today.
Every lesson is 100% focused on you and your dog with no split attention. Sessions include a written take-home plan and equipment recommendations. Lifetime trainer support is included with every private lesson program.
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Group classes run year-round with open enrollment — you can start any week, no waiting for a new session to begin. Each class is 60 minutes, held once per week. Our modular class structure means you can join any time and progress through the grade levels at your own pace, with no set start or end date.
Class schedules vary by location and level. Check the current schedule at our Scottsdale or Cave Creek facility, or call 480-595-6700 to find the next class that fits your schedule.
What we work on
Behaviors
Aggression, reactivity, anxiety, leash pulling, resource guarding, and every behavior in between.
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Because some people have fed them and some have not. Dogs are excellent statisticians. They beg from the family members who have a history of sneaking food and they ignore the ones who do not. This is also why begging frequently spikes when relatives visit — grandparents and uncles are often unprotected reservoirs of treats.
The fix is the same: zero table-feeding from anyone, with a clear protocol your guests follow when they visit. Send the text before they arrive: “Please don't feed her from your plate, even if she gives you the look.”
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Counter surfing fixes faster than most owners expect — but only when prevention is total. The protocol:
- Total clearance during the training phase. No food, dishes, butter, or anything edible left on counters for at least 30 days while you build the new pattern. One stolen item resets the work.
- Teach “off” with a hand target. When all four paws are on the floor, mark and reward. When paws come up, no attention, no “no” — just unrewarded.
- Install a kitchen place command. A mat outside the work zone where your dog goes when you are cooking or eating. Reward heavily when they hold it.
- Manage when you cannot supervise. Baby gate the kitchen, or crate the dog when food is out and you are not actively training.
This is a behavior where consistency from everyone in the household decides the outcome.
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Begging exists because someone in the household has fed the dog from the table or from human plates. Even once. Even years ago. Dogs do not forget the food math.
To unwind it:
- Everyone stops feeding from the table. One family member who slips the dog a bite from dinner sustains the begging for years.
- Install a meal place command. A mat 10+ feet from the table where your dog goes during human meals. Reward heavily for staying put.
- Manage during the build. A leash, a baby gate, or a stuffed Kong in the crate during dinner gives your dog something else to do while the new pattern installs.
- Stay consistent for 30 days. Most begging patterns extinguish quickly once the reinforcement is genuinely zero.
Begging is mild and very fixable. At Partners Dogs it is one of the manners issues that Foundation Camp resolves quickly.
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Digging is hard-wired. Your dog is not destroying your yard out of spite — they are expressing one of these:
- Breed instinct. Terriers, dachshunds, huskies, and many shepherd breeds were selected for behaviors that include digging. Trying to eliminate it entirely is fighting biology.
- Heat-seeking. In Arizona summers, dogs dig to find the cooler soil underneath. The hole under your tree is climate control.
- Boredom. An understimulated dog left in the yard will entertain themselves, and digging is one of the most satisfying options.
- Prey drive. Ground squirrels, gophers, lizards — there is more wildlife under your yard than you realize, and your dog can smell it.
The fix is rarely “stop digging entirely.” It is redirecting the digging to an acceptable outlet (a designated dig pit), addressing boredom with enrichment, and managing yard access when you cannot supervise.
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Calm is a trained skill. The protocol:
- Place command. A specific mat or bed where your dog goes and stays. Reward heavily for any duration of stillness. Start with seconds, build to minutes, then hours.
- Settle on cue. A verbal cue paired with going onto their side and breathing slower. Built through pattern games and capture.
- Deliberate boring time. Many over-excited dogs have never had the experience of nothing happening. Tether them to you while you read or work — boredom is a skill.
- Pre-frame excitement. Before walks, before guests, before meals — have your dog place or settle for 60 seconds before the exciting thing starts.
- Manage your own energy. If you greet your dog with a high-pitched voice and big movements, you have just rewarded their excited state.
This is one of the most overlooked skills in dog training and one of the most important. A dog who cannot settle cannot learn anything else cleanly.
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A previously housetrained dog who starts having accidents needs a medical workup first, behavior assessment second. Common causes:
- UTI or bladder infection. Frequent small accidents, sometimes blood in the urine. Vet visit immediately.
- Other medical issues. Diabetes, kidney issues, cognitive decline in older dogs. Rule these out before assuming behavior.
- Stress or routine change. A move, a new family member, a household conflict, owner schedule change.
- Anxiety or fear-based. Accidents triggered by storms, fireworks, or being left alone (overlaps with separation anxiety).
- Marking, not housetraining failure. Small targeted urinations on vertical surfaces, often in a multi-dog household. See indoor marking.
Do not punish a previously reliable dog who suddenly has accidents. Figure out the cause first.
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The protocol for a dog who genuinely hates the car:
- Park the car. Door open. No engine. Sit in the back seat with high-value treats. Let your dog approach on their own terms. No forcing.
- Build up to engine on, no movement. Same exercise, with the engine running. Many car-anxious dogs panic at the engine sound alone.
- Short, fun destinations. Drive to the park, the trail, somewhere the dog enjoys. Reverse the car-equals-vet pattern.
- Address motion sickness if relevant. Some dogs benefit from anti-nausea medication during the rebuilding phase — talk to your vet.
- Manage the loading. If your dog will not load voluntarily, do not drag them in. That confirms the fear. Build loading as its own skill on rest days.
Most car-anxious dogs improve significantly in 4-6 weeks of consistent work. Severe cases benefit from Behavior Camp where we can do the work in a controlled environment.
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No. Mouthing that persists past 8-9 months, or that appears in an adult dog who did not previously do it, is not normal and needs professional assessment. The question is whether it is:
- Play that never got refined. A dog whose puppy mouthing was tolerated and is now an adult with no bite inhibition for human skin.
- Overexcitement that has graduated to teeth. Some over-aroused dogs grab and nip when they cannot regulate themselves.
- Resource guarding or low-grade aggression. The nipping has intent behind it — when approached during eating, when guests arrive, when the dog is touched.
The first two are Foundation Camp cases at Partners Dogs. The third is a Behavior Camp or Transform Camp case depending on severity. The PD360 Assessment is how we tell the difference.
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Not necessarily — but sometimes, yes. The honest answer depends on the case.
Indicators that the dogs can live together with proper work:
- Fights have not drawn blood or have been short and resolved without injury
- Triggers are identifiable (specific resources, specific situations)
- Both dogs show appropriate communication signals — growling, lip lifting, snapping before biting
- Owner can commit to multi-month behavior modification plus lifelong management
Indicators that rehoming may be the right call:
- Repeated serious bites between the dogs
- One dog cannot live safely in the household even with management
- Children in the home and the conflict cannot be managed safely
- Quality of life for one or both dogs is genuinely poor
At Partners Dogs we will assess honestly and tell you what is realistic. We have helped many families keep both dogs successfully. We have also been the people who told a family their best path forward was rehoming. We do not pressure either way — your dogs' safety drives the recommendation.
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If your dog is housetrained but lifting their leg on furniture, walls, or vertical surfaces — that is marking, not a housetraining failure. They are different behaviors with different drivers.
Marking is usually driven by:
- Intact hormones. Unneutered males mark dramatically more. Neutering often reduces or eliminates the behavior.
- Multi-dog household tension. Dogs marking to claim territory in a home where social dynamics are unsettled.
- Anxiety. Some dogs mark when stressed by routine changes, visitors, or new pets.
- Smell history. If another dog (or your own dog) has marked a spot, it gets revisited. Enzyme cleaner is non-negotiable.
Treatment is usually a combination of medical (rule out infection, consider neutering), management (block access to favored spots), and behavior work. Foundation Camp at Partners Dogs handles most indoor marking cases.
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Dogs do not naturally hate crates. A well-conditioned crate is a den — a safe, quiet space dogs choose to nap in. Dogs come to hate crates when one of these has happened:
- It was used as punishment. “Go to your kennel” said in a sharp voice has poisoned the crate for a lot of dogs.
- They were locked in too long, too soon. A puppy who was crated for eight hours their first night learned that the crate equals panic.
- They were never properly introduced. The crate just appeared, the dog was put inside, the door closed. No conditioning, no positive associations.
- Separation anxiety. Some dogs hate the crate because they hate being alone, not because they hate the crate.
The fix is rebuilding the crate as a positive space — never closing the door until your dog enters voluntarily, feeding meals inside, building duration slowly. If the dog has injured themselves trying to escape, you have to back up further and rule out separation anxiety first.
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Car anxiety comes from a mix of three things, usually:
- Motion sickness. Especially in puppies. The dog associates the car with nausea, drooling, or vomiting, and the dread builds.
- Bad ride history. The car only goes to the vet, the groomer, or to be dropped off somewhere stressful. The dog has zero positive car experiences to balance the negatives.
- Under-exposure. A dog who rarely rides in the car as a puppy never built tolerance, so every ride is unfamiliar and arousing.
Signs include panting, drooling, whining, vomiting, refusing to load, or shaking through the entire ride. At Partners Dogs we treat car anxiety through Behavior Camp paired with private lessons, using systematic desensitization to rebuild positive car associations.
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Territorial aggression is when your dog treats the home, yard, car, or family as a resource to defend against intruders. It is different from stranger reactivity on walks because the behavior is context-specific — same dog might be perfectly fine meeting strangers at the park but bite the delivery driver at the door.
Common drivers:
- Genetics. Many guarding breeds were selected for exactly this behavior. Treating it requires working with the wiring, not against it.
- Reinforcement. Every time a delivery driver walks away after your dog barked, the behavior was reinforced. The dog believes their guarding worked.
- Insecure leadership in the household. Dogs who feel responsible for security tend to over-perform the role. Structure and predictability reduce the pressure.
- Past intrusion event. A break-in, a confrontation at the door, a startling incident — can spike a dog into a defender role.
At Partners Dogs territorial aggression with any bite history is a Transform Camp case. Without bite history, it may be a Behavior Camp case. Every case starts with a PD360 Assessment.
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Fence-line patrolling is one of the harder patterns to break because the rehearsal is constant — every time your dog is in the yard, they have the opportunity to practice. The plan:
- Limit unsupervised yard time until the pattern is interrupted. This is non-negotiable. You cannot train against constant rehearsal.
- Block visual access. Privacy fencing, slats, or strategic landscaping that prevents your dog from seeing the trigger.
- Recall practice in the yard. Build a strong recall away from the fence using high-value rewards.
- Manage the energy budget. Many fence-runners are under-exercised. Structured walks, mental enrichment, and DaySchool can lower the baseline arousal.
- Teach a “leave it” or place command that pulls your dog off the fence when they start to fixate.
If the fence-running has graduated into reactivity on walks or aggression toward neighbor dogs, it is a Behavior Camp case at Partners Dogs.
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Counter surfing is one of the most self-rewarding behaviors a dog can find. Your dog jumps up, the dog gets food. The behavior is reinforced immediately and intensely every single time it works. Even occasional success — one stolen sandwich a month — is enough to maintain the habit indefinitely.
This is also why “just tell them no” never works. Your correction is one piece of mild negative consequence. The stolen steak is a life-changing positive consequence. The dog has done the math.
The fix is two-part: prevent rehearsal (do not leave food on counters during the training phase, ever) and teach an incompatible behavior (an “off” or place command paired with default four-on-the-floor in the kitchen). Counter surfing is a Foundation Camp case at Partners Dogs.
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The right way to crate train a puppy in the first week home:
- Set the crate up before the puppy arrives. Comfortable bedding, a few toys, in a quiet but not isolated room.
- Feed every meal in the crate with the door open. The crate becomes the place good things happen.
- Closed-door rest periods, short to start. 5 minutes, 10 minutes, while the puppy is calm and tired. Not when they are wound up.
- Build duration gradually. By the end of week one, 30-60 minute naps. By week three, 2-3 hours during daytime sleep.
- Overnight is separate from daytime. Puppies sleep longer overnight. Crate near your bed for the first few weeks so they are not isolated.
Never use the crate as punishment. Never force the puppy in. Never leave a puppy crated longer than their bladder can manage (roughly one hour per month of age, up to about four hours).
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The fix is layered. No single intervention works on its own:
- Manage the environment. Confinement, baby gates, or a crate when you cannot supervise. You cannot allow rehearsal.
- Provide approved outlets. Rotation of high-value chews — bully sticks, Kongs stuffed and frozen, beef cheek rolls, antlers for appropriate chewers. Quality matters; pet-store rawhides are not enough.
- Match the energy budget. A tired dog chews less. Structured walks, training games, DaySchool, fetch — whatever your dog responds to.
- Address the underlying anxiety if the chewing is happening when you are gone or in clusters around stressful events.
If the chewing is destroying significant property and home management is not enough, Foundation Camp gives your dog three weeks of structured impulse control and we leave you with a household management plan that fits your life.
