McKelvey Kennels

McKelvey Kennels offers private consultations and 8-week group classes. Private consultations provide one-on-one instruction, training owners to address behavior problems, increase vocabulary, and improve leash skills at their own pace. These sessions average 1.5 hours initially, followed by 1-hour lessons, with flexibility for busy schedules. Aggression cases are handled exclusively in a private format.

The 8-week group classes, designed to teach owners to train their dogs at home, use a positive reinforcement, step-by-step approach. These include a Puppy Class for ages two-six months, focusing on socialization, temperament, behavior, leash skills, and obedience commands. A Dog Class is available for all dogs over 6 months, emphasizing obedience, leash skills, and behavior problem correction. The Skills & Beginning Rally Class, offered once a year, is for adult dogs proficient in basic exercises, teaching off-leash work, hand signals, retrieving, and clicker training, with practical applications.

Pricing Summary

One-on-one private instruction is $150.00 per hour. Consultations average an hour and a half, with subsequent lessons being one hour. ZOOM consultations are available at $1.50 per minute. Eight-week group sessions are $325.00.

McKelvey Kennels, led by Chris McKelvey, has been operating in the Roaring Fork Valley since 1982, offering dog training services. Chris McKelvey trains owners to train their dogs using positive reinforcement and motivational methods, emphasizing an easy-to-understand, no-nonsense approach without gadgets.

They provide one-on-one private instruction, group classes, in-home pet sitting, and dog exercise services. Private lessons are tailored to individual needs, addressing behavior problems, increasing vocabulary, and improving leash skills. Group classes focus on teaching owners to train their dogs at home using a step-by-step, building block strategy.

Chris McKelvey’s methodology evolved from horse training, where force is ineffective, leading to a strong belief in positive reinforcement for dogs. She continuously studies top behaviorists and attends professional seminars, having trained dogs from over 38 states.

Accomplishments

Chris McKelvey has been operating her dog training school continuously since 1982. She graduated from William Woods University in 1981 with an M.S. degree in Equestrian Science, Business Administration, and Art. She spent 13 years professionally training and showing horses before evolving her dog training techniques based on positive reinforcement.

Chris is certified by The National Association of Dog Obedience Instructors and is a certified animal evaluator with the Delta Society. She has extensively studied top behaviorists and trainers globally, attending nationwide professional seminars. Her personal dogs, including Vizsla, Miniature Dachshund, Great Dane, Border Collie, Doberman Pinscher, Poodle, and Beagle, have earned numerous certifications and titles in Search and Rescue, trailing and avalanche, Service and Therapy work, A.K.C. Obedience, Rally, Tracking, Bird Hunt, Agility, Fetch, Dock Diving, and FastCAT. Her Vizsla, RACH2 Nosam’s Aspen Fall Forest “SEQUOIA,” is the #1 Vizsla in the country in AKC Rally and placed 2nd at the Rally National Championships in 2023.

How to Get Started!

To begin, clients can schedule a behavior consultation, which is recommended before joining a group class. Consultations start with a sit-down, verbal, and physical session with the dog and pertinent family members. For group classes, clients can contact Chris to be added to an upcoming class email list.