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Hillary's Hound House, Inc. is a dog training business in San Rafael, California offering Board and Train and Group Classes, with published programs from $1,500.
San Rafael • CA • Training facility • 4.9 ★ (43 Google reviews)
Last verified: Sep 5, 2026
78 / 100
Moderately transparent
How clearly this listing publishes the details owners need. See our methodology.
What they say about themselves
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.
Consultations and evaluations before you commit to a program.
This is a free introductory visit where the puppy and owner meet the trainer and staff, and the puppy is assessed and coached briefly in the nursery setting.
Best for: Prospective clients considering enrollment, including shy, fearful, excitable, or gregarious puppies.
Focus: Puppy training, Basic obedience
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.
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.
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.
Focus: Puppy training, Basic obedience, Socialization, Recall & off-leash
Duration: 4 weeks
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.
Focus: Puppy training, Socialization, Basic obedience
Duration: 4 weeks
Includes: Owner handoff sessions
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.
Focus: Puppy training, Socialization, Fear & anxiety, Basic obedience
Duration: 2 weeks
| Program | Price | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Jumpstart® Puppy Program | $3,000 per program | 4 weeks |
| Jumpstart PLUS | $4,000 per program | 4 weeks |
| Puppy Foundation Program | $1,500 per program | 2 weeks |
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.
Focus: Basic obedience, Socialization, Agility & dog sports, Scent work
Duration: 4 weeks
| Program | Price | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Teen Tune-Up Program | $3,000 per program | 4 weeks |
The site uses general language about their training approach without naming specific techniques or tools. They do not accept dogs with aggression issues.
Method: Method unclear
Their website describes their approach in general terms without specifying which methods or tools they use.
Certifications: Not specified on their website
Verification still pending or not yet requested. See our methodology for what verification does and does not mean.
Operating for 20 years out of a dedicated facility, they send occasional video updates and allow limited owner visits during programs. Overnight staffing, insurance coverage, and guarantee terms aren't addressed on the site.
Facility: Training facility
Owner visits: Limited visits
Video updates: Occasional updates
Overnight staffing: No
Insurance: not specified on their website.
Guarantee: not specified on their website.
Waitlist: not specified on their website.
Dogs per trainer: not specified on their website.
Booking: Contact form
Price: Their board & train is 7% above the San Rafael midpoint based on published prices.
Reviews: Hillary's Hound House, Inc. shows 4.9★ from 43 Google reviews among 3 published San Rafael programs.
Transparency: This listing scores 78 out of 100 (price 100%, program clarity 89%). 1 of 3 San Rafael listings show certifications; this business does not list certifications.
The Andersen Drive facility in San Rafael is purpose-built for training. Parking availability and accessibility features aren't detailed on the website.
781 Andersen Dr, San Rafael, CA
Friday: Closed
Monday: 8:30AM-3PM
Sunday: Closed
Tuesday: 8:30AM-3PM
Saturday: Closed
Thursday: 8:30AM-3PM
Wednesday: 8:30AM-3PM
Reach out directly or send a quote request through Hillary's Hound House, Inc..
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