Top Tier
Dog training club

5-star google rating
With 150+reviews

Working with Traction was the best decision we've made for our 2 year old Coton, Bean. We've worked with a lot of trainers before, but didn't see nearly the same results as we did in the three weeks working with Will. Bean originally had leash reactivity and aggression, and was incredibly bark-y in our house with any guest. We couldn't have friends or family over, and didn't feel comfortable taking her on walks. Will did a great job of creating a foundation of commands that we could use to help settle her, and was also incredibly patient when it came to teaching us how to be more confident and supportive pet owners. After three weeks of training, we've now had guests over (multiple times!), have taken her to coffee shops, and have walked her on busy hiking trails. Our quality of life has improved, and so has Bean's!

I went through a couple other local trainers while trying to train both my dogs once I moved to Boulder. I spent weeks with these trainers and too much money (it’s embarrassing) and they couldn’t accomplish what Mara did in ONE DAY. She was so kind but firm with her training. My dogs Juniper (7years old) and Aspen (just turned 1) loved to listen to her and she taught me how to properly communicate so we can continue our loving relationship. Before Mara, Juniper pulled on leash when other dogs where around and REALLY wanted to chase deer and rabbit. Now she stays glued to my side (and gets rewarded generously). Aspen, being the Australian Cattle Dog that he is, is FULL of energy and pulled aggressively when running. Now he doesn’t pull at all and is working toward not having to greet every dog when passing. WE ARE SO HAPPY with Mara! We opted for the Homeschooling sessions and the repetitive training really stuck.

Wow, just wow. This was our third attempt with our crazy leash reactive 8 year old lab mix, Rosie. My husband said it was a lost cause and that it couldn’t be done but . . . enter Will. After just a few sessions, he had her totally under control. But the real trick was that he was able to transfer those skills to us — with clarity and lots of patience. We can now confidently stroll into just about any gauntlet and Rosie barely tugs at the leash. The whole thing was done with total love and respect — no harsh moments or reprimands. Will is exceptionally talented at his profession and also a joy to spend time with. I think both we and Rosie will very much miss our time together. Truly cannot recommend this program highly enough.

I was grateful and lucky enough to be able to have Eric as our dog trainer. Eric was exceptional and patient not only with our 14-week-old pup, but with us as well. Eric demonstrated great professionalism, communication skills, and incredible knowledge and experience with dogs. As first-time puppy owners, Eric answered all of our questions and concerns while making the whole process very smooth. The progression from her first day of training to the last is a night and day difference. We are extremely happy with the results of the training to say the least! I understand how difficult it is to determine which dog training company to go through and I know we made the best choice by choosing Traction Dog Training Club and being able to work with Eric.

Mara makes Cesar Millan look like a rookie...seriously. Our pups have all responded so well to her teachings. We have three dogs, ranging from a pup to 13 years old. All of our dogs are more obedient, and I believe happier. They don't jump on people at the door. They don't jump on the couch (unless invited). They peacefully sleep in their kennels. Our relationship with our dogs has never been better. Mara is a true professional. She also watches our home while we travel. It's a great feeling to know our pups are happy and our home is safe. Thank you, Mara. You are great teacher and even better person.

varsity
a training membership

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Train
always a trainer there.

Stay
always a place to go.

Play
agility & drinks monthly.

Train
always a trainer there.

Stay
always a place to go.

Play
agility & drinks monthly.

BUILD YOUR OWN MEMBERSHIP

Take what you need, leave what you don’t.

Change, pause, or cancel membership at any time, for any reason.

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We've been dealing with reactivity in our girl Luna for a few years due to isolation from Covid and an ACL surgery. We worked on training with help from online resources, but nothing helped us make meaningful progress until we worked with Victoria from Traction Dog Training. While Luna still has room for more progress, we saw amazing change in her leash reactivity, responsiveness to commands, and most importantly our bond and trust with her. We chose the Tutoring package because we wanted to be hands on with the process and to ensure we were learning as much as she was. I think we might've seen quicker and more transformative progress with Homeschool, but with the tutoring program, we now have the tools to continue her training on our own and can always request extra sessions with Victoria as we need them in the future. I highly recommend Traction if you're looking for great, compassionate trainers who are invested in you and your pup!

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Our dog is 5.5 years old and had become very aggressive to our other pets and strangers. It was to the point where we were considering giving her up or even euthanasia. It was a very hard time and then we found TDTC. Miracle is a very strong word and that is what happened. Will and Eric are so gifted and patient. Now we have a dog that we could never imagine. Thank you for helping us find the amazing dog we knew she could be.

not your average
Dog trainers

Mara
Soo

Lion, Bear & Elk Trainer

Apprenticed under Olympic sport horse trainers
Trained lions, bears, and elk professionally
PSA protection sports competitor

learn more about mara

Tina
Chavez

Ne Po Po® Gold School Graudate

Trained by the father of modern methods, Bart Bellon
AKC CGC, STAR Puppy, & Trick Dog Evaluator
PSA protection sports competitor

learn more about tina

Eric
Knierim

Air Force K-9 Handler

Led K-9 team on Secret Service missions protecting US President and Vice President
Certified MWD Handler in patrol and detection

learn more about eric

Christie
Branch

Primate Behaviorist

Trained 1000 monkeys over 3 years
Developed widely adopted training protocols used across facilities in Texas and California

learn more about christie

Victoria
Davis

500-in-5 Behavior Specialist

500 successful training cases in 5 years
Volunteer trainer for local working Malinois and Dutch Shepherds adopted by families

