• Sign up
  • Log in
 
  • Manhattan
    • Manhattan
    • MHK | Our Services
    • MHK | DaySchool
    • MHK | Puppy Kindergarten
    • MHK | Group Classes
    • MHK | Discovery Dogs
    • MHK | Foundation Lessons
    • MHK | Behavior Modification
  • Salina
    • Salina
    • SALINA | Group Classes
    • SALINA | Foundation Private Lessons
    • SALINA | Behavior Modification
  • Online
  • Boarding School
    • Boarding School
  • Assistance Dogs
    • Assistance Dogs
  • Let's go shopping
  • Dog Blog
  • Contact Us
  • Web App

We put the GOOD in GOOD dog!

Two Kansas locations and ONLINE!
Manhattan
  Salina     
   Online   
Not Sure Where To Start?
Schedule an evaluation today!
During an evaluation, we meet you and your dog and listen to any challenges you may be having with your pet. We can help you get started on managing those behaviors by devising a training plan that fits your time constraints and budget. You and your trainer will also discuss canine learning theory, marker training and behavior modification options.

Evaluations are $115 for 90 minutes. We can come to you*, meet at one of our facilities or schedule with us for an online evaluation. 


MANHATTAN | Evaluation
  SALINA | Evaluation  
 ONLINE | Evaluation 
*For at-home lessons, there may be an additional travel fee if you are outside of our standard travel range.

Learn more about MuttSchool's training methods:

Transform your dog into the pet you've always wanted by utilizing the power of behavioral science to train your dog. MuttSchool instructors teach by building lasting bonds based on mutual trust and respect instead of fear and intimidation. Utilizing our many different services, we can custom design a training plan to help you achieve your goals for training your dog. Even if you've tried training your dog before with a different company and were disappointed in the results, just know, MuttSchool's professional trainers have the experience and education to set goals and get the results you've been looking for.
The Science Behind Clicker Training
Video by Carissa Shields
Why Choose MuttSchool?
CPDT-Certified Dog Trainers


The dog training industry is unregulated with no licensing requirements or regulatory oversight. This makes it difficult to know who to trust when searching for training for your furry family member. That's why MuttSchool believes that a certification from the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers is so important for our staff. A CPDT certification gives you a way to distinguish dog training professionals whose education, experience, knowledge and skills have stood up to rigorous testing.

Experience Counts


We are dedicated to helping dogs and their people build relationships based on trust, compassion, and understanding. MuttSchool instructors have trained over 5,000 Kansas dogs since our business began in 2007. Together our team has over 170 years of combined experience working with animals. Our owner, Mary, has more than 30 years of dog training experience and imparts this in designing MuttSchool's curriculum and training plans. That's experience you can trust.

Personalized Programs


There is not a one size fits all dog training solution. Every dog has individual training needs. And, each owner has their own lifestyle requirements. Finding a way to meld these together so you and your dog can be successful is why MuttSchool offers a variety of services for you to choose from. Let us develop an individualized training plan just for you and your dog!

Educated Instructors


MuttSchool's instructors have completed professional dog training schools, have university degrees or are in the process of completing their formal education. Several of our certified trainers are graduates of the prestigious Karen Pryor Academy. A few trainers have Certificates in Applied Animal Behavior from the University of Washington. Other instructors have completed their education from Animal Behavior College (ABC). MuttSchool is also an ABC Mentor Training Facility. In addition, all of our instructors are expected to attend yearly professional development seminars to stay on the forefront of the dog training field.

Method of Training


Using scientifically-based methods, MuttSchool's instructors teach you along with your dog. You and your dog will establish a system of lifelong communication through building behaviors and strengthening skills. We teach so that it's a fun, positive experience for both of you. We are dedicated to provide you with the tools you need to have a confident, well-mannered and happy canine. MuttSchool follows the LIMA approach for dog training and DOES NOT use training equipment that imparts pain, fear or intimidation on your dog.
Licensed, Bonded and Insured


MuttSchool is licensed as a training kennel by the Kansas Department of Agriculture. We are bonded and insured. And, due to the fact that even the best-behaved dogs can sometimes be unpredictable, we carry worker's compensation for our valuable employees. If you are searching for a dog trainer, these are important subjects to talk about with other trainers you interview. Not all dog trainers are licensed and bonded or carry insurance. If anything happens with an uninsured trainer, the liability could fall on you.
Affordability


Training your dog makes good financial sense. Untrained dogs can be a risk to other people and dogs. If you think training is expensive, simply envision the veterinary bill if your dog is hit by a car because he refused to come to you. Or the civil court payouts if the dog bites someone or attacks another dog. You risk lawsuits, medical care, veterinarian care, legal fees and animal control fines. You are investing in training for your dog now to prevent challenging behaviors and to avoid those costs later.

