Instant access · Self-paced 30-day guarantee Voted Best Dog Trainer in VT

Build a real dog day school business — in a spare room you already have.

S.A.F.E. School for Dogs is the complete system for turning your love of dogs into $400–$800 a day, socializing and training dogs in groups indoors.

A complete business & dog training system
Learn Pack leadership & psychology
Start Contracts & client systems
Grow Marketing & pricing strategy
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A SAFE day school group of nine dogs sitting calmly during training
1
Choose your space
2
Master the training
3
Build your business
Co-taught by Rhonda Bilodeau + Jess Gorham
A proven indoor day school system
Voted Best Dog Trainer in VTSeven Days Vermont
15+ years of experience10,000+ hours working with dogs
Internationally renowned expertIn dog socialization & pack leadership
Meet your instructors

Two teachers. Two complementary expertises.

Rhonda built the training methodology. Jess took those principles and built a successful indoor day school of her own. Together they co-created SAFE so the next person doesn't have to figure it out alone.

Rhonda Bilodeau leading her pack of dogs through Vermont hills
The methodology

Rhonda Bilodeau

Co-founder · Training methodology

At 24, Rhonda was working night shifts at a liquor store, dreaming of a different life. Within three years, she went from zero professional experience to confidently pack walking 20 dogs off-leash through the mountains of Vermont — and building a business that gave her freedom, purpose, and real income.

Beyond pack walking, Rhonda built a private dog training practice specializing in serious behavioral issues — reactivity, aggression, anxiety, fear — the cases other trainers turn away. That work earned her the title of Best Dog Trainer in Vermont (Seven Days, 2022) and gave her the deep understanding of dog psychology that underpins SAFE.

Rhonda is the methodology behind SAFE. Jess is the day school proof. Together, they built the course.

15+ years · Best Dog Trainer in VT (2022)

Jess Gorham with two of her dogs in a Vermont field
The day school

Jess Gorham

Co-founder · Day school authority

Jess is a professional dog trainer with a Bachelor of Science in Animal Science and Psychology from the University of Vermont. She worked in a busy dog daycare during her studies, gaining hands-on experience with behavior, group dynamics, and canine communication, then became the top formulation specialist at a large animal supplement company — sharpening her analytical, research-driven mindset.

Jess graduated from My Dog Camp and adapted everything she learned into a structured indoor day school program. The transformation she saw — in her own dogs and her clients' dogs — became the foundation of S.A.F.E. School for Dogs, which she co-built with Rhonda. Inside SAFE, Jess leads the Zoom call recordings and teaches the day school operational system she pioneered.

Jess lives in Vermont with her dogs, Pip and Sturge.

UVM B.S. Animal Science & Psychology · Founder, A Dog's Trail

A day at your school

What clients are paying for.

A Dog Day School isn't daycare. It's a structured, premium door-to-door dog socialization and training care — the kind of day that turns into real client results and a higher day rate.

First · You drive

Morning pickups

You drive the route and pick each dog up from home. Door-to-door service is part of what makes a premium day rate worth it — clients are buying back their morning.

1.5–2 hours · before school begins

Dogs gathered together during structured play
Phase 01 · In school

Structured play

Supervised, paired group play built around temperament and energy. Not a free-for-all — an actively managed session where dogs learn how to read each other.

1 hour

Dogs settled on raised beds during trained relaxation
Phase 02 · In school

Trained relaxation

Deep relaxation as a taught skill. Each dog settles on their station — the cornerstone of a regulated nervous system, and the reason owners come home to a calmer dog.

1 hour

Jess running an obedience drill with a small group of dogs
Phase 03 · In school

Obedience drills

Recall, place, loose-leash work, and focus drills practiced with the distraction of a calm pack around them. Dogs leave more responsive than they arrived.

1 hour

Last · You drive

Afternoon drop-offs

You drive each dog home, calm and satisfied. Owners feel it the moment they walk in — and it's the reason they stay enrolled and tell their friends about you.

1.5–2 hours · after school ends

This is why a day school charges $60–$100 per dog, per day. Owners aren't paying for storage. They're paying for transformation — delivered to their door.

How the business actually works

The same dogs. Every week.

Day school isn't a one-off booking. When a client enrolls, they reserve the same day — every week, ongoing. Tuesdays are Tuesday's dogs. Thursdays are Thursday's dogs. You're not selling open slots one at a time — you're filling a weekly roster. Each dog books the same day every week, and once your roster is filled, it stays filled.

