How to Start Your Own Dog Training Franchise

If you’re passionate about all things pups and pooches, then investing in a dog training franchise is an excellent professional choice. To understand everything that starting your own business with a franchise investment in the dog training sector entails, keep reading. This article will cover what dog trainers do and how you can launch a dog training franchise, before sharing some of the best investment options currently available to you.

---

Dogs are the UK’s most popular pet, and there are many, many pampered pooches up and down the country in need of care and training. If you’d love to become a dog trainer you’re in luck. Over half of dog owners score their pets 7/10 in terms of how well-trained they are, and you can help these owners bump that score up to a 10, enjoying high levels of customer demand in the process.

What does a dog training business do?

The first step you should take towards starting your own dog training franchise? Learning all you can about what you can expect. What will the job entail? What will you be doing on a daily basis as a franchisee? Dog training businesses, as you might have guessed, specialise in training dogs. This includes obedience training, behavioural training, agility training and more. Though your specific duties will vary from investment to investment, you’re likely to complete the following tasks on a regular basis as the owner of a dog training franchise:

• Working closely with dogs and their owners to figure out their needs
• Teaching, socialising, disciplining and guiding dogs
• Teaching owners how to do the above
• Managing a team of trainers (for larger-scale investments)
• Managing the day-to-day runnings of your franchise (finances, inventory, so on)
• Marketing and advertising your franchise effectively
• Keeping up-to-date on the latest trends and developments in the dog training sector

---

>> Read more:

• Dog School Franchises in the UK
• Attention Animal Lovers: Here Are 4 Dog Care Franchises You'll Love

---

How to start a dog training business

1. Assess your skills and qualifications

A huge advantage of starting a franchise is the fact that plenty of the opportunities available to you in the dog training space will not require you to have previous experience or qualification related to dogs/dog training. That said, you will still need certain transferable skills in order to thrive in this sector and achieve long-term franchise success. Before you take the leap and make a career change with a dog training franchise, be sure that you:

• Have a passion for dogs
• Have an understanding of doggie body language and behavioural signs
• Can provide excellent customer service and communicate effectively
• Are patient and empathic (with dogs AND humans)
• Have strong problem-solving skills
• Have enough physical strength to handle larger dogs (if you’ll be working hands-on with them)
• Have enough physical stamina to keep up with faster dogs (again, if you’ll be working hands-on with them)

2. Consider the costs

Working with dogs is an exciting prospect for any lover of the species, but once you’ve determined that the work interests you and confirmed you’d be well-suited to it, it’ll be time to check in with your bank account and carefully consider the costs associated with an investment. The last thing you want is to be halfway through your franchising journey and realise you fall short financially.

The average cost of starting a franchise was £42,200 as of 2018 [British Franchise Association]. This is, however, very much an average. The actual cost of starting a franchise varies from business to business, depending on factors such as the attached brand name, the size of the industry and the type of franchise business (restaurants, for instance, can be very expensive to open and run).

3. Do your due diligence

Due diligence is an absolute must when it comes to starting your own dog training franchise and making an investment of your time, effort and money. To make sure you have all the information you need and you’re getting what you’re paying for, complete a comprehensive due diligence checklist, ticking off “YES” to all the following questions:

• Have you analysed the franchise opportunity in full?
• Have you reviewed the FDD?
• Have you spoken with the franchisor?
• Have you spoken with existing franchisees?
• Has the franchise agreement been reviewed by a legal professional?
• Have all your questions been answered to your satisfaction?

Franchise opportunities in the dog training sector

1. PetStay

PetStay is a franchise that’s committed to delivering quality care to dogs across the UK. Established in 2005 by Carole Davy, the business has grown substantially since, and is now globally recognised and trusted as an alternative to kennels.

• Becoming a PetStay franchisee: You don’t need any prior experience in the pet industry, but you should have business acumen, strong customer service skills and a huge love of dogs.
• How much you need to invest: You’ll need to make a minimum initial investment of £9,995.
• What you get for your investment: You’ll receive a three day initial training programme, plus business training, technical training, marketing training and all the ongoing support that you need.

2. Dogknows

Dogknows is a dog walking business which has grown considerably since it was first founded in 2011 by Bobs Broadbent. It stands out from its competitors by incorporating training into all of its outings, creating a tailored programme for each and every furry friend.

• Becoming a Dogknows franchisee: You don’t need any industry experience, but you should be reliable, enthusiastic and well-organised, with strong communication skills, practical dog handling skills and a dedication to caring for every dog correctly.
• How much you need to invest: You’ll need to make a minimum initial investment of £7,500, with a total investment cost of £15,000.
• What you get for your investment: You’ll undergo an initial 10 day training course, followed by a full start-up package, Dogknows mentoring and all the ongoing support that you need.

---

>> Read more:

• Start A Pet Franchise
• Top 8 Pet Franchises in the UK
• Pet franchises for animal lovers
• 10 steps to open a pet business
• Pet Store Franchises in the UK - What is There?
• The Top 5 Pet Business Trends in 2020

---

3. Barking Mad

There are many amazing investment options in the world of dog daycare, but one you should definitely check out is Barking Mad, established in 2000 and now “the UK’s most trusted pet sitting service, rated no.1 by Trustpilot” [Barking Mad].

• Becoming a Barking Mad franchisee: You don’t need previous industry experience to invest, but you should love working with animals and be looking to build a flexible business and commit to a long-term investment.
• What you need to invest: You’ll need to make a minimum initial investment of £10,000, with a total investment cost of £14,995.
• What you get for your investment: You’ll be guided through every step of the start-up process. You’ll be able to make use of expert guides, training and support - all designed to help you move towards that dream six-figure Barking Mad turnover.

Become a franchisee today and find success running a dog training franchise

If you’re interested in running your own business in the dog training sector, hopefully this article will have given you enough information to help you decide whether franchising is a viable, suitable option for you. To continue your research, stay on Point Franchise. There are many more articles focused on dogs and dog training businesses, such as the six biggest advantages of running a dog training franchise.