Flexible Scheduling


Enjoy flexible scheduling—We know you have busy lives and dog training isn't always on the top of your to-do list. We want to train your dog, so we offer flexible service options to fit with your lifestyle. With private lessons, we can bring the classroom to your home or other convenient location and you pick the time and date. If your schedule is tight and you have no time to train at home, we also have Day School or Boarding School where you drop your dog off and we do the training for you.
First aid prepared


While we are not veterinarians, we spend  time with your dog and can be a watchful eye to report if we see health concerns that may require veterinary care. All of our employees are required to complete the American Red Cross Cat & Dog First Aid course as part of our on-boarding process. Rest assured that your MuttSchool trainers are knowledgable on what to do for a pet in an emergency situation prior to getting veterinary care.

You have a team of professional trainers

working for you and your dog.

Get to know our team of instructors. We combine our love for animals with education, experience and scientific-based training methods. You may notice the credentials at the ends of our names. Not all dog trainers have certifications. MuttSchool's instructors are either certified or are working toward the training hours required to take the rigorous Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers (CPDT) exams. This certification demonstrates that your instructor has mastered humane, science-based dog training practices. To maintain our certifications, we are expected to complete yearly continuing education. The more MuttSchool instructors learn, the more we can pass on to our clients. You can rest assured that you and your dog are receiving the most recent, effective training methods when you bring your dog to MuttSchool.


Below are a few of the organizations we are associated with and certifications our trainers have achieved:

Certified Dog Training Professionals

Mary
B.A. • CPDT-KSA • KPA CTP • CGC EVALUATOR • SDC • FFCP • BEHAVIOR CONSULTANT


For over 35 years, Mary has taught private lessons and all levels of group classes in obedience, rally, conformation, trick training, flyball and agility in Phoenix, AZ, Seattle, WA and now with MuttSchool. Over the years, she has also titled her personal dogs to high levels in all of those sports. She was a 4H dog leader and ran a kids and dogs summer camp In the Seattle area. Mary has also worked with a wide range of canine behavioral challenges including shyness, reactivity, aggression, and separation anxiety.


Mary graduated from Kansas State University, pursued a master's degree in business marketing at Arizona State University and had a very successful career in marketing and graphic design. But, her dream was always to work with dogs. After moving back to Manhattan in 2010, Mary saw the need for a quality dog training facility in this area and brought her dream to reality. 


Mary is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer – Knowledge and Skills Assessed, a Karen Pryor Academy honors graduate and a KPA Certified Training Partner. She is also a Cooperative Paws Service Dog Coach, Certified Trick Dog Instructor, an AKC CGC evaluator, a Certified Fear Free Pet Professional and a member of the Association of Professional Dog Trainers (APDT) and the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC).  Mary is a big proponent of life-long learning and continuously takes classes to further her dog training and behavior education.

Dawn

CPDT-KA • ABCDT • CGC EVALUATOR • BEHAVIOR CONSULTANT • IAABC-ADT


Dawn started with MuttSchool as an Animal Behavior College (ABC) extern in 2010. Throughout her time at MuttSchool, she found her passion is working with dogs with behavioral challenges. Dawn also teaches private lessons, group classes, day training and works with our therapy and service dogs. She is certified CPDT-KA and is an AKC CGC evaluator. She has also volunteered for Helping Hands Humane Society training dogs with behavior issues to make them more adoptable. She is an accredited dog trainer with the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC).

Kate

B.S. • CPDT-KA • CGC EVALUATOR • KPA • SERVICE DOG COACH (SDC)

Kate is a Kindergarten teacher who has gone to the dogs. She graduated from Kansas State University with a degree in elementary education and landed her first teaching job on Ft. Riley. When school wasn't in session, you could find her working as a naturalist and mammal rehabilitation provider for Kansas Wildlife and Parks at Milford Nature Center where she was cared for, trained and gave programs using animals native to Kansas. She worked with everything from bats to vultures. Even today, Kate is a teacher at heart. She loves teaching MuttSchool’s group classes and watching 8-week-old puppies grow into confident adult dogs. She strives to provide a fear free atmosphere where dog / human teams can learn and grow together. Kate’s passion is working with assistance dogs of all kinds.  One of the many roles at MuttSchool is to oversee MuttCare, our non-profit 501c3 for assistance dogs. Kate is always looking for fundraising ideas for the organization so that we can help defer the costs of assistance dog training. Along with her bachelor's degree in education, Kate also holds an associate's degree in health information and management, which comes in handy when navigating the nuances involved with assistance dog documentation. Kate is a Certified Profession Dog Trainer – Knowledge and Skills Assessed. She is also an AKC CGC Evaluator, Cooperative Paws Service Dog Coach, and have completed the Karen Pryor Academy for professional trainers.  
GraceAnn
CPDT-KA • CGC EVALUATOR • KPA FOUNDATIONS   