learn more about victoria

Mara
Soo

Lion, Bear & Elk Trainer

Apprenticed under Olympic sport horse trainers
Trained lions, bears, and elk professionally
PSA protection sports competitor

learn more about mara

Tina
Chavez

Ne Po Po® Gold School Graduate

Trained by the father of modern methods, Bart Bellon
AKC CGC, STAR Puppy, & Trick Dog Evaluator
PSA protection sports competitor

learn more about tina

Eric
Knierim

Air Force K-9 Handler

Led K-9 team on Secret Service missions protecting US President and Vice President
Certified MWD Handler in patrol and detection

learn more about eric

Christie
Branch

Primate Behaviorist

Trained 1000 monkeys over 3 years
Developed widely adopted training protocols used across facilities in Texas and California

learn more about christie

Victoria
Davis

500-in-5 Behavior Specialist

500 successful training cases in 5 years
Volunteer trainer for local working Malinois and Dutch Shepherds adopted by families

learn more about victoria

I can not thank Eric enough for the shifts, growth, and progress that my dog Archie & I made through the homeschool program! Archie started with moderate leash reactivity towards dogs & some humans and only some basic obedience experience. A month later, we have started the progress of completing his ATD Therapy Dog Certification. Archie & Eric built quite the relationship and the process & homework really strengthened the bond between Archie & I also. I highly recommend Eric & look forward to continuing our relationship with Traction Dog Training!

FAQ

What makes traction different?

Quality of trainers. We spend an average of 6 months vetting trainers before hiring, and we only take superstars. Not only are our trainers the ones the Whitehouse chose for themselves, it’s also ensured they have exceptional communication and human-training skills.
Program structures. We break away from the usual options, private lessons or board-and-train. Instead, we come to you for training and can provide as little or as much hands-on support as you need. We then offer a one-of-a-kind maintenance and social training membership.
Professionalism & community. We are a training club, not just a service provider. An emphasis on community means that we expect a high level of professionalism among our trainers and club members. If you’re looking for a group of high quality people you can rely on as friends and dog trainers, this is it.

What services do you offer?

We offer private training programs for all family pet dogs, overnight boarding in trainers’ homes, protection and guard dog training, and our monthly social event, Agility Drop-In & Drinks, where you can play on an indoor agility course and enjoy free adult beverages.

We also offer apprenticeship programs for future dog trainers.

What if i have more than 1 dog?

Your dogs can share one training program, although a phone consultation with a trainer will be needed to determine the best way for your specific dogs to learn together.

Even for dogs with very different goals and learning styles, two separate programs isn’t typically necessary. These dogs may have the option to increase the length and price of training sessions by 50% so there’s ample time to work with the dogs individually as well as together.

what training methods do you use?

We use the methods that are most fair, kind, and effective for your specific dog. No two dogs are alike, and neither are the training methods that best suit them.

For a detailed view of the scientific foundation of our training philosophy, read about our training methods here.

Do you offer payment plans?

Yes! Varsity allows you to pay for training sessions on a monthly schedule and at a discounted rate.

Alternatively, Affirm is available and offers 4 payments over 2 months with no interest or credit checks as well as monthly installment plans from 2 to 36 months long.

Without a doubt, Traction's Homeschool Program has exceeded even my wildest expectations. My dog is reactive and unpredictably so -- I turned to Traction after trying numerous "positively only" classes and techniques. Those other classes work initially and then fade; we would be back to the beginning, and my frustration would grow. Will's approach couldn't be more different-- at the end of the first hour, he suggested and implemented shifts that had an immediate impact. Some felt small (how many toys she could see), some felt more significant (the prong collar), but the all pointed to recalibration my relationship with my dog and her relationship with the stimulus in her day to day. Mostly, Will seems to have a truly magical blend of accessibility and firmness with teaching both me and my dog how to change her behavior. He constantly tailored his approach to fit what he was learning about what worked, and didn't, with my dog, slowly built her skills so she could learn, fail, and course correct. And patiently reminded me on how to perfect my timing, use of cues, etc. My dog is noticeably a different dog -- just as joyful, curious, and goofy; but with more confidence, patience, and calm. Have been - and will continue to - rave about Will and Traction's Homeschool Program to any and everyone who asks or hints at struggling with similar issues. They're worth every penny and minute!

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Varsity
options

jumpstart
Programs

Tina was amazing and I couldn’t have asked for a better trainer or experience. I have a 3 year old rescue dog who was completely untrained when I got her and everyone told me that spending the money on a training program was pointless because ‘you can’t teach an old dog new tricks’, and those people couldn’t have been more wrong. Tina took my wild little animal and taught her all of the basics so well that Rosie is almost an entirely different dog - she’s much calmer, has far greater impulse control than before training, and I can take her on walks that are enjoyable rather than the chaos that rained before Rosie learned to heel. I’m thrilled with the progress Rosie has made and definitely plan to sign up for more classes. Not only did Tina teach Rosie but she taught me a lot as well - Tina is crazy knowledgeable and patiently answered all of my questions, thought about customized ways I could work with Rosie, and made sure I have the tools I need to continue working with Rosie in a productive and constructive way. I couldn’t be happier. If you’re looking for a trainer for your dog - be they a wild little animal or timid little pup - Tina is the woman for the job guaranteed.

the learning is only
the beginning

We don’t just improve behavior, we invite you to join a community committed to building exceptional dogs

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Top TierDog training club

varsitya training membership

Jumpstart programs

Tutoring

Homeschool

Study abroad

not your averageDog trainers