The short answer: dog training in Canada costs about $100 to $200 per private session, $159 to $460 for a group course of five to seven classes, and $2,500 to $8,000 or more for board-and-train in 2026. Behaviour cases and full obedience programs sit in between, sold as packages rather than by the hour. Here's what the market charges, and how to set your prices.
Dog training prices in Canada (2026)
Trainers sell five main formats. These are typical published prices:
| Format | Typical price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Group class course | $159–$460 | 5–7 weekly classes; basic manners or puppy |
| Private session | $100–$200 | 60–90 minutes, in home or at the facility |
| Obedience program (package) | $1,500–$3,000 | Series of privates with a set goal (recall, loose leash, manners) |
| Behaviour program | $2,500–$5,000 | Reactivity, aggression, anxiety; multi-week |
| Board-and-train | $2,500–$8,000+ | Dog lives with the trainer; about $1,000–$1,500 a week |
Ranges compiled September 2026 from published Canadian prices, checked as of September 2026: PetSmart Canada (six-week puppy or beginner class $159; private training $99 an hour), When Hounds Fly (Toronto: puppy program 5 classes $325, foundation skills 7 classes $459, private $125–$200 a session, board-and-train $1,000–$1,500 a week), The Dogfather (Toronto: group $200–$400 for six weeks, private $100–$200 an hour, obedience programs $1,500–$3,000, aggression rehabilitation $2,500–$5,000, board-and-train $2,500–$8,000+) and Hustle Up Dog Training (Vancouver: 90-minute private $210 including GST). Some premium group programs cost more; Hustle Up's group course is $892.50 with GST.
What should you charge?
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Sell outcomes in packages; use the hourly rate only to build them. A single private session rarely fixes anything, and owners who buy one at a time drift away before the dog improves. Most successful trainers sell a defined program instead.
Private sessions
At $100 to $200 a session, privates are the core of most solo businesses. In-home sessions cost you travel, so price them above sessions at your own space or add a travel charge beyond a set radius. Bundle three to six sessions at a small discount, paid up front: the discount buys commitment, and committed owners get results that turn into referrals.
Group classes
Group courses earn the most per hour once they fill. Six dogs at $300 is $1,800 for six hours of teaching, plus rent for the space. National chains set the price floor ($159 at PetSmart Canada for six weeks), so independents compete on smaller classes, better instruction and follow-up. Charge for the full course up front, with no refunds after the second class, or your enrolments will melt.
Puppy packages
Puppy classes and puppy starter packages (a private visit in the first week home, then a class) are the easiest sale in training: new owners are motivated, and the vet's office will recommend you. When Hounds Fly sells five puppy classes for $325. Treat puppies as the start of a client relationship, and offer the next course before the last puppy class ends.
Behaviour cases
Reactivity, aggression, separation anxiety and bite history take longer, carry more risk and need more skill. Price them as programs, not sessions: The Dogfather in Toronto sells aggression rehabilitation at $3,500 for 6 to 12 weeks, inside a local range of $2,500 to $5,000. Do an assessment first (many trainers charge for it, then credit it to the program), and refer out cases beyond your training. Severe cases may need a veterinary behaviourist.
Board-and-train
The dog lives with you for two to eight weeks, so you're charging for 24-hour care and daily training. Toronto programs run about $1,000 to $1,500 a week. It pays well, but it's also where liability is highest: you're responsible for someone's dog around the clock. Build in a transfer session with the owner at the end, because the dog behaving for you means nothing if it doesn't behave for them.
Setting your own rate
- Count all the hours. A one-hour session also means travel, written homework, messages between sessions and admin. If every paid hour carries 30 minutes of unpaid work, a $120 session pays $80 an hour.
- Add your costs. Insurance that covers the dogs in your care and your advice (animal bailee and professional liability; see our small business insurance guide), continuing education to keep a certification current, space rental for classes, equipment and treats, and travel.
- Price your credentials. A certified trainer with vet referrals and reviews can charge in the top third. If your private calendar is full weeks out, raise prices for new clients first.
Are you undercharging?
Five quick questions. Be honest — nobody's watching.
Are you booked solid more than two weeks out?
A full calendar is the market telling you your price is too low.
Have you raised your rates in the last 12 months?
Costs went up this year. If your rate didn't, you took a pay cut.
When you quote a price, does anyone ever say no?
If nobody ever pushes back, you're leaving room on the table.
Do you charge for travel time — or build it into your price?
Unpaid driving between sessions quietly eats your real hourly rate.
Do you drop your price whenever someone asks for a deal?
Discounting on request trains clients to always ask.
Priced about right
You're showing the classic signs of healthy pricing — price pushback now and then, regular raises, travel accounted for. Your next win isn't the rate, it's the time you lose to admin between sessions.
You're leaving money on the table
A couple of undercharging signals showed up. The fix is usually one honest raise for new clients — $5 more per session on a full week is thousands a year you're currently donating.
You're seriously undercharging
Almost every signal fired. Booked solid, never raising, never hearing no — that's not luck, that's a price well below what your market would pay. Raise your rate for every new client starting this week; your regulars can follow later.