GraceAnn completed college with a degree in Equine Sciences. She has worked with horses for over 20 years. Her love for animals brought her to dog training. In 2018, she started teaching group classes for MuttSchool. GraceAnn is a certified CPDT-KA, an AKC Canine Good Citizen evaluator and temperament tester and a Fear Free Professional.
Destiny

CPDT-KA 


x

Carissa

B.S., ANIMAL SCIENCE • KPA FOUNDATIONS • UW CERTIFICATE IN APPLIED ANIMAL BEHAVIOR


Carissa has worked with all kinds of animals from farm animals to orangutans and elephants. She hails from the flint hills of KS on a beef cow-calf ranch and farm. Her passion for training dogs started early in high school when she took her farm dog, Max through a therapy dog program and was able to escort him to school and nursing home visits for the next 2 years. She ended up writing her senior thesis on the affects of therapy dogs used in nursing homes and graduated Kansas State University with a Bachelor's of Science in Animal Science and Industries. Carissa also holds a certification of Applied Animal Behavior through the University of Washington. She started her training here as an intern and is the smiling face your dog sees when they attend day school. Carissa has taken her own dog through all of Muttschool's classes and has received an intermediate trick dog title, as well as the CGC Urban certification. Her favorite part about working at Mutt School is getting to know all the dogs and their personalities while watching them learn.

Dog Training Professionals

Deborah
Animal Behavior College


x

Marina


Marina started training her first Border Collie in Obedience in Schweinfurt Germany back in 1999. Since then she has worked for Contented Canines' from 2007 – 2010 in various care and training of owners dogs. She continued working on obedience and started agility training back in 2001 to present. The various Border Collies that Marina has owned over the years have racked up hundreds of ribbons and received numerous titles from CGC, Therapy Dogs, and Companion Dog Excellent all the way to Master Agility Titles. Marina has fostered and trained approximately 50 dogs for Purple Paws over the last 7 years to facilitate them in the search for their forever home. Her ultimate goal is to continue training her 3 current Border Collies in Agility, Obedience and Frisbee. One of her biggest personal achievements is her ability to impress upon her husband to continue working after his first retirement so that he can support her dog addiction. LOL

 

Jamy
B.S.   



Christina
Animal Behavior College

x

Training Support Staff

We  couldn't do what we do for your dogs without our wonderful support staff! 
Laysha
 

Laysha has grown up with dogs her entire life. She's owned many different breeds including great danes, shepherds, pugs, a greyhound, rottweilers and now a Hokkaido Ken (a rare, medium-sized dog from Japan)! She is excited to start training and showing her puppy. Before joining MuttSchool, Laysha worked in a doggy day care and did grooming. She is working toward getting her CPDT to become a certified trainer. 

Miki
Student, K-State


x

Michelle
Student, K-State


x

Salina Dog Training Professionals

Marcia

B.S. • CGC EVALUATOR

 

Marcia is a retired teacher who trained two therapy dogs and brought them into her classroom. Her first dog was a10 month old yellow lab. Camry was part of the school community for 14 years. She also trained a Saint Bernadoodle who also spent several years in school. She found many ways for her dogs to play strong support roles with her special needs students as well as students that just needed a friend to hug, read to or sit with while taking a test. She has been a strong advocate for the importance of dogs in the schools and was a leader in setting up the bi-laws for her school district and educating staff on how therapy dogs can support students. These experiences led her to a new career. After retirement, she started classes and training to become an instructor. She teaches classes as well as training and certifying therapy dog teams. Marcia is a CGC evaluator and continues to attend workshops, and trainings to perfect her skills and earn additional certifications.
She enjoys teaching classes for Muttschool and finds great satisfaction in helping people grow in a positive relationship with their canine friend. Marcia now has Teddy a family pet and Ayven ( Bernedoodle) that she is training for Therapy dog Certification.

McKayla

M.S. • CGC EVALUATOR
 

McKayla has always had a passion for dogs and dog behavior and has over 10 years of dog training experience. As a child and young adult, McKayla enjoyed showing and training her first dog in 4-H, exhibiting various breeds for others in the AKC show ring, and volunteering in many other capacities, including animal shelters, 4-H Dog Project Leader, and more. McKayla currently owns two Australian Shepherds and enjoys training for MuttSchool. Her favorite part is educating families about dog behavior and helping them implement practical solutions to find success and harmony in their home.

