West Texas Canine College

The program is a 2-3 week intensive boarding and training experience divided into two phases. Phase 1 uses positive reinforcement with shaping, targeting, and luring to teach behaviors using food, games, and praise. Phase 2 introduces pressure and release techniques with collar corrections to reinforce commands under distraction, while still rewarding with play, food, or affection. Dogs are trained in multiple environments to ensure fluency. Owners must attend at least three follow-up sessions to learn how to maintain training. The program does not address aggression, fearfulness, or normal behaviors like chewing or barking.

Pricing Summary

The 2-week boarding and training program costs $1500, with owners supplying their dog’s food. Additional training sessions with the owner are required and included in the program. Lifetime support is provided at no extra cost.

Policies

West Texas Canine College does not offer short-term pet boarding. The program is limited to 2-3 weeks and requires owner participation in at least three follow-up training sessions. Dogs with aggressive behavior or pit bull mixes are not accepted. The program does not guarantee changes to a dog’s energy level or temperament.

West Texas Canine College is a professional dog training business owned and operated by Linda Barnett, a certified trainer with 20 years of experience in Midland, Texas. The business specializes in a 2-3 week boarding and training program that teaches essential obedience behaviors including sit, down, come when called, heel, loose leash walking, crate training, leave it, and wait commands. Linda uses a balanced training method that begins with positive reinforcement through shaping, targeting, and luring with food, games, and praise, then progresses to introducing pressure and release techniques with collar corrections—always ending with rewards to maintain a positive association. Clients are required to attend at least three follow-up training sessions to learn how to maintain their dog’s progress, and Linda offers lifetime support for all board and train clients. The facility provides spacious covered outdoor runs for exercise and play. Linda does not train dogs with aggressive behavior or accept pit bulls or pit bull mixes. She also does not “fix” normal behaviors like digging, chewing, or barking, but helps owners understand and manage them.

Linda has trained hunting dogs, mobility and retrieving service dogs, therapy dogs, and competition dogs in obedience and rally trials. She is an approved AKC Canine Good Citizenship evaluator and has trained dogs of all sizes, breeds, and temperaments from 5 to 60 pounds. Her clients come from across the United States, and many have earned obedience and rally titles with their dogs after training.

The program is intensive and facility-based, with no weekend pet boarding or short-term stays offered. Training is focused on building reliable obedience under distraction and strengthening the human-dog working relationship.

Accomplishments

Linda Barnett is an approved AKC Canine Good Citizenship evaluator with 20 years of professional experience. She has trained dogs for obedience and rally trials, hunting (duck, dove, pheasant, quail), mobility and retrieving service work, and therapy work. Her clients have earned Obedience Trial Championships and Rally Excellent Titles. She has trained nearly all breeds, sizes, and temperaments.

How to Get Started!

Prospective clients must fill out a contact form to request an interview. The business does not offer free consultations. Clients are screened for dog breed (no pit bulls or mixes) and behavior (no aggression).