Lead The Way Dog Training

What Lead The Way Dog Training does

Lead The Way Dog Training is a privately held, local dog training service operating as a DBA of Sit Happens LLC, founded by Russ Norcross, a retired Law Enforcement K-9 Sergeant with over 20 years of canine handling experience. The business is headquartered in a single training facility at 2724 N Route 9, Ocean View, New Jersey, and serves pet owners across Cape May County and surrounding Jersey Shore communities. All services are delivered on-site at the facility.

The company offers three core training programs structured around its proprietary Positive Balanced Dog Training methodology: Train & Coach (one-on-one private lessons), Day Camp & Coach (structured drop-off daytime training, described as the most popular option), and Stay & Train (full-time immersive board-and-train). The curriculum is built on two proprietary frameworks, the L.E.A.D. System (Learn, Expect, Apply, Deepen) and the S.G.R. Method (Signal, Guide, Reward), both of which are registered trademarks. Add-on services include Club Days continuing education for graduates, graduate-only boarding, and financing through a partnership with All Pet Credit Card. Tiered program bundles (Gold, Ultimate Gold, Platinum) further segment the offering.

The revenue model is professional services with quote-based pricing and no published rates. Distribution is fully direct-to-consumer via the company website, phone consultations booked through a LeadConnector widget, and on-site service delivery at the Ocean View facility. Marketing relies on organic content across Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and LinkedIn, plus an educational blog. The company has 1-10 employees, no external funding, no parent company, no acquisitions, and operates as a founder-led micro-local service business.

Name

Lead The Way Dog Training

Legal name

Sit Happens LLC

Website

https://leadthewaydogtraining.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Lead The Way Dog Training is a privately held, single-facility dog training service in Ocean View, NJ, founded by a retired Law Enforcement K-9 Sergeant, serving Cape May County pet owners with private lessons, day camp, and board-and-train programs built on a proprietary Positive Balanced methodology.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Dog Training Services

NAICS

Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services (81291), Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services (812910)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Dog Daycare with Boarding Add-On (Daycare + Overnight) (HSANAFAM), Overnight Kennel Boarding (Dogs) (HSANADAA)

Keywords

• Dog obedience training
• Board and train services
• Puppy behavior training
• Private dog lessons
• Dog training academy

Headquarters

HQ city

Ocean View

HQ country

United States

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, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Train & Coach Private Lessons: Weekly one-on-one training sessions at the facility where owners learn directly with their dogs under trainer guidance. Includes homework and trainer feedback between sessions.
2. Day Camp & Coach: Structured daytime drop-off training program. Dogs train during the day and go home each night. Includes owner coaching at select pickups.
3. Stay & Train Board & Train: Full-time live-in training program where dogs live at the facility. Includes follow-up coaching sessions for owners to maintain progress at home.
4. Boarding for Graduates: Boarding available exclusively for graduates of training programs. Dogs that have completed training can board for continued reinforcement and structured care.
5. Club Days: Continuing education program for graduates offering advanced skill development, enrichment activities, and professional support. Includes nose work, agility challenges, and structured socialization.
6. Financing Partnership: Third-party financing through All Pet Credit Card allowing customers to pay over time for training services. Special financing available for 6 months on purchases of $250 or more.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Lead The Way Dog Training is a local dog training services company that delivers structured obedience and behavior programs for family dogs at its Ocean View, NJ facility. Core offerings include one-on-one private lessons (Train + Coach), drop-off daytime training (Day Camp + Coach), and full-time live-in board and train (Stay + Train), with add-on services such as Club Days and boarding for program graduates. Every program is delivered through the company's proprietary Positive Balanced Dog Training methodology and includes owner coaching so that behavior carries into daily life.

Product overview

Lead The Way Dog Training is a dog training service company offering structured training programs designed for real world carryover. The company operates three core training programs: Train + Coach (private lessons), Day Camp + Coach (drop-off daytime training), and Stay + Train (board and train). These programs are built around Positive Balanced Dog Training methodology and the proprietary L.E.A.D. System of learning (Learn, Expect, Apply, Deepen) and S.G.R. Method (Signal, Guide, Reward). The company also offers add-on services including Club Days for graduates, boarding for graduates, and financing options through All Pet Credit Card.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Positive Balanced Dog Training™: The company's core training philosophy built on structure, clarity, and fair reinforcement.
• S.G.R. Method™
• L.E.A.D. System

Products and services

• Train + Coach (Private Lessons) One-on-one private training sessions at the Ocean View, NJ facility where owners learn alongside their dog under trainer guidance. Includes weekly sessions, homework, and trainer feedback between sessions, and is best suited for hands-on owners who want direct involvement and shared growth with their dog.
• Day Camp + Coach Structured drop-off daytime training program in which dogs receive professional training and enrichment at the facility during the day and return home each night, with owner coaching included at select pickups to keep owners connected to progress. Designed for owners who want training to move forward during the day while maintaining daily home life with their dog.
• Stay + Train (Board & Train) Full-time immersive live-in training program in which dogs reside at the Ocean View, NJ facility for intensive learning, with personalized attention, progress tracking, and follow-up coaching sessions to ensure training continuity once dogs return home. Best suited for owners who want a stronger jump start with more built-in support.
• Club Days Exclusive continuing education program for graduates of the training programs, offering advanced skill development (nose work, agility, environmental conditioning, obedience reinforcement), enrichment activities, professional trainer support, and community benefits, in a structured environment designed to support real-world distraction training.
• Boarding for Graduates Boarding services available exclusively for graduates of Lead The Way training programs, with dogs evaluated and approved by the team prior to boarding. Includes structured care, continued reinforcement of prior training, and regular updates delivered through a private community group.

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature4 records

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Zoom Room Dog Training: Franchised facility-based dog training and socialization concept with group classes, private lessons, and board-and-train-style programs. Direct overlap with Lead The Way's facility-based delivery, tiered program structure, and positive-reinforcement methodology.
• Camp Bow Wow: Franchised dog daycare and boarding brand offering all-day play, overnight stays, and training add-ons. Comparable to Lead The Way's drop-off daytime care and Stay & Train boarding-and-training offering, scaled nationally through franchising.
• Smart Dog Training and Rehabilitation: Specialized dog training company offering board-and-train, day training, and private lessons with proprietary methodology. Direct overlap with Lead The Way's Stay & Train / Day Camp structure and methodology-led positioning.
• K9 Resorts Luxury Pet Hotel: Franchised luxury dog boarding and daycare brand with add-on training and spa services. Comparable to Lead The Way on premium positioning and the daycare-plus-overnight mix, but operates as a multi-location franchise rather than a single founder-led site.
• Bark Busters Home Dog Training: National dog training franchise delivering in-home and facility-based obedience and behavioral programs. Comparable to Lead The Way in service category (family-dog behavioral training) and structured program offerings, but operates via a franchise model across many territories.
• Dogtopia: National dog daycare franchise with add-on training, spa, and boarding services delivered at purpose-built facilities. Comparable to Lead The Way's Day Camp + Coach model and premium service positioning, though at significantly greater scale and geographic reach.

Broad incumbents

• PetSmart Dog Training: Big-box pet retailer's group and private dog training classes offered inside stores. Direct overlap in target customer (family dog owners) but mass-market positioning versus Lead The Way's premium, founder-led methodology.
• Petco Dog Training: National pet retailer's in-store group dog training programs. Competes for the same pet-owner customer base on price and convenience but does not offer facility-based board-and-train or proprietary one-on-one methodologies like Lead The Way.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@LeadTheWayDogTraining
• Facebookfacebook.com/leadthewaydogtraining
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sit-happens-lead-the-way-dog-training
• Instagraminstagram.com/leadthewaydogtraining
• TikToktiktok.com/@leadthewaydogtraining

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 Lead The Way Dog Training