Want to become a dog trainer?

Learn animal behavior through a MuttSchool internship.

MuttSchool's animal behavior interns will receive both online and hands-on experience working with our dog training and behavior programs. The intern will learn to train, rehabilitate and modify behaviorally-challenged dogs using LIMA (Least Intrusive, Minimally Aversive) training methods under the direction of MuttSchool's certified trainers. In addition, the intern will assist with daily care and training, group classes and private lessons learning how to instruct clients. As interns progress in their understanding of dog behavior and their skill at working with dogs, there may be the possibility of paid positions with the company depending on the performance of the intern and the needs of the company.


This is an unpaid position. To receive college credit, you will need to get approval through your university advisor. The internship requires a commitment of 10-20 hours per week including Sunday availability. MuttSchool accepts 2 interns per spring, summer, and fall cohorts.


Upcoming internships

Cohort: Summer 2023
Internship Dates:

May 15 to August 18, 2023

Deadline to Apply: April 29, 2023
Apply
Cohort: Fall 2023
Internship Dates:

August 21 to Dec 1st, 2023

Deadline to Apply: July 31, 2023
Apply

Careers at MuttSchool

We are looking for:

CPDT-certified dog trainer — Muttschool is seeking a highly skilled and passionate CPDT dog trainer to join our team. The CPDT dog trainer will be responsible for working in our DaySchool, providing private training sessions, group classes, and behavior modification programs for dogs of all ages and breeds. MuttSchool utilzes a Least Intrusive, Minimally Aversive (LIMA) Effective Behavior Intervention Philosophy. The successful candidate will have a deep understanding of canine behavior, training techniques, and a strong commitment to positive reinforcement. The work schedule for this position is flexible and can be either full-time or part-time based on the candidate's work-life balance requirements. However, the job may require working weekends and some evenings as these are the periods of high client demand for training services. The compensation package will be commensurate with the candidate's prior experience in training and handling dogs.

Apply on Indeed—cpdt-dog-trainer-63c6b47506a297d6

Training support staff —This is our entry level position on the path to becoming a dog trainer. MuttSchool has a tiered system of advancement to teach you to become a certified dog trainer. Applicant should be highly self-motivated and enthusiastic about working in a fast-paced, pet-focused, team environment. Only individuals with pet care experience and animal handling skills with all sizes and breeds of dogs will be considered. This position requires your full attention while on the job. The health, happiness and safety of our guests depend on your dog care knowledge, keen observation skills and attention to detail. If you are concerned about getting dirty - don't apply. All of our employees clean up mud, urine and feces. Your clothing will be covered in dog hair. The position is physically demanding and requires a great deal of stamina lifting and moving heavy equipment and kennels. This position helps to maintain a safe, organized, clean and sanitary facility for people and animals, manages small individual playgroups of dogs, cares for dogs including providing food and water, interacting, bathing and exercising, manages a wide variety of customer service and administrative tasks as needed. This position may also be required to complete janitorial duties such as taking out the garbage, sweeping, mopping, laundry, cleaning kennels and restocking supplies as needed and assists trainers with training client dogs.


Apply on Indeed — dog-training-support-staff-24f97c0b2a658f7a
Custodian/maintenance—The custodian plays a major part in maintaining a safe, organized, clean and sanitary training facility for our employees, clients and dogs. Qualified applicants should be highly self-motivated with a willingness to get the job done. There will be duties such as taking out the garbage, sweeping, mopping, floor cleaning, laundry, sanitizing runs and kennels and restocking supplies as needed. Candidate should be able to spot dirt from across the room and rush over to remove it!  Outside duties such as picking up dog feces from the play yards, snow removal and maintenance of outdoor spaces should also be expected. This position is physically demanding and requires a great deal of stamina lifting and moving heavy equipment and kennels. The candidate should have the knowledge and ability to make general repairs that do not require a specialized technician. This is a part time position. Hours are flexible, but we prefer someone who can work late afternoons Monday-Friday. Pay is dependent on experience. 
Apply on Indeed — custodianmaintenance-e78239088109c455

Happy with MuttSchool? 

Review Us!

MuttSchool-KS serves towns in northeastern Kansas along the I-70 corridor, including Manhattan, Junction City, Ft. Riley, St. Marys, Wamego, Silver Lake, Topeka, Abilene, and Salina. Travel Fees may apply.
All content © 2023 | Muttschool-KS | All rights reserved.
Powered by Easy Busy Pets