Highland Canine

What Highland Canine does

Highland Canine Training, LLC is a privately held, founder-owned professional dog training company headquartered in Harmony, North Carolina, founded in 2006 by Erin and Jason Purgason. The company operates across four business divisions: pet dog training (private lessons, group classes, board and train programs, behavior modification) delivered through 25+ U.S. locations including its first site outside the mainland in Puerto Rico; the School for Dog Trainers, an accredited canine education business with three campuses (Harmony NC, Alabama, Texas) offering a Master Dog Trainer Program and related courses to students from 42 countries; a service dog division (originally launched as Assistance Dogs for Autism in 2009) that places autism, mobility, and seizure service dogs; and a police/military K9 sales and handler education division underpinned by proprietary programs such as EPIC (Explosive Plume Interdiction Canine, launched 2016) and held licenses including ATF, DEA, and GSA Schedule 84 (GS-07F-231BA). Ancillary revenue comes from a Pro Shop e-commerce storefront selling third-party (Dogtra) and self-manufactured training equipment plus branded apparel. The company's go-to-market combines direct-to-consumer pet training, direct enterprise sales to government/law enforcement buyers, and tuition-based education, with marketing driven by content (blog, two podcasts), social media, industry association sponsorship (IACP Platinum), and event participation.

Name

Highland Canine

Legal name

Highland Canine Training, LLC

Website

https://highlandcanine.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Highland Canine Training is a privately held, founder-owned professional dog training company that delivers pet obedience training across 25+ U.S. locations, accredited canine education at three campuses, service dog placements for individuals with disabilities, and police/military K9 sales with handler education under federal contracts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Dog Training Services

NAICS

Technical and Trade Schools (6115), Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Technical and Trade Schools (61151)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Detective, Guard & Armored Car Services (7381)

akta.pro primary industry

Handler Training, Certification & K9 Unit Compliance Services (BPAKAKAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

K9 Handler & Working Dog Security Training (BPAKAOAK), K9 Breeding, Procurement & Deployment Services (BPAKAKAL), Public Safety & Security K9 Handling Training (EDAOAMAO)

Keywords

• Professional dog training
• Police K9 training
• Service dog training
• Canine education programs
• Dog behavior modification

Headquarters

HQ city

Harmony

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices13 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Dog Training Services: Revenue from pet dog training services including Board and Train programs, private lessons, group classes, behavior modification, in-home training, protection dog training, search and rescue dog training, and conservation detection dog services. Offered across 25+ locations in the U.S.
2. School for Dog Trainers: Tuition-based educational programs for aspiring professional dog trainers offered at three campus locations (Main Campus in Harmony NC, Southeast Campus in Alabama, Hill Country Campus in Texas). Programs include Master Dog Trainer Program and other specialized courses. Licensed by NC Board of Community Colleges and approved for GI Bill benefits.
3. Service Dog Sales & Training: Selection, training, and placement of service dogs including Autism Service Dogs, Mobility Service Dogs, Seizure Service Dogs, and more for individuals with disabilities. Includes free application process, puppy selection, comprehensive training, and multi-day delivery.
4. Police K9 Training & Sales: Sale of impeccably trained single-purpose and dual-purpose police K9s to law enforcement and military agencies, along with best-in-class handler and supervisor education. Also offers online educational modules for remote handler training.
5. Pro Shop / E-commerce: Sale of professional dog training equipment, collars, leashes, harnesses, bite tugs, e-collars (Dogtra brand), apparel, hats, and customized training gear manufactured on-site. Products sold through the company's e-commerce storefront and at the physical facility.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Highland Canine Training, LLC provides professional dog training and canine education through three core divisions: (1) pet dog training services (private lessons, group classes, Board and Train programs, behavior modification) across 25+ U.S. locations, (2) canine education via the School for Dog Trainers operating three campus locations, and (3) working dog services including police/military K9 sales and training, service dog selection and placement for individuals with disabilities, and specialized detection, protection, search and rescue, and conservation dog training.

Product overview

Highland Canine Training is a multifaceted dog training company offering a comprehensive portfolio of services organized into three main divisions: pet dog training (private lessons, group classes, board & train, behavior modification), working dog services (police K9s, service dogs, protection dogs, search and rescue, conservation detection), and canine education (School for Dog Trainers with three campuses). The company operates across 25+ U.S. locations with its main facilities in North Carolina, plus a Pro Shop selling training equipment, Dogtra e-collars, and branded apparel.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• School for Dog Trainers: Professional canine education programs offering hands-on training and learning theory for aspiring dog trainers, with campuses in North Carolina, Alabama, and Texas.
• Assistance Dogs for Autism
• Highland Canine Connect
• A Life of Dogs
• K9 Rollcall

Products and services

• School for Dog Trainers
• Police K9 Training & Sales
• Service Dog Training & Sales
• Board and Train Programs
• Private Lessons
• Group Classes
• Behavior Modification
• In-Home Training
• Protection Dogs
• Search and Rescue Dogs
• Conservation Detection Dogs
• EPIC Explosive Detection Program
• Pro Shop (Training Equipment & Apparel)

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 50 service dogs placed across the U.S. and Caribbean by 2012
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• DASHA (Dedicated Animals Serving Humans Always)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2009Partnership with DASHA, a non-profit organization based in Puerto Rico, to provide service dogs to those in need on the island. This partnership expanded the company's service dog reach to the Caribbean region.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Vohne Liche Kennels: Indiana-based police and military K9 training and sales operation that competes head-to-head with Highland Canine's working dog division for federal, state, and local law enforcement K9 procurement contracts.
• Tarheel Canine Training: Sanford, NC-based competitor offering police K9 training and sales, service dog placement, and a dog trainer school — directly overlapping Highland Canine's working dog and education divisions in the same southeastern U.S. region.
• Bark Busters Home Dog Training: Global in-home dog training franchise that competes directly with Highland Canine's private lessons, in-home training, and behavior modification offerings across overlapping U.S. markets.
• Sit Means Sit Dog Training: National dog training franchise operating group classes, private lessons, and board and train programs across dozens of U.S. locations — directly comparable to Highland Canine's pet training footprint and multi-location service model.
• Off Leash K9 Training: Multi-location U.S. dog training franchise offering obedience and behavior modification services across many markets, competing with Highland Canine for the same pet dog owner customer base.

Emerging players

• Canine Companions for Independence: Large non-profit provider of service dogs to individuals with disabilities, overlapping with Highland Canine's Assistance Dogs for Autism division and competing for the same handler and donor relationships.
• K9s For Warriors: Non-profit organization that trains and places service dogs for veterans with PTSD/TBI — directly comparable to Highland Canine's service dog division but operating as a donation-funded non-profit, which constrains pricing in the segment.
• Starmark Academy / Animal Behavior College: Distance-learning and hands-on dog trainer certification programs that compete with Highland Canine's School for Dog Trainers for aspiring professional dog trainers, particularly those seeking more flexible or lower-cost pathways.

Broad incumbents

• PetSmart (dog training services): National big-box pet retailer offering in-store obedience and puppy training classes at hundreds of locations; competes broadly with Highland Canine's group class offering as a mass-market, lower-priced alternative for basic obedience.
• Petco (dog training services): National pet retailer offering group classes, private sessions, and positive reinforcement training at locations across the U.S., serving as a broad incumbent competitor for entry-level pet dog training consumers.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/highlandcanine
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCtLutdh5uyPxz75ttcxwlyA
• Facebookfacebook.com/Highlandcaninetraining
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/highland-canine-training-llc
• Instagraminstagram.com/highlandcanine

Compliance11 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Highland Canine