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Hillary's Hound House, Inc. — Dog Training in San Rafael, CA

Hillary's Hound House, Inc. is a dog training business in San Rafael, California offering board and train and group classes, working from a dedicated training facility. They publish pricing from $1,500 to $4,000 and have been in business for 20+ years.

San Rafael, CA • Training facility • 4.9 ★ (43 Google reviews)

Verified listing

Last reviewed: Sep 5, 2026

Transparency Score

78 / 100

Moderately transparent

How clearly this listing publishes the details owners need. See our methodology.

Price transparency: 100%
Method transparency: 35%
Program clarity: 89%

About Hillary's Hound House, Inc.

Based on what the business publishes about itself

Hillary Alexander brings an unusual combination of backgrounds to puppy training. Before founding Hillary's Hound House in 2014, she spent 35 years in competitive equestrian sports and worked as a Marriage and Family Therapist after earning her master's in Clinical Psychology from Pepperdine University. According to her site, she's been training dogs in obedience and agility for nearly two decades.

The San Rafael facility operates what they call a "Puppy Nursery" with a sensory garden designed for scent work and agility exercises. Their signature offering is an all-day immersive program rather than brief training sessions, puppies spend the day rotating through structured learning, supervised play, rest periods, and socialization. The business describes training an estimated 100 puppies annually through this format over the past decade. They also send families home with personalized videos of their own puppy practicing skills, and offer coaching sessions that include teaching children how to interact safely with young dogs.

What stands out in their approach is an emphasis on emotional regulation alongside skill-building. Their foundation program for very young puppies (8-14 weeks) focuses on helping dogs learn to stay calm and make thoughtful choices in stimulating situations, which they distinguish from performance-based training. Older puppies and adolescent dogs get regular outings to stores, parks, and other public spaces as part of building what they describe as genuine confidence in real-world settings.

What dog training programs does Hillary's Hound House, Inc. offer?

Hillary's Hound House runs several board-and-train programs specifically for puppies and adolescent dogs. The two-week Puppy Foundation Program ($1,500) takes puppies 8 to 14 weeks old, while the four-week Jumpstart program ($3,000) accepts puppies up to 6 months. A Teen Tune-Up option targets dogs 6 to 18 months with obedience, socialization, and introduction to agility and scent work.

Puppy Foundation Program

$1,500

Over two weeks puppies build calm regulation, attention and connection with people, early recall, thoughtful social play, and beginning leash and place concepts. The program also includes weekly field trips to places like forest trails, a nursery store, and a shopping area to build calm confidence in real-world settings.

Puppies attend Monday through Thursday from 8:30am to 3:00pm, with structured activities, guided play, and off-site field trips.

Best for: Puppies aged 8 to 14 weeks who need early developmental and emotional foundation work rather than performance-focused training.

Requirements: Puppies 8 to 14 weeks old

Duration: 2 weeks

Focus: Puppy training, Socialization, Fear & anxiety, Basic obedience

Jumpstart® Puppy Program

$3,000

This daylong program runs Monday through Thursday and combines outdoor recall training, play, one-on-one training, and rest periods for young puppies. It covers potty training with bell use, focus and impulse control, calm leash walking, recall, place/stay commands, and polite greetings.

Puppies are dropped off and picked up daily, with structured training, naptime, and play built into the schedule, and families attend Saturday classes.

Best for: Puppies between 8 weeks and 6 months old, regardless of temperament or prior training experience.

Requirements: Puppies 8 weeks to 6 months old

Duration: 4 weeks

Focus: Puppy training, Basic obedience, Socialization, Recall & off-leash

Jumpstart PLUS

$4,000

This upgraded tier adds private coaching sessions where children and other family members learn gentle, structured ways to interact with the puppy alongside the core Jumpstart curriculum.

Private sessions with family members take place during the regular Jumpstart program hours.

Best for: Families, including children, who want structured guidance on interacting safely with their puppy.

Duration: 4 weeks

Focus: Puppy training, Socialization, Basic obedience

Includes: Owner handoff sessions

Teen Tune-Up Program

$3,000

This small group program mixes daily training with movement, mental stimulation, and field trips to stores, parks, and malls to practice manners in real settings. It also introduces agility, brain games, and scent work in a sensory garden, tailored to each puppy's temperament.

