What does “advanced training” mean for a pet dog? Does it mean learning more commands? Moving into a different class? Doing something impressive in front of other people?
Before I can answer whether your beloved pet is ready for dog training in Kansas City, I want to know something more useful: What do you want to be able to do with your dog?
Start with the life you want together
One family wants a dog who can relax when guests visit. Another wants to enjoy neighborhood walks. Someone else wants to take their dog to a pet-friendly store or sit outside at a busy park.
Those goals give us a direction, but part of my job as a trainer is to ask, “What if?” What happens when a guest stands up and heads for the door? What happens when another dog appears halfway through your walk? We need to practice for those moments, too, even if they aren’t part of what the owner is asking for right now. Those are the boogeymen that can jump out in the relationship between a dog and an owner when we haven’t prepared for them.
I don’t want a family heading into an everyday situation with a plan that starts, “I hope my dog can handle this.”
The basics have to work beyond the living room
Most pet dogs need a foundation of a few useful skills: sit, down, watch me, leave it, stay, and recall. Learning them in a quiet house is a good start. It doesn’t mean the dog can use them anywhere.
Think about how much changes when you move from the living room to the backyard. Then you step into the front yard, where people and dogs may pass by. On a walk, there are new smells, sounds, and movement everywhere. The dog isn’t necessarily being difficult when a familiar skill falls apart. You’ve changed the situation, and the training needs to catch up.
That’s why I’m a Kansas City dog trainer that builds training in layers. We practice where the dog can succeed, then gradually add the places and distractions that matter to the family. Depending on the dog, that may mean moving from the house to the yard, then the front yard and neighborhood walks. I may bring one of my dogs into a planned session so we can practice noticing another dog, disengaging, and responding to the owner. When the foundation is ready, we may work in a dog-friendly store or a busy park.
I hope to reach that kind of public practice by a fifth session with many families, but it isn’t a test the dog has to pass on my schedule. We choose the setting based on the dog in front of us and what the owner wants to accomplish.
Packages aren’t training levels
Beginner, intermediate, and advanced can be convenient ways for the Kansas City dog training industry to organize classes and sell multiple levels of training. But those labels don’t necessarily tell you what your dog needs next.
I offer Silver, Gold, and Platinum packages: one session, three sessions, or five sessions. Those are choices about how much help you want, not ranks your dog has to move through. I’m not trying to push you into another level just because you finished the last one.
After a Platinum package, alumni sessions are available at a discounted single-session rate. You can use as many or as few as you need. If a new issue comes up, or you want help practicing in a different setting, you have an easy way to get support without signing up for another full package.
Dog training in Kansas City needs maintenance
Getting a skill to work in a new place takes practice. Keeping it working takes a routine.
That doesn’t mean setting aside an hour every day to run through commands. It means making the skills part of what you already do. Practice a stay while you prepare dinner. Ask for attention and reward it during your regular walk. Practice settling when guests come over. The routine keeps those skills in the forefront instead of letting them fade between training sessions.
If your dog becomes comfortable working with you in a retail store, then you don’t visit one again for months, don’t be surprised if you need to build that skill back up. The same goes for walks around other dogs or settling while guests are over. It’s a use-it-or-lose-it situation. If those activities are important to your life with your dog, find ways to keep practicing them.
So what comes after the foundation?
Once your dog can use those basic skills in the house, in the yard, on walks, and reasonably well in public, you may want to try something new. Could you explore an agility class? Yes. A nose work class? Sure. Could you begin working toward therapy visits in a nursing home or school? You have a foundation to build on, though that work brings its own skills and requirements.
Maybe those are the activities people have in mind when they say “advanced Kansas City dog training.” I still wouldn’t assume every dog needs to reach some general advanced level.
I’ve called myself a pet dog trainer in Kansas City for years because I’m interested in what helps a dog and its family live well together. My job is to teach that foundation and, at the same time, point out the pitfalls, bumps, and speed traps I’ve seen over 18 years of dog training—the things that can get people in trouble if no one prepares them. Tell me what you want to do with your dog, and I’ll help you build the skills for it while preparing you for the things you might not have thought to ask about
K.I.S.S. covers everything from in home dog training in Kansas City to puppy training in Kansas City.
Mike Deathe, the owner and trainer of K.I.S.S. Dog Training, is a CPDT-KA certified dog trainer with 18 years of experience and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Kansas, with an emphasis in neuropsychology and cognitive psychology.
Contact Mike online or call 913-269-7595 to work with him today.
Mike is an experienced dog behavior specialist who is well known in the KC area. He takes pride in strengthening the relationships between owners and their dogs.
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Winner — Best Dog Trainer in Johnson County (2023, 2025)
Recognized by local pet owners and featured in the Johnson County Post’s Best of Johnson County Awards
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