The Apprenticeship
If you’re thinking about joining us for an apprenticeship, you’re probably kind of awesome.
Anyone who dreams of helping dogs and humans connect on a deeper level, is our kind of human, and we can’t wait to meet you.
Our apprenticeship is wildly different from the the majority of options for learning about dog training available today, because it is hands on.
You will have extensive time working with real dogs alongside caring mentors, so you can become fluent in dog training methods, while participating in hybird online and classroom learning so that you can get a thorough grasp of the science behind those methods.
So get in here, and get your hands dirty…
Then go save the world.
Become a Dog Trainer. For real.
Now accepting applications for Fall 2026!
**Tier one begins on 08/23/2026 this year!**
The AGDT Apprenticeship is a hands-on, modular training program designed for people who want to become skilled, thoughtful, employable dog trainers. Not just people who read all the books. People who can actually do the work.
Here's what makes us different: you won't just sit through lectures or watch videos from your couch. You'll work with real dogs, real clients, and real cases — right here in Manhattan, alongside our team. It's structured, it's rigorous, and it's the kind of training that actually prepares you for a career.
How it works
The program is modular, which means you build your skills in stages and choose how far you want to go. Some people complete the full track. Others come in for specific areas of expertise. Either way, you start at the beginning — and th beginning is really good.
Start here → Foundations (Tiers 1 & 2) Everything else builds on this. It's where you learn to read dogs, understand how they learn, and start getting your hands on the work. Eight weeks of theory, then six weeks of applied skills with real dogs and real clients. By the end, you'll have done things most online programs only talk about.
Then go deeper → Advanced Tiers (coming soon) Group training. Private training. Rescue and Shelter Work. Aggression and anxiety. Business launch. Each tier is its own module — stackable, flexible, and designed around what you actually want to do with your career.
Apprenticeship
OPEN HOUSE
JULY 29th at 2:30pm!
If you’re into dogs enough to consider this program, we want to meet you!
Come to the open house to meet our head trainer Amanda Gagnon, see the space, and get to know our world! We want you to have all of your questions answered before you get started.
If it isn’t a great fit, we’ll be glad to know you.
If it is perfect for you, your fee for the open house goes toward your admission fee.
Foundations — Tiers 1 & 2
Tier 1 — Foundations Basics
8 weeks - $1,800 ($1,600 if paid upfront)
Next cohort begins: August 2026 and ends in late October.
This is where it starts. Over eight weeks, you'll go from observer to participant — learning to read dogs, understanding the science of how they learn, and getting your first hands-on reps in a real working environment.
What you'll cover:
Reading dogs and understanding what they're telling you
The science of learning theory and how we apply it
Breeds, types, and how personality effects training
Relationship centered dog-training approaches (this is Amanda’s specialty)
Play-based, off-leash dog training approaches
How to teach cues and behaviors using luring, shaping, and capturing
What it actually looks like: You'll observe Day School sessions, attend sessions with Amanda, attend workshops with our trainers, participate in online discussions, and engage in guided reading and discussion with your cohort. Hands-off at first — then increasingly hands-on as the weeks progress.
Commitment: This is an in-person program in Manhattan. Plan for some weekday availability.
Tier 2 — Foundations Applied
12 weeks - $2,400 ($2,200 if paid upfront)
Prerequisite: Tier 1 (or Amanda’s approval)
Next cohort begins: January 2027
This is where things get real. Tier 2 is heavily hands-on — you'll be assisting at Day School and working alongside our trainers with a large variety of dogs. You'll cover puppies first, then adolescent and adult dogs, and you'll start learning how to work with the humans on the other end of the leash, too.
What you'll cover:
Puppy development, socialization, common problems, and how to fix them
Adolescent and adult dog behavior, breed considerations, and the most common problem behaviors we work with
The basics of running a private training session and communicating with clients
By the end of Tier 2, you won't just understand dog training — you'll be able to do it, and do it well.
Commitment: This is an in-person program in Manhattan. Plan for some weekday availability.
Bundle & Save
Take Tiers 1 & 2 together: $3,500 upfront That's a savings of $300 off the combined price, plus you lock in your spot for both cohorts at once.
Foundations isn’t right for you if—
You are a dog trainer who has already acquired the above skills and you are looking for experience and study on more advanced issues such as aggression cases and severe anxiety. We cover those issues in later modules, and you should add your name to our mailing list for upcoming opportunities (with CEUs) in 2027.
You don’t live in or near enough to Manhattan to come to our training center and work with dogs. This is not an online program.
You are looking for training that utilizes devices that cause pain in order to train. We are a reward-based training center, and don’t use shocks, prongs, chokes, etc.
You aren’t comfortable working with dogs of all shapes and sizes, people of all types and manners, and getting wet and dirty from time to time (or all the time). Such things are integral to this gig, and you should do something else if you hate any of that.
WHAT'S COMING
The Foundations track is just the beginning. Once you've completed Tiers 1 & 2, you'll have access to advanced modules covering:
Group Training — Managing dogs in daycare and park settings, and running great group classes
Rescues and Shelters — Real experience working to help alleviate suffering and encourage great behavior in rescue and shelter dogs.
Private Training Track — Shadowing and working real private training cases
Urban Aggression & Anxiety — Assessment, behavior modification, and working with reactive dogs in a city environment (prerequisites required — this work is not for the faint of heart)
Professional Mentorship — Guided solo cases, shelter work, and a business launch module for those who want to go out on their own
Details and pricing for these tiers are coming soon. If you want to be notified when they open, sign up for our newsletter and we’ll keep you in the loop.
“The hands-on training I got during the apprenticeship program helped me to put the information I was learning in Amanda's class and from the reading materials into context. It made the whole learning experience organic and exciting. I don't think an on-line course could ever offer this type of experience..”
— Gail N.
“This apprenticeship with Amanda and her incredible team deepened my understanding of dogs, reframed how I relate to them, and helped me reimagine the kind of trainer I want to be.”
— Sara S.
“As a 2nd-career dog trainer and dog-brain-behavior science nerd, I have been thrilled with the deep knowledge, expertise and hands-on opportunities that Amanda Gagnon and the Dog Training Apprenticeship Program have introduced to me.”
— Julie I.
