Elite Obedience Training

01/06/2026

Your dogs deserve thoughtful, relationship-based, compassionate training, from trainers who will love them like their own. We are so proud to provide that to our clients every day.

The unfortunate reality is that dog training is a completely unregulated field, and not everyone is doing it for the right reasons- choose trainers who truly love dogs, care for owners, and are committed to doing right by both. 🤍

01/05/2026

*UPDATE- THIS CLASS IS NOW FULL!*

We have ONE spot left open in this class!!
If you’ve been thinking about it, now’s the time to sign up! 🤗

If you’re hoping for a better behaved dog in 2026, we have spots currently open in our upcoming Basic Obedience group class! 🐾

Dogs of all breeds, ages 5 months and older, are welcome! This class will run for 7 consecutive evenings (one night of orientation, 6 nights of class).

Visit our website (www.eliteobedience.com) for details, or reach out directly and one of our trainers will be happy to answer any questions you have!

Sign up: https://www.eliteobedience.com/event-details/basic-obedience-group-class-7
📞 (712) 579-6016
📧 [email protected]

01/01/2026

If you’re hoping for a better behaved dog in 2026, we have spots currently open in our upcoming Basic Obedience group class! 🐾

Dogs of all breeds, ages 5 months and older, are welcome! This class will run for 7 consecutive evenings (one night of orientation, 6 nights of class).

Visit our website (www.eliteobedience.com) for details, or reach out directly and one of our trainers will be happy to answer any questions you have!

Sign up: https://www.eliteobedience.com/event-details/basic-obedience-group-class-7
📞 (712) 579-6016
📧 [email protected]

12/31/2025

Our dear friend and trainer Cynthia said goodbye to her girl, Hera, unexpectedly last night- our hearts are broken for her, her family, and for everyone who was lucky enough to have loved Hera.

Tonight, we want to take a moment to honor a dog who meant so much to so many people. Hera was never far from Cynthia’s side, so if you have been fortunate enough to train with Cynthia in any capacity, it’s very likely that you met (or at least heard about) Hera too. She was the very best assistant during classes and lessons, and an incredible ambassador for rescue dogs everywhere. She helped so many dogs learn by example- calmly and patiently modeling the right way to do things, and showing everyone what a beautiful relationship between a dog and her owner looked like.

Hera’s journey in dog training is the entire reason that we are lucky enough to know Cynthia today- she was the one who started it all, and she will be loved and remembered forever.
Please keep Cynthia and her family in your thoughts and prayers as they navigate life now without their girl.

Rest easy, Hera. Thank you for everything. 🪽

12/18/2025

Our next Basic Obedience Group Class is officially scheduled to start Monday, January 12 @ 6pm! 🐾

This class is perfect for dogs of all breeds (ages 5 months and older) who need help perfecting the basics! We’ll teach essential obedience concepts like loose leash walking, a place command, and reliable sit & down stays, as well as everyday life skills like greeting people politely and ignoring distractions in the environment.

• Class length: 7 weeks (one night of orientation, 6 nights of class)
• Price: $375 ($50 reservation deposit, $325 class price)
• Location: Ankeny, IA
• Instructor: Cynthia Olson

We will take a max of 6 dogs in this class- registration can be completed online at https://www.eliteobedience.com/event-details/basic-obedience-group-class-7, or by reaching out to us directly!
📞 (712) 579-6016
📧 [email protected]

12/10/2025

A few announcements/requests as we transition to begin operation in Ankeny, IA full time:

📣 Our Elite Obedience Training- Ankeny, IA page and Instagram account will both be DELETED on Monday, Dec. 15

We will be exclusively using this page (Elite Obedience Training) for ALL communication regarding classes, lessons, and board and train programs in Ankeny, IA from that point forward- please be sure you’re following this account to stay up to date!

📣 If you have worked with Shanna or Cynthia in Ankeny, or Kenzie in Kansas, and you enjoyed your experiences, PLEASE leave a review on *this* page (if you’d even be willing to copy your prior review from the old Elite Obedience Training- Ankeny, IA page and post it to this page instead, we would be so appreciative!).

We also desperately need Google reviews! If you’ve had a positive experience training with Kenzie, Shanna, or Cynthia, we would greatly appreciate a review about your experience HERE: https://g.page/r/CfpUW2E9abdYEBM/review

*Feel free to just copy/paste your Facebook review to Google also- both platforms help us out so much!*

THANK YOU in advance! 🤍

Post a review to our profile on Google

12/05/2025

Say hello to our newest board and train dog, Cooper! ⛄️

This big guy is a 15 month-old Great Pyrenees/Anatolian mix here for a 4 week board and train with Kenzie! Cooper is a large (and very strong) bull in a china shop who loves to drag around his owners on leash, jump up on new friends, and pretend he doesn’t hear you calling his name 😂 He’s also recently started growling during examinations at the vet.

