Dog Training Elite franchise
2024 filing · April 18, 2024Shares sales figures
Dog Training Elite at a glance
A dog training business offering obedience, puppy and support dog training, with advanced and service dog programs. At the end of 2023 there were 395 Dog Training Elite locations in the US, all franchised.
The business
- Franchisor
- Dog Training Elite Franchising, LLC
- The company that sells the franchises
- Current franchisor selling since
- 2015
- 9 years of selling franchises
- Franchisor based in
- Sandy, Utah
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $174K–$203K
- Three territories, the minimum purchase
- Franchise fee
- $110,000
- For three territories, the minimum a franchisee must buy.
- Royalty
- 8%
- 8% of gross sales, paid weekly
- Brand fund
- 1%
- 1% of gross sales, paid with the royalty
- Agreement length
- 10 years
- Territory
- Protected
- Protected territory
- Franchisor financing
- None offered
Where it is
- US locations, 2023
- 395
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 395
- Company-owned
- 0
- States
- 32
- Most in Texas, Florida and Massachusetts
Support and records
From Dog Training Elite Franchising, LLC’s 2024 filing; revenue and net loss from its audited financial statements, page 158; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Franchisor revenue is the company that sells the franchises (royalties, fees and anything else it earns), not what a location makes.
Where it ranks
Dog Training Elite among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | Dog Training Elite | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $188,400 | Costs less than 71% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $110,000 | Higher than 99% of franchises |
| RoyaltyShare of sales paid to the franchisor | 8% | Higher than 85% of brands with a set rate |
| US locationsFranchised and company-owned | 395 | More than 92% of franchises |
How much a Dog Training Elite franchise costs
Opening three territories, the minimum purchase costs an estimated $173,550 to $203,250. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
The biggest costs are initial franchise fee ($110,000) and additional funds – 3 months ($22,150 to $23,650). Here is every line of the estimate as filed:
| What it pays for | Range | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $110,000 | ||
| Travel, lodging, food and other expenses while training | $1,500 | $10,000 | |
| Advanced training | $12,500 | $15,000 | |
| Real estate and Improvements | $0 | ||
| Start-up packet | $4,150 | $5,000 | |
| Launch support | $10,500 | $11,100 | |
| Additional equipment and mobile device | $500 | $3,000 | |
| Vehicle wrap | $3,500 | $5,000 | |
| Banners and signs | $750 | $3,000 | |
| Demo dog and demo dog equipment | $1,500 | $6,500 | |
| Misc. opening costs | $1,500 | $4,500 | |
| Marketing – 3 months | $5,000 | $6,500 | |
| Additional funds – 3 months | $22,150 | $23,650 | |
| Total | $173,550 | $203,250 | |
Source: Dog Training Elite Franchising, LLC, 2024 filing, page 18
Dog Training Elite franchise fee
The franchise fee is $110,000, For three territories, the minimum a franchisee must buy.. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: Dog Training Elite Franchising, LLC, 2024 filing, page 10
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 8% of gross sales, paid weekly. |
|---|---|
| Brand or marketing fund | 1% of gross sales, paid with the royalty. |
| Tech Fee | Currently, $275 per month |
| Franchise Agreement Transfer Fee | $10,000, plus applicable broker fees |
| Additional Training | $750 per person/per day |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: Dog Training Elite Franchising, LLC, 2024 filing, page 12
Other fees as filed, from pages 13–16. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
Shares figures Dog Training Elite publishes sales or earnings figures for its locations. The full tables, with notes on which locations are counted, are in its filing.
- Average sales
- $294,360
Yearly figures for 2023, per franchisee, 63 franchisees (one or more territories each) open all of 2023. The filing gives an average for each performance group rather than one overall figure; this is the overall average worked out from those and each one's number of locations.
Sales are what the business takes in before rent, payroll, royalties and other costs, not what its owner keeps.
Source: Dog Training Elite Franchising, LLC, 2024 filing, page 48
SBA loans to Dog Training Elite franchisees
Lenders approved 17 SBA 7(a) loans for Dog Training Elite franchisees from 2020 to 2023, $2.43M in all. One was charged off; none has been paid in full. The other 16 haven’t ended yet.
A charged-off loan is one written off as uncollectible. See SBA franchise loans for how 7(a) and 504 loans work.
Source: SBA 7(a) and 504 loan data, as of September 30, 2026
How Dog Training Elite compares
Of the 13 dog training franchises on this site, Dog Training Elite is the 10th cheapest to open and the largest by number of locations.
| Figure | Dog Training Elite | Typical dog training brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $174K | $112K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $203K | $203K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $110K | $49K | $40K |
| Royalty | 8% | 8% | 6% |
| Brand fund | 1% | 1% | 2% |
| US locations | 395 | 23 | 21 |
| Change in franchised locations, 0 yrs | +593% | +16.7% | – |
| Shares earnings figures | Yes | 11 of 13 | 2,147 of 3,352 |
Typical is the median across the 13 brands in dog training franchises; typical franchise, across every brand here.
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 146 (+89) | 0 |
| 2022 | 365 (+219) | 0 |
| 2023 | 395 (+30) | 0 |
Closed or left counts terminations, non-renewals, locations bought back by the franchisor and locations that stopped operating. Counts are territories; each franchisee holds at least three.
See which brands grew most in the fastest-growing franchises rankings.
More in the guides: franchise failure rates.
Source: Dog Training Elite Franchising, LLC, 2024 filing, page 52
Where Dog Training Elite locations are
At the end of 2023, Dog Training Elite had franchised locations in 32 states. The most are in Texas, Florida and Massachusetts.
- Texas76
- Florida38
- Massachusetts22
- Ohio20
- Pennsylvania20
- Arizona18
| State | Franchised |
|---|---|
| Texas | 76 |
| Florida | 38 |
| Massachusetts | 22 |
| Ohio | 20 |
| Pennsylvania | 20 |
| Arizona | 18 |
| Missouri | 18 |
| Wisconsin | 18 |
| North Carolina | 17 |
| Colorado | 16 |
All 32 states
Source: Dog Training Elite Franchising, LLC, 2024 filing, page 53
Who owns Dog Training Elite?
Dog Training Elite franchises are sold by Dog Training Elite Franchising, LLC.
From Dog Training Elite Franchising, LLC’s 2024 filing.
Lawsuits and bankruptcy
| Lawsuits and regulatory actions | None. The filing says no litigation has to be disclosed. |
|---|---|
| Bankruptcy | None. The filing says no bankruptcy has to be disclosed. |
Franchisors must disclose lawsuits and bankruptcies involving the company, its parents and affiliates, and its executives. Many cases are routine disputes with franchisees over fees or contracts; read the descriptions in the filing and ask current owners about anything that worries you.
Source: Dog Training Elite Franchising, LLC, 2024 filing, litigation on page 10, bankruptcy on page 10
Dog Training Elite filings
The figures on this page come from Dog Training Elite Franchising, LLC’s 2024 filing, issued April 18, 2024, on record with the Minnesota Department of Commerce.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 filing | April 18, 2024 | Minnesota | Costs, fees and locations, 2021–2023 |
Each link opens the filing as a PDF. See the newest filings across all brands.
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