Four dogs lounging together comfortably in an indoor day school pen — regulars who know each other
Tuesday's dogs — same pack, week after week.

Recurring weekly enrollments

Each dog books the same day, week after week. Closer to a recurring membership than a one-off booking.

Predictable monthly income

Fill your week once and the calendar holds. No nightly scramble to fill tomorrow's slots.

A waitlist, not empty days

When you hit the number of dogs you're comfortable with, you stop taking new clients and start a waitlist.

This is why graduates can hit $400–$800 a day and keep hitting it — week after week.

The truth about getting started

You don't need any of this to begin.

Years of experience
A commercial facility
A big space
To quit your job first
A degree or certification
A perfect plan
A full pack on day one

You need a proven method, the right space, and the willingness to start small. SAFE gives you the first two.

Why this method

Two ways to build a dog day school. One of them works.

The hard way

Improvise. Hope it works.

  • Book by the day.

    Scramble every night to fill tomorrow.

  • All play, no structure.

    Dogs come home wrecked. Owners complain.

  • Take any dog.

    Hope they get along. Manage the fallout.

  • Compete on price.

    Race to the bottom against every daycare.

  • Figure it out alone.

    Every problem feels brand new.

The SAFE way

Follow a system. Get results.

  • Recurring weekly enrollments.

    Your calendar fills once, then holds.

  • Structured 3-phase day.

    Calm, regulated dogs. Owners feel it.

  • Screened intake.

    You know which dogs fit. No drama later.

  • Premium day rate.

    Owners pay $60–$150 for transformation.

  • 200+ peer community.

    Every question already answered by someone.

The hard way works for some people. We built SAFE for everyone else.

The path

From wherever you are to a real career.

You're not buying an online course. You're getting a complete business and training system — everything from your first dog to your full pack.

01

Choose your space

A spare room, garage, basement — or a small fenced area in your backyard. We'll show you exactly what works and what to look for.

02

Master the training

Pack leadership, dog psychology, group socialization, and the structured day-school curriculum behind 15+ years of results.

03

Build your clientele

Marketing, contracts, scripts, websites. Everything to find clients, screen them, and turn them into long-term repeat bookings.

04

Start small. Scale when ready.

Begin with four dogs. Add more only when you and your space are ready. The slow path is the right path — for the dogs, your reputation, and your sanity.

A real graduate · A real business

Inside A Dog's Trail.

How Jess Gorham took the SAFE principles, adapted them into a structured indoor day school, and built a thriving business from her own space — in three years.

Jess Gorham with two of her dogs Profile No. 01
A SAFE Graduate Spotlight

Jess Gorham

A Dog's Trail · Vermont

SAFE Co-instructor Vermont MDC Graduate UVM · B.S. Animal Science
Year Started
2021
in her own space
Day Rate (Year 3)
$840
per day, current
Dogs Per Day
10–12
at capacity
Schedule
4 days
per week
01 The Before

The corporate path that wasn't working.

Jess had everything that looks good on paper: a Bachelor of Science in Animal Science and Psychology from UVM, hands-on experience working in a busy dog daycare during her studies, and a respected role as the top formulation specialist at a large animal supplement company. Stable. Predictable. The career she'd been building toward. But it wasn't what she actually wanted to do with her days.

02 The Decision

From My Dog Camp graduate to her own day school.

Jess graduated from My Dog Camp under Rhonda Bilodeau and saw something nobody else was building: a structured indoor version of the same group socialization method that worked outdoors. She took every principle she'd learned, adapted them into a day-school operating model, and started with four dogs from her own space. Then five. Then six. The transformation she saw in those first dogs — and her own — became the foundation of what would eventually become S.A.F.E. School for Dogs.

The course helped me leave my well-paying job. I now work out of my own space socializing dogs and I'm making more than I was at my 'stable' corporate job. There is no ceiling here — nothing is fixed.

Jess Gorham · Founder, A Dog's Trail

03 The Now

A four-day week. A waitlist. A career.

Three years in, A Dog's Trail runs four days a week, takes in 10–12 dogs per day, and has a steady waitlist of clients ready to take the next opening. Jess earns more than her corporate salary, owns her schedule, and is now bringing what she built back to the next generation of dog professionals as co-instructor inside SAFE itself.