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Puppies bite because they have to. Mouth exploration is how puppies learn about the world, and the play biting between littermates is where they learn bite inhibition — how much pressure is too much. When a puppy leaves the litter at 8 weeks, that learning is unfinished, and it falls to you to keep teaching it.
The good news: mouthing in puppies under 6 months is developmentally normal and very fixable. What works:
- Redirect to appropriate chew items every time teeth touch human skin. Have a toy in your hand before you reach for the puppy.
- Yelp + disengage. When a bite is too hard, a sharp “ouch” and stand-up-and-walk-away. The puppy learns that biting too hard ends the fun.
- Manage when you cannot supervise. Tired puppies are bitey puppies. Crate or pen during your low-tolerance moments.
- Burn off the energy. A puppy with no outlet for play bites is a puppy with one outlet for play.
If mouthing is intense, draws blood, or persists past 6 months, it stops being normal puppy behavior. That is when to call a trainer.
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An over-excited dog is one whose nervous system has not learned to self-regulate. Every stimulus — leash appearing, doorbell ringing, you coming home, food being prepared — triggers a high-arousal response that the dog cannot bring down on their own.
The pattern usually comes from:
- Never practiced calm. The dog has reps of being excited but no reps of being asked to settle in the presence of excitement.
- Reinforced excitement. Owners often unconsciously match the dog's energy — high-pitched greeting voices, dramatic departures, playing into the spin.
- Under-stimulation that builds pressure between exciting events. A dog who sits alone all day is going to detonate when something finally happens.
- Genetics. Some breeds are wired for higher baseline arousal. Working lines, sporting breeds, and high-drive mixes need more deliberate calm-practice than mellower dogs.
The fix is deliberate practice of calm — place command, settle work, structured routines. Foundation Camp at Partners Dogs treats overexcitement as a core skill: a dog who cannot settle cannot learn anything else well.
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Welcome to adolescence. Dogs between roughly 6-18 months go through a developmental phase where previously rock-solid commands seem to vanish. This is biological, not behavioral. The dog's brain is rewiring, hormones are surging, and the world is suddenly much more interesting than you are.
This is the make-or-break window. Owners who:
- Stop training during adolescence often end up with the “dog who used to listen” problem permanently.
- Keep practicing consistently with appropriate reinforcement push their dog through to mature reliability.
Adolescence is also when most dogs end up at Partners Dogs. A puppy class graduate at 12 months who is suddenly impossible on walks is exactly who Foundation Camp was built for. Do not assume the early training was wasted. It was not. It just needs to be carried through the rewiring phase.
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In the moment of a storm, your goal is harm reduction — not training. The dog is in panic. Do not try to teach in a flooded state. What helps:
- Safe space. Many dogs settle better in an interior bathroom, closet, or crate covered with a blanket. Less sensory input.
- White noise. A fan, TV, or playlist that masks the thunder.
- Stay calm. Your dog reads your body language. Do not match their anxiety. Do not over-reassure either — neutral, calm presence.
- Thundershirts and calming wraps. Work for some dogs, not all. Try outside of a storm first to see if they help.
- Pre-storm medication for severe cases. Some dogs benefit from situational anti-anxiety medication during monsoon season, prescribed by your vet.
The long-term fix is desensitization work outside of actual storms — graduated sound exposure, paired with positive associations, building tolerance during the dry season. We start that work months before monsoon season hits.
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Prey drive is hard-wired. Your dog is not misbehaving — they are running ancient software that selected for catching moving things. The drive lives somewhere on a spectrum from low (won't even notice a squirrel) to extreme (drops everything to chase, cannot self-interrupt).
Breed matters. Sighthounds, terriers, herding breeds, and many sporting breeds were selected for prey drive over centuries. Trying to eliminate it entirely is fighting biology. The right framework is:
- Channel it where possible. Flirt poles, structured fetch, sports like lure coursing or dock diving give the drive a legitimate outlet.
- Manage where necessary. Long lines on hikes, secure fencing, off-leash only where the recall holds.
- Train an override. A bulletproof recall and a strong “leave it” that can interrupt the chase before it commits.
In Arizona, prey drive is also a safety issue. Rattlesnakes, javelinas, and coyotes are real threats on Scottsdale and Cave Creek trails. A dog with uncontrollable prey drive cannot safely go off-leash in the desert. We address this in Behavior Camp.
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The instinct to “force socialize” — taking your reactive dog to crowded places to expose them — usually makes things worse. The protocol that works:
- Manage distance. Identify the distance at which your dog can see a stranger without reacting. Work below that threshold and gradually decrease.
- Pair strangers with positive experiences. Treats, calm praise, fun activities when strangers are in view at a safe distance.
- Skip the on-leash meet-and-greet. Strangers do not need to pet your dog. The greeting is the part most often gone wrong. Allow your dog to observe without interacting.
- Use a vest or signal. “In training — please do not pet” gives well-meaning strangers a clear no.
- Practice at home with planned visitors. Brief them on the protocol, ignore the dog on entry, drop treats. Build positive arrivals.
Severe cases need Behavior Camp at Partners Dogs. Mild cases can improve significantly with consistent at-home work.
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Yes, for some types. Alert barking and demand barking respond well to consistent at-home work. Anxiety barking and reactivity barking usually do not — they need a structured behavior modification plan because the dog is not making a choice you can change with practice. They are panicking.
If you want to try DIY on alert or demand barking:
- Stop accidentally reinforcing it. Every time you respond to demand barking — even to say “quiet” — you have rewarded it.
- Teach a “quiet” cue. Reward the dog for the silence after a bark, not for not barking at all.
- Address the energy budget. Many barkers are under-exercised. A tired dog has less to say.
If your dog cannot stop once they start, if barking is happening when you are not home, or if neighbors are complaining — the DIY ceiling is low. Bring in help.
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The instinct most owners have — “they just need more socialization” — usually backfires. Forcing a fearful dog into a dog park or letting them meet random dogs on the trail strengthens the fear because the dog cannot escape.
What actually works:
- Distance first. Identify the distance at which your dog can see another dog without reacting. Work below that threshold and gradually decrease the distance.
- Pair calm dogs with positive experiences. Treats, calm praise, fun activities, in the presence of (not interacting with) a known calm dog.
- Controlled introductions only. When your dog is ready to meet, it should be with a known-friendly dog, parallel walking before face-to-face, neutral territory.
- Skip the dog park. Especially in the rebuilding phase, dog parks are unpredictable and the wrong environment.
At Partners Dogs we have controlled socialization sessions built into Behavior Camp and DaySchool — your dog rebuilds social confidence around carefully selected dogs before we send them into the wild.
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Potty training is mostly a management problem, not a dog problem. A puppy that never has the opportunity to go inside almost never develops a habit of going inside. The protocol:
- Out every 1-2 hours when awake, after every meal, after every nap, after every play session. Set a timer.
- Same spot, on leash. Go to one specific outdoor spot. The associated smell triggers the behavior.
- Reward immediately after they finish. Verbal praise + a treat the moment the last drop hits the ground. Not when they come back inside.
- Supervise constantly indoors. If you cannot watch the puppy, they are tethered to you or in the crate.
- Never punish accidents. Clean with an enzyme cleaner so the smell does not invite a repeat. Punishment teaches the puppy to hide and go behind the couch instead.
Most puppies are reliably housetrained by 4-6 months with consistent work. Adult rescues with bad early-life habits can take longer but the protocol is the same.
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Sibling aggression is one of the most stressful patterns a family can face. The drivers we see most often:
- Resource competition. Food, toys, beds, water bowls, your attention — any contested resource can spark a fight.
- Social hierarchy disruption. Maturing dogs, a new dog added to the household, or an aging dog losing status often trigger a wave of conflict.
- One dog has changed. Pain, vision loss, hearing loss, cognitive decline — when one dog's communication changes, the other dog often responds with conflict.
- The owner is in the middle. Many sibling fights happen when both dogs converge on the human. The trigger is competition for you.
Critical: never let dogs “work it out.” Each fight makes the next more likely. If blood has been drawn, this is a Transform Camp case at Partners Dogs and we will work with one or both dogs depending on the PD360 Assessment.
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Stranger reactivity is almost always fear, not aggression. Your dog perceives unfamiliar people as threatening — too direct, too tall, moving toward you, or simply unknown — and is asking for space by barking and lunging.
Common patterns:
- Under-socialization in puppyhood. Dogs who did not meet enough new people during the 8-16 week window often struggle as adults.
- Negative experience. A bad encounter — being grabbed, cornered, or scared by a stranger — can produce a permanent fear pattern.
- Territorial overlap. Reactivity is worse at the door, in the yard, or near the car. The dog is also guarding territory.
- Owner anxiety. Some dogs read the owner's tension at the sight of a stranger and react to that signal.
At Partners Dogs stranger reactivity is a Behavior Camp case. We rebuild confidence with controlled exposure to new people, then private lessons in your actual neighborhood to generalize.
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Door bolting is one of the most dangerous habits a dog can have — it gets dogs hit by cars, lost in Scottsdale neighborhoods, and into encounters with coyotes and rattlesnakes in the desert. The reason it happens:
- The door represents freedom. Every successful bolt is hugely rewarded — running, exploring, sniffing, chasing.
- The threshold is high-arousal. Doorbells, arrivals, departures — the moments when the door opens are when your dog is most excited.
- No one ever taught the alternative. Most dogs were never given a default door behavior. The threshold is undefined, so the dog made one up.
The fix is teaching a clear threshold rule — your dog does not cross unless released. This is taught at every doorway, every car door, every gate. At Partners Dogs door-bolting is a Foundation Camp case and we usually see it paired with recall issues that need their own work.
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Noise phobia is a fear response that has been amplified beyond what a normal dog would experience to the same sound. The drivers:
- Sensitive nervous system. Some dogs come wired to find loud, unpredictable sounds genuinely terrifying.
- One bad experience. A dog who was outside during a close lightning strike or a Fourth of July overhead burst can develop a permanent fear from that single event.
- Owner reinforcement (unintentional). Some dogs read their owner's reaction to a storm or fireworks and conclude that the sound must be threatening.
- Atmospheric changes. Dogs can sense barometric pressure changes before a storm hits, which adds to the buildup.
Arizona's monsoon season is one of the worst environments in the country for a noise-phobic dog — sudden storms, no warning, loud thunder. At Partners Dogs we treat noise phobia through Behavior Camp paired with private lessons, using systematic desensitization protocols and often coordinated medication during storm and fireworks season.
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Dogs who “don't listen” almost always have one of these issues:
- Commands were not generalized. The dog learned “sit” in the kitchen with a treat in your hand. They never learned that “sit” means the same thing in the front yard, on a walk, or at the park.
- Commands have been repeated without consequence. “Sit. Sit. SIT.” The dog has learned that the first “sit” is optional.
- The reward dropped off. The dog used to get treats. Now they get nothing. The math has shifted in favor of ignoring you.
- Adolescence. Dogs between 6-18 months go through a phase where previously reliable commands seem to vanish. This is normal and it ends, but it requires consistent reinforcement to weather.
- Mixed signals from different family members. Different cues, different rules, different consequences. The dog has reasonably given up.
This is the textbook case for Foundation Camp at Partners Dogs — rebuild reliable obedience with real-world distractions, then teach the household how to maintain it.
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The front door is the hardest place to fix jumping because the energy spike is enormous and the timing window is short. Here is the layered approach we use:
- Manage the moment. Use a leash, a baby gate, or a tether station near the door for the first 30 seconds of arrival. You are not teaching here — you are preventing rehearsal of the jumping.
- Practice without real guests. Run knock-and-doorbell drills with the dog tethered, rewarding any sit or four-on-the-floor. The dog needs reps in the actual context.
- Brief your guests. “Please ignore him for the first 30 seconds — once he is sitting, you can say hi.” Send the text before they arrive.
- Build a place command. Teaching your dog to go to a mat or bed when the doorbell rings gives you a default that does not involve the door at all.
The doorbell is one of the highest-arousal moments in a dog's day. Expecting them to be polite without training is unrealistic.
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Barrier frustration is what happens when a dog's natural arousal toward a trigger gets amplified by being unable to reach it. The fence, the window, the leash, the crate door — anything that blocks access while the trigger is visible creates an over-aroused, can-not-disengage state.
The pattern usually develops because:
- The barrier rehearsals add up. Every time your dog explodes at the fence and the trigger eventually leaves, the dog logs that the explosion worked.
- The arousal generalizes. A dog who barks at the back fence at squirrels often graduates to barking at people, then to leash reactivity, then to over-arousal anywhere they see triggers.
- It feels good. Explosive barking releases stress chemistry. Some dogs become genuinely addicted to fence-running and window-charging.
