Instinct Dog Behavior & Training
Bottom line
- Total investment $143K – $889K including a $40K franchise fee, 8.0% ongoing royalty.
- Average unit revenue of $1.7M/year.
- Rated MODERATE with a risk score of 64/100. SBA loan default rate of 0.0% across 2 loans (below the industry average).
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Yale framework · single-unit ROIC
Returns Analysis
Pulls Item 7 (investment) and Item 19 (revenue) from this brand's FDD into the Yale unlevered-ROIC formula. Override any input to stress-test it against your own assumptions.
The model · Yale framework
What would one Instinct Dog Behavior & Training unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
39%
In Yale's "attractive" band (30–60%)
Levered LBO scenario · Yale Crease Capital framing
What would 25 Instinct Dog Behavior & Training units return on equity?
Equity IRR · 5-yr
40.2%
5.41× MOIC
Year-1 DSCR
2.11×
EBITDA ÷ debt service
Equity required
$3.5M
on $12.1M purchase
Total debt
$8.6M
SBA $5.0M + senior + seller note
Overview
About
Franchisees operate dog behavior and training centers, providing obedience training, behavioral modification, puppy classes, and in-home consultation services to local dog owners. Day-to-day activities include conducting training sessions, consulting with clients, managing staff trainers, and handling administrative/marketing duties. Revenue model is service-based (training fees, board-and-train programs, behavioral consultations).
Item 7 · what it costs
The Vitals
Item 19
Financial Performance
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 14 states with active franchisees
The Territory Map
Derived from franchisee contact records. Shows states with at least one current operator — not where the franchisor is registered to sell new units (that data is re-extracting in a future refresh).
States derived from franchisee phone area codes (Item 20). Approximate — ported numbers may show the original state, not the franchisee's current location.
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA 7(a) loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 5, 6, 12, 17
Risk & Legal
Very early-stage franchise system with explosive growth claims, opaque profitability data, and wide investment variance presents moderate-to-high risk despite protected territory and lack of litigation.
Score breakdown · what drove the 64 / 100 rating
- 01MEDNet income not disclosed in FDD Item 19 — unable to validate profitability claims against $1.73M avg revenue
- 02MINORExtreme unit growth (200% YoY) suggests either aggressive expansion or inflated early-stage metrics; only 7 units total indicates very new/unproven system
- 03MINORWide investment range ($142K–$889K) suggests inconsistent unit economics or unclear cost structure; hard to model ROI
- 04MINOR8% royalty on gross sales (not net) is aggressive and reduces franchisee cushion during slow periods
- 05MINORService-based business model dependent on owner/operator time; scalability and absentee-owner viability unclear
- 06HIGHNo 'going concern' statement suggests franchisor may have questioned operational sustainability
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
FDD Items 5, 6, 12, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
Item 11
Training & Operations
Item 20
Franchisee Contacts
Phone numbers extracted directly from this brand's FDD Item 20. After purchase, you'll also receive a list of validation questions tailored to this brand.
Franchisee contacts
15 numbers
One-time purchase · CSV download · Validation questions included
FDD download
Instinct Dog Behavior & Training · FDD (2022) PDF