Earnings progression $/day
Building
$540
$840
Year 1Year 2Year 3
Year 1. Started with four dogs. Built skill. First word-of-mouth clients.
Year 2. Steady weekly bookings. Raised day rate.
Year 3. At capacity. Waitlist. Premium positioning.
A typical week at capacity
Mon School
Tue School
Wed School
Thu School
Fri Off
Sat Off
Sun Off
School day: 10–12 dogs, $840/day
Off

Full circle Jess now co-teaches SAFE alongside Rhonda — turning what she learned into the system that helps the next generation of day school owners build what she built.

Ready to see what's possible?

Jess didn't own a facility. She didn't have years of experience. She took the principles and built something real — from her own space.

Enrollment Opening Soon Sign Up for Waitlist
Five happy dogs sitting together, engaged and looking up at the camera
The right group Engaged. Calm. Paired by temperament. This is what you're building.
Pro tip · Selecting your dogs

A great day school isn't built by saying yes to every dog.

The instinct when you're starting out is to accept every dog that comes through your door. It's the fastest path to a chaotic group, a stressed-out you, and — worst case — a barking dog that gets your business shut down by an annoyed neighbor.

The dogs you accept determine everything — the energy of your group, your safety inside that space, your reputation in your community, and whether you actually enjoy your days.

Some dogs are not your first clients. Chronic barkers. Dogs with serious reactivity. Dogs who haven't been socialized at all. Dogs whose anxiety needs one-on-one help before they're ready for group work. These dogs aren't bad dogs — they just need a different path before they're ready for what you do.

Inside the program, we teach you the full screening process: a written application, a phone interview, and a structured trial day that tells you within minutes whether a dog belongs in your school. You'll learn what to look for, what to ask, and — just as importantly — how to confidently say no.

You don't have to build any of it from scratch. The program includes pre-written client applications, intake questionnaires, contracts, and screening forms — the exact ones used in working day schools today. Swap in your business name and you're ready to send them to your first inquiry.

A great dog day school isn't built by taking every dog. It's built by choosing the right ones.

The right way to build

You don't start with a full pack. Nobody does.

Not Jess. Not the graduates running schools at capacity today. Everyone starts small — and that's not a compromise, it's the right way to build.

Most graduates start with four dogs. Four. You run your full structured day with four dogs — pickups, play, relaxation, drills, drop-offs — until that feels easy. Then you add a fifth. Then a sixth. Some graduates stay at six because that's the business they want. Others reach ten or twelve over the course of a year or two. There's no race, and no “right” number except the one that works for you, your space, and the dogs you've taken on.

The temptation when you're new is to fill every slot to hit the income numbers fast. Don't. The day school owners who succeed long-term build slowly — they earn their pack one dog at a time. Their reputation grows with their capacity. Their skill grows with their reputation. And by the time they're running ten dogs, they've earned it.

Four dogs is not “starting small.”

Four dogs is a real day school.

You scale only when those four feel easy.

Everything you get

A complete system. Nothing missing.

Three pillars working together — the training, the business, and the mindset to sustain it. This isn't theory. It's the entire proven system that built real day schools.

Core program

  • Six-module SAFE Day School curriculum
  • S.A.F.E. School Training System™
  • Indoor group socialization protocols
  • Recorded video lessons & demonstrations
  • Lifetime access to course updates

Business toolkit

  • Dog Pro Business Essentials
  • Contracts, intake forms, scripts
  • Legal & insurance guidance
  • Marketing & Outreach strategies
  • Pricing & client retention strategies

Mindset & wellbeing

  • Mindset trainings for the long haul
  • Private student community
  • Deep dive recorded sessions with Jess & Rhonda
  • Burnout prevention frameworks
  • Pace & boundaries guidance
Jess Gorham teaching a group of dogs in her indoor day school. Several dogs in trained relaxation on cots; one dog approaching her for a treat.
Lesson in session — inside Jess’s school. Jess Gorham · SAFE co-teacher
The curriculum

Six modules. Every step covered.

Click any module to see what's inside.