At Partners Dogs we treat barrier frustration through Behavior Camp paired with private lessons that include environmental management at your actual fence and windows. You cannot train through it without also preventing rehearsal.
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It depends entirely on the dog's history with the crate. A well-conditioned crate can be a safe den that lowers anxiety. A dog who has only experienced the crate as a punishment, or who has injured themselves trying to escape one, will panic harder in it.
Here is how we think about it:
- If the crate is already a positive space (your dog naps in it voluntarily, eats meals in it, settles calmly), continuing crate use during desensitization is often fine.
- If the crate is associated with panic (bent bars, broken teeth, blood, urine and feces inside), forcing crate use will make the anxiety worse. We work on a different management strategy first.
- Never use the crate as the “solution” to separation anxiety. Containment is management, not treatment.
At Partners Dogs we condition crates as a positive space first, then layer them into the separation work — never the other way around.
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Because that person has been consistent and the rest of the household has not. Dogs are excellent at sorting humans into categories based on what works:
- The trainer: says a cue once, follows through, rewards reliably, ends on a clear note. The dog listens.
- The soft one: says a cue, repeats it three times, eventually gives up or repeats it as a question. The dog has learned this person is optional.
- The yeller: escalates from request to yelling. The dog has learned to tune out the calm version and respond only to the volume.
- The bribery one: only rewards with a treat in hand. The dog has learned to perform only when food is visible.
The fix is a unified household protocol. Same cues, same rules, same consequences from every adult in the home. At Partners Dogs, every Foundation Camp ends with a household handoff session where we coach every adult on the protocol so the dog gets the same response from everyone.
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Yes, but it requires more than a standard recall foundation. Prey drive is one of the most powerful motivators in a dog's brain — it can be overridden, but only when the recall has been built specifically to compete with it.
What it takes:
- High-value rewards your dog finds more interesting than chase. Real meat, real cheese, a tug toy — whatever your specific dog ranks above squirrel-chase.
- Long-line work in prey-rich environments. Practice recall while wildlife is visible, with the long line preventing actual chase.
- Impulse control work generally. Place, leave it, structured walks — all build the dog's ability to disengage from arousing stimuli.
- For advanced cases, e-collar conditioning. In Arizona, where prey drive can cost a dog their life (snake encounters, javelina charges, getting lost in the desert), this is a legitimate use of the tool when properly introduced.
This is Behavior Camp territory at Partners Dogs, often with a private lessons follow-up at your actual hike route.
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The environment matters. Arizona has specific risks and specific opportunities that shape what training has to accomplish:
- Rattlesnake season. March through October. A dog with weak recall on a Scottsdale trail can be bitten before you reach them. We strongly recommend snake avoidance training for every Arizona dog.
- Heat extremes. May through September, asphalt burns paws and dogs can overheat in minutes. Training has to include heat-aware decisions.
- Wildlife. Javelinas, coyotes, bobcats, and a wide range of prey animals across our trails. Prey drive training matters more here than in most suburban environments.
- Off-leash culture. Many Cave Creek and Scottsdale neighborhoods have informal off-leash hiking. Reliable recall is a real necessity, not a luxury.
- Monsoon season. July through September. Noise-phobic dogs need specific prep before monsoon hits.
- Outdoor-living lifestyle. Patio dinners, pool gatherings, hiking, dog-friendly restaurants — Arizona dogs are out in the world more than the average American dog. They need more public-space training.
At Partners Dogs we have trained dogs in the McDowell Sonoran Preserve, Brown's Ranch, Cave Creek Regional Park, and every kind of Scottsdale and Cave Creek environment. Our protocols reflect what dogs actually face here.
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The day you bring them home. The 8-16 week window is the most important learning period in a dog's life, and what you do (or do not do) during it shapes the adult dog more than almost anything else.
Priorities during the socialization window:
- Exposure to people. Different ages, sizes, ethnicities, hats, beards, kids, the works. Always controlled and positive.
- Exposure to other dogs. Vaccinated, friendly, calm adults and well-matched puppies. Skip the dog park during this window — too unpredictable.
- Exposure to surfaces, sounds, environments. Tile, grass, sand, gravel, hardwood, stairs, car rides, busy parking lots, vet visits as positive experiences.
- Basic obedience. Sit, down, come, place. Crate training. Housetraining. Bite inhibition.
- Loose-leash mechanics. Before the dog gets big enough to pull, install the habit of walking with a loose leash.
At Partners Dogs, puppy classes and our Puppy Foundation program are designed exactly for this window. Owners who do this work right have an enormous head start on the next 10-15 years.
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Destructive chewing is rarely the dog being “bad.” The drivers we see most:
- Boredom and under-exercise. A high-energy dog with nothing to do will find their own entertainment, and your couch is right there.
- Unmet puppy chewing needs. Puppies and adolescents have a biological need to chew during teething and beyond. Without appropriate outlets, they make their own.
- Separation anxiety. Destruction focused near exits — door frames, windows, baseboards — usually signals anxiety, not boredom (see our separation anxiety FAQs).
- Stress chewing. Some dogs self-soothe through chewing in the way some humans bite nails.
The fix depends on the cause. Boredom and unmet chewing needs respond quickly to enrichment, exercise, and high-value chew rotation. Anxiety-driven chewing requires behavior modification, not more toys.
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Rehoming is sometimes the right call, and sometimes it is the call owners reach for too early because no one has given them a clear plan. Before you make a decision either way, get a proper assessment. We have worked with hundreds of families who came to Partners Dogs convinced their dog was a lost cause and walked out of the PD360 Assessment with a real path forward.
Honest indicators that rehoming may genuinely be the right answer:
- Children in the household with a dog who has bitten people, especially repeated incidents.
- Aggression toward family members in a household where management cannot be perfect 24/7.
- Owner cannot or will not commit to the multi-month treatment process plus lifelong management.
- The dog is genuinely suffering from anxiety driving the aggression and has no quality of life.
Do not rehome until you have heard an honest second opinion from someone qualified to give one. We will not sugarcoat what your dog needs, and we will not pressure you to enroll in a program if your situation is not workable.
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Canine social fear comes from one of three places, usually:
- Under-socialization. The window between 8-16 weeks is when puppies learn that other dogs are normal and safe. A puppy who missed exposure to other dogs during that window often does not generalize easily as an adult.
- A negative experience. A bad interaction at a dog park, getting attacked on a walk, getting bullied by a sibling — one bad event can shape a dog's response to all other dogs for years.
- Temperament. Some dogs are simply more cautious by nature. With proper introductions and structured exposure they can still build confidence, but the threshold is lower.
Social fear often looks like reactivity — barking and lunging — but the motivation is “make this scary thing go away,” not aggression. The treatment is rebuilding confidence in a controlled environment, gradually, before generalizing back to real-world walks. At Partners Dogs that is a Behavior Camp case paired with private lessons.
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Food aggression is a specific form of resource guarding targeted at food, treats, or food drops. Common causes:
- Past food scarcity — rescues, shelter dogs, puppies who competed with siblings for food.
- Having food taken away by humans during meals, which teaches the dog that approaching humans steal food.
- Anxiety that makes the dog feel resources are scarce even in households with plenty.
- Sometimes simply a genetic predisposition that was never countered with proper conditioning as a puppy.
The dangerous pattern is owners who try to “teach the dog who is boss” by sticking their hand in the bowl during meals, taking food away, or pushing the dog off. This is exactly the wrong approach — it confirms the dog's fear that humans are food thieves and escalates the guarding.
At Partners Dogs we treat food aggression as a serious behavior issue that requires structured desensitization. This is a Behavior Camp case at minimum, and a Transform Camp case if there has been a bite.
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Generalized anxiety is different from a specific phobia. A dog with noise phobia is afraid of thunder. A dog with separation anxiety panics when alone. A dog with general anxiety is anxious about most things, most of the time — and the trigger is essentially the world itself.
Common drivers:
- Genetics. Some dogs come wired with a more reactive nervous system. Working lines bred for sensitivity, certain breeds, and dogs from poorly-bred backgrounds are all over-represented.
- Early life experience. Puppies raised in barren environments without exposure to normal household stimuli often develop generalized anxiety as adults.
- Trauma. Rescues with unknown histories sometimes carry anxiety responses from past abuse, abandonment, or chronic neglect.
- Medical contributors. Pain, gut issues, thyroid abnormalities, and other medical conditions can present as anxiety. Always rule these out.
At Partners Dogs general anxiety is a Behavior Camp case. The work is rebuilding the dog's emotional regulation, confidence, and tolerance for normal stimuli — not just managing one trigger at a time.
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Equipment helps, but no piece of gear teaches loose-leash walking on its own. That said, here is how we think about it at Partners Dogs:
- Structured six-foot leash + slip lead — our default training setup. When fitted high on the neck and used correctly, a slip lead gives you clean, direct communication that translates into a dog who actually listens on leash.
- Prong collar — often safer than a flat collar for hard pullers who choke themselves. Fitted correctly and paired with leash skills, it communicates clearly without escalating force.
- e-Collar — for off-leash work and advanced cases where leash equipment alone isn't the right answer.
- Flat collar + six-foot leash — the everyday maintenance baseline once your dog has the skill. It is not a training tool on its own — it is what you graduate to.
- Front-clip harness — physical management only. It provides minimal training communication and is not a primary training tool. Useful only briefly when transitioning from a chronic puller toward a controlled walker.
- Retractable / flexi leashes — we do not use them. They teach pulling and make handling unsafe.
The right tool depends on your dog's size, drive, and how the pulling combines with other behavior. We are tool-agnostic by design — we pick what works for your specific dog. Tools don't cause harm or pain. People do. The trainer's skill is what makes any piece of equipment safe and effective.
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Rescue dogs come with unknown histories and the patterns you see often reflect what happened before you. Common contributors:
- Under-socialization. Many rescues missed the 8-16 week window. The world is genuinely unfamiliar to them as adults.
- Trauma. Past abuse, abandonment, hoarding situations, or chronic neglect leave behavioral fingerprints that can take months to surface.
- Decompression takes time. The classic 3-3-3 rule: 3 days to start to relax, 3 weeks to start to learn your routine, 3 months to feel truly at home. Patterns that show up at week 4 or month 2 are not new dogs — they are real dogs becoming visible.
- Stacked stressors. A rescue dog is processing a lot at once. New home, new people, new sounds, new routine. Behaviors that surface in the first weeks often soften with time and structure.
At Partners Dogs we love rescue dogs. We have helped many families work through the rough early months and rebuild a confident, settled dog. Behavior Camp is often the right starting point once the dog has had time to decompress. The PD360 Assessment helps us tell the difference between trauma response and trainable behavior.
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Yes — and also it is more complicated than breed stereotypes suggest. Our take at Partners Dogs:
- Breed predicts tendencies, not destinies. A Border Collie is more likely to develop herding-related fixations than a Bichon Frise. That does not mean every Border Collie will.
- Selection pressure was real. Sporting breeds were bred to retrieve. Terriers were bred to dispatch vermin. Guarding breeds were bred to defend territory. These traits show up in behavior whether we want them to or not.
- Individual variation is large. Two dogs of the same breed can have dramatically different temperaments based on genetics within the breed, early-life experience, and training.
- Our 5th principle is: breed is a hypothesis, the actual dog is the evidence. We start with breed-informed expectations and adjust based on what we see in front of us.
Common patterns: herding breeds and reactivity, sighthounds and prey drive, guarding breeds and territorial behavior, working lines and high arousal, certain bully breeds and dog-directed reactivity. Helpful context, never a verdict.
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Doorbell barking is alert barking that has built up reinforcement history. Your dog learned that barking at the bell makes the “intruder” eventually leave or that you go to the door — either outcome confirms barking worked. To unwind it:
- Change what the bell predicts. Have a family member ring the bell while you toss treats onto a mat across the room. Repeat until the bell makes your dog look at you for the treat instead of charging the door.
- Install a place command. “Place” sends your dog to a specific mat or bed when the bell rings. This gives them a job that is incompatible with charging the door.
- Manage during the build. Stop letting the dog rehearse the full bark-and-charge sequence — leash, gate, or close the door to that room when real guests arrive.
- Acknowledge two barks. A dog doing their job gets a calm “thank you” — then the cue to settle. Trying to silence all alert barking is unrealistic.
If the barking is paired with reactivity or aggression at strangers, the doorbell work needs to nest inside a larger behavior plan. That is when Foundation Camp or Behavior Camp at Partners Dogs makes sense.
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Inter-dog resource guarding is one of the most stressful patterns in a multi-dog household and one of the easiest to make worse with the wrong approach. The non-negotiables:
- Feed separately. Different rooms, behind closed doors or baby gates. Do not feed dogs side by side and hope they figure it out.
