Grand Rapids dog training

Shaping Dogs & Training People
Every dog and family are unique. And their training should be, too.

Customized Training That Gets Real, Noticeable Results

We shape dogs and train people. By that, we mean that we will train your dog in a series of real-world skills that emphasize obedience and safety—but we also train people like you to maintain your dog’s training and continue their education for life.

Having a poorly-mannered dog not only impacts your pet and family’s safety, it impacts your relationship with your furry best friend. We want you to have a deep and fulfilling relationship with your pup, and that starts with proper training—for the whole family! If you’re committed to creating that kind of experience for your family through dog training, check out our programs below for more information.

Big Kids
Dogs 19 Weeks & Older
Little Kids
Pups 18 Weeks & Younger

Puppy Training

A doodle mix puppy practices a confidence course at Kim's K-9 Puppy Kindergarten class

Group Puppy Training

Start Right with Puppy Kindergarten

For the best chance at success in a busy world, socialization and training should start for puppies from an early age. We offer puppy kindergarten for puppies aged 12-18 weeks who are actively receiving vaccinations.

6-weeks of once-per-week classes with homework for continued education between classes
Training of real-world skills like “sit,” “wait,” and more!
Valuable socialization to prevent aggression and foster confidence
Tips for maintaining a happy, healthy dog (including nail trimming and grooming instructions)
Plus: you get to watch puppies play (this is the best part) 

If you want your puppy to be a friendly, open dog who you can bring to the store, take for walks, and enjoy spending time with at the dog park or outside of the house, you need to start with puppy kindergarten.

A couple poses with their lab mix as they graduate from Puppy Kindergarten puppy training class

Puppy pre-school

Included Training for your Pup's People

Puppy Preschool is a one-hour session you take before or shortly after your puppy comes home. This is a great fit for first-time dog owners or dog owners stepping into a puppy situation for the first time.

All your puppy questions answered
Learn about schedules, housebreaking, crate training, manners, and more
Discover what you should (and shouldn’t) be worried about
Set up good habits, even before puppy kindergarten class!

This course is available by request for all pups (and their people) who are registered for our Puppy Kindergarten course.

Adult Training

But NOT COUNTRY! This is very important to us. Been together since 2014, publicly since 2021 Budget for video is $4000 with some flexibility Financing our own wedding, but want to invest in our video! Our dog will be a big part of the day (he's a red tri-color-aussie)  Potential timeline Outdoor ceremony at a local park at 3pm Getting ready at Courtnei's family home starting at 1pm Reception starts at 5pm, 4pm cocktail hour Reception ends at 11pm  To Coastline: Hello! My partner and I are getting married on July 26 of 2025 and we are wondering if you would be available. Can you send package information? Thanks! (Sent 12:25 on 12/27) 	- Want to know what their "raw" files look like  Questions to ask: 	- Do you do LGBT weddings? Can you send samples? 	- How do packages work? Why is ____ important to have on the big day? 	- What videos do you deliver? 	- How soon will we get the videos? 	- Do you offer photography? 	- Do you work with my photographer? 	- What will a budget of $4000 get me? 	- Can we choose our own music? What if we don't love the music you choose?  A bully mix poses on a bench in downtown Grand Rapids as part of their custom day training dog training package

Adult Dog Bootcamp

Extensive Training on Practical Skills

This is the total package. Every Bootcamp package is custom-tailored to fit your dog and your family’s needs. We teach skills, not tricks! All of our training is rooted in usable, helpful, real-world skills that will keep your pet safe and make them a joy to be around.

Four weeks of care and round-the-clock shaping from our full staff
Private lessons for your dog with our professional trainers
Opportunities for socialization & enrichment through our boarding program
Your dog learns practical skills (not tricks)

When you pick up your newly trained pup, you'll receive a demonstration of all that your four-legged pal has learned, as well as expert tips and tricks on how to maintain and continue your pet's training at home.

A doodle mix practices "down" at a park bench in downtown Grand Rapids as part of their custom bootcamp training package

Adult Dog Day Training

Home for the Weekend with Day Training

While less intense than our bootcamp programs, our day training programs are built from the same concept – We will work with your dog during the day for three consecutive weeks Monday-Friday to build real-world skills tailored to your family and pet.

Private lessons from our professional trainers, 5 days per week
Interactions that shape behavior from our full staff each day
Opportunities for socialization & enrichment through our daycare program

Once per week, you’ll receive expert tips and tricks from our trainers on how to maintain and continue your dog’s training, even though it can be easy to fall into the same habits at home. This program is a better fit for those who want their pet home on the evenings and weekends during training.

Kim's Family Discount

Our daycare costs are always fair, but they’re even lower for pups who have graduated from one of our Training Programs through Kim’s K-9 Family Discount.

