Dog Training Elite, the rapidly expanding 230-plus territory dog training franchise, is targeting Washington, D.C.; Maryland; and Virginia for growth. Last year alone, the dog training brand opened over 120 locations. With an ideal blend of high income, high pet ownership rates, and lots of professionals who work in the office and need their dogs to be well-behaved when they are left at home during the day, the D.C. metro area is primed for franchisees to find success. 

Pet ownership soared during the pandemic, with 78% of pet owners acquiring one during that time. Now, 68% of US households own a pet. The D.C. metro area is perfect for Dog Training Elite franchisees because of its high pet ownership rate. In Maryland alone, 30% of residents own a dog. 

"We're also looking at the inner suburbs of the D.C. area. Demographically, those are areas with families and high dog ownership. This area also has a high education rate, which is typically a key indicator for dog ownership," said Linton Dowling, Vice President of Marketing at Raintree Growth. Dog Training Elite and Raintree Growth have been partnering together for three years.

In addition, 10% of households in the D.C. metro area make over $200,000 a year, and the largest industries are biotech, defense, hospitality, and tourism. The one connecting thread between all those industries is needing to leave home to go to work, meaning more dogs are staying home alone. Unfortunately, there is a proven correlation between unstimulated dogs and destructive and negative behaviors, and that's where dog training services like Dog Training Elite can help households. 

Washington, D.C. is also a prime location for a Dog Training Elite franchise because of the high government and military presence within and surrounding the city. The brand offers several niche therapy dog training services and even provides therapy dogs to veterans in need at no cost. In addition to providing service dogs to veterans, Dog Training Elite provides service dogs to first responders, women survivors of abuse/sexual assault, and children with fragile medical needs through its 501c3, The Malinois Foundation.

"This market, with its high dog ownership and favorable demographics, is just primed for a Dog Training Elite," said Dowling." If we find suitable candidates that match our values, we could fill out the available territories in this area by the end of the year."

Potential candidates who want to work with a family brand will love working with Dog Training Elite. "Dog Training Elite is a family business. Kelley, the CEO, took over from her father. Her husband is involved with the business, as well. Her brother Neal owns a Franchise in Arizona and is helping the Corporate Team with Franchise Owner Training and Marketing. We're not owned by a larger brand or private equity; our growth has come organically due to our family values. It's no wonder that our strongest performing Franchise Territories are run by families, not individuals," said Dowling.

Currently, Dog Training Elite is looking for prospective owners interested in purchasing at least three territories. More than 90 percent of their current franchisees are multi-unit owners, as they've seen that owning multiple territories helps supercharge a franchisee's success. "We're looking for multi-unit owners now," said Dowling. “We are allowing existing Franchise Owners to secure any single isolated territories that border first. The last four years have shown that multi-unit owners are the most successful. By awarding new franchise owners multi-unit territories, we know we give them every chance to succeed and grow financially.”

To find out more information on the investment of a Dog Training Elite Franchise, please visit www.1851franchise.com/dogtrainingelite/info