Olympia Kennels

Olympia Kennels offers intensive board and train programs lasting 2–4 weeks for basic obedience, behavior modification, and protection training. Puppy programs focus on socialization, leash training, and foundational commands. Advanced programs include off-leash control and duration work. Behavior modification addresses aggression, separation anxiety, and OCD behaviors with extended stays and post-program monitoring. Private lessons are 1-hour weekly sessions with owner participation. Group classes cover basic to advanced obedience under distraction. Protection training requires an evaluation and is only offered to dogs with sound temperaments.

Pricing Summary

Board & Train: $1,249/week; Puppy Program: $995/week; Behavior Modification: starting at $1,495/week; Private Obedience Lessons (5 sessions): $995; Group Classes: pricing TBD; Olympia GSD Boarding: $60/day. Free follow-up lessons are included with board and train programs.

Policies

Board and train programs require advance scheduling for pick-up and include free follow-up lessons. Additional support lessons are offered at no charge if needed. Boarding is exclusive to existing clients or previous clients with available space. No cancellation or rescheduling policies are explicitly stated for training programs.

Olympia Kennels is a premier dog training center located in rural Chester, New Hampshire, offering comprehensive training services for all breeds, with a specialty in German Shepherds. They provide board and train programs, private lessons, group classes, behavior modification, and protection training in a 15-acre facility with indoor and outdoor training areas. Their training is led by Mike Pinksten, a certified Schutzhund instructor with over 50 years of experience and over 25,000 dogs trained, and Anes Dulas, a certified professional dog trainer. The facility also includes climate-controlled boarding, Schutzhund competition equipment, and access to hundreds of acres of wooded land for tracking and conditioning. They are also a world-class German Shepherd breeder and importer, offering puppies and trained dogs for pets, sport, and protection.

Clients benefit from personalized training plans, follow-up lessons after board and train programs, and ongoing support from trainers who maintain contact after the dog returns home. The center emphasizes natural, experience-based training methods rooted in Schutzhund principles and is known for handling even “untrainable” dogs with confidence and success.

Additional services include doggie daycare, pet boarding exclusively for existing clients, and access to top-quality European-bred German Shepherds for purchase.

Accomplishments

Mike Pinksten is a Certified Schutzhund Teaching Decoy awarded by the German Shepherd Dog Club of Germany, certified four times by German LEHR helpers, and has traveled to Germany 18 times for training. He has competed in Schutzhund events across North America and Europe, earning multiple regional and national championships. Anes Dulas is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer and a certified protection decoy with the United States Schutzhund Clubs of America. Olympia Kennels was the first in New England registered with the United Schutzhund Clubs of America.

How to Get Started!

Prospective clients must contact Olympia Kennels directly to schedule an evaluation, especially for behavior modification or protection training. Puppies and trained dogs are often reserved via referral, so direct inquiry is recommended for current availability. Board and train programs require a consultation to determine program length based on the dog’s age and temperament.