- Remove high-value chews and toys until you have a real plan. Bones, bully sticks, and stuffed Kongs are the most common fight triggers.
- Do not let dogs “work it out.” Every fight makes the next one more likely. Each incident reinforces the pattern.
- Address the underlying tension. Resource guarding between dogs is usually a symptom of broader social conflict in the household. Structure, predictability, and clear human leadership reduce the pressure.
If fights have drawn blood, this is sibling aggression territory and a Transform Camp case at Partners Dogs. The PD360 Assessment will determine whether the work can be done with one dog or whether both need behavior modification.
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Exercise alone almost never fixes behavior. But under-exercise can prevent any fix from sticking. The honest framework:
- Physical exercise drains energy. A tired dog has less fuel for bad choices. Minimum 30-60 minutes for most adult dogs, more for high-drive breeds.
- Mental exercise drains differently. Training sessions, puzzle feeders, scent work, and structured walks tire dogs out in ways pure running does not. 15 minutes of training can equal 45 minutes of fetch for energy expenditure.
- Structure matters as much as quantity. A dog who runs wild in the yard for an hour gets aerobic exercise but no impulse control practice. A dog who does a 30-minute structured walk with engagement work gets less aerobic load but more behavioral practice.
- Arizona heat caveat. May through September, midday walks are dangerous. Asphalt burns paws, dogs overheat fast. Shift exercise to early morning, evening, or air-conditioned alternatives.
If your dog has a behavior issue, exercise is part of the foundation but never the whole answer. DaySchool at Partners Dogs provides structured stimulation when home exercise is not enough.
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Almost never. Old dogs absolutely learn new tricks — and new behavior patterns. The myth of “you cannot teach an old dog” is wrong.
What is true:
- Older dogs may take longer. Patterns that have been rehearsed for years take longer to overwrite than fresh patterns in a young dog.
- Physical limitations matter. An arthritic dog may not handle the same protocol as a young athlete. We adapt the work to the dog.
- Sensory changes matter. Dogs losing hearing or vision often develop new behaviors as they adapt. We work with the dog's current state.
- Cognitive decline is real in senior dogs. Dogs with canine cognitive dysfunction (the dog version of dementia) require different protocols.
We work with senior dogs at Partners Dogs all the time. A 9-year-old with leash reactivity is absolutely fixable. A 12-year-old with new-onset anxiety needs a vet workup first but is also workable. Age is rarely the limiting factor.
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Yes, we use prong collars. Fitted correctly and handled by a trained trainer, a prong collar is often one of the safer pieces of equipment in dog training — including safer than a flat collar for a hard puller who chokes themselves. Fitted or handled incorrectly, it can cause damage. The difference is the trainer, not the tool.
This is the principle behind everything we do: tools do not cause harm or pain. People do. You can hurt a dog with any piece of equipment used wrong, and you can build a confident, well-mannered dog with almost any piece of equipment used right.
If a trainer recommends a prong collar without showing you the fitting and the conditioning protocol, push back. If a trainer refuses to use any “aversive” tool even in cases where it would clearly help the dog, also push back. Dogmatism in either direction is the wrong methodology. We pick what works for your specific dog.
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No. Dogs do not grow out of jumping — they grow into it. The behavior gets worse as the dog gets bigger and stronger, and every month it goes unaddressed cements the pattern. A 70-pound Labrador jumping on your 80-year-old mother is not a phase. It is a four-month-old puppy whose habit was allowed to mature.
The window to prevent jumping is short. By 12-14 weeks, your puppy should already be practicing four-on-the-floor greetings. By six months, the pattern is set either way. We see plenty of adult dogs in Foundation Camp at Partners Dogs whose owners said exactly this sentence about the puppy: “He will grow out of it.”
Adult dogs absolutely can unlearn jumping — it just takes longer than installing the habit correctly from the start.
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Yes — we use e-collars, bark collars, and other balanced-training tools when they are the right fit for the dog, the behavior, and the family. After 28 years and 70,000+ dogs trained, we have learned that limiting yourself by equipment limits the outcome.
What matters is the trainer's understanding, the timing, and the pairing. Tools do not cause harm or pain. People do. The modern e-collar, properly conditioned, operates at the level a dog perceives as a tap on the shoulder — clear communication at distance and off-leash. The dog learns to respond to it the way they respond to any other cue, paired with reinforcement.
Where we use e-collars: advanced recall, snake-avoidance, off-leash reliability for high-prey-drive dogs on Arizona trails, and Transform Camp work where it is the difference between safety and danger. Our trainers are certified to use e-collars, bark collars, prong collars, slip leads, treats, clickers, and everything in between. We pick what serves the dog and the parent — not what fits a single philosophy. If you have questions about a specific tool for your dog, schedule a free consultation.
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Off-leash recall is built on-leash and on long lines first. The progression:
- Charge the cue indoors. Say the name + recall word. Dog comes. Massive reward. Repeat hundreds of times. The word should mean “party time.”
- Add distance. 6 feet, 20 feet, 50 feet, on a long line.
- Add distractions, low to high. Quiet park, busy park, other dogs visible, other dogs close, wildlife present.
- Never use the recall word when you cannot enforce it. Every failed recall (dog ignores it) weakens the word.
- Off-leash only once the long-line recall is bulletproof. Start in fully fenced areas, then secure unfenced spaces, then open terrain.
At Partners Dogs we build recall through Foundation Camp and reinforce it in group classes. For dogs who need bulletproof off-leash work — hikers, off-grid Cave Creek properties, high-drive breeds — we layer e-collar work in advanced cases with proper conditioning protocols.
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The destruction can look identical, but the patterns are different. Separation anxiety usually shows these markers:
- Distress starts before you leave. Panting, pacing, drooling, or shadow-following as you put on shoes and grab keys.
- Destruction is focused near exits. Door frames, windows, baseboards near the front door — not random shoes and pillows across the house.
- Vocalization. Howling, persistent barking, whining that neighbors hear.
- Distress within minutes of your departure. Video shows the dog unable to settle in the first 15-30 minutes.
- House soiling in a housetrained dog.
- Desperate greeting when you return.
Boredom destruction tends to happen across the day, scattered around the house, in a dog who was fine in the first hour. If you are not sure, set up a camera. The first 30 minutes after you leave will tell you.
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They look similar at the end of the leash but they are different problems:
- Pulling is mechanical. Your dog moves forward, faster than you, all the time — toward everything. It is steady forward pressure with no real emotional component.
- Reactivity is emotional. Your dog is fine until a specific trigger appears (another dog, a stranger, a bike), then explodes into barking, lunging, and spinning. They may be relaxed two minutes later.
Many dogs have both — they pull when calm and react when triggered. The training plans overlap (both build engagement and impulse control), but reactivity requires additional work on the dog's emotional response to the trigger. That is why severe reactivity is usually a Behavior Camp case, while plain pulling is a Foundation Camp case.
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Dogs pull because pulling works. Every step you take while the leash is tight, your dog has just been rewarded for pulling — they got closer to whatever they wanted. After a few hundred reps, the dog has learned that tight leash equals forward motion. The fix is not a stronger collar, it is changing what tight-leash predicts.
A few common contributors we see in Scottsdale and Cave Creek:
- Under-exercised dogs are carrying too much energy onto the leash from the start.
- High-drive breeds (huskies, shepherds, hounds, sporting breeds) have generations of selection pressure for pulling and running ahead.
- Never-taught loose-leash mechanics — most dogs were simply never shown that a loose leash is what produces forward motion.
Loose-leash walking is one of the most teachable skills in dog training. It is not personality. It is mechanics that no one has installed yet.
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Two different programs that work well together. The honest comparison:
Board-and-Train Camp (Foundation, Behavior, or Transform) — your dog stays at our Scottsdale or Cave Creek facility for 3-6 weeks. Trainers do daily work. You come home to a dog with new skills and a clear handoff plan.
- Best for: Dogs whose owners do not have the time or experience to drive the training daily, severe behavior cases that need professional consistency, fast results.
- Tradeoff: The owner learns to maintain, not to install. Follow-through is critical.
Private Lessons — a trainer comes to you (or you come to us) for individual sessions over weeks or months. Owner does the daily work between sessions.
- Best for: Owners who want to do the work themselves with professional guidance, dogs with mild issues, location-specific work (your actual neighborhood, your front door).
- Tradeoff: Slower than camp, requires consistent owner follow-through between sessions.
Most of our serious cases combine both: Camp installs the foundation, private lessons generalize it to your real environment.
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Barking when alone is almost always anxiety barking, not boredom. It is one of the clearest signals of separation anxiety, especially when paired with destruction near doors, accidents in a housetrained dog, or video showing your dog unable to settle for hours.
This is not a discipline problem. Correcting the barking with citronella collars, anti-bark devices, or scolding when you get home suppresses the symptom while making the underlying anxiety worse. The dog learns that being alone is now also painful or scary in a new way.
The fix is to build your dog's emotional capacity to be alone — gradually, systematically, in steps short enough that the dog never enters panic. At Partners Dogs we treat this through Behavior Camp paired with private lessons in your home, because the work has to happen in the actual environment where your dog falls apart.
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Mild leash reactivity can absolutely be improved at home — but you need the right tools and a real plan, not just willpower. The work that helps most:
- Manage distance. Cross the street, change direction, or step behind a parked car before your dog hits their threshold. Every reaction strengthens the pattern.
- Reward engagement. Pay heavily for any moment your dog looks at a trigger and then back to you. That “check-in” is the behavior you are building.
- Use training-focused equipment. A structured six-foot leash paired with a properly-fitted slip lead gives you the clean, direct communication that leash reactivity work requires. Depending on the dog, your trainer may also fit a prong collar or e-collar — whichever produces the cleanest signal. Retractables and flat-collar-only setups give you minimal control and make the work harder.
- Walk at quieter times. Buy yourself success by walking when fewer triggers are out — early morning, mid-afternoon in the heat.
If your dog is over threshold within a block of leaving the house, or if you cannot manufacture distance on your route, that is when DIY stalls. Bring in help before the pattern gets older.
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Sometimes, yes. We are not anti-medication at Partners Dogs, and neither is the modern behavior community. For some dogs with genuine anxiety, the right medication — prescribed by a veterinarian or veterinary behaviorist — is the difference between a dog who can engage with training and a dog whose nervous system is too dysregulated to learn.
How we think about it:
- Medication is a tool, not a fix. It does not replace behavior modification. It makes the behavior work possible.
- Severity is the question. Mild anxiety often responds to training alone. Moderate-to-severe anxiety often benefits from medication during the training phase.
- Refer to a veterinary behaviorist for medication. Trainers do not prescribe. Your regular vet or a board-certified veterinary behaviorist makes the call.
- Plan for an exit. Many dogs taper off medication once training has rebuilt their emotional regulation. Some need long-term support. Both are okay.
If we suspect medication might help your dog, we will tell you and refer you to the right professionals.
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The fix is consistent, but it requires everyone in the household to follow the same protocol — that is the part that breaks down. Here is what we teach:
- Pick an incompatible behavior. A dog cannot jump and sit at the same time. Sit-to-say-hi becomes your greeting default.
- Remove the reward. When your dog jumps, the human turns away and removes all attention — no eye contact, no talking, no pushing off. Four paws on the floor unlocks attention.
- Pay the right behavior. The moment your dog sits, calm praise, slow petting, a treat if you have one. The reward only happens when paws are down.
- Coach your guests. Tell visitors at the door: “Please ignore him until he sits.” Most people will comply. The ones who do not are the reason this drags out.
If your household has multiple people who cannot run the same protocol, Foundation Camp at Partners Dogs gives your dog three weeks of consistent practice and then we teach the whole family the system at handoff.
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This is one of the most serious calls we get. Here is exactly what to do, in order:
- Separate them immediately. Until you understand what happened, your child and dog need to be physically apart. Use baby gates, crates, closed doors.
- Do not punish the growl. Your dog warned. That is good information. Punishing the warning teaches them to skip it next time.
- Rule out medical. A vet visit to check for pain, vision changes, hearing changes, neurological issues.
- Get a professional assessment within days, not weeks. The first growl is the moment to take this seriously. Waiting for a bite is the wrong call.
- Be honest with the trainer. The full context of what your child was doing matters enormously to the assessment.
At Partners Dogs we treat dog-to-child cases with the highest level of care. Some are fully workable with Transform Camp plus a structured management plan. Others require harder conversations about household safety. We will tell you the truth either way.
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Almost always because the recall was never built with enough value to compete with what your dog is doing instead. The honest pattern most owners follow:
- They taught “come” in the living room where the dog had no better options. The dog learned to come from five feet away in a boring environment.
- They never generalized to higher-distraction environments. Then they called the dog at the park and got ignored.
- They poisoned the cue. Calling the dog to put on the leash and end the fun teaches the dog that “come” means the good stuff stops.
