Elite Obedience Training- Ankeny, IA

01/27/2025

Our next Basic Obedience Group Class is scheduled to start Monday, February 3 @ 6pm! 🐶

• Instructor: Cynthia Olson
• Location: Ankeny, IA
• Duration: 7 weeks (one night of orientation, 6 nights of class)
• Price: $375 ($50 reservation deposit, $325 class price)
Available for puppies of all breeds ages 5 months & older!
Proof of current rabies, distemper/parvo, and bordetella vaccines required.

We’ll be focusing on mastering the basics (loose leash walking, place command, sit & down with implied stays, greeting people politely, etc.), and proofing behaviors with distractions!

Please reach out directly with any questions or to get signed up:
📞 (515) 360-8233
📧 [email protected]

01/14/2025

01/10/2025

This handsome boy is looking for his perfect home! 🏡

Draco is a 1 year-old neutered male Doberman, currently staying with Shanna until the right situation comes along.

He is:
- friendly with people and other dogs
- crate trained & housebroken
- on & off leash trained (has completed a 4 week board and train program with us!)
- UTD on preventative & vaccinations

Draco would make the perfect hiking or running buddy for an active home! We’d recommend a home with no cats (he’s not malicious, but is very interested in chasing them) or dominant intact male dogs.

He is located with Shanna in Ankeny, IA- please reach out via private message or call/text (515) 360-8233 if you are interested in meeting or adopting this very good boy. 🤍

01/09/2025

If you’ve done training with us, you know that we are huge advocates for crate training! Recently though, I had an experience with one of my personal dogs that fully cemented that belief for me-

A few weeks ago, my 1 year-old puppy Coven underwent emergency surgery to remove a foreign body that was stuck in her colon: a piece of one of her stuffed toys that she had torn off and eaten before I was able to take it away from her. Surgery went really well, but afterwards we were facing 2 weeks of strict crate rest during her recovery with an extremely active and high energy young dog.

I am so grateful that Coven has been crate trained since puppyhood, and that being confined to a kennel while she recovered was not an additional source of stress for either of us. She was kenneled at the vet’s office after her surgery for the rest of the day while she was monitored for potential complications, and then she spent the next 14 days crated with me at home. And she was OKAY- she loves her crate, she was not stressed or anxious to be spending her time there, and she is good as new now.

An emergency surgery was definitely not anywhere on my radar when this happened; I don’t think emergencies are really ever on ANYONE’S radar- but they happen, and proactively crate training your dog can help ensure that you’re as prepared as possible in case something unlucky comes up (a medical emergency, an evacuation, emergency crate/rotate, etc.).

I can’t imagine how stressful and scary it would have been for her to have had no prior exposure to crate training, and then suddenly be confined to a kennel for weeks with no preparation. THAT is why we ask you to crate train your dogs. I promise, it is not because we want to see your dogs living in a kennel- it’s so you have the peace of mind of knowing that if you ever need to confine them, they will be as comfortable as they can be.🤍

01/06/2025

Meet our current board and train dogs- Duke, Rocky, Barley, and Henry! ☃️

Duke is a 1 year-old Labrador here for a 2 week board and train program. This handsome boy is preparing to be a future service dog for his owner, and he’s here to brush up on his basic obedience skills and solidify his off leash recall.

Rocky is a 3 month-old Australian Shepherd/Poodle puppy here for a Puppy Foundation program focused on crate & potty training, early obedience skills (especially a reliable recall), and everyday manners.

Barley is a 1 year-old Chocolate Lab mix here for a 4 week board and train. We’ll be helping her work through some separation anxiety, as well as establishing reliable basic obedience skills and an off leash recall.

Henry is a 2 year-old Australian Shepherd also here for a 4 week program. He struggles with some major reactivity directed at both people and dogs, which makes it difficult for his family to have anyone over to their house without conflict. Alongside addressing his reactivity, we’ll also be instilling some reliable on and off leash obedience skills to help his family manage him more easily back at home!

Shanna has availability for 2 week board and train programs opening up January 22, with availability for 4 week programs starting February 17. Visit our website (www.eliteobedience.com) for program details & pricing information, and reach out directly with any questions or to get signed up!
📞 (515) 360-8233
📧 [email protected]

12/20/2024

We have a new Puppy 101 Group Class starting Wednesday, January 8 @ 6pm! ✨

• Instructor: Shanna Simpkins
• Location: Ankeny, IA
• Duration: 4 weeks
• Price: $250 ($50 reservation deposit, $200 class price)
Available for puppies of all breeds ages 8-16 weeks old

There are currently 2 spots remaining in this class- please reach out directly with any questions or to get signed up!
📞 (515) 360-8233
📧 [email protected]

12/18/2024

Welcome Roo to our 4 week board and train program! 🎄

Roo is a 1 year-old mixed breed girlie here who is having some potty training and more general behavioral issues- rude and chaotic behavior when people enter the house, jumping and nipping when overly excited, and blowing off obedience commands from her owners.

