Training Fees

[owen]

I was unsuccessful in a search on this topic. I am being approached to take in some dogs for training this spring and I am trying to come up with a fair rate. I would like to get some idea of what the pro's and others are currently charging. I suspect most are taking dogs by the month. Different rates for trial prep vs. general hunting training? Anyone willing to share experience/information would be appreciated.

[gonehuntin']

If I were to do it again, I wouldn't take a dog for less than $550.00 per month plus birds.

[topher40]

Most people are going to charge $4-600 a month. You need to evaluate if this includes birds and feed. The only thing that would vary in prices between trial training vs hunting would be if you are going to be running any of these dogs in trial yourself for the owner. Then you would want to charge travel, accommodations, and entry fees. Be careful what you wish for though, when you start taking money for training you arent considered an amatuer anymore and it becomes a job.

[owen]

Thanks guys. Good comments and good advice. My other dilemma that no one can help me with is when a friend wants me to take a dog. Hard to price that one.

Anyone else have opinions/comments?

[PntrRookie]

Friend "fees" are a tough one. I would set your fee and stick to it. Friend or non-friend. I bet if your friend sees the results he or she would have NO problem paying. Once you start down the slippery slope of "one fee for you, one fee for you and a different one for you" it will become a mess. Word travels fast. I have a friend who does my training and I want him to charge me the regular price. That way I know he is not holding anything over me, and will hopefully give my pup the same attention (if not more) as all the other clients.

I was once told by a fellow businessman that once you set your fee it is always tough to go up without a lot of explaining...it is easy to go down.

[Sharon]

My trainer is a long time good friend. I insist on paying the going rate if he's taking my dog. I think he has every right to expect the going rate. Most trainers have a lot of friends. There is no end to giving friends breaks. ( He did give me a great deal on a started dog though which I think is different.)

[Keny Glasscock]

Think about it this way. Feed, boarding, training supplies, birds, transportation, calls to the client to keep them up to speed on their dogs progress or lack of, time spent with client to get them versed in your training approach and helping them follow through with endless calls and help, 5am until dark thirty and beyond 5 or 6 days a week. Don't undercut yourself if you can provide the goods. Also as stated by someone esle in an earlier post, there's no turning back. Once you take money there are expectations, you owe it to yourself and your client to follow through. $550-600 a month is a good deal for the client if they get what they paid for. However also included in that $$ amount is brutal honesty by both the trainer and the client. If the dog ain't gonna cut it everyone needs to know early enough so they can pull out if it doesn't look promising.

[romeo212000]

I paid right at $400.00 a month but the dog was taken on a 3 month program and then an additional month and $600.00 for force breaking. I was pleased with the price and results. The trainer was able to do this for a little less because it was a program he scheduled every year for a class of dogs within a certain age range. Otherwise his training goes up to $450.00 a month. If this is your first time and you honestly can do what you should I would think somewhere around the $400.00-$450.00 a month range would be okay.

[owen]

For years my main business has been to breed, train and sell both started and finished dogs. This has been a way for me to market my training skills without taking in other peoples problems/mistakes. I seem to be faced more and more with people wanting me to take in their dog, sometimes a dog they purchased from me. Often to advance the dog for trialing.
So then I face the decision of how to price work for someone that has already paid me a healthy sum for a quality dog. Granted it is for work above and beyond what was purchased, but I seem to struggle with it.

Lots of good comments/advice folks.

Any more?

[wrangler]

We have been talking with trainers in Southern California recently...essentially interviewing and coming to a conclusion on who we would like to partner with to train our dogs. The low end of the SoCal pricing is 550 per month. Three others all charge 600 to 660 per month with the 660 including birds. The highest price we have been quoted is for 1000 per month for a three month training. The trade off here is that the trainer takes far fewer dogs and has the time and ability to focus more on your dog (his sales discussion at least) and turn out a much better "product" at the end of three months than other trainers that really end up doing 6 months with your dog divided between the time they are roughly 8 to 9 months old and then again when they are heading for 2 years old.

As a "shopper" looking for a trainer, the bird cost has been everything from hidden to fully explained...so I would recommend that you ensure that folks are fully aware of the "ups and additions" that you will need to charge. What kind of food do you use and are you going to charge them extra if fido eats brand x instead of what you use? We are not interested in trialing our dogs, so it hasn't been an issue in terms of travel and entry fees with the trainers...we are really looking for good hunting partners...but the costs should all be out there for the consumer to see. Don't allow there to be any surprises.

I hope this helps as you think this through...

[gonehuntin']

If you sell a person a dog for a lot of money, and I've gotten up to $15,000.00 for some of my retrievers, any additional training is at the regular price. No dog stay trained.

Now friends. That's tough. If my friend actually helps me around the kennel, planting birds, doing maybe even a little obedience, I'd take his dog at half price. I am very, very particular on how good a friend that person is.

The other thing is that, you may not be worth $550-600. a month. Training your own dogs is a LOT different than training problem dogs for the public. You basically have no reputation to build from so many times, you have to take what you can get until you're established.

I always charged the training rate plus the birds becaue I might use pigeons, ducks, pheasant, chuckar or quail. Each bird is a different price. If I was working homes and clippies, they were on the house.

All trial expense, motels, meals were extra and divided among the clients.

[mountaindogs]

I am not a trainer, but I basically will offer a friend or buyer of one of my puppies sameday training, fitting into my schedule, if they will give me some time the same day to help out with my own dogs and they pay for all the birds we use on their dogs. I am not training for others for a fee at all right now and have not for years, but that would be how I would handle the friend issue. When I did train al the dogs were people I knew. If the dog boards as trains they pay the full price. If they help out around the kennels and help you out alot, you could charge them regular price and then figure a deduction for help based on however much time/worth that help is.

I have seen trainers charge from $400 to $1500 a month. If you charge $1500 I hope you are worth it, or you will not have alot of folks returning. But then retriever folks often charge much more.
Consider these details:
Will you train every day?
For how long with each dog and how many dogs can you handle at once?
What type of boarding will the dog have while there? Indoor, outdoor, one dog treated like family, or will you have 25 dogs and just give each one 30 minutes a day or what?
What type of parasite control, food, vet expenses will be incured by you and what will be billed seperatly. For example we have whipworms in our area and any dog boarding with me must be either on interceptor, or sentinel while here OR take pancur when arriving and monthly while here. Ivermectin does not readily kill the whips and I am not putting others dogs at any know "risk" by using it. SO that is big expense compared to what some kennels use. Also frontline has quite working for us so the dogs would have to be on a more expesive flea & tick product also. This is for their protection AND my own dogs. Will you bill for these or include them.