- They corrected the dog when they finally came. “You came back? Bad dog for running off!” The dog will not come faster next time.
A reliable recall is a built skill that requires hundreds of reps across contexts with high-value rewards. In Arizona, where rattlesnakes, coyotes, and javelinas live in the same trails we walk our dogs on, a reliable recall is also a safety necessity.
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Resource guarding is a normal canine behavior gone unmanaged. In a wolf pack or feral context, a dog who let others take food simply did not survive. The instinct to protect a high-value resource is hard-wired.
What turns it into a problem is when the guarding escalates from a freeze or a stare into a growl, then a snap, then a bite — usually because the early warning signs were ignored, dismissed, or punished.
Common patterns we see:
- Puppies who were corrected or had food taken away learn that humans approaching their bowl means losing food. Guarding escalates.
- Multi-dog households with food competition. Dogs guard against each other and the pattern generalizes to humans.
- Underlying anxiety that makes the dog feel like resources are scarce even when they are not.
The fix is teaching your dog that humans approaching their stuff predicts more stuff, not less. Never just take items away. Never punish the growl.
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Some things, yes. Most things, no.
Behaviors dogs do grow out of:
- Puppy mouthing (when actively trained — not by itself)
- Adolescent forgetting of trained behaviors (with continued reinforcement)
- Some over-arousal as a dog matures past 2-3 years (only if not rehearsed unchecked)
Behaviors dogs do not grow out of:
- Jumping on people
- Pulling on leash
- Leash reactivity
- Resource guarding
- Any form of aggression
- Anxiety patterns
- Recall failure
The honest truth is that behaviors that are rehearsed every day strengthen, not weaken, as dogs age. “He will grow out of it” is the most common phrase we hear from owners whose 4-year-old dog is doing the exact thing the 12-week-old puppy was doing — just harder, faster, and with more force. If a behavior is worrying you now, address it now.
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Yes, more often than most owners realize. Sudden behavior changes in particular are usually medical until proven otherwise. Patterns we always send to the vet first:
- Sudden onset aggression in a previously friendly dog. Often pain — back, joints, dental, ear infections.
- New noise sensitivity or fearfulness in an older dog. Vision or hearing loss, sometimes cognitive decline.
- Housetraining regression. UTI, bladder stones, diabetes, kidney issues.
- New reactivity when touched in a specific area. Pain at that site.
- Sudden separation anxiety in a dog who was fine alone. Sometimes medical, sometimes triggered by an event you missed.
- Changes in appetite, sleep, or energy paired with behavior changes.
Trainers do not diagnose medical issues. We work alongside your veterinarian. At Partners Dogs we will tell you when we think a vet workup needs to happen before we proceed with behavior modification — and sometimes the vet visit alone solves the problem.
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The PD360 Assessment is our intake evaluation for every behavior case. It is required for:
- Any case involving aggression (toward dogs or people)
- Any case with bite history
- Any case considering Behavior Camp or Transform Camp
- Any case where the owner is unsure which program fits
It includes: behavioral history intake, observation of the dog at our facility, owner interview about household context, written assessment with our program recommendation, and a clear next-step plan. Plan for a full day — roughly 4-plus hours — with drop-off around 9-10am and pickup around 3-4pm. The fee is $199, with discounts often available, especially for families ready to sign up for a program.
For straightforward training cases — your puppy needs Foundation Camp, your dog needs group classes — a full PD360 is not required. We can intake those over a phone call. But anything involving genuine behavior modification starts here.
The PD360 is also where we tell you the truth about your case. If we do not think your dog is a good fit for our programs, we will say so. If we think you need a veterinary behaviorist, a different facility, or a harder conversation about safety, we will tell you. We do not enroll cases we cannot help.
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Balanced training means we use the full toolkit of operant conditioning — positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, positive punishment, and negative punishment — and we pick what fits the dog in front of us. We are tool-agnostic by design. Treats, markers, slip leads, place training, prong collars, e-collars, bark collars: we use whichever serves the dog and the family best.
Tools do not cause harm or pain. People do. Any piece of equipment can hurt a dog when used incorrectly, and almost any piece of equipment can build a confident, well-mannered dog when used by a trainer who understands the timing, the conditioning, and the pairing. After 28 years and 70,000+ dogs trained, we have learned that limiting yourself by equipment limits the outcome.
What we do not do: alpha rolls, dominance theory, hot-stove setups, yelling, hitting, training out of anger, or using any tool we have not conditioned the dog to first. Read our full methodology page for the complete approach.
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“Barking at everything” is rarely one problem — it is usually two or three problems happening in the same dog. We sort barking into five categories and the fix is different for each:
- Alert barking — something moved, the dog sounds the alarm. Normal in moderation, problem when it cannot stop.
- Demand barking — the dog wants something (attention, food, the door opened) and is using volume to get it. Learned behavior.
- Anxiety barking — the dog is barking when alone or in unfamiliar situations. Fear-driven, not discipline-driven.
- Boredom barking — too much energy, too little stimulation. Common in the Arizona summer when outdoor time is limited.
- Reactivity barking — barking at the trigger of another dog, person, or vehicle (covered in our leash reactivity guide).
Treating all barking the same way is why so many owners try correction after correction and get nowhere. Knowing which type you have is the first step.
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Real separation anxiety responds to a structured behavior modification protocol, not generic obedience work. At Partners Dogs we treat it through Behavior Camp paired with in-home private lessons. The core components:
- Systematic desensitization to departure cues. Keys, shoes, bag, coat — your dog reads these like a countdown. We decouple them from your actual leaving by performing them dozens of times a day without leaving.
- Graduated absences. Starting from absences your dog can handle without panic — sometimes just five seconds — and building duration in small steps.
- Independence work at home. A dog who shadows you everywhere when you are home does not have the practice of being alone — we build that capacity first.
- Confidence work in general. Place commands, structured walks, and impulse control training all build the dog's sense of being okay on their own.
This is one area where DIY rarely succeeds because the steps are too small to feel like progress and the timeline is too long to sustain alone. Get professional eyes on it.
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Practical distinction we use at Partners Dogs:
- Training issues are skill gaps. Your dog has not learned a behavior, or has not learned it well enough to perform under distraction. Examples: pulling on leash, jumping on people, not coming when called, counter surfing. These respond to obedience training — usually our Foundation Camp.
- Behavior issues are emotional or motivational problems. Your dog has an underlying state — fear, anxiety, frustration, aggression — driving the behavior. Examples: leash reactivity, separation anxiety, resource guarding, dog-to-dog aggression. These require behavior modification, not just obedience. That is Behavior Camp or Transform Camp.
The same surface behavior can fall into either bucket. A dog who barks at the door because they are excited is a training issue. A dog who barks at the door because they are terrified of strangers is a behavior issue. The fix is different.
The PD360 Assessment is how we tell the difference and recommend the right program. Across both training and behavior work, PD360 tracks 130+ behaviors through a cumulative curriculum — behaviors taught at Elementary are reinforced in Middle School and proofed in High School.
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Yes, when it is appropriate, and we are not afraid to say so.
We recommend talking to your veterinarian or a board-certified veterinary behaviorist about medication when:
- The dog's nervous system is too dysregulated to learn. Severe anxiety, severe noise phobia, severe separation anxiety — the dog cannot engage with training because they are in a constant panic state.
- The training plateau is not behavioral. You have done the work and the dog is improving slowly or not at all. Medication can unlock progress that pure training cannot reach.
- Quality of life is genuinely poor. A dog who is suffering benefits from pharmacological help while we rebuild emotional regulation.
- Specific situational anxiety like monsoon storms or Fourth of July fireworks where short-term medication prevents trauma.
Medication is a tool, not a fix. It makes the behavior work possible for dogs who otherwise could not engage. At Partners Dogs we coordinate directly with your veterinarian when medication is part of the plan.
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“Cured” is the wrong word. Managed, significantly reduced, and made safe — yes, in most cases. Eliminated entirely so your dog plays at the dog park — sometimes, depending on the case.
What is realistic depends on the answers to a few questions we work through during the PD360 Assessment:
- Bite history? Has your dog injured another dog? How severely?
- Predictability? Can you reliably identify the triggers, or does the aggression appear without warning?
- Owner commitment? Aggression treatment requires consistent follow-through for the rest of the dog's life. Management never fully ends.
- Time since the aggression started? Patterns that are six months old are easier than patterns that are five years old.
We will be honest with you in the assessment about what is achievable. If your goal is dog parks, we will tell you whether that is realistic for your dog. If your goal is calm walks past other dogs, that bar is much more often hit.
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Your dog jumps because it works. They jump, they get attention — even negative attention, even being pushed away — and the behavior is reinforced. Dogs do not care whether the attention is positive or negative; they care that they got attention at all.
The pattern almost always starts in puppyhood, when a 12-pound puppy standing up to greet you is cute. Then the puppy grows, the jumping intensifies, and everyone in the household is doing something different — the kids laugh, grandma loves it, you push the dog off but then pet them anyway. Mixed signals, inconsistent responses, no result. The dog only learned one thing clearly: jumping produces interaction.
The good news is that jumping is one of the most fixable behaviors in our entire library. It responds quickly once everyone in the household is teaching the same incompatible behavior — usually a sit-to-say-hi.
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Bring in a trainer when any of these are true:
- Your dog is reactive within a block of leaving the house
- You have stopped walking your dog because it is too stressful
- The reactions include redirected aggression (your dog snapping at the leash, your hand, or another dog in the household)
- You have tried DIY work for 60 days with no improvement
- Your dog is 50+ pounds and the lunging puts you at risk of being pulled down
At Partners Dogs, leash reactivity is usually a Behavior Camp case — four to six weeks of immersive board-and-train at our Scottsdale or Cave Creek facility, followed by private lessons in your actual neighborhood. We start every case with a PD360 Assessment so we are not guessing about whether you are looking at frustration, fear, or genuine social aggression. Those need different protocols.
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A dog who has started growling or snapping at people is almost always communicating one of these:
- Fear. The most common driver. Your dog perceives a person as threatening — too direct, too tall, too fast, too unfamiliar — and is asking for space the only way they know how.
- Pain. A dog in pain becomes more defensive about being approached, touched, or moved. Always rule out medical first.
- Resource guarding spillover. Some dogs growl at people specifically when the person approaches food, a toy, or a favored person.
- Past negative experience. Rescues, dogs with unclear histories, dogs who were physically corrected by a previous owner.
Critical context: growling is communication. A dog who growls is warning you. Punishing the growl teaches the dog to skip the warning and go straight to the bite. Never correct a growl.
People aggression is the most serious behavior category we work with at Partners Dogs. Every case starts with a PD360 Assessment and is typically a Transform Camp case.
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Leash reactivity is one of the most common patterns we see at Partners Dogs, and it usually comes from three things working together:
- Frustration — the leash prevents your dog from greeting the other dog, and over time that frustration builds into a snap-bark-lunge response.
- Barrier-trapped feeling — when your dog cannot choose to retreat (because they are tied to you), their instinct shifts to making the trigger leave instead.
- Reinforcement loop — every time the other dog walks past after your dog reacted, your dog's brain logs “barking worked,” which strengthens the pattern.
Off-leash, dogs have agency. They can approach, retreat, or sniff at their own pace, which usually defuses the trigger. That is why so many leash-reactive dogs are perfectly social at the dog park or in DaySchool.
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Dog-on-dog aggression rarely has a single cause. The patterns we see most often:
- Under-socialization. Dogs who missed proper socialization between 8-16 weeks may never have learned to read dog body language correctly. Other dogs become unpredictable and threatening.
- Bad experience history. A dog who was attacked at a park, on a walk, or by a sibling can generalize fear to all dogs that resemble the attacker.
- Genetic / breed-specific drive. Some breeds were selected for dog-directed reactivity (guarding breeds, certain terriers). This does not destine the dog to aggression, but the threshold is lower.
- Frustration that turned to fight. Long-term untreated leash reactivity can graduate into genuine aggression as the dog learns that escalation works.
- Pain or medical issue. A dog in chronic pain becomes more defensive. We always rule out medical first.
At Partners Dogs every aggression case starts with a PD360 Assessment so we can separate genuine social aggression from frustration, fear, or pain — they need very different treatment plans.
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Separation anxiety almost always traces back to one of three patterns:
- Over-reliance on human presence for emotional regulation. Your dog learned, often through no one's fault, that safety equals you. When you are gone, safety is gone.
- Early life disruption. Dogs who were rehomed, who came from shelters, or who experienced a major routine change (move, new baby, divorce, owner's job change) often develop separation anxiety in the aftermath.
- A scary alone experience. A storm during a long absence, a burglar alarm, a single panicked first-time-alone event — sometimes one bad experience tips a vulnerable dog into ongoing anxiety.
