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Training – Call to Register 402-488-8190
Wouldn’t it be nice if your dog didn’t jump up? Beg at the table? Charge out the door when you open it? Good training is essential to provide for the safety and happiness of your dog. Proper training strengthens the bond between you and your dog. Every dog is different, some are laid back, some are hyperactive, and some are shy and need more self-confidence, and no one training technique will work on every dog.
The “Personal Trainer” program is structured training using a combination of gentle, effective, humane, consistent, and safe methods. It is never too late to have your dog trained! It may take longer to train your adult dog because of the time needed to spend re-training the undesirable behaviors.
We need to verify current vaccinations before you attend class. You can email them to us at frontdesk@kenl-inn.com or bring them in person.
*Ask about our K-9 Club Membership – $225 per year entitles you to half-price classes and more!
Why Training is Important
Your dog needs to know the rules in order to become a valued member of your family and neighborhood. It’s important for your dog to learn some manners too! Wouldn’t it be nice if your dog didn’t jump up? Beg at the table? Charge out the door when you open it?
Having your dog trained helps strengthen the bond between you and your dog and increases the enjoyment, companionship, and relationship with your dog. A trained dog makes for a happy owner!!
Every dog is different. Some are laid back, some hyperactive, others are shy and need more self-confidence, and then there are those who have too much confidence. No one training technique will work on every dog.
Meet the Trainer!
Sandy Thompson
Meet Sandy Thompson, our newest addition to the Kenl Inn team! With over 14 years of law enforcement experience, including seven years as a dedicated K-9 handler, Sandy brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise in dog training. He has a strong background in narcotics detection, scent, and obedience training, having worked for the TSA K-9 team at the Kansas City International Airport under Homeland Security and the police department.
Originally from California, Sandy returned to Lincoln with his wife to be together with their four daughters and spend more quality time together. He is passionate about helping pet owners train their dogs to become better family members. His approach emphasizes the importance of obedience as the foundation for effective training, whether for everyday behavior or competitive settings.
Sandy is excited to share his skills with our community, offering one-on-one and group training sessions tailored to all levels, from puppies to adult dogs. His goal is to help owners build lasting, positive relationships with their pets, making training a fun and rewarding experience.
Join Sandy at Kenl Inn to learn how to transform your dog into the well-behaved companion you have always wanted.
Training Classes
Click on a class description below to learn more.
Click HERE to view a pdf of the newest training schedule.
Puppy Class (8 Weeks to 4 Months Old)
$185.00/6 Weeks
(Since puppies don’t come with a handbook)
Ever wonder why your puppy bites? Is your puppy playing too rough? How do I teach my puppy to tell me when it’s time to go outside? This is a fun & relaxed class where everything is puppy! Playing, learning, teaching.
Adolescent Puppy (4 Months - 8 Months Old)
$185.00/5 Weeks
The most challenging time of raising a puppy is the adolescent period. Dogs become “teenagers” and seem to forget everything they have ever been taught. This period is individual to each dog, but it may begin between 4-8 months and continue until two years old.
Adolescence doesn’t begin and end overnight. Gradually, you will notice changes include becoming larger and stronger, as well as exhibiting what some call “stubborn” behavior and a desire to begin exploring outside a previous safe zone. It’s a time when your dog’s instinct begin to kick-in.
There are numerous strategies for dealing with dog adolescence, both before it starts and during this phase, and although this is the most challenging time when raising a puppy, it is also the most rewarding. By training early and continuing to train, you’ll find the adolescent period is easier to navigate, and you’ll help your puppy become a well-adjusted, polite adult dog.
MANNERS/Basic Obedience Class (4 Months & Older)
$185.00/5 Weeks
Your dreams can come true! Imagine owning the best behaved dog in the neighborhood. Walking down the sidewalk with your dog right at your side. Stopping to visit neighbors and your dog sits patiently, not jumping or pulling at the leash. We can teach you! Your dog can learn!
- Obedience: come, walk without pulling, sit, down, stay
- Manners: meeting people, don’t jump, don’t bite, door manners
- Socialization around other dogs & people
- Group classes that teach your dog to behave around others
Adolescent Dog Class (7-18 Months Old)
$185.00/5 Weeks
(Prerequisite: KENL INN Basic obedience class)
What do you do when your dog doesn’t care about you anymore? When the whole world is more interesting than you?! It happens to the best of us!!