Puppies attend Monday through Thursday from 8:30am to 3:00pm in a small group with daily training sessions and field trips.

Best for: Adolescent puppies between 6 and 18 months old going through the teenage stage of development.

Requirements: Puppies aged 6 to 18 months

Duration: 4 weeks

Focus: Basic obedience, Socialization, Agility & dog sports, Scent work

How much does Hillary's Hound House, Inc. cost?

Programs range from $1,500 for the two-week foundation course to $4,000 for the Jumpstart PLUS, which adds handoff sessions with owners. All prices are published upfront on the site, with no mention of deposits or payment plans.

Board and Train pricing

Board and Train pricing at Hillary's Hound House, Inc. in San Rafael, CA
Program	Price	Length
Puppy Foundation Program	$1,500	2 weeks
Jumpstart® Puppy Program	$3,000	4 weeks
Jumpstart PLUS	$4,000	4 weeks

Group Classes pricing

Group Classes pricing at Hillary's Hound House, Inc. in San Rafael, CA
Program	Price	Length
Teen Tune-Up Program	$3,000	4 weeks

Consultations and evaluations

Free Puppy Training, Assessment, and Coaching Session: Free

What training methods does Hillary's Hound House, Inc. use?

The site uses general language about their training approach without naming specific techniques or tools. They do not accept dogs with aggression issues.

Public materials reviewed by Barklen do not specify which training tools are used.

Who runs Hillary's Hound House, Inc.?

As described in the business's own materials

Hillary Alexander, Founder and trainer

According to their site, she has trained puppies and dogs for nearly 20 years in basic obedience and agility, rode horses competitively (hunt seat and dressage) for 35 years, and earned a master's degree in Clinical Psychology from Pepperdine University, later practicing as a Marriage and Family Therapist before founding the business.

Credentials listed on their site: MA in Clinical Psychology, Pepperdine University. Barklen has not independently verified these.

Where does Hillary's Hound House, Inc. offer dog training?

Hillary's Hound House, Inc. operates from a dedicated training facility in San Rafael, CA, offering board and train stays at their facility and group classes.

Their site says they puppy owners and families, including children, located in Marin County, California and surrounding communities, with puppies ranging from 8 weeks to 18 months old.

Training takes place at a puppy 'Nursery' facility in Marin County, California, with outdoor training locations and a dedicated sensory garden, plus scheduled outings to community locations for socialization practice.

The Andersen Drive facility in San Rafael is purpose-built for training. Parking availability and accessibility features aren't detailed on the website.

How does Hillary's Hound House, Inc. compare with other San Rafael dog trainers?

Barklen analysis

Barklen analysis based on 3 published San Rafael listings (6 with published pricing). These comparisons are computed by Barklen, not claims made by Hillary's Hound House, Inc..

Price: 50% below the San Rafael midpoint at entry price for board and train ($1,500–$4,000 vs. $1,800–$3,800).

Reviews: 4.9★ from 43 Google reviews, among 3 published San Rafael programs.

Transparency: 78 out of 100 (moderately transparent), with 100% price transparency and 89% program clarity. 1 of 3 San Rafael listings show certifications; this business does not list any.

Published prices at Hillary's Hound House, Inc. compared with San Rafael ranges
Program type	Hillary's Hound House, Inc.	San Rafael range	Barklen read
Board and Train	$1,500–$4,000	$1,800–$3,800 across 3 San Rafael programs	50% below the San Rafael midpoint at entry price

What should you ask Hillary's Hound House, Inc. before booking?

Generated from what their public materials leave open

Ask which certifications their trainers hold and who issued them.
Ask for proof of liability insurance.
Their site describes their approach in general terms. Ask which specific methods and tools they use.
Ask how many dogs each trainer handles at once.
Ask about current availability and whether there is a waitlist.

Location and hours

781 Andersen Dr, San Rafael, CA

Monday – Thursday: 8:30 AM – 3:00 PM
Friday – Sunday: Closed

How Barklen reviewed this listing

Barklen reviewed Hillary's Hound House, Inc. against the business's public materials and published this listing. That is not a check of licenses, insurance, or certifications. See our methodology for what a verified listing does and does not mean.

Details the public materials do not address (insurance, guarantee, certifications, dogs per trainer, and waitlist) are turned into the questions above rather than filled in.

Last reviewed by Barklen: Sep 5, 2026