This is genuine panic, not spite or stubbornness. If your dog could reason their way out of it, they would. The fix is rebuilding their emotional capacity to be alone gradually — not punishing them when you come home to chewed baseboards.
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Honest answer: longer than most people want, shorter than most people expect once they understand the work. Rough timeframes:
- Foundation manners (jumping, pulling, basic obedience): 2-week (14-night) Foundation Camp produces a trained dog. Maintenance is the household’s job ongoing.
- Moderate behavior issues (leash reactivity, separation anxiety, fear-of-other-dogs, resource guarding, single reactive bites): 3-week (21-night) Behavior Camp plus several months of follow-up private lessons. Visible change in 60 days, significant change in 6 months, fully integrated change in 12.
- Severe behavior cases (multi-bite histories, family-member bites, outward aggression, severe sibling aggression): 4-week (28-night) Transform Camp plus 12+ months of structured follow-through. These cases are about lifelong management as much as “cure.”
The dog’s age, your consistency, and the underlying severity all affect the timeline. A 9-month-old leash-reactive dog will improve faster than a 6-year-old leash-reactive dog. That does not mean the 6-year-old cannot improve — it means realistic timelines have to scale with the case.
Across every program, PD360 tracks 130+ behaviors through at least four stages of learning — introduced, reinforced, proofed, and maintained — so the work compounds rather than resets.
Day-to-day care
Services
Boarding, Day School, Dog School Bus, baths, treadmill, and supporting services.
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Yes — we operate the Partners Dog School Bus, a door-to-door dog pickup and drop-off service that's Arizona's first of its kind.
We pick up your dog from a neighborhood bus stop, deliver them to a full day of training and enrichment at DaySchool, and bring them back — all while you're at work. The bus is climate-controlled year-round, dogs ride in individual secure compartments, and every route has a trained animal care handler on board with GPS tracking.
The Dog School Bus is a monthly add-on for active DaySchool members. See current routes and request a stop.
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Outdoor training in Arizona summer is genuinely dangerous — pavement can reach 165°F on a 110°F day, and hot car deaths happen every year. But indoor training, structured enrichment, and behavior work continue year-round at our facilities.
Our protocol:
- Walk outdoors only before 7am or after 9pm during June-September
- Use the 10-second pavement test: if you can't hold your hand to the asphalt for 10 seconds, it's too hot for paws
- Carry water and offer it every 15 minutes
- Move all heavy training indoors during peak heat
Our Scottsdale and Cave Creek campuses are climate-controlled, so DaySchool, private lessons, group classes, and all board-and-train programs run on schedule all summer long. See our full Arizona summer heat guide.
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We currently operate active bus routes across Scottsdale, North Phoenix, and Cave Creek.
Current active stops include:
- Scottsdale Airpark (serves Scottsdale Airpark, Kierland, Scottsdale Quarter)
- Desert Ridge Marketplace (serves Desert Ridge, Tatum Ranch, Fireside at Norterra)
- DC Ranch Village (serves DC Ranch, Windgate Ranch, McDowell Mountain Ranch)
- Grayhawk / Thompson Peak (serves Grayhawk, Legacy, Thompson Peak)
- Cave Creek Town Center (serves Cave Creek, Carefree, Desert Hills)
Don't see your area? You can request a new bus stop — once 5 active DaySchool members commit to a location, we activate the route.
See also:
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Heatstroke is a medical emergency. Signs include: excessive panting, heavy drooling, bright red gums, vomiting, diarrhea, weakness, staggering, collapse, or a rectal temperature above 104°F.
If you suspect heatstroke:
- Move the dog to shade or air conditioning immediately.
- Apply cool (not ice-cold) water to the belly, paw pads, and inner thighs.
- Offer small amounts of water if they're conscious.
- Get to the nearest emergency vet without delay.
Save emergency vet phone numbers in your phone today — not the day you need them. Our summer heat guide has the full 6-step survival protocol.
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Yes. Rattlesnake avoidance training is one of the most Arizona-specific services we offer. Arizona has more rattlesnake species (13) than any other state, and one trained dog avoids what one untrained dog walks into.
Pricing:
- $109 for initial training
- $89 for annual refreshers
Sessions use live, safely muzzled snakes to teach a strong avoidance response. Smart for hiking dogs, yard dogs, and any family living in the desert. Refreshers each spring keep the response sharp.
Snake season runs March through October. Book a session.
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Yes. Both our Scottsdale and Cave Creek campuses are fully climate-controlled, with the boarding kennels held at 72-74°F regardless of what the desert is doing outside.
During AC failure scenarios (which always happen on the worst summer days), we have backup systems and can take emergency drop-offs when space allows — call ahead.
Our DaySchool and boarding operations run normally through Arizona summer because the heat doesn't reach the dogs.
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The Dog School Bus is a flat monthly add-on fee added to your existing DaySchool membership. Pricing depends on your stop's distance from our facility and route density.
The bus add-on is included with DaySchool Premium and Platinum memberships, or available as a standalone add-on for Plus members. See membership tiers for base DaySchool pricing.
Contact us for a personalized quote once we confirm availability at your nearest bus stop.
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Yes — storm-anxiety and noise phobia are some of the most common Arizona-specific behavior issues we work on.
Warning signs that it's beyond "something they'll grow out of":
- Heavy panting, pacing, hiding (bathtub, closet, under the bed)
- Drooling, dilated pupils, refusing food, trembling
- Destructive chewing of doors or crates, attempts to escape the yard
- Sudden clinginess or, conversely, going completely quiet
Two or more of these during a storm benefits from professional help. For severe cases (escape attempts, self-injury), Behavior Camp includes structured noise desensitization built into daily training. For lighter cases, private lessons can build a desensitization plan you run at home with weekly coaching.
Start in spring — not the day a storm rolls in. Full monsoon prep guide here.
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Yes. The Dog School Bus is a monthly add-on exclusively for active DaySchool members.
This ensures every dog on the bus is known to our team, up-to-date on vaccinations, and comfortable in our training environment.
If you're not yet a member, learn about DaySchool first — it's the most popular ongoing program for busy dog families.
See also:
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Safety is our top priority. Every Dog School Bus is:
- Climate-controlled year-round — full A/C and heating, even during 115°F Arizona summers
- Equipped with individual secure compartments with ventilation — no free-roaming
- Staffed by a trained animal care handler who knows every dog by name and temperament
- GPS tracked in real time, with pickup and drop-off notifications sent to you
The ride is just as thoughtfully designed as the rest of your dog's day at DaySchool.
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Yes. Our facilities operate normally through monsoon season (June-September), and we actually run extra noise-phobia and storm-anxiety work during this time because that's when most owners notice the issue.
If your dog has thunder anxiety, we strongly recommend starting storm desensitization in April — not the day a storm warning hits. The protocol we run with anxious dogs at our Scottsdale and Cave Creek facilities is in our monsoon prep guide.
For severe noise phobia (escape attempts, self-injury, complete shutdown), Behavior Camp is the right level of support.
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Yes. Brachycephalic (flat-faced) breeds like bulldogs, French bulldogs, pugs, Boston terriers, and boxers struggle most in Arizona heat because their shortened airways make panting (a dog's main cooling system) less effective.
Senior dogs, double-coated arctic breeds (Huskies, Malamutes), and overweight dogs of any breed also have a harder time regulating temperature.
For these dogs, we recommend tightening the walk windows even further — 6am and 10pm instead of 7am and 9pm during June-September — and leaning heavily on indoor enrichment like our climate-controlled DaySchool. Our team can build a heat-safe training plan around your specific dog's breed and tolerance.
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Our routes are community-powered. Here's how new stops come to life:
- Submit a bus stop request on our request page. Tell us about the space — we need a safe, accessible pickup/drop-off zone with adequate parking.
- Rally your neighbors. Once 5 active DaySchool members commit to a stop, we begin the activation process.
- We activate the route. Our team scouts the location, finalizes the schedule, and adds the stop. You'll get a welcome packet with pickup times and handler introduction.
Apartment managers, HOA boards, and office park coordinators can also request a dedicated stop as an amenity for residents or employees.
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Book as early as possible. Thanksgiving and Christmas boarding fills up months in advance at both our Scottsdale and Cave Creek campuses — the Phoenix metro weather is perfect that time of year, and so is everyone else's travel calendar.
We recommend reserving Thanksgiving boarding by September and Christmas/New Year boarding by October. Spring break weeks fill up fast too.
Many families pair holiday boarding with light training (a Pet Parenting class day, a private lesson refresher, or a snake avoidance refresher) so the dog comes home both rested and a little sharper than they left.
Reserve holiday boarding or call 480-595-6700.
What it costs
Pricing
Program prices, assessments, memberships, and what's included.
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Our three core board-and-train programs at our Scottsdale and Cave Creek facilities:
- Foundation Camp — $3,276 (suite: $3,486), 14-night obedience and manners program
- Behavior Camp — $5,964 (suite: $6,279), 21-night behavior modification for reactivity, anxiety, and reactive bites
- Transform Camp — $8,509 (suite: $8,929), 28-night intensive for multi-bite histories, family-member bites, or outward aggression
All include private lessons for your family, DaySchool/DayCamp days, and Pet Parenting group classes.
Other options:
- PD360 Assessment: $199 (discounts often available for families ready to sign up for a program)
- DaySchool memberships: $199-$599/mo
- Group classes: $65 drop-in
- Rattlesnake Avoidance: $109
- Private lessons: paid in full at booking
See our full pricing guide or request a custom quote. Financing is available.
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Yes — you can schedule a free consultation call with our team any time. We'll talk through your dog, your goals, and which program fits best. No pressure, no commitment.
For a deeper assessment, our PD360 Assessment ($199) is the most thorough first step — especially for dogs with behavior concerns. Discounts are often available, especially for families ready to sign up for a program. Ask our team about active offers when you book.
PD360 is required before Behavior Camp and Transform Camp.
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We offer three monthly DaySchool memberships, all on annual terms:
- Plus Membership — $199/mo: 4 DaySchool or 2 DayCamp days per month, 5% off all additional services
- Premium Membership — $399/mo (most popular): 8 DaySchool or 4 DayCamp days per month, 10% off all additional services
- Platinum Membership — $599/mo: 12 DaySchool or 6 DayCamp days per month, 15% off all additional services
A la carte drop-in pricing is also available: $65 for a DaySchool day and $115 for a DayCamp day, with discounted prepaid packages on request.
The Dog School Bus add-on is included with Premium and Platinum memberships.
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Tell us about your dog (age, breed, behavior, goals) and a senior trainer reviews it. Most quotes are returned within one business day.
You can also schedule a free consultation call if you want to talk it through first. No pressure to enroll, just clear numbers so you can plan with confidence.
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Board-and-train and group classes solve different problems at different intensities.
- Group classes ($65 drop-in or $169-$359 for class packages) teach you to train your dog with weekly group instruction. You do the daily work; we coach. Great for puppies, well-mannered dogs, and skill-building.
- Board-and-train camps ($3,276-$8,509) put your dog in our facility for 14-28 nights of immersive professional training, with private lessons for your family afterward. You get a dog who already understands the work, plus the coaching to maintain it. Right answer for serious behavior issues, fast turnaround, or dogs whose owners need a head start.
Board-and-train pricing reflects 14-28 nights of dedicated trainer time, lodging, daily handling, private follow-up lessons, and the weeks of group classes that come after camp.
Not sure which fits? Take the program quiz or schedule a call.
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Rattlesnake avoidance pricing:
- Initial training: $109
- Annual refreshers: $89
Sessions are event-based and scheduled seasonally. Refreshers each spring keep your dog's avoidance response sharp year after year.
Smart for any dog living, hiking, or playing in Arizona — one trained dog avoids what one untrained dog walks into.
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It depends what you're comparing.
Our pricing reflects:
- 28+ years training more than 70,000 dogs in Arizona
- Two professional, climate-controlled facilities with overnight staff or owner on-site
- 50+ professional trainers, head trainers with thousands of dogs trained individually
- A 4.9-star rating across nearly 2,000 reviews
- Programs that include private lessons, DaySchool days, and group classes — not just board-and-train time
- Lifetime support and the same trainers available long after your program ends
Compared to other professional, full-service dog training schools in Maricopa County, our pricing is competitive. Compared to a side-hustle trainer who comes to your house for an hour, yes — we cost more, because we do more.
The honest test is value, not just price. Get a custom quote and compare apples to apples.
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Private lessons are priced by custom quote based on scope, location (in-home vs. on-campus), and your specific goals.
Single sessions are paid in full at booking. Private lessons can stand alone or pair with DaySchool memberships, board-and-train camps, or group classes.
