Instinct Dog Behavior & TrainingFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Instinct Dog Behavior & Training franchise requires a total initial investment of $143K – $889K, including a $40K franchise fee and an ongoing 8.0% royalty[2]. Per the 2022 FDD, average unit revenue was $1.7M[2]. Verdict grade: A. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified June 21, 2026 · figures per the 2022 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $143K – $889K
- 38th pct Pet Services
- Avg gross sales
- $1.7M
- 53rd pct Pet Services
- Royalty
- 8.0%
- 50th pct Pet Services
- Units
- 7
- 30th pct Pet Services
- SBA default
- N/A
Quick verdict · Pet Services · color = vs category peers
Green = >15% above Pet Services avg · No shading = within ±15% · Red = >15% below avg · Source: FDD filings + SBA 7(a)
Data from public FDD filings and SBA records. Not financial advice. Methodology
Each dollar invested generates 3.4x in gross revenue, well above the typical 1.5-2.5x range.
Franchised units fell from 6 to 1 over 3 years. Investigate why operators are leaving.
Bottom line
- Total investment $143K – $889K including a $40K franchise fee, 8.0% ongoing royalty.
- Average unit revenue of $1.7M/year.
- Verdict A (Top Quintile) with a risk score of 51/100.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
- Legal entity
- Instinct Dog Training Inc.
- Incorporated in
- NY
- HQ
- 181 East 111th Street, New York, New York 10029
- Auditor
- Barry Knepper
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $245K
- vs $117K prior year
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).
- CEO
- Brian Burton
- Headquarters
- NY
- Founded
- 2017
- FDD year
- 2022
- States available
- 6
FDD Item 7 · 2022 filing · 40 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Feenot refundable | $40K | $40K | |
| Travel and Living Expenses While Trainingnot refundable | $0 | $20K | |
| Rent - Three Monthsnot refundable | $9K | $45K | |
| Furniture, Fixtures and Equipmentnot refundable | $10K | $125K | |
| Office Equipmentnot refundable | $1K | $20K | |
| Architect/Design Feesnot refundable | $2K | $25K | |
| Leasehold Improvementsnot refundable | $10K | $250K | |
| Computer Systemnot refundable | $10K | $51K | |
| Permits and Licensesnot refundable | $250 | $500 | |
| Lease Security Deposits | $9K | $45K | |
| Utilities Deposits | $500 | $2K | |
| Professional Feesnot refundable | $2K | $3K | |
| Signagenot refundable | $500 | $10K | |
| Service Vehicle and Signagenot refundable | $500 | $2K | |
| Initial Inventorynot refundable | $500 | $3K | |
| Insurance - Annual Premiumnot refundable | $2K | $15K | |
| Grand Opening Marketingnot refundable | $18K | $25K | |
| Brand Development Fee - Three Monthsnot refundable | $8K | $8K | |
| Technology Fee - Three Monthsnot refundable | $390 | $390 | |
| Additional Funds - 12 monthsnot refundable | $20K | $200K | |
| Total initial investment | $232K | $1.3M |
Line items extracted from FDD Item 7. Ranges reflect the franchisor's stated low and high per line. Total is the sum of line-item lows / highs — actual costs may fall outside this range depending on market and build-out scope.
Single-unit · estimated
Returns at a glance
Indicative numbers using FDD Item 7 / Item 19 inputs and category-benchmarked cost ratios. Full single-unit, 25-unit portfolio, and LBO models (with every input editable to stress-test your own scenario) live on the financials page.
Store EBITDA · annual
$208K
12.0% margin
Unlevered ROIC
33%
EBITDA / total invested capital
Payback
3.0 yrs
cash-on-cash, unlevered
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $143K – $889K
- Better than avg vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $20K – $200K
- Near category avg vs category
- Franchise fee
- $20K – $40K
- