Unleashed In The City

What Unleashed In The City does

Unleashed in the City operates a Montessori-inspired, force-free dog day school from a single facility at 826 College Street in Toronto, Canada. Founded circa 2003–2004 by Kate Ferguson (CPDT-KA), the business delivers full-day canine education through a proprietary five-level curriculum (Puppy Kindergarten through Masters), supplemented by private 1:1 training, off-site wilderness Adventure Hikes, door-to-door car service, and after-care. The company employs approximately 5 staff and serves Toronto urban dog owners who prioritize science-based, positive reinforcement (LIMA) methods over conventional daycare.

The business model is anchored by a recurring subscription product, The Academy, priced at $1,400–$3,500+ per month per dog, with layered add-on services: private training at $175–$225 per session, Adventure Hike at $55.50 per hike, car service at $17–$37+ per trip, and after-care at $20 per half hour. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via a Shopify-hosted website, a JotForm-powered application and screening workflow, and in-person orientation, with Google Analytics powering site analytics and advertising. The business is founder-owned and self-funded, with no disclosed institutional capital.

The technology stack is intentionally light: Shopify for commerce, JotForm for intake, and Google Analytics for measurement. There is no mobile app, no proprietary platform, and no disclosed AI/ML or automation beyond standard analytics. Marketing is community-led, relying on email newsletters, website content, and word-of-mouth, while demand signals (e.g., an Adventure Hike waitlist) currently exceed the single-location capacity.

Name

Unleashed In The City

Legal name

Unleashed in the City

Website

https://unleashedinthecity.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Unleashed in the City is a Toronto-based, founder-operated Montessori-inspired dog day school (~2003–2004) serving urban dog owners with a tiered curriculum, private training, adventure hikes, and add-on services from a single College Street facility.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Dog Day School & Training Services

NAICS

Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services (812910)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Training-Integrated Dog Daycare (Day Training) (HSANAFAE)

Keywords

• Dog day school
• Canine education
• Positive reinforcement training
• Dog daycare services
• Pet behavior coaching

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. The Academy (Montessori Dog Day School): Monthly subscription-based dog day school program with tiered tuition pricing ranging from $1400-3500+ per month. Services include full-day care, training walks, off-leash hikes, specialty coaching, and private tutoring. Spots are secured on a set schedule with limited capacity for sustainable practice.
2. Private Training + Coaching: In-person or virtual 1:1 sessions with certified dog trainers. Initial consult at $225 for 1.5 hours, followed by $175 per 60-minute session. Sold in packages of 4 sessions with option for ongoing monthly sessions.
3. Adventure Hike Program: Ongoing yearly membership program for Academy Alumni featuring twice-weekly wilderness hikes at $55.50 per hike. Includes door-to-door car service. Currently has a waitlist.
4. Car Service: Tiered transportation service for Academy dogs ranging from $17-37+ per trip depending on distance. Complimentary for Adventure Hike pick-ups and drop-offs.
5. After Care: Extended care service at $20 per half hour from 4:30-6pm for dogs picked up after the 3:30-4:30pm school pick-up window.
6. Product Sales: E-commerce sales of dog-related products through Shopify storefront with shipping policy of free shipping on orders over $100, $15 flat rate below that amount.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Unleashed In The City operates a Montessori-inspired, force-free dog day school in Toronto offering full-day canine education. Programs are delivered by CCPDT-KA and KPA certified trainers and include structured curriculum across five grade levels (Puppy Kindergarten through Masters), with off-leash hikes, social integration, and wilderness skill-building. The company also offers private training sessions, adventure hikes for alumni dogs, transportation services, and extended after-care.

Product overview

Unleashed In The City operates as a Montessori-inspired dog day school in Toronto offering an integrated suite of programs centered around The Academy as its core product. The Academy provides full-day dog care with a customized curriculum spanning five grade levels (Puppy Kindergarten through Masters) focused on life skills, social development, and nature-based training. Supplementary services include Private Training + Coaching (1:1 sessions for foundational skills and owner education), Adventure Hike (wilderness exploration for alumni dogs), Car Service (transportation with tiered pricing), and After Care (extended supervision). Programs are delivered by certified professional dog trainers using positive reinforcement and fear-free methodologies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Academy Full-day canine education program with monthly tuition of $1,400-$3,500+, featuring a customized Montessori-based curriculum progressing dogs through five grade levels (Puppy Kindergarten 3-6 months, Middle School 6-18 months, High School 18-24 months, University 2-4 years, Masters 4+ years). Includes training walks, off-leash hikes, specialty coaching, enrichment activities, field trips, and small class sizes for Toronto dog owners.
• Private Training + Coaching One-on-one training sessions with certified dog trainers, available in-person or virtually. Initial consultation at $225 for 1.5 hours, followed by $175 per 60-minute session, sold in packages of four sessions with option for ongoing monthly sessions. Includes custom step-by-step plans and follow-through support for dog owners.
• Adventure Hike Year-long wilderness hiking program for Academy Alumni featuring twice-weekly off-leash forest hikes at $55.50 per hike, with door-to-door car service included. Sensory enrichment through nature exploration with a current waitlist due to limited capacity.
• Car Service Door-to-door transportation service for Academy dogs with tiered pricing from $17-$37+ per trip depending on distance from the 826 College Street facility. Complimentary for Adventure Hike pick-ups and drop-offs; custom rates outside the local zone.

Quantifiable outcome

• Dogs develop skills to navigate both city life and wilderness exploration with confidence
• +1 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Petco: Major U.S. pet retailer with dog daycare, training, and grooming services inside many locations. Comparable as a broad incumbent with overlapping pet care services, but operates within a much larger retail ecosystem rather than as a focused training-first operator.
• PetSmart: Canada's largest specialty pet retailer, operating Doggie Day Camp services inside many stores. Comparable as a broad incumbent offering daycare within a wider retail and services portfolio, though less specialized and lower-priced than Unleashed's premium Montessori positioning.

Emerging players

• Rover: Online marketplace connecting pet owners with dog walkers, sitters, and daycare hosts. Comparable as an emerging player in pet care services, but competes via a marketplace model rather than a dedicated facility-based daycare and training program.
• Wag!: On-demand pet care platform offering dog walking, boarding, and sitting services. Comparable as an emerging app-based player in pet care services, though it lacks a physical daycare/training facility model comparable to Unleashed's Academy.

Direct peers

• Camp Bow Wow: National dog daycare, boarding, and training franchise with hundreds of locations. Comparable as a multi-unit daycare operator emphasizing socialization, enrichment, and trained handler staff—similar service mix to Unleashed's Academy plus add-ons.
• Dogtopia: Largest dog daycare franchise in North America with multiple Toronto locations, offering daycare, boarding, grooming, and structured training programs. Closest scaled competitor—similar multi-service model and force-free philosophy, but with a much broader facility footprint than Unleashed.
• The Dog Stop: Multi-unit dog daycare, boarding, and grooming franchise with training add-ons. Comparable as a full-service pet care operator offering daycare plus ancillary training and retail—overlapping service architecture with Unleashed's six revenue streams.
• K9 Loft: Toronto-based dog daycare and training facility offering cage-free daycare, obedience training, and grooming. Directly comparable as a Toronto pet care provider whose training-anchored services overlap with Unleashed's Academy, Private Training, and force-free positioning in the same urban market.
• Sit Means Sit: Dog training franchise offering group classes and private training across multiple locations. Comparable for its training-first positioning and certified trainer network, similar in approach to Unleashed's CCPDT/KPA-certified model and curriculum-led value proposition.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/unleashed-in-the-city

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Unleashed In The City