They're ideal for:
- Focused issues that don't need a full camp program
- Follow-up support after a board-and-train
- Owner coaching when you want hands-on trainer feedback at home
- Travel-anxiety, leash skills, or recall work in your specific environment
Request a private lesson quote and we'll scope it with you.
How to pay
Financing
Payment plans, credit options, and how families budget for training.
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Yes. We offer 3, 6, and 12 month payment plans through our financing partners. Most families can apply online and get a decision the same day.
Monthly payment examples on a 12-month term:
- Foundation Camp: ~$273/mo ($3,276 total)
- Behavior Camp: ~$497/mo ($5,964 total)
- Transform Camp: ~$709/mo ($8,509 total)
These examples assume no interest; actual terms, rates, and approval are determined by the financing provider.
See our financing page for full details or talk through a custom plan.
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Partners Dogs references the following financing options across current program guides:
- Coaching Financial
- LendingUSA
- PayPal Credit
HubSpot Payments is our primary payment processor.
Approval, rates, and payment terms are determined directly by each financing provider, not by Partners Dogs. Terms typically range from 3 to 12 months on a 0% basis, with longer terms available depending on the program total and the lender.
Our team can walk you through which option fits your situation best when you schedule a call.
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Most board-and-train camp programs require a $100 nonrefundable deposit to reserve your dates.
After that, the standard payment schedule is:
- 50% due at check-in
- Remaining balance due at pickup
If you’re using a financing plan, your monthly payments begin as agreed instead of the 50%/balance schedule.
Private lessons are paid in full at booking — no deposit / pay-later schedule for those.
The reservation deposit is nonrefundable because it reserves your dog’s spot and blocks trainer time.
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It depends on the financing option. Some of our financing partners offer no-credit-check options with straightforward approval. Others may run a soft or hard credit check depending on the term length and amount financed.
Our team can walk you through which option fits your situation best. Schedule a call to talk through the options.
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Yes. We're proud to offer a 10% discount for active military, veterans, police officers, firefighters, and EMTs.
Just mention your service when you contact us and we'll take care of the rest. The discount can be combined with our multi-dog discount and most payment plans.
Thank you for your service — we're honored to support the families who serve our community.
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We accept:
- All major credit cards
- Debit cards
- Checks
- Partners Dogs gift cards (toward any program, membership, or service — buy gift cards)
- Financing through Coaching Financial, LendingUSA, or PayPal Credit (3, 6, or 12 month plans)
You can pay the full program amount upfront, follow the standard 50% at check-in / balance at pickup schedule, or use a payment plan — whatever works best for your family.
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Yes. Families enrolling a second dog receive a 10% discount on the second enrollment when both dogs start within the same period.
The discount applies to camp programs and can be combined with our military/first responder discount and most payment plans.
Contact us to set up multi-dog enrollment.
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The $100 reservation deposit is nonrefundable because it reserves your dog’s spot and blocks trainer time on our schedule.
For other cancellation scenarios, refunds are issued as store credit only — not cash back. Cancellations made 48+ hours ahead receive store credit toward a future program. Inside 48 hours, credit may be limited or unavailable.
For questions about specific scenarios (medical emergencies, unforeseen schedule conflicts), please contact our team directly so we can discuss your situation. We try to be reasonable when life happens.
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We understand plans change. If you need to reschedule or cancel, reach out as early as possible — the more notice we have, the more flexibility we can offer.
Cancellations made with 48 hours’ notice or more receive store credit toward a future program. Inside 48 hours, store credit may be limited or unavailable. Refunds are issued as store credit only, not cash back. The $100 reservation deposit is nonrefundable because it blocks trainer time.
Call or message us to talk through your situation.
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Yes. Partners Dogs gift cards can be applied toward any program, membership, or service.
They make a great gift for dog owners who are considering training but haven't taken the first step yet. Gift cards can also be combined with payment plans, multi-dog discounts, or military/first responder discounts.
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Pet insurance coverage for behavior training varies significantly by policy. Some pet insurance plans (notably those with behavioral or wellness riders) reimburse a portion of professional behavior modification when paired with a vet referral; many standard accident-and-illness policies do not.
What helps:
- Get a vet referral or behavioral diagnosis in writing before enrolling
- Ask your insurer specifically about "professional behavior modification" or "applied behavior analysis" coverage
- Save all itemized invoices for reimbursement submission
We can provide itemized receipts and program documentation for your insurance claim. Coverage decisions are made entirely by your insurance carrier — not by Partners Dogs.
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HSA and FSA reimbursement for dog training is generally only available for certified service dogs trained to mitigate a documented disability — not for emotional support animals, pet training, or behavior modification of family pets.
If your dog is being trained as a service dog for a documented medical condition, your HSA/FSA administrator may approve reimbursement with a Letter of Medical Necessity from your doctor.
Partners Dogs does not currently operate a dedicated service-dog training program, though some of our private lesson and behavior work supports task-training in partnership with the owner. Contact our team to talk through your specific situation.
The fine print
Policies
Vaccinations, cancellations, refunds, behavior policies, what's required before enrollment.
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All dogs at Partners Dogs facilities must be current on these three core vaccines:
- Bordetella (kennel cough) — typically annually
- Rabies — typically 1-3 years depending on vaccine type
- Distemper/Parvo (DHPP or DA2PP) — typically annually or every 3 years
All vaccines must be given at least one week before arrival to allow immunity to develop. We verify records with your vet directly, through the Pet Parent Portal, or by email before check-in.
Dogs showing signs of illness (vomiting, diarrhea, coughing, lethargy, parasites) may be refused service. If symptoms develop while your dog is in our care, you'll be asked to pick up promptly. Dogs in heat are not permitted in daycare or group settings.
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Our cancellation policy across programs:
- 48 hours’ notice or more — store credit toward a future program, class, or service. (Refunds are issued as store credit only, not cash back.)
- Less than 48 hours — credit may be limited or unavailable depending on the program and trainer time already blocked.
- Camp reservations — the $100 reservation deposit is nonrefundable because it blocks trainer time on the calendar.
- Monthly memberships — 30 days’ written notice required to cancel.
- Boarding — 48+ hours before check-in to preserve your deposit.
Plans change — reach out as early as you can at 480-595-6700 or enroll@partnersdogs.com. Full terms at /terms-of-service.
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The simple version: cancellations are handled as store credit, not cash refunds.
- 48 hours’ notice or more — store credit toward a future program, class, or service.
- Less than 48 hours — credit may be limited or unavailable depending on the program and trainer time blocked.
- Camp reservation deposits ($100) — nonrefundable. They block trainer time on the calendar.
- Boarding — 48+ hours before check-in to preserve your deposit.
Trajectory check: if we’re not seeing trajectory after the first 30 days of a training program, we’ll either adjust the plan at no extra cost or issue store credit on the unused portion. We’d rather have an honest conversation early than keep collecting payments on a plan that isn’t working.
Full terms at /terms-of-service.
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Yes — bite-history dogs are accepted, and we route them carefully based on the case. Every bite-history dog starts with a required PD360 Assessment.
How we route bite-history cases at intake:
- Behavior Camp — reactive bites: a single incident toward another dog or a person that was situational and warning-driven.
- Transform Camp — multi-bite histories, bites toward family members, or outward (non-reactive) aggression.
- Aggression Rehabilitation or veterinary behaviorist referral — for the most severe cases that need a specialized program or medical/neurological workup.
The PD360 evaluates bite history, triggers, household context, and medical factors. We will tell you honestly which path is right for your dog. For DaySchool and Boarding, dogs with a known bite history are evaluated case-by-case — many are accepted into structured programs but not unrestricted play groups.
Honest disclaimer: aggression cases are managed, not cured. The goal is a safe, predictable, livable dog in your specific household.
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Yes. To enroll your dog in any Partners Dogs program, you'll sign an Assumption of Risk and Liability acknowledgment covering:
- Dog training, daycare, boarding, and related activities involve inherent risks
- Incidents including bites, scratches, injuries, or illness may occur despite professional supervision
- Partners Dogs uses balanced training methods including verbal corrections, leash guidance, and other tools appropriate to your dog's needs
- You're financially responsible for damage your dog causes to property, staff, other clients, or other dogs
- You agree to indemnify Partners Dog School from claims arising from your dog's participation
Forms are e-signed in the Pet Parent Portal — no printing required. Full Assumption of Risk language is in our terms of service, section 6.
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Most camp programs require a $100 nonrefundable deposit to reserve your start date. The deposit is applied toward your total program fee.
After the deposit:
- 50% is typically due when your dog checks in
- The remaining balance is due when your dog goes home at the end of the program
- Unless you’re using a financing plan (Coaching Financial, LendingUSA, or PayPal Credit), in which case your monthly payments begin as agreed
Private lessons are different — they’re paid in full at booking (no deposit / pay-later schedule).
The reservation deposit is nonrefundable because it reserves your dog’s spot and blocks trainer time. For questions about specific scenarios, contact us at 480-595-6700 or enroll@partnersdogs.com.
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We understand plans change. To reschedule, contact us as early as possible:
- Training programs — 48+ hours before start preserves your store credit. Inside 48 hours, credit may be limited.
- DaySchool / Daycare — 24+ hours of notice. Less than 24 hours may result in the full daily rate being charged.
- Boarding — 48+ hours before check-in to preserve your deposit.
- Private lessons — 48+ hours’ notice for store credit. Inside 48 hours, credit may be limited.
Call 480-595-6700 or email enroll@partnersdogs.com to reschedule. We do our best to accommodate; specific terms depend on program and trainer availability.
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Our incident protocol prioritizes safety, transparency, and accountability:
- Immediate response — Staff separate dogs, assess injuries, and provide first aid if needed. All Partners staff are trained in pet CPR.
- Veterinary contact — If veterinary care is needed, we contact you immediately. If we can't reach you, we may authorize emergency vet care at your expense (per terms of service).
- Documentation — Every incident is documented in writing with what happened, who was involved, and any actions taken.
- Owner notification — You're notified the same day with full details and next steps.
- Behavior review — Our trainers review the incident and may recommend program adjustments, individualized handling, or in serious cases, discontinuation of service.
Per our terms of service, we reserve the right to decline or discontinue services for any dog we determine poses a safety risk to other dogs, staff, or clients. Full terms at /terms-of-service.
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No — dogs do not have to be spayed or neutered to attend DaySchool, training, or boarding.
However:
- Dogs in heat are not permitted in daycare or group settings until the cycle is fully complete
- If humping behavior becomes disruptive, we may pause group attendance and recommend individual handling
- Spay/neuter requirements may apply to certain specialty programs (case-by-case)
- Intact dogs are evaluated case-by-case for group play compatibility
If your dog is intact and you're unsure about fit, mention it during enrollment or your PD360 Assessment and we'll walk through the appropriate program structure.
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If we’re not seeing trajectory after the first 30 days of a program, we’ll either:
- Adjust the plan at no extra cost — sometimes the issue is methodology, sometimes it’s the program format (camp vs. group classes vs. private), sometimes it’s an underlying medical factor we need to address first
- Issue store credit on the unused portion — if we honestly don’t believe more time will produce a different outcome. (Refunds are store credit only, not cash back.)
- Recommend a different path — including, when appropriate, a referral to a board-certified veterinary behaviorist if behavior has a medical or neurological component
We’d rather have an honest conversation early than keep collecting payments on a plan that isn’t working. Your primary trainer is assigned to your dog throughout the program and is the one accountable for the plan and the one you talk to during coaching sessions. Full terms at /terms-of-service.
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We do not currently offer live public-facing cameras for clients to watch their dog. Instead, daily updates are delivered through:
- Daily report cards — written summaries of your dog's day, meals, play, and any notable behavior, posted in the Pet Parent Portal
- Photos and short videos — sent through the portal during training sessions and daycare
- Direct messages from your assigned trainer if anything specific comes up
This approach prevents the privacy and security issues that come with always-on public cameras (other clients' dogs and staff in view) while still keeping you fully informed about your dog's day. If you'd like a real-time check-in, call 480-595-6700 and ask to speak with your dog's trainer or the location's manager.
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If your dog requires veterinary attention while in our care:
- We contact you immediately using the emergency contacts on file
- If we cannot reach you, we may authorize emergency veterinary care at your expense (per terms of service)
- Our preferred veterinary partners in Scottsdale and Cave Creek are used unless you specify your own vet on file
- You'll receive written documentation of all care provided, with receipts
Be sure your Pet Parent Portal has up-to-date emergency contacts, your veterinarian's name and number, and any relevant medical history (chronic conditions, allergies, current medications). Dogs showing signs of illness (vomiting, diarrhea, coughing, lethargy) may be refused service and must be picked up promptly if symptoms develop while in care.
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Partners Dogs collects, uses, and protects your personal information according to our privacy policy. Key points:
- We do not sell your personal information to third parties.
