VIP, six weeks, off-leash
6-week board and train in Houston: service-dog-level reliability for $10,000
Six weeks is a different category of program. It is not three weeks twice. The extra time is what makes it possible to remove the leash entirely and still have a dog who returns through distractions, holds a down for twenty minutes at a restaurant table and walks at your side across a parking lot. This page is for the buyer weighing $10,000 against that outcome.
Last reviewed September 11, 2026 · by the Best Dog University Team
Who VIP fits
VIP is for the owner who has decided the leash is coming off.
The acreage family. Owners in Magnolia, Tomball or Fulshear with land, horses and a dog who needs to come back the first time he is called, whatever is running through the tree line. Six weeks builds a recall that survives deer, and the included e-collar gives you a way to communicate at 200 yards without shouting.
The owner who takes the dog everywhere. Patios in the Heights, the boat at Lake Conroe, hotel lobbies, the office. A VIP graduate holds front and center positioning in a crowd, settles into a duration down under a table and ignores the dog two tables over. This is service-dog-level obedience in the sense of reliability, not certification or task training.
The working breed owner who is honest about the dog's drive. Malinois, shepherds, corsos and Dobermans with real intensity are not finished in three weeks. Six gives our trainers time to build obedience, layer behavior modification and then proof all of it off leash in public, which is the only standard that matters for a powerful dog.
- Off-leash recall through real distractions, not just in a fenced yard
- Front and center positioning and long duration stays in public
- A powerful or high-drive dog who needs the full picture, not house manners
- Owners who want the trainers in their own home afterward, as often as needed
Six weeks, in order
A VIP stay builds obedience on leash, transfers it to the e-collar, then removes the leash.
Drop-off is at the Cypress training home or at your door; transport is included in VIP, so most families let our team collect the dog. The first two weeks look like Gold. Every command is taught on a leash with markers and rewards, and the e-collar is not introduced until the dog understands what is being asked without it. Balanced training means the tool is layered onto knowledge, not used to create it.
Weeks three and four move the work onto the Mini-Educator at low levels, then into public: stores, parks, the lake, a busy parking lot. Weeks five and six are off-leash proofing and the transfer to you. Your Monday, Wednesday and Friday videos across those final two weeks show the leash dragging, then gone. The handover happens in your home, and unlimited in-home lessons follow.
Week 1: settling, crate and place routine, marker training, sit/stay, place/stay, loose leash and door boundaries on a standard leash.
Week 2: down/stay, structured heel, front and center positioning, duration stays, and behavior modification for any reactivity present.
Week 3: the Mini-Educator is introduced at the lowest working level, paired with commands the dog already knows, in the yard and on the street.
Week 4: long-line and e-collar work in public: recall past other dogs at the park, heel through store aisles, stays in parking lots.
Week 5: off leash. Recall, heel and stays with no line, first on the property, then on trails and in open areas around Cypress.
Week 6: proofing in new locations with a second handler, then transport home and the in-home handover where you run every command yourself.
Price and inclusions
VIP is $10,000, and everything a finished off-leash dog needs is in that number.
The price is $10,000 and there is nothing to add to it. The Mini-Educator e-collar, which you keep, is included. Transport home is included. The handover is in your home instead of at the training home. Private lessons afterward are unlimited and in-home, and lifetime support runs directly with our team. Platinum owners pay $220 for an in-home lesson; VIP owners never do.
The $250 reservation deposit. A six-week block is the largest commitment on our calendar, and only a limited number of dogs live in the home at one time. After the free consultation, a $250 deposit through Reserve Your Spot holds the 42 days and is applied toward the $10,000. Families planning around a move or a season usually reserve months ahead for this reason.
- $10,000 total, e-collar and transport home included
- In-home handover and unlimited in-home lessons, no per-visit charge
- $250 deposit reserves the six weeks and is credited to the balance
- Service-dog-level reliability, not service dog certification
| What you get | Platinum, 3 weeks, $3,750 | VIP, 6 weeks, $10,000 |
|---|---|---|
| Obedience | Sit/stay, place/stay, down/stay, structured heel | Service-dog-level obedience, front and center, duration stays |
| Leash | Reliable on leash in public | Complete off-leash reliability |
| Tools | Chosen for the dog, not included | Mini-Educator e-collar included |
| Transport | $250 optional | Transport home included |
| Handover | Comprehensive handover in Cypress | In-home handover |
| Lessons after | Unlimited private lessons in Cypress | Unlimited in-home lessons |
| Support | Lifetime | Lifetime, directly with our team |
Houston specifics
Off-leash in Houston means bayous, alligators, deer and heat, so the proofing is built for them.
Recall here is tested by things other cities do not have. Retention ponds and bayous around Cypress and Bridgeland hold alligators, which is why water recall is trained on a long line at the lake before any dog is trusted off it. Deer move through Creekside Park and the Sam Houston National Forest trails at dusk, and a VIP dog is proofed on that exact pull. Texas Parks and Wildlife is the source for what actually lives in these habitats.
Six weeks always overlaps a season. A summer VIP runs its off-leash work at first light and after sunset, when pavement and grass are safe, with public stays done indoors midday. A stay that crosses July 4 or New Year's Eve gets deliberate fireworks preparation, and one inside June 1 to November 30 comes with a storm plan our team walks you through at drop-off.
- Water recall built at the lake on a long line before any off-leash trust
- Trails around Cypress and the national forest for distance and wildlife proofing
- Summer proofing at dawn and after dark; heat is the limiting factor, not the dog
- Fireworks and hurricane season handled inside the program, not around it
The programs
VIP, and the three-week alternative.
If off-leash reliability is the goal, VIP is the program. If a solid heel on leash would satisfy you, Platinum costs less and our team will say so.
Asked and answered
Questions people ask about this.
What does the six-week VIP program cost, all in?
$10,000. That figure includes 42 days in our Cypress training home, all training, the Mini-Educator e-collar your dog goes home wearing, transport home, an in-home handover, unlimited in-home lessons and lifetime support directly with our team. There are no separate charges for the collar, the drive or the follow-up visits.
Is a VIP graduate a service dog?
No. VIP delivers service-dog-level reliability: obedience and off-leash control at the standard a working dog is held to. It does not certify a service dog or train medical tasks, and we say that plainly so nobody buys the program expecting public-access paperwork. What you get is a dog you can take anywhere and trust.
Why is the e-collar included, and is it safe for my dog?
The Mini-Educator is included because off-leash reliability at distance depends on clear two-way communication, and by week three your dog has the obedience to understand it. Our trainers introduce it at the lowest level the dog notices, on commands he already knows, and they teach you the same discipline at the in-home handover.
Why does the handover happen at my house instead of in Cypress?
Because a six-week program is finished in the environment where the dog will live. Our team transports your dog home, then walks you through every command at your own door, in your yard and on your street. The unlimited lessons that follow are also in-home, so the transfer to your family happens where the habits have to hold.
Can a dog with aggression do the six-week program?
Often, and it is frequently the right choice, since six weeks allows behavior modification and off-leash proofing to happen in sequence rather than being squeezed together. Our trainers assess bite history on the free call. Some dogs are better served by Platinum plus management, and the recommendation is always about the dog, not the ticket size.
Keep reading
Free consultation · 10% off this fall
Tell our team what off-leash would change for you.
The free phone consultation is a direct conversation with our trainers about your dog and your goals. When VIP is the right program, a $250 reservation deposit holds the six weeks and is applied toward the $10,000.