Before you book
Who we are not the right fit for
Sales pages tell you why to hire someone. This one lists the reasons we might not be the right call, because a mismatch costs you money and costs your dog weeks. Everything below comes from what we publish about how we work: one-on-one only, no group classes, no service-dog training, visits gently discouraged during board and train, and no promised outcomes. If any of that rules us out, better to know now.
Last reviewed September 25, 2026
Our limits
Three things we do not offer, and one we gently discourage.
Group classes: we do not run them, in any program, at any price. If a hall full of dogs and handlers is the format you want, we are the wrong call. Service-dog training: we do not offer it, and a family-dog program is not a substitute for it. Promised outcomes: we do not promise results, in writing or in conversation, because dogs are living animals; we describe what each program works on and what it includes, and we leave it there.
Visits during board and train: we gently discourage them, since each one interrupts the routine the dog is settling into; we send social-media updates and personal phone or email check-ins instead. That is a preference, not a rule that disqualifies anyone. Owner education: every board and train includes a handover lesson and free follow-up sessions, and Day Training includes a weekly one-hour go-home session. We fit best with owners who want that side of the work.
- No group classes, ever
- No service-dog training
- No promised outcomes
- Visits gently discouraged, not banned
Who fits well
The owners our formats are built for.
We fit owners who want their dog worked one-on-one and who want to learn the handling themselves. That holds across the whole range, all plus GST: a $150 private session with a plan to practise all week, Day Training at $650 per week with a one-hour go-home session every week, or a two-week On-Leash Foundations board and train at $1,865. In every format, we teach you alongside the dog, because the dog is going home to live with you, not with us.
The consultation is where we recommend a program, and that includes recommending the smaller one when it is enough. Dogs with bite histories are accepted into Behaviour Rehab after a full assessment, and that program is priced once the assessment is done. If what you want is a format we do not offer, this page is meant to save you the call. If what you want is one-on-one work with the owner side included, the next step is a consultation.
The programs
Programs and prices
W · One-hour session
Private Training
One-on-one coaching with you on the other end of the leash.
Includes a written weekly plan to work from
SW · Weekdays, drop-off 8–10 am · pick-up 5–7 pm
Day Training
Professional training all day, your couch at night.
Includes weekly one-hour go-home lesson, daily structure
Asked and answered
The questions people ask us.
Is board and train right for my dog?
It suits dogs whose owners want one-on-one daily training inside a structured routine, with a handover lesson and free follow-up sessions included at the end. It suits less well if you want to visit often, since we gently discourage visits and send updates and check-ins instead. The consultation is where we recommend a program for your specific dog.
Who should not do board and train?
Anyone who wants group classes, since we do not run them, and anyone shopping for a promised outcome, which we do not offer. If daily visits matter to you, know that we gently discourage them and keep you posted with social-media updates and personal phone or email check-ins instead. Day Training, with the dog home every night, may suit better.
When is Northline K9 not the right fit?
When you want group classes or service-dog training, because we offer neither, or when you want a result promised before the work starts. We also fit less well if you would rather not do the owner side, since every board and train includes a handover lesson and follow-ups, and Day Training and private sessions both involve you directly. Those are limits on what we offer, not a judgment on how you want to train.
Group classes vs one-on-one in Calgary: which is better?
We only offer one side of that comparison, so take this for what it is. Everything at Northline K9 is one-on-one, from a $150 private session to a multi-week board and train, and we run no group classes at all. If a class format is what you want, we are not your trainer, and we would rather say so here than on a call.
Keep reading
Find out if we fit
Book a consultation and we will say which program suits your dog, and whether a smaller one would do.
From real owners
Rated 5.0 on Google.
Real Northline dogs