- We use HubSpot for website hosting, CRM, email marketing, and analytics
- Cookies and similar technologies are used for site function, analytics, and marketing (you can manage preferences via the cookie consent banner)
- California residents have rights under CCPA/CPRA (access, deletion, correction, opt-out)
- EU/UK residents have GDPR rights (access, portability, erasure, restriction)
- Dog training records may be retained for an extended period to support ongoing training and behavioral tracking
To exercise your privacy rights, email privacy@partnersdogs.com or call 480-595-6700. Full details at /privacy-policy.
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Yes — our website uses cookies and similar technologies in three categories:
- Essential cookies — necessary for the website to function (session management, security, cookie consent preferences)
- Analytics cookies — help us understand how visitors interact with the website so we can improve it
- Marketing cookies — used to deliver relevant advertisements and measure campaign effectiveness
You can manage your cookie preferences using the consent banner displayed when you first visit, or by adjusting your browser settings. Disabling certain cookies may affect site functionality. We also embed third-party content (HubSpot, Google Fonts, YouTube, Vimeo) which may collect data per their own policies. See full details in our cookie policy and privacy policy.
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Health and safety requirements (per terms of service):
- All dogs must be current on vaccinations (Bordetella, Rabies, Distemper/Parvo — given at least 1 week before arrival)
- Dogs showing signs of illness (vomiting, diarrhea, coughing, lethargy, or parasites) may be refused service and must be picked up promptly if symptoms develop while in care
- If your dog requires veterinary attention in our care, we'll contact you immediately. If we can't reach you, we may authorize emergency vet care at your expense.
- Spay/neuter requirements may apply to certain programs (case-by-case)
- Dogs in heat are not permitted in daycare or group settings
- You must disclose known behavioral issues, bite history, health conditions, or allergies during enrollment
We reserve the right to decline enrollment for any dog we determine poses a safety risk.
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If your dog shows signs of illness — vomiting, diarrhea, persistent coughing, lethargy, parasites, or unusual discharge — we will:
- Separate your dog from other dogs to prevent potential spread
- Contact you immediately and ask for prompt pickup
- Recommend a veterinary visit before re-entry to our facilities
- Provide a written incident note for your records and your vet
Dogs cannot return to DaySchool, boarding, or training until symptoms have resolved and (when appropriate) a vet has cleared them. This protects every dog in our care. If you suspect your dog isn't feeling well before drop-off, please call us at 480-595-6700 rather than bringing them in — we'd much rather reschedule than risk facility-wide illness.
Who we are
About Partners Dogs
Founders, team credentials, our training philosophy, and the story behind 28 years of work.
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Partners Dog Training School was founded in 1997 in Cave Creek, Arizona — that's 28+ years of training dogs across the Phoenix metro area. Our founder, Leighton Oosthuisen, started training dogs at age 10 in South Africa in 1973, worked as a K9 handler with bomb dogs, drug dogs, and Search & Rescue dogs, and emigrated to the U.S. in 1992. Five years later, he purchased an old racehorse training facility (Lone Tree Ranch) in Cave Creek — the iconic Lone Tree still stands on the main training field today.
Over those 28 years, our team has trained more than 70,000 dogs across every breed, temperament, and behavior challenge imaginable. Read the full story on our About page.
Read the full Partners Dogs story
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Partners Dogs uses a balanced, tool-agnostic methodology. We do not limit ourselves by equipment and we do not pre-commit to a single ideology. Treats, markers, leash pressure, place training, slip leads, prong collars, e-collars, bark collars — we use whatever fits the dog in front of us and improves the relationship long-term.
Tools do not cause harm or pain. People do. Any piece of equipment can hurt a dog when used incorrectly, and almost any piece of equipment can build a confident, well-mannered dog when used by a trainer who understands the timing, the conditioning, and the pairing. After 28 years and 70,000+ dogs trained, we have learned that limiting yourself by equipment limits the outcome.
Every training session uses our 4-stage approach: Teaching → Reinforcing → Proofing → Maintenance. Our philosophy: (1) set the dog up to succeed, (2) match the tool to the dog, (3) build relationship first, (4) be honest about what works, (5) respect the dog in front of you.
Full breakdown on our methodology page — including the 4 quadrants of operant conditioning, every tool we use, and what we don't do.
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Partners Dogs was founded in 1997 by Leighton Oosthuisen, a South African-born K9 handler with over 50 years of dog training experience. Leighton has competed and titled dogs in French Ring, Agility, Dock Diving, and Schutzhund, and worked extensively with bomb dogs, drug dogs, and Search & Rescue dogs before founding Partners.
Today his son Christopher Oosthuisen serves as Chief Operating Officer, overseeing all Partners Dog School locations, Partners Dogs University, and the Partners Dogs Foundation. The company remains family-owned and operated. Both Leighton and Christopher are competitive pistol shooters who have represented the USA at the 2014, 2017, and 2021 World Pistol Championships.
Meet the full Partners Dogs team
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Three things set us apart: depth of experience, comprehensive follow-through, and genuine honesty.
- 28 years and 70,000+ dogs — there is virtually no behavioral scenario we haven't seen and successfully addressed.
- Owner education is part of every program — private lessons and group classes ensure results actually last when your dog goes home. Training changes both ends of the leash.
- Family-owned, not a franchise — Leighton and Christopher are onsite and accountable for every outcome.
- Transparent pricing — every program price is published on our pricing page. No "schedule a consultation to learn the price" games.
- PD360 Assessment first — we evaluate your dog and recommend the RIGHT program. Sometimes that means group classes instead of a $5,000 camp. We're honest about what your dog actually needs.
That integrity is why 50+ veterinary practices across the Phoenix metro area refer families to us. See the full Why Partners breakdown.
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Yes. Our trainers hold industry credentials including CCPDT, CPDT-KA, KPA (Karen Pryor Academy), IAABC, and AKC CGC Evaluator certifications. We attend continuing-education conferences annually — IAABC, Clicker Expo, and APDT — and our trainers pursue ongoing certification year-round.
More importantly, every trainer at Partners has been mentored internally through thousands of real-world cases — from basic puppy manners to severe aggression rehabilitation. Certifications matter, but hands-on experience under expert mentorship is what truly makes a great trainer. Our head trainers have each worked with thousands of dogs individually, and many team members have been with Partners for five or more years.
Want to see specific credentials for the trainer who will work with your dog? Ask during your PD360 Assessment or call us at 480-595-6700.
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Partners Dogs is family-owned and operated — not a franchise, not a chain, and not a corporate pivot from another industry. Leighton Oosthuisen (Training Director & Founder) and his son Christopher Oosthuisen (COO) are both onsite and accessible at our Arizona facilities. Every trainer who works with your dog is a Partners Dogs employee trained inside our system — not an independent operator paying a brand for the right to use a name.
That means consistent methodology, consistent quality, and one ownership team accountable for every outcome. No corporate runaround, no regional manager you'll never meet.
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Partners Dogs operates two full-service Arizona facilities:
- Scottsdale — 8642 E Shea Blvd, Scottsdale, AZ 85260 (a 23,000 sq-ft luxury resort + training school that opened in 2021)
- Cave Creek — 4640 E Forest Pleasant Pl, Cave Creek, AZ (the original Lone Tree Ranch location, founded in 1997 and rebuilt in 2008 with zoned A/C and a 15,000 sq-ft training field)
Both locations have boarding suites, training arenas, outdoor enrichment yards, and grooming stations under one roof. Call 480-595-6700 or visit either facility for a tour.
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Over our 28+ years in Arizona, we have trained more than 70,000 dogs. That's across every breed, every temperament, and every behavior challenge — from eight-pound Chihuahuas to 150-pound Cane Corsos, from eight-week-old puppies to senior dogs needing a refresher.
The depth of pattern-recognition that comes from that volume is the reason we can recommend the right program for your specific dog: there are virtually no behavioral scenarios we haven't seen and successfully addressed. Our reviews bear it out — we have 685+ five-star Google reviews from real Arizona families. Read them on our reviews page.
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We are tool-agnostic by design. Pet parents deserve full transparency, so here is the equipment our trainers are certified, trained, and experienced to use:
- Treats + clicker/verbal markers — the clearest way to build new behavior.
- Flat collar + leash — daily walks, foundation training.
- Long line — recall, distance work, off-leash transition.
- Slip lead / slip collar — clean communication when fitted high on the neck.
- Prong collar — often safer than a flat collar for hard pullers who choke themselves. Fitted correctly, paired with leash skills.
- e-Collar / remote collar — used routinely in advanced recall, snake-avoidance, and Transform Camp. At the level the dog perceives as a tap on the shoulder, with proper conditioning.
- Bark collar — when nuisance barking is degrading quality of life for the dog or the household. Conditioned and matched to the dog.
- Place training (cot, mat, bed) — our household-manners workhorse.
- Crate — conditioned as a den, used for management and safety.
- Basket muzzle — safety in some behavior modification cases, positively conditioned first.
Tools do not cause harm or pain. People do. The trainer's understanding, timing, and pairing are what determine the outcome. What we will not do: alpha rolls, scruff shakes, hot-stove setups, yelling, hitting, or using any tool we have not conditioned the dog to first.
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Partners Dogs employs 50+ trainers, daycare attendants, boarding staff, and support team members across our Scottsdale and Cave Creek facilities. The combined team has 150+ years of dog training experience.
Leadership includes founder/Training Director Leighton Oosthuisen, COO Christopher Oosthuisen, Head Trainers Hannah Kochman (Scottsdale) and Megan Fiedler (Cave Creek), plus dedicated DaySchool Managers, Boarding Managers, and Team Success Managers at each location. Meet the full team.
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Yes — that's actually where a meaningful percentage of our DaySchool and Behavior Camp dogs come from. We have a soft spot for rescues and understand the patience and protocol they often need: gradual trust-building, predictable routines, and behavior assessment before introducing distractions.
If you adopted a dog with a hard history — bite incidents, fear-based reactivity, resource guarding, anxiety, or unknown background — we want to hear about them. We've worked through tens of thousands of rescue rehabilitation cases over 28 years and will give you an honest assessment of what's realistic. The PD360 Assessment is the right starting point. For severe cases, see Aggression Rehabilitation.
The Partners Dogs Foundation also funds Animal Rehabilitation Grants for shelters and rescues doing this work.
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Absolutely — and we encourage it. Actually walking the floors, meeting trainers, and seeing where your dog will sleep and train is the best way to know if Partners is the right fit for your family. Tours are available at both Scottsdale (8642 E Shea Blvd) and Cave Creek (4640 E Forest Pleasant Pl) locations.
To schedule a tour, schedule a 15-minute call with our enrollment team and we'll coordinate a time at the location of your choice. Tours typically take 20-30 minutes and include the training arenas, boarding suites, DaySchool play yards, and grooming stations. You can also call 480-595-6700 to book directly.
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Yes — 50+ veterinary practices across the Phoenix metro area refer families to Partners Dogs. Vets refer to us because (a) we have a 28-year track record of measurable behavior outcomes, (b) we're honest about when a case needs a board-certified veterinary behaviorist instead of a trainer, and (c) we communicate professionally with their practice when health and behavior overlap.
If your veterinarian recommended Partners Dogs, mention it during your PD360 Assessment — we coordinate directly with referring vets on cases where medical and behavioral factors interact (anxiety, pain-driven aggression, cognitive decline, etc.).
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We guarantee effort and methodology, not specific behavioral outcomes. Some dogs need more time than others, and we won’t promise something a responsible trainer cannot deliver. What we DO commit to: we’ll work with you until we see meaningful progress, or we’ll honestly recommend a different path — sometimes including a referral to a veterinary behaviorist if that’s what your dog truly needs.
Concretely: if we’re not seeing trajectory after the first 30 days of a program, we’ll either adjust the plan at no extra cost or issue store credit on the unused portion. We’d rather have an honest conversation early than keep collecting payments on a plan that isn’t working. Refunds are issued as store credit, not cash back. Full terms on our terms of service.
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Yes. We work with professional handlers, service-dog trainers, and competitive dog-sport athletes regularly. Our 28-year background includes competitive titles in French Ring, Agility, Dock Diving, and Schutzhund, plus K9 handler work with bomb dogs, drug dogs, and Search & Rescue.
For boarding and DaySchool services while you travel for competitions, contact us at enroll@partnersdogs.com for professional-handler arrangements.
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Asking your phone about training?
Are you tired of apologizing for your dog's behavior? Are you looking for the perfect place to watch your dog while you're out of town? Are you looking for a place to drain your dog's energy while improving its socialization? With 100+ years of combined dog training experience, and 55,000+ dogs trained, we have seen it all. Whatever your needs, let Partners Dog School join you on the journey to a delightful relationship with your dog.
Didn't find your answer?
Our enrollment team answers every question, usually within an hour. Pick the channel that fits you.