Sell the package, schedule the sessions, get paid up front.
Clients book from your link, every session lands on your schedule, and the invoice goes out in one tap — with reminders for the ones still unpaid.
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Not ready? Try the free invoice generatorWhen GST/HST starts to apply
Dog training is a taxable service in Canada, but you don't have to charge GST/HST until your revenue crosses $30,000 in a single calendar quarter or over four consecutive calendar quarters, the CRA's small-supplier threshold. Board-and-train programs get a trainer there quickly: ten $3,000 programs is the whole threshold. Once you're over, you register, add tax to every invoice, and remit it. Our plain-English GST/HST guide explains the rest.
How to become a dog trainer in Canada
There's no licence to get. As the Canadian Association of Professional Dog Trainers puts it, "dog training is not consistently regulated across Canada," and people can advertise as trainers "without standardized education, assessment, or oversight." That makes your training and credentials the thing that sets you apart. The usual path:
- Learn the science. Take a structured course in learning theory, canine behaviour and humane, reward-based methods, with supervised hands-on practice. CAPDT recommends programs that assess both knowledge and practical skills.
- Get hours with real dogs. Assist in an established trainer's classes, volunteer with a shelter or rescue, and log every hour. You'll need them for certification.
- Get certified. The Certification Council of Professional Dog Trainers (CCPDT) offers the CPDT-KA (knowledge assessed), which requires at least 300 hours of dog training experience in the last three years, a signed attestation from a CCPDT certificant, veterinarian or other approved professional, and a 200-question multiple-choice exam, available with remote proctoring. The CPDT-KSA adds a video-assessed skills exam, and the CBCC-KA is for behaviour consultants. Certificants renew every three years through continuing education or a retake.
- Join the Canadian association. CAPDT is the national professional association for dog trainers, with a code of ethics, and is developing a Registered Dog Trainer (CAPDT-RDT) pathway tied to a national curriculum standard.
- Set up the business. Insurance before your first client dog, a business name registration if you use one (our guides cover Ontario, B.C. and Alberta), and a business number when you register for GST/HST.
On earnings: Job Bank puts employed dog trainers at $15.00 to $25.50 an hour, with a median of $18.00 (updated November 2025). Self-employed trainers set their own rates, which is why most experienced trainers eventually go independent: ten private sessions a week at $150 is $1,500 a week gross, before group classes or behaviour programs.
Prices are market ranges compiled from the Canadian sources linked above in September 2026 and will vary by city, trainer and the dog's needs.
Common questions
How much does dog training cost in Canada?
In 2026, private dog training sessions in Canada commonly cost $100 to $200 each, group obedience courses $159 to about $460 for five to seven weeks, and board-and-train programs $2,500 to $8,000 or more. Behaviour cases such as reactivity or aggression are usually sold as multi-week programs, commonly $2,500 to $5,000 in Toronto.
How much should I charge for a private dog training session?
Most independent Canadian trainers charge $100 to $200 per private session. PetSmart Canada lists one-hour private training at $99, Toronto trainers publish $125 to $200 a session, and a Vancouver trainer charges $200 plus GST for 90 minutes. Sell sessions in packages of three to six so clients commit to the follow-through.
How much do puppy classes cost?
Puppy classes run from about $159 for a six-week course at PetSmart Canada to $325 for a five-class program at an independent Toronto school. Private puppy sessions cost the same as any private session. Puppy classes are the best entry point for a new trainer, because owners who start early often come back for the next level.
How much does board and train cost in Canada?
Board-and-train programs, where the dog lives with the trainer, typically cost $1,000 to $1,500 per week in Toronto, or $2,500 to $8,000 or more for a full program depending on length and the dog's issues. Price must cover 24-hour care as well as training, so it's the most expensive format and the one with the most liability.
Do you need a certification to be a dog trainer in Canada?
No. Dog training isn't regulated in Canada, so anyone can call themselves a trainer. Certification is voluntary but it's what clients and vets look for. The best known is the CPDT-KA from the Certification Council of Professional Dog Trainers (CCPDT), which requires at least 300 hours of training experience in the last three years and a 200-question exam. The Canadian Association of Professional Dog Trainers (CAPDT) is the national association and is developing a Registered Dog Trainer pathway.
How much do dog trainers make in Canada?
Employed dog trainers earn $15.00 to $25.50 an hour, with a median of $18.00, according to Job Bank. Self-employed trainers earn by the session and the program: ten private sessions a week at $150 is $1,500 a week gross before insurance, travel and marketing, and group classes and behaviour programs add more on top.
Do I need to charge GST/HST on dog training?
Not until your business revenue passes $30,000 in a single calendar quarter or over four consecutive calendar quarters, the CRA small-supplier threshold. At $150 a session that's 200 sessions, and one or two board-and-train programs a month gets you there much faster.
Many trainers add walking, sitting or boarding for the same clients. See what Canadians charge for dog walking, pet sitting and dog sitting and boarding, plus our dog grooming prices guide.