  1. Mindset for trainers & owners
  2. How dogs learn
  3. The marker word
  4. Food & stress
  5. 3 ways to use food in training
  6. Creating the behavior you want
  7. Types of relaxation
  1. Emotional states
  2. Different forms of communication
  3. Understanding dog communication
  4. Dog body language
  5. Breed biddability
  6. Different play styles
  7. Aggression & reactivity
  1. Tools of the trade
  2. School safety
  3. The S.A.F.E. School car
  4. Setting up your SAFE space
  5. Husbandry basics
  6. The legalities of using your property
  7. Equipment & first aid
  8. Policies, procedures & emergency protocols
  9. Insurance considerations
  10. Setting up your business & choosing a name
  1. Phases of learning
  2. Rate of reward & fading off food
  3. Marker system & magnet hand
  4. Pressure & release leash work
  5. Scatter feeding
  6. Back-tie & exercise pen
  7. Safe base & thresholds
  8. Place, stationing, recall, loose-leash walk
  9. Group relaxation & confidence building
  1. Evaluating dogs
  2. Client questionnaire & contracts
  3. Choosing dogs for school
  4. Building your pack & trial day
  5. The interview & boundaries
  6. Website & copywriting
  7. Logo, graphics & photos
  8. Social media & email list
  9. Business cards, flyers & advertising
  1. Grade school model
  2. Introducing dogs
  3. Group socialization
  4. Using interruptors to shape behavior
  5. The power of the pack
  6. Potty breaks
  7. Social influence & moving away from food
  8. Building trusting relationships
You're not building this alone

A community of 200+ dog pros.

200+
members in the
private community

You're joining the private community for graduates of both S.A.F.E. School for Dogs and our sister program, My Dog Camp. Indoor day schools, outdoor camps, pack-walking businesses — different formats, same problems, real answers.

Rhonda Bilodeau, founder
Jess Gorham, co-teacher
Student Tasha
Student Sara
Student Jessye
Student Courtney
Community member
Community member
Community member
Community member
+more

What happens inside

  • Daily peer Q&A — what's working, what's not
  • Real space teardowns — indoor schools and outdoor camp setups
  • Pricing, contracts, and intake forms — crowd-reviewed
  • Weekly student wins — first dogs, first paychecks, first waitlists
Access
Lifetime
Members
200+

You won't be the only person figuring this out — and that's the point.

Run the numbers

What could your day school earn?

Adjust the numbers and pick your days. The math is honest. The ranges are common.

Dogs per day 10
Price per dog $60
Days per week 5

Click any day to toggle it on or off.

Estimated monthly
$12,990

≈ $600 per school day · $156,000 per year

Income · 12-month projection
JFMAMJJASOND
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Where you'll run your school

You already have the space.

Most graduates start with what's already in their home. A spare room or basement comes first — outdoor backyard space is a bonus.

A spare room

The most common starting point. If you have a bedroom or den you're not using, you have a starter day school.

A garage

Heated or unheated, attached or detached. Garages are some of the most popular SAFE spaces — easy to clean, well-ventilated, easy to convert.

A basement

Finished or unfinished, walk-out or not. Basements naturally insulate sound and stay cool in summer — ideal for a relaxation-focused day.

A small fenced area in your backyard

A bonus for outdoor breaks. Even a 50×40 ft fenced space gives dogs a place to potty and decompress between blocks.

If you have any one of these, you have everything you need to start.

Be honest with yourself

This is for some people. Not all.

SAFE works when the person is right for it. Here's who fits — and who doesn't.

You're a fit if you...

  • Genuinely love dogs and want to spend your days with them indoors
  • Have a spare room, garage, basement, or small fenced area you can use
  • Are willing to start small and grow patiently
  • Want a real, premium career — not a side gig
  • Are willing to follow a proven system before improvising

This isn't for you if you...

  • Want a get-rich-quick scheme or hands-off business
  • Don't actually like working with dogs all day
  • Refuse to turn away dogs that aren't a fit for your school
  • Need certainty before you'll start anything
  • Want to skip the foundation and jump to making money
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The neighbor question

"What if my neighbors complain about the noise?"

This is one of the first fears every aspiring day school owner has. It's a fair concern — and it's almost never the actual problem people think it is.

Your day school operates during the same hours most neighbors are at work, minimizing any disturbance. On the rare occasion a dog does bark, it's no louder — and far less frequent — than the everyday sounds of a lawnmower or weed wacker, which are both louder and more consistent.

Most neighborhood noise comes from lawn care, or from dogs left outside, unsupervised and untrained. Those owners aren't investing in fulfilling their dogs' needs or teaching them to be quiet.

When you run a professional day school, you hand-select dogs, avoiding chronic barkers, and you keep them engaged, exercised, and calm. Many of our students' neighbors are shocked to discover there's a dog business operating next door — because it's that peaceful.

The fear of neighbor complaints is real. But the answer isn't to give up on the business. It's to run the kind of business where complaints don't have a reason to exist.

Selective intake, structured days, calm dogs. Run it right and most neighbors won't even know you're there.