While she’s here, we’ll be working hard to establish some structure and boundaries while helping her learn to greet new people politely, settle in the house, and follow through consistently with obedience cues given both on and off leash.

Stay tuned for updates about Roo’s progress- we are so excited to get to work! 🐾

Shanna has availability for new Puppy Foundation, 2 week, and 4 week board and train clients- visit our website (www.eliteobedience.com), or reach out for details!
📞 (515) 360-8233
📧 [email protected]

12/09/2024

Welcome Jovi to our 4 week board and train program! 🥰

Jovi is a 4 year-old Labrador here to solidify her off leash recall and curb some bad habits (like counter surfing and barking incessantly in the house). We’ll be brushing up on her crate manners as well while she’s here!

Shanna has availability in December for Puppy Foundation, 2 week, and 4 week board and train programs in Ankeny- visit our website (www.eliteobedience.com) for program details & pricing information, and reach out with any inquiries 🐾
📞 (515) 360-8233
📧 [email protected]

12/07/2024

My name is Cynthia, and I am one of the Elite Obedience trainers in Ankeny!

My passion for training started in 2017 when I fostered and adopted my first German Shepherd, Hera. The desire to understand dog behavior and learn about behavior modification and how to facilitate a healthy relationship with my dog started my journey to help other dog owners do the same! The number of German Shepherds in my home has since grown from one to four. Hera is nine years old, and is one of my demo dogs. She has several AKC obedience and rally titles and has also participated in fast cat events. Hondo is a five year-old West German show line German Shepherd, and has also participated in fast cat, but lives his best life as an active pet. Letty is now three and Cato just turned one- both are Czech working line German Shepherds and also my sport dogs. While I hope to achieve some AKC titles down the road, we are actively pursuing IGP currently.

I thoroughly enjoy working with dogs and owners; be it through any of our puppy, basic obedience, off-leash obedience or board and train programs! Helping an owner learn how to effectively communicate with their dog in a way that strengthens their relationship is my favorite part of training. Watching a dog make changes in the way it thinks and behaves to please its owner will never get old for me!

12/05/2024

Hi I’m Shanna!

I’m one of Elite Obedience’s Ankeny trainers! I have been training professionally for about 11 years now. I am the Iowa trainer who mainly does Board & Train programs, and I have experience in puppy foundation, basic obedience, and behavior modification.

I myself have 4 dogs - Baloo (11 years old, Yorkshire Terrier), Banner (9 years old, Belgian Malinois), Bash (6 years old, Golden Retriever), and Feyre (1 year old, German Shepherd). Banner was my competition obedience dog for many years - competing in AKC Obedience, Barn Hunt, and Rally - taking 11th place at Rally Nationals a few years back. He also started my IGP journey, but he is now retired and is loving pet dog life 😊 I dabbled in AKC conformation as well with Bash, but now my main focus is the youngest - I’m hoping to start trialing Feyre in IGP next year! Those of you who know me know that if you can’t find me with my dogs, you’ll find me with my nose in a book 📖

As someone who started with a very reactive dog, my favorite part of training is working with the more “difficult” dogs - helping their owners discover their dog’s full potential and give them all the freedoms they never thought they’d have. 🫶🏼

12/03/2024

Baby Annie’s first snow ❄️

11/27/2024

Say hello to Shanna’s current board and train dogs- Annie, Daphne, Echo, and Blueberry 🫶🏼

Annie is a 5 month-old Golden Retriever here for a 2 week board and train program focused on learning all of the basics- especially addressing her jumping and excited puppy biting, and establishing a solid off leash recall!

Daphne is a 6 month-old Morkie here for a 4 week board and train centered around solidifying crate/potty training, basic obedience skills, and household manners.

Echo is a 1 year-old German Shepherd also here for a 4 week board and train! We’re focused on helping him build confidence, work through his fear-based reactivity, and proof his basic obedience skills both on and off leash.

Blueberry is a 5 year-old bully breed mix here for a 4 week program as well- she is here to work through her human & dog reactivity, as well as solidify her knowledge of basic obedience concepts!

Shanna has board and train availability opening up the week of December 2! Please visit our website (www.eliteobedience.com) for program details and pricing information, and reach out with any questions or to reserve your spot 🐾
📞 (515) 360-8233
📧 [email protected]