We’ll be spending the next few weeks establishing some clear boundaries, teaching reliable obedience skills, and helping him feel much more comfortable being handled!

Kenzie is now taking new clients in the ANKENY, IA AREA 🥳
Please reach out to schedule a consultation- we’d love to meet you!
Visit our website (www.eliteobedience.com) for program options & pricing details, and reach out directly with any questions, or to get signed up-
📞 (712) 579-6016
📧 [email protected]

11/28/2025

Wishing everyone a very happy Thanksgiving- we are so thankful for all of the wonderful people and dogs we have been fortunate enough to work with this year! 🫶🏼

We are especially grateful to announce that starting in 2026, we will be fully merging our two locations! Kenzie will be relocating to the Ankeny, IA area in the next few months, and we are so excited to have the whole team back together in one place.

To our clients in Kansas- thank you, from the bottom of my heart. I have had the most incredible time getting to know you all, and I am so so grateful for everyone who has trusted me with their dogs in the past 5 years. I am so excited to be closer to my family and friends again, but so sad to be leaving the community we’ve built here. Thank you all, for everything.

ANKENY FRIENDS- stay tuned for updates over the next few months regarding NEW board and train openings, NEW group class options, and NEW opportunities to strengthen your relationships with your dogs. We have some exciting ideas up our sleeves! 😉🕺🏼

In the process of this move, we will be consolidating our social media pages to one single account- please be sure you are following us here at Elite Obedience Training (and on Instagram at ), as the Elite Obedience Training- Ankeny, IA account will be deleted soon!

We can’t wait to share more in the next few weeks- we are so thankful for everyone who has been a part of our journey so far, and we are so looking forward to all that’s to come when we are all together again soon. 🤍

Love,
- Kenzie, Shanna, and Cynthia
The Elite Obedience Team

06/06/2025

Meet our June board and train dogs! 🫶🏼

Bodie is a 1 year-old Doodle here for a 2 week board and train centered on learning reliable basic obedience skills and household manners. We’ll be focusing extra hard on creating a more positive association with his crate, solidifying his leash manners & off leash recall, and addressing his habit of jumping up on people during greetings!

Dilly is a 7 year-old Border Collie/Aussie mix here for a 4 week behavior modification program. She is SO sweet with people she knows and trusts, but can be very fear reactive towards strangers in situations where she’s uncertain or afraid. We’ll be working over the next few weeks to help her build some confidence, and to instill a clear system of communication for her family to utilize as they manage her interactions with the world around her back at home.

Max is a 1 year-old German Shepherd also here for a 4 week behavior modification program. He’s a great boy, but he has a bit of an attitude problem- he’s been exhibiting strong signs of what we like to call “adolescent male bullsh*t” (reactivity to dogs & people, aggression at the vet, resource guarding at home…you get the idea 😂). We’re looking forward to providing the boundaries and guidance he needs to be a much more polite and enjoyable member of society from now on!

R***r is a 1 year-old German Shepherd here for a 4 week board and train as well! This good boy is a big baby who has no real idea of his size or strength, which makes him difficult to handle in situations where he’s overstimulated or excited. We’ll be proofing his on & off leash obedience skills, helping him learn to socialize more appropriately with other dogs, and addressing his leash reactivity.

The rest of our summer is starting to fill up, so please reach out if you’d like to get a spot reserved- we have availability for 4 week & behavior modification programs opening up on July 15, and 2 week programs opening up August 12.
Visit our website (www.eliteobedience.com) for program details/pricing info, and contact us directly with any questions or to get your dog’s board and train scheduled:
📞 (712) 579-6016
📧 [email protected]

06/02/2025

Say hello to Kingston! 👋🏼

Kingston is a 2 year-old Aussiedoodle here for a behavior modification board and train program. After being adopted recently by his new family, he began exhibiting a number of concerning behaviors- resource guarding, leash reactivity, separation/containment anxiety, and chasing his family’s cats.

He has spent the past few weeks here learning obedience skills & household manners, and developing a clear understanding of our expectations when it comes to his interactions with other dogs and people. He heads back home to his family soon, and we’re so excited to watch him continue to thrive now that he has a whole new set of skills to help him be successful!

05/19/2025

Come see us at Hometown Vet Clinic’s Open House!

June 14 from 12-2pm 🎉

05/17/2025

OTTAWA FRIENDS- if you’re in need of veterinary care, Hometown Vet Clinic just opened!

Dr. Holly’s dogs, Biscuit and Peach, both went through training with us- we are so excited to have her close by! Go give them a follow, and be sure to come visit us at the clinic’s open house on June 14 (more info to come).🌟