The BarkitektDog training & boarding · Columbus, GA

Working dogs · detection · drive · agility

Working dog training

For dogs with drive, and people who want to put it to work. Odor detection, coached spring pole, wall run, slat mill and weight pull, agility, and foundations for working puppies, all at my facility in north Columbus. Every program starts with a working dog evaluation.

Book a working dog evaluation Call or text 706-940-2483

A working-dog background

Working dogs are where I started. As a civilian, I trained alongside 5th Special Forces Group K9 handlers. I trained under Jacob Robinson, studied under Michael Ellis, and hold a detection certification. My drive work draws on Jay Jack, the founder of GRC Dogsports. This page is for dogs that need a job: high-drive working breeds, sport prospects, and any dog with more energy than a walk can burn.

Step one

The working dog evaluation

Before any working program, I spend an hour with you and your dog. I look at what drives your dog (toys, food, hunting), how it handles new places, footing and noise, and how its body moves. Your dog gets to try the equipment.

You leave with an honest answer about which programs fit your dog, and a plan for where to start. Not every dog is suited to every job, and that's okay.

E-1

Working Dog Evaluation

$100

1 hour · private · at my facility

  • Drive, confidence and handling, tested hands-on
  • A first try on the spring pole, wall and slat mill
  • A written plan with the programs that fit
  • Credited toward any working-dog package you book within 30 days

Odor detection

Detection & scent work

Detection gives a dog's nose a real job, and it's one of the best things you can do for a dog that never seems tired. We start with the sport odors (birch, anise and clove), so your dog can go on to scent-work trials or just keep hunting for fun.

D-1

Scent Work Starter

$500

4 private lessons · 1 hour each

  • Imprinting on birch, anise and clove
  • A clear indication: your dog tells you where the odor is
  • Searches in containers, rooms, outdoor areas and vehicles
  • A home practice plan and a written recap after every lesson
D-2

Detection Master Plan

From $675

Built around your goals · 4+ lessons

  • Trial prep for NACSW and AKC Scent Work
  • Harder hides: high, buried, multiple and blank areas
  • Handler skills: search patterns and reading your dog
  • Distractions, new places and longer searches

Detection work usually takes more than four lessons, so it's priced to fit your goals.

Drive & conditioning

Spring pole, wall run, slat mill & weight pull

These are the events GRC Dogsports competes in, and a great outlet for a high-drive dog: hard work that builds muscle, wind and confidence. Every session is coached by me, one dog at a time, with the height, speed and weight set for your dog's age and fitness.

C-1

First Coached Session

$35

30 minutes · required first

  • Your dog meets the equipment, safely
  • I check fitness, form and drive
  • Open to any dog, no evaluation needed
C-2

5-Session Pack

$160

$32 a session · 30 minutes each

  • Mix and match: spring pole, wall run, slat mill and weight pull
  • Warm-up and cool-down every time
  • Use within 6 months
C-3

10-Session Pack

$300

$30 a session · 30 minutes each

  • Everything in the 5-pack
  • Progress tracked from session to session
  • Use within 6 months

Packs: available after a first coached session or a working dog evaluation. Heavy work waits until your dog is fully grown, and no big meal for two hours before a session.

Agility

Agility for fun or for the ring

Agility builds a dog that reads your body and wants to work with you. We start with safe foundations and build up to full courses.

G-1

Agility Foundations

$500

4 private lessons · 1 hour each

  • Jumps, tunnels and contact obstacles, built up safely
  • Body awareness and confidence on new footing
  • Handling basics: your dog follows your body and voice
  • Short sequences you can build on
G-2

Agility Master Plan

From $675

Built around your goals · 4+ lessons

  • Longer sequences and full courses
  • Speed, drive and precision
  • Getting ready for your first trial

Working puppies

Start a working prospect right

A future detection, sport or working dog is built in the first months. The goal is a puppy that loves to work: strong toy and food drive, confidence anywhere, and an early start on odor.

Puppies stay off the heavy equipment. High-impact work waits until they're grown.

P-1

Working Puppy Start

$500

4 private lessons · about 10 weeks to 6 months

  • Tug and toy drive, built the right way
  • Food drive and marker training
  • Confidence: new places, surfaces, sounds and heights
  • Early odor games

How it works

From evaluation to working dog

  1. Evaluation

    One hour to see what drives your dog and what it's built for.

  2. The plan

    The programs that fit your dog and your goals, in the right order.

  3. The work

    Private lessons and coached sessions, with homework between them.

  4. Keep it sharp

    Trial prep, session packs and refreshers as your dog grows.

Before your first session

What you'll need

Every session is private, one dog at a time, at my facility on Mobley Road in north Columbus. You'll get the address when you book.

  • Up to date on DHPP, rabies and Bordetella, with records sent before your first visit
  • Tell me about any bite history or problems with people or dogs. Dogs with human aggression start with an evaluation.
  • Young, senior or injured dogs need their vet's OK before high-impact equipment
  • A flat collar or harness and a 6-foot leash. I provide the working gear.
  • A signed waiver before the first session
  • In summer heat we train early or late, and I'll reschedule if it's too hot

Questions

Good to know

Do I need a working breed?

No. Malinois, shepherds and bully breeds often love this work, but so do plenty of mixes. What matters is drive, and the evaluation tells us how much your dog has.

Is drive work safe for my dog?

Yes, when it's coached and matched to the dog. I set the height, speed and weight for your dog's age and fitness, warm up and cool down every session, and keep heavy work for grown dogs. If your dog has a health condition, check with your vet first.

Can my reactive dog do this?

Often, yes. Every session is private, so your dog isn't working next to other dogs. Detection and drive work are great outlets for many reactive dogs. Tell me about it when you book.

How long does detection take?

It depends on the dog and your goals. The Scent Work Starter gets your dog finding and indicating odor; trial prep usually takes more lessons on top of that.

Do you give certificates?

No. If you're heading to a scent-work trial or another outside test, I'll help you get ready for it.

Does my dog need obedience first?

Not always: the evaluation tells us. Good obedience always helps, though, and my board & train and private lessons are the place to start if your dog needs it.

Do you sell trained dogs?

No. I train your dog, and teach you to handle it.

Start with an evaluation

Book a working dog evaluation

Tell me about your dog and what you'd like to do. I'll get back to you personally to set up the evaluation, or a first coached session if you're here for the equipment.

Send an evaluation request Call or text 706-940-2483

Or email [email protected]