Instinct Dog Behavior & Training franchise
2022 filing · July 7, 2022GrowingShares sales figures
Instinct Dog Behavior & Training at a glance
A dog training center offering board-and-train programs, private lessons, behavior consulting and classes. At the end of 2021 there were 7 Instinct Dog Behavior & Training locations in the US, 6 franchised and 1 company-owned.
The business
- Franchisor
- Instinct Dog Training Inc
- The company that sells the franchises
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $143K–$889K
- A start-up business
- Franchise fee
- $40,000
- Paid once, when you sign
- Royalty
- 8%
- 8% of gross sales or a weekly minimum, whichever is greater ($750 a week in year 1 rising to $1,400 from year 5), paid weekly, plus a $2,500 monthly brand development fee and a $130 monthly technology fee
- Brand fund
- Yes
- $2,500, paid monthly
- Renewal fee
- $2,500
- When the agreement ends and you sign again
- Agreement length
- 7 years
Where it is
- US locations, 2021
- 7
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 6
- Company-owned
- 1
- Change in 3 years
- +6
- Franchised locations, 2019–2021
- States
- 6
- Most in New York, California and New Jersey
From Instinct Dog Training Inc’s 2022 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Where it ranks
Instinct Dog Behavior & Training among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | Instinct Dog Behavior & Training | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $515,960 | Costs more than 65% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $40,000 | Lower than 46% of franchises |
| RoyaltyShare of sales paid to the franchisor | 8% | Higher than 85% of brands with a set rate |
| US locationsFranchised and company-owned | 7 | Fewer than 66% of franchises |
How much a Instinct Dog Behavior & Training franchise costs
Opening a start-up business costs an estimated $142,640 to $889,280. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
The biggest costs are leasehold improvements ($10,000 to $250,000) and additional funds – 12 months ($20,000 to $200,000). Here is every line of the estimate as filed:
| What it pays for | Range | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $40,000 | ||
| Travel and Living Expenses While Training | $0 | $19,950 | |
| Rent – Three Months | $9,000 | $45,000 | |
| Furniture, Fixtures and Equipment | $10,000 | $125,000 | |
| Office Equipment | $1,000 | $20,000 | |
| Architect/Design Fees | $2,000 | $25,000 | |
| Leasehold Improvements | $10,000 | $250,000 | |
| Computer System | $10,000 | $50,840 | |
| Permits and Licenses | $250 | $500 | |
| Lease Security Deposits | $9,000 | $45,000 | |
| Utilities Deposits | $500 | $2,100 | |
| Professional Fees | $2,000 | $3,000 | |
| Signage | $500 | $10,000 | |
| Service Vehicle and Signage | $500 | $2,000 | |
| Initial Inventory | $500 | $3,000 | |
| Insurance – Annual Premium | $1,500 | $15,000 | |
| Grand Opening Marketing | $18,000 | $25,000 | |
| Brand Development Fee – Three Months | $7,500 | ||
| Technology Fee – Three Months | $390 | ||
| Additional Funds – 12 months | $20,000 | $200,000 | |
| Total | $142,640 | $889,280 | |
Source: Instinct Dog Training Inc, 2022 filing, page 16
Instinct Dog Behavior & Training franchise fee
The franchise fee is $40,000. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: Instinct Dog Training Inc, 2022 filing, page 9
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 8% of gross sales or a weekly minimum, whichever is greater ($750 a week in year 1 rising to $1,400 from year 5), paid weekly, plus a $2,500 monthly brand development fee and a $130 monthly technology fee. |
|---|---|
| Brand or marketing fund | $2,500, paid monthly. |
| Productivity Software Fee | $120 per employee, per year |
| Renewal Fee | $2,500 |
| Local Marketing | $300 |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: Instinct Dog Training Inc, 2022 filing, page 10
Other fees as filed, from pages 11–12. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
Shares figures Instinct Dog Behavior & Training publishes sales or earnings figures for its locations. The full tables, with notes on which locations are counted, are in its filing.
Source: Instinct Dog Training Inc, 2022 filing, page 46
SBA loans to Instinct Dog Behavior & Training franchisees
Lenders approved one SBA 7(a) loan for a Instinct Dog Behavior & Training franchisee in 2022, for $303K. It hasn’t been paid off or charged off 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 Instinct Dog Behavior & Training compares
Of the 13 dog training franchises on this site, Instinct Dog Behavior & Training is the 8th cheapest to open and the 8th largest by number of locations.
| Figure | Instinct Dog Behavior & Training | Typical dog training brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $143K | $112K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $889K | $203K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $40K | $49K | $40K |
| Royalty | 8% | 8% | 6% |
| US locations | 7 | 23 | 21 |
| Closed or left per year | 0% | 2.2% | – |
| 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 | Opened | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 1 (+1) | 1 | +1 | 0 |
| 2020 | 2 (+1) | 1 | +1 | 0 |
| 2021 | 6 (+4) | 1 | +4 | 0 |
Closed or left counts terminations, non-renewals, locations bought back by the franchisor and locations that stopped operating.
See which brands grew most in the fastest-growing franchises rankings.
More in the guides: franchise failure rates.
Source: Instinct Dog Training Inc, 2022 filing, page 48
Where Instinct Dog Behavior & Training locations are
At the end of 2021, Instinct Dog Behavior & Training had locations in 6 states. The most are in New York, California and New Jersey.
- New York2
- California1
- New Jersey1
- Oregon1
- Tennessee1
- Texas1
| State | Franchised | Company-owned | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| California | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| New Jersey | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Oregon | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Tennessee | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Texas | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Source: Instinct Dog Training Inc, 2022 filing, page 49
Who owns Instinct Dog Behavior & Training?
Instinct Dog Behavior & Training franchises are sold by Instinct Dog Training Inc.
From Instinct Dog Training Inc’s 2022 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: Instinct Dog Training Inc, 2022 filing, litigation on page 9, bankruptcy on page 9
Instinct Dog Behavior & Training filings
The figures on this page come from Instinct Dog Training Inc’s 2022 filing, issued July 7, 2022, on record with the NASAA Electronic Filing Depository.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 filing | July 7, 2022 | NASAA depository | Costs, fees and locations, 2019–2021 |
Each link opens the filing as a PDF. See the newest filings across all brands.
Other dog training franchises
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Instinct Dog Behavior & Training is also on these lists: pet franchises.