This is a fast paced class for the serious owner – who wants their dog to be the best dog ever!
- Continued socialization with other dogs & people
- Instructor will hold you accountable each & every week!
- You will learn the benefits & pitfalls of luring, shaping & using physical manipulation
- Individual attention in a Group class, learning how to “connect” with your dog
- Tons of examples how you can train your dog with min
Intermediate (Attention/Distraction) Class
$185.00/5 Weeks
(Prerequisite: Dog has been through Basic and/or knows basic commands)
So, your dog is great at home and on your short walks in the neighborhood…. except when you pass by that one particular house or that darned rabbit darts out of the bushes. But if your dog knows the basics of sit, down, walking on leash, come when called (at least sometimes) then it’s time to step-it-up a notch and discover new ways to challenge your dog and build on those skills.
Take your dog’s skills to the next level – whether it be off leash, cues from a distance, therapy dog work, etc. Having a dog that responds to you and knows how to behave around distractions… it truly can be like having your best friend right beside you!!
Competition Obedience Class
$185.00/5 Weeks
(Any age can start in competition class if the owner knows that they want to compete)
Whether you are a fierce competitor or just want that green ribbon, you will learn ring procedure, how to enter a dog show, what to do when you get to the show, and of course all the exercises your dog will need to know.
- Learning or polishing all exercises (Novice, Open, Utility)
- Getting ready to compete in obedience trials
- Handler footwork & ring procedures
- Rally Obedience and Competition Obedience have been combined (see Rally OB description)
Rally Obedience Class
$185.00/5 weeks
(Prerequisite: Your dog should know basic commands or have gone through basic class.)
Rally is a fantastic way to watch your dog’s loose-leash, obedience and attention skills skyrocket while having a lot of fun!
Rally is a course set-up with signs to follow. It’s fun for the “pet” dog & good ring experience for those who want to show their dogs…. this class also teaches good manners as you have fun working as a team, loose-leash walking with your dog on your left side, through a course of specific skills: sits, downs, stands, stays and turns.
You will also learn how to use your body language to communicate to your dog! Everyone should take a Rally class – cuz it’s fun!!
Train for competition, fun, and/or good manners!
Rally Obedience and Competition OB have been combined (see Competition OB description)
Canine Good Citizen Class
$185.00/ 5 Weeks
(Prerequisite: Your dog should already have some Basic training.)
The Canine Good Citizen, Community Good Citizen & Urban Good Citizen designations are a “badge of honor” for you and your dog. It means you have taught your dog to be mannerly. It means you know your dog’s limitations. It means your dog responds to you. Most importantly it means you and your dog are a team!!
This class will practice all the essentials for the CGC test, and at the end of the class you and your dog will actually be tested by one of our CGC Evaluators.
Community Canine Good Citizen & Urban Canine Good Citizen are additional training and testing! Just ask your instructor about those classes.
Scent Class
$185.00/5 Weeks
Beginner & Advanced work in the same class at different skill levels.
MY GOSH – Dogs LOVE this class!! Almost any dog can participate and succeed, including elderly, shy/fearful, reactive, hyper, pet, competition – ANY dog!
The mental stimulation for your dog is challenging and exhausting at the same time. Like most classes, you can practice for fun or competition. Food will be the primary “search” item in this beginner dogs.
Advanced dogs continue the fun of learning to “read” your dog and working as a team to find the scent in various situations, AND expand to essential oil searches, instead of using food.
Advance your dog’s skills by adding even more search scenarios. various locations, situations, and multiple scents.
Individual Trainers
At KENL INN $130/hour
Our K-9 Pet Trainer Manager will work individually with you to solve specific behavior issues. We do not do in-home visits, all training is done at Kenl Inn.
Rent Areas to Train on Your Own
Our 24,000 square foot outdoor Agility Field is completely fenced and set up for all your agility training needs. We offer the field on an hourly rental basis of $35/hour. You can rent the Agility Field for your own personal training time and it is also a GREAT option for professional agility competitions and/or shows…this area is completely unique to the Lincoln area!
Our gym (indoor/climate controlled) is available to train alone, with a group of friends, or just exercise your dog when the weather isn’t great outside. The Indoor Gym is available to rent for $15 per hour.
We also rent our gym for doggie birthday parties and various club meetings – call for pricing information. 402-488-8190