What if...?

The questions everyone asks themselves first.

Honest answers, not pressure-sells. If you're going to commit, you should commit clear-eyed.

"What if I don't have a spare room?"

Truth: A garage, basement, or even a small fenced backyard area works. The program shows you how to evaluate and set up almost any contained space.

"What if I can't quit my job yet?"

Truth: Don't. SAFE is built for slow growth. Start with two days a week, prove the model, then scale when you're ready.

"What if my market is too small?"

Truth: Every other household has a dog. You only need 10–15 regular clients to clear $80k+ a year. Most rural towns have that many.

"What if a dog gets hurt in my space?"

Truth: The safety protocols, intake assessments, and dog-pairing systems exist for exactly this reason. We cover insurance & contracts too.

"What if 10 dogs at once feels overwhelming?"

Truth: Then don't take 10 at once. Start with four. Most graduates begin with four dogs, master the rhythm, then add the fifth. There's no race — the slow path is the right one.

"How do I know when I'm ready to add another dog?"

Truth: When the current group runs itself — play is calm, relaxation is deep, you're not exhausted. The program covers the exact signals to look for before you grow.

"What if I'm new to professional dog work?"

Truth: Most students are. Module 01 starts at the foundation. No prior credentials assumed or required.

"What if I need permits or licenses?"

Truth: It varies by state and county. We cover typical requirements — you'll verify locally. Most areas have a clear path.

"What if I just don't like the program?"

Truth: 30 days, full refund, no questions. Try it. If it's not the right fit, we don't keep your money.

If you've made it this far, you already know.

The only question left is whether you start now or six months from now.

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A real 30-day guarantee.

Try the program. If it's not for you, get every dollar back.

What you get

Full access to SAFE for 30 days — every module, every lesson, the community, all of it.

The catch

There isn't one. Email us within 30 days and we'll refund you in full. No forms, no friction.

Why we ask

SAFE is for committed people. If it's not the right fit, neither of us benefits — and you should keep your money.

Sound fair? — Rhonda & Jess

Your path forward

From day 1 to a full school.

Four steps. The pace is yours.

01

Start learning the proven system

Module 01 starts at the foundation. Pack leadership, dog psychology, and how to read a group before you ever take one in.

02

Open with four dogs

Your first day. Four dogs you've personally screened. Full structured day from pickup to drop-off.

03

Grow your pack at your pace

Add a fifth dog when four feels easy. Then a sixth. The system tells you when you're ready, not the calendar.

04

Open another day

When one day reaches your comfort capacity, you start a waitlist — or open Tuesdays too. Scale by days, not chaos.

And whenever you get stuck, the community of 200+ is right there.

Join the waitlist.

Enrollment for SAFE School for Dogs Online Course is opening soon.

Add your name to the list and you'll be the first to hear when doors are open for the next enrollment period.

No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

Frequently asked

Questions, answered.

No. A spare room, garage, basement, or small fenced backyard area is enough. The program walks you through evaluating and setting up your space — whatever you have access to.
Some graduates have first paying clients within 6–8 weeks — usually starting with four dogs, one or two days a week. From there, you add dogs and days as you're ready. Reaching capacity (10–12 dogs, 4–5 days a week) typically takes 6–18 months. The slow-and-steady path is the recommended one — it protects you, your reputation, and the dogs.
When done correctly, yes — and the whole point of starting small is that you don't have to handle a big group on day one. You begin with four dogs and learn the rhythm of a structured day. The system covers intake assessments, dog pairing by temperament, group structure, ratios, and incident management. By the time you have eight or ten dogs in your space, you've spent months working up to it.
Insurance: yes, and the program covers what kind. Permits and zoning vary by state and county — we cover the typical requirements but you'll verify locally. Most areas have a clear, navigable path.
No. Most students start at zero — no certifications, no prior professional experience. Module 01 (Dog School Psychology) is the foundation, and everything builds from there.
Absolutely. Many graduates start with one or two days a week. Several stay part-time permanently because the income works at part-time scale. Don't quit your job to start — that's actively bad advice.
Yes. Day school operations are universal. The principles work in any climate, any market, urban or rural. The implementation flexes to your area.
Email us within 30 days of enrolling and we refund every dollar. No forms, no exit interviews, no friction. We don't want your money if SAFE isn't right for you.

Your business starts the moment you decide.

Everything else is just paperwork.

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— Rhonda & Jess

S.A.F.E. School for Dogs™
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