T1
Foundation
- Loose leash walking
- Sit, down, place and wait
- Recall on a long line
- Door and greeting manners
- Puppy routines and basics
- In home
- $575$115 an hour
- At the facility
- $375$75 an hour
Dog training in Saint Augustine, FloridaTraining that goes beyond the leash.
Reliable training for the real world.
Private training at your home anywhere in St. Johns County, a four week board and train, and long term protection programs. One trainer, one dog at a time.
- 1 on 1Every session, with Zac
- In homeAcross St. Johns County
- TrustedBy sheriff's departments
Training programs
Every dog. Every goal.
From a puppy that won't stop mouthing to a dog that can protect your family, there's a program built for where your dog is today.
Home or facility
Obedience & puppies
Leash manners, recall, place, door manners and focus in the real world. Single hours or packages from 5 to 20 hours.
$120per hour in home$80 at Zac's facility
Obedience & puppy training Four weeksBoard & train
Your dog lives and trains with Zac for four weeks. Then you get a full hour learning how to keep it.
$3,000Free consultation
See board & train BehaviorAggression & reactivity
Dog aggression, people aggression, resource guarding and reactivity. Every case starts with an evaluation.
$250per session in home$180 at Zac's facility
How it works 10 to 12 monthsProtection
Social, personal and family protection, built in phases over a year. By evaluation only.
$250per session in home$200 at Zac's facility
The protection programTraining packages
Every dog starts with the foundations. How far you go is up to you.
Buy a block of hours at a better rate and train on a schedule that keeps the momentum going. Each package has a use by window, because dogs learn in streaks.
T2
Reliability
- Everything in T1
- Duration, distance and distractions
- Calm around people and other dogs
- Training in public places
- Reliable recall around distractions
- A restaurant outing on a real patio
- In home
- $1,100$110 an hour
- At the facility
- $700$70 an hour
Best value
T3
Off leash
- Everything in T2
- Off leash reliability where it's safe
- Proofing at beaches, patios and downtown
- A dog you can take anywhere
- The first step toward protection work
- In home
- $2,000$100 an hour
- At the facility
- $1,300$65 an hour
Package hours work for obedience and puppy training, at your home or at Zac's facility. No travel fee anywhere in St. Johns County. Full rates
Everyday training
Fix the everyday stuff.
Not everyone needs a protection dog. Everyone needs a dog that walks nicely, comes when called and stays calm when the doorbell rings. That's where most training starts.
Pulling on the leashWalks you actually enjoy again
Jumping on guestsDoor and greeting manners
Ignoring recallA dog that comes back the first time
Barking and lungingCalm around other dogs and people
Puppy biting and potty trainingThe right start, at your home
Crate and house mannersPlace, crate and freedom earned
Restaurant and patio mannersA dog you can take to dinner
Your trainer
One trainer. One standard.
Every session is 1 on 1 with Zac Thomas. He has trained animals most of his life, and he lives with the work every day.
- Trains dogs for sheriff's departmentsAgencies stay private. References on request.
- Working dogs and rescues at homeFrom his Dutch Shepherd, Asena, to two rescues, Daisy and Baldr.
- Breeds working line Dutch ShepherdsBred for protection and easy training.
How it works
Three steps. No runaround.
Reach out
Call, text or send a note. Tell Zac what's going wrong and what you want your dog to become.
Train at home
Your first hour happens where the problems happen: your front door, your yard, your street. Training starts that day, and you leave with a plan.
Keep the streak
Pick the package that fits, do the homework between sessions, and come back for tune ups when life gets busy.
Real dogs. Real progress.
Straight from Zac's phone. No stock photos, ever.
Real reviews from dog owners Zac has trained. Read them on Google, and if you've trained with Zac, add yours.
Protection dog training
Protection is earned.
For families who want more than manners: a 10 to 12 month program, built in phases, for a dog that's safe with everyone and serious when it counts. It starts with an evaluation, and not every dog qualifies.
T3 is named for three people: Zac's wife and his two daughters. Every protection dog he trains is held to one standard. Would he trust it with them?
Dutch Shepherds
Bred for the work.
T3 breeds high level working line Dutch Shepherds for families and handlers who want a dog built for protection from day one: clear headed, driven and easy to train.
- Puppies, started dogs and trained protection dogs
- Bred and trained by the same person
- Litters announced to the waitlist first
Service area
We come to you.
In home training anywhere in St. Johns County with no travel fee. Outside the county, travel is $2 per mile.
Prefer to come to Zac? Training at his facility in St. Augustine is $80 an hour instead of $120. Board and train dogs live and train with Zac in St. Augustine.
No travel fee
- St. Augustine
- St. Augustine Beach
- Vilano Beach
- Ponte Vedra
- Nocatee
- Palm Valley
- World Golf Village
- St. Johns
- Fruit Cove
- Julington Creek
- Elkton
- Hastings
$2 per mile
- Jacksonville
- Palm Coast
- Green Cove Springs
- Palatka
Questions
Before you call.
Where do training sessions happen?
At your home, anywhere in St. Johns County, and out in the places your dog needs to behave: your neighborhood, parks, patios and the beach. You can also train at Zac's facility in St. Augustine, which costs less. Board and train dogs live and train with Zac in St. Augustine.
Do you offer a free consultation?
Yes, for board and train. For training, the first hour is a real training session, at your home or at Zac's facility, so you get progress and a plan instead of a sales pitch.
How much does dog training cost?
Obedience and puppy training is $120 an hour at your home or $80 an hour at Zac's facility in St. Augustine, with T1, T2 and T3 packages that lower the hourly rate. Aggression and reactivity sessions are $250 at your home or $180 at the facility, after an evaluation. Board and train is $3,000 for four weeks. Protection training is $250 per session at your home or $200 at the facility.
Do you charge for travel?
Not inside St. Johns County. Outside the county, travel is $2 per mile, based on the round trip Google Maps driving distance from Zac's facility, for every session he drives to.
Do you work with aggressive dogs?
Yes. Dog aggression, people aggression, resource guarding and reactivity are all part of the work. Every case starts with an evaluation, and sessions are $250 at your home or $180 at Zac's facility. If your dog has bitten, say so when you reach out so the first session can be planned safely.
What breeds and ages do you train?
All of them. Puppies getting started, adult dogs with bad habits, and working breeds that need a job.
From the blog
Training notes from Zac.
Behavior · 5 min readCan leash pulling lead to aggression?Why a dog that drags you down the street can turn into a dog that lunges at every dog it sees, and how to stop the slide.Puppies · 3 min readCrate training vs free roam: which is right for your dog?Crate first, freedom earned: how to use a crate the right way and move your dog toward free roam safely.Local · 3 min readHow much does dog training cost in St. Augustine?Real prices for in home training, packages, board and train and protection, and how to compare trainers.Get started
Tell us about your dog.
Call or text Zac, or send a quick note. Tell him what's going wrong, or what you want your dog to become.