Sassafras K-9 Training & Boarding Facility, LLC

Sassafras K-9 offers a 3-week intensive residential board-and-train program focused on obedience and behavior modification. Clients receive a one-hour pickup briefing and three 30-minute follow-up sessions. Private lessons (10-session package) are available in-home or at the facility. Personal protection training is customized based on client goals and may include sport or family protection. Day care and boarding are offered daily with three exercise sessions and daily grooming. Lifetime training support is provided after initial training completion.

Pricing Summary

3-week residential board and train: $2,500 (on-leash) or $3,100 (with remote collar). Ten private lessons: $1,700 at facility, $1,900 in-home. Day care: $25 half-day, $35 full-day, $150 weekly. Boarding: $50/day. Credit card payments incur a 3.5% fee. Personal protection training pricing is customized per client needs.

Policies

Owner must approve all training equipment recommendations. Credit card payments incur a 3.5% fee effective January 1, 2023. Boarding and training require appointments. Follow-up sessions are required after residential training. Lifetime training support is offered with no expiration. Pick-up and delivery services available upon inquiry.

Sassafras K-9 Training & Boarding Facility, LLC is a full-service dog training and boarding facility owned and operated by Rick Gallaway, a former law enforcement officer with over 30 years of experience training dogs. The business offers obedience training, personal protection training, day care, and boarding services for all breeds. Their residential board-and-train program is a 3-week intensive course that teaches basic obedience (sit, down, come, heel) and addresses problem behaviors like jumping, mouthing, and separation anxiety. Clients receive a one-hour pickup briefing and three 30-minute follow-up sessions to ensure long-term success, with lifetime training support available. Rick also provides in-home training and works with clients to customize protection training programs based on needs, including PSA, Schutzhund, Mondio Ring, and French Ring. The facility features indoor and outdoor kennels, a 2-acre fenced training field, and daily exercise and grooming. Sassafras K-9 is recommended by veterinarians, breeders, and other trainers, and offers discounts for military and law enforcement personnel.

They emphasize building a trusting relationship between dog and owner, using a balanced approach that may include prong collars and remote collars when appropriate, with owner approval required. Their training is suitable for puppies, adolescents, and adult dogs, and they specialize in behavior modification, recall, leash pulling, and resource guarding.

Additional services include dog day care ($25–$35/day), boarding ($50/day), and firearms training for law enforcement and military clients. The facility is clean, well-maintained, and offers pick-up and delivery services upon inquiry.

Accomplishments

Rick Gallaway is a charter member of the Protection Sports Association (PSA), has competed and won multiple PSA awards including High in Trial Protection and Obedience, and serves as a trial judge for the American PolitieHond Association (APA). He has trained and competed with Belgian Malinois in PSA Level 3 and has over 30 years of canine training experience beginning in 1988. He has completed numerous seminars in obedience, K9 patrol, e-collar usage, and protection theory.

How to Get Started!

Prospective clients should call (703) 869-7425 to schedule a consultation with Rick Gallaway to discuss training goals, dog background, and program options. Residential programs require advance scheduling, and in-home training is arranged by appointment.