Which Program Is the Best Fit for
Your Goals & Your Dog?

Take a Quick Quiz to find out!

All of our programs are designed with one objective in mind – to help you reach your training goals with your dog.  However, that doesn’t mean that each type of service is the best fit for your particular situation and unique set of goals.  The right service for you and your dog depends on a combination of factors, including: your needs, your individual learning style, your dogs’ needs, your training goals, your budget, and your schedule. This page is your guide to determining which of our service options you should consider as your starting point.  If you need more specific help determining the best path for your situation, please reach out to us and we can help!

A Note on Training & Relationship Building

We believe that the best relationships we can have with our dogs involve ongoing learning together, especially if you are starting out with a young pup or a dog who needs significant behavior support. Like humans, dogs thrive with consistent reinforcement, clear directions, and good communication from the people in their lives, and this journey doesn’t usually end after just one class or lesson.  You may find that once you get started with one of our services, you and your dog want or need to come back for more to keep learning together!  All of our services are complementary and cumulative, meaning that you can always come back for more advanced support.

Suggested Starting Points for
Common Behavior Goals

Click the + to expand each section for details!

General & Colorado Life Skills

Behavior Problems

  • “My dog is friendly and excited to meet other dogs and is great in off-leash settings like the dog park, but they pull, whine, and bark when trying to get to the other dogs when on a leash.”

    Start With:

  • “My dog runs the fence and barks aggressively at dogs that are on the other side; otherwise he is social and has no issues on walks, parks, etc.”

    Start With:

  • “My dog is very protective and doesn't like other people around me and will growl and lunge at them.”

    Start With:

  • “My dog gets everything off our counters and table.”

    Start With:

  • “My dog growls at us over their toys, bones, bed, and food.”

    Start With:

  • “My dog was attacked by another dog out in public and now is very afraid of other dogs.”

    “My dog is a rescue who has bounced around a lot. He is fearful and shy around new people and dogs.”

    Start With:

  • “My dog barks, whines, or otherwise panics when I leave them at home alone.”

    We do not currently offer support for severe Separation Anxiety cases, but we have some great referrals for you!

  • “My dogs are getting into fights with each other in my home.”

    Start With:

    • Our colleague Katie Sipple of Wise Mind Canine specializes in this topic. She is an excellent online resource with self-study courses and individual coaching.

    • Private Lessons: Trail Scout (8 Hours)
      (Note: Due to the complexity of inter-household dog aggression cases, we require a minimum commitment of the Trail Scout (8 Hour) package.)

Group Classes

The Short Summary: small group classes that meet for one hour at the same time every week

When you enroll in a Summit® group class, you and your dog join 4-5 other owners and their dogs each week for one hour.  Each class is taught by a Summit® instructor and is focused on building skills for you and your dog in the focus topic of the class (i.e. Loose Leash Walking).  Each week of class includes opportunities to practice the new skills taught during class, as well as trouble-shoot any challenges with your instructor and discuss how to apply these skills in the real-life environments you may visit with your dog between classes.  You will go home with homework each week, supported by a written handout with video links.  Each group class has a set curriculum that we have designed to include the most helpful training skills around each class topic.  

Group Class Schedule: weeknights, weekends & some weekday

A Group Class may be a good fit for you and your dog if you:

  • Enjoy a group class environment

  • Have training goals that are covered in one of our group class topics

  • Have a schedule that can accommodate the consistent schedule of weekly classes

A Group Class may not be a good fit for you and your dog if you: 

  • Have specific behavior problems and goals that are outside the group class topics

  • Are looking for a customized plan for you & your dog’s situation

  • Need an individualized schedule to match with your availability

  • Have a dog that is hard to control around other dogs or people (unless attending a behavior-specific class like Reactive Dog that is designed for these topics)

  • Have a dog that is very scared, shy, or anxious around other dogs, people, or new spaces

Click here to learn more about our group classes!

Private Lessons

The Short Summary: one-on-one lessons with a Summit trainer

When you enroll in a Private Lesson Program with Summit®, we start out by meeting in-person at our training facility in Fort Collins, or online via Zoom.  For private lessons, you share what specific training goals you have for your dog, and then we will work together to build a training plan that works to meet those goals.   For our in-person students, after meeting together at the training room, we can move to other locations in Fort Collins (park, hiking trail, brewery, your home) when your trainer is confident that you and your dog have the foundational skills necessary to be successful in those environments. A Private Lesson Program is our most customizable service option!

Private Lesson Schedule: weekdays, weeknights, and weekends.  (Please note that evenings and weekends are our most requested times, so the wait time for those appointments time-slots may be longer than our weekday session options.)

A Private Lesson Program may be a good fit for you and your dog if you:

-       Enjoy the ability to work one-on-one

-       Have specific behavior challenges or goals that need a customized plan

-       Need a more variable schedule than group classes can provide

A Private Lesson Program may not be a good fit for you and your dog if you:

  • Have great foundation skills and are ready to work in a group class environment for proofing & refining skills.

Click here to learn more about our private lessons!

Adventure Camp Training

The Short Summary: a Summit® trainer teaches your dog, with periodic private lessons focusing on transferring those skills to you

In our Adventure Camp Training program, your dog works individually with a Summit® trainer while you are at work. Adventure Camp is a drop-off program for early socialization and training for pups 9-16 weeks of age, and enrichment and ongoing training for dogs 16 weeks and older.  Our professional trainers will lay the foundation work for your dog’s training following a set curriculum. You will receive notes and brief videos of your dog’s Adventure Camp sessions so that you know how to follow along at home.

Adventure Camp Schedule: Adventure Camp for Puppies (9-16 Weeks) is offered on Wednesdays & Fridays at our training facility; Adventure Camp for Dogs (16 Weeks+) is offered on Tuesdays & Thursdays at our training facility.

An Adventure Camp Training program may be a good fit for you and your dog if you:

  • Want a professional trainer to help jump-start your dog’s learning for you

  • Prefer to practice and reinforce behaviors that your dog has been taught, instead of teaching them yourself

  • Have a busy schedule that doesn’t allow for consistent classes or private lessons 

  • Have a puppy between the ages of 9-16 weeks!

Adventure Camp Training may not be a good fit for you and your dog if you:

  • Have specific behavior challenges or goals, but haven’t yet completed a private lesson program or group class to build a robust training plan to address these challenges

  • Have a dog that cannot be handled safely by people other than yourself

Click here to learn more about our Adventure Camp Training!

Online Classes & Webinars

The Short Summary: self-study online courses on a variety of topics

With our Online Classes, you and your dog can learn at your own pace, from anywhere in the world!  We have courses on different topics, and most of our in-person classes have companion courses available online with lots of videos and written homework to support those same learning objectives.  Access to our entire course library (including webinar recordings) is available via subscription for $40/month, and there is no limit to how many classes you can take!     

Online Class Schedule: whatever you want it to be!

An Online Class may be a good fit for you and your dog if you:

  • Want the flexibility of schedule and location that comes with a self-study course

  • Want to brush up on an in-person class you took 6 months ago

  • Are independently motivated and enjoy learning from video & written content

  • Have a limited budget for training services but still want access to training tips & suggestions

An Online Class may not be a good fit for you and your dog if you:

  • Have specific behavior challenges or goals requiring a more customized plan – although we do have several webinar recordings on specific behavior challenges that are a good way to getting started on those topics

  • Need consistent and direct motivation to keep advancing your training goals

  • Are looking for specific feedback and trouble-shooting from a professional trainer

Click here to learn more about our online classes!