A content black lab poses in a flower bed near downtown Grand Rapids as part of their one-on-one private dog training course

Private adult Dog Training

One-on-One &
Tailored-to-You

Where bootcamp and day training are like summer obedience camp for puppies, private training is a once weekly, one-on-one mentoring session.

6 one-hour sessions over 6 weeks
One-on-one training and feedback
New commands introduced for each session
You work with your dog on commands throughout the week

This is a great option for families who have the time and energy to work with their dog every day on new commands. The success of this program is dependent on the progress you and your pooch make between lessons! This is also the only training option at Kim’s K-9 for which vaccine records are not required.

reviews

Tail-Waggin' Training Reviews

Kim’s K-9 was a lifesaver. The 4-week Bootcamp experience gave her a strong foundation that I could easily follow once she was home. Both my dogs are great advertisement for Kim’s K9!

Kristin Kemppanien
Winter
's human

After the first 4 days of training we already had a new dog. By new dog I mean, the same adorable happy pup, with manners. Imagine that! He has now been trained to sit, down, wait, stay, and many many other useful communications I can use to keep me and my dog safe.

Jenna Geier
Sal
's human

We enrolled our 8 month old stubborn, dominant Golden Retriever puppy in the day training program after trying other trainers with no success. Needless to say we should've gone to Kim's K-9 from the start. THANK YOU Martha and Kim's K9 for giving us a truly life changing experience with our now obedient, loving, pup.

Jenna VanDusen
Otis
's human

We took our 4 yr old rescue that had ZERO training and were able to turn her into a well-behaved pup in only a few weeks. The training they gave to her humans cemented all the work they had done and now we have a very happy family.

Natascha Myers
Josie
's human

We brought our extremely shy and timid German Shepherd/Retriever mix to puppy kindergarten and it’s completely changed the personality of our dog. The skills and tricks we learned at the class are invaluable! I seriously cannot recommend Kim’s K-9 enough.

Kaitlin Jandron
Lexi
's human

We did the overnight Bootcamp for them, and we are so thankful. A huge part of the training is the willingness and training of us, the owners. They really know dogs and the science and psychology behind training them/figuring out their behaviors.

Gretchen Dutcher
Gus & Jaq
's human

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

How can each training package be custom?

At Kim’s K-9, our training packages are as unique as your furry friend. When you decide to commit to training your pet, we will set up an assessment where you can give us all of the details about your dog, your goals, and your family situation. From this meeting, you and the trainers can settle on a program and the trainers will create your unique course. For example, training considerations for a young dog owner with no kids will be different from the training program created for a dog that is cohabitating with an infant and toddler, which will be different than a program crafted for a young dog living with an elderly couple. Contact us today to hear more!

What do private lessons entail?

Private lessons involve 6 one-hour lessons over 6 weeks. A trainer works with you and your pup one-on-one to introduce new commands, which you practice throughout the week. This is a great option for families who have the time and energy to work with their dog every day on new commands. The success of this program is dependent on the progress you and your pet make between sessions. Contact us to learn more!

What skills or tricks do you train?

As you may know by now, we don’t train “tricks,” we train real-world, useful skills. Some of the skills we may choose to focus on, depending on your goals and your household, include: focused & polite walking, waiting at doorways, not jumping up, sitting until released, laying down until released, formal “heel” walking, several types of recalls, and a five minute or longer down-stay. Each program is different, and the skills we focus on with each dog, as well as how we train them and which commands we use, are able to be tailored to your unique situation.

Are vaccines required for training?

Yes, any and all dogs who set “paw” in our facility must have vaccine records matching our standards. Puppies who are too young to be vaccinated may only visit our front building, which is carefully cleaned to ensure no accidental spread of diseases like kennel cough and parvo can occur. Puppies in Puppy Kindergarten must be in the process of getting their vaccines on schedule. Vaccines are NOT required for private lessons, but dogs who receive private lessons and are not vaccinated will not be eligible for daycare or boarding.

How much does training cost?

Because each training program is unique, each quote for training is unique. Your goals, your family, and your pet’s temperament will be factors in deciding on the right training package for you. Your initial one-hour assessment will cost $125, and once you decide on a training program, that initial $125 will go toward any of the obedience packages. Contact us for more info.

What is the difference between bootcamp and day training?

The main difference between bootcamp and day training is where your dog stays. For bootcamp, the dog stays with us for 4-weeks as part of their intensive training program, whereas with the day training your dog is home on nights and weekends. Our trainers warn that with day training, it can be easier for your dog to fall back to old habits and backslide on training. If you select the day training package, you will need to be hypervigilant to make sure you follow all of your pet’s new rules when they get home.

What continuing education options do you offer?

Continuing-ed is an addon offered for dogs at daycare or in boarding, but we also offer a few continuing education options. For example, you may ask about our advanced off-leash program! This is a good fit for families whose dog has passed the AKC Canine Good Citizen Test, and who enjoy activities like going to the dog beach, or spending time outside in remote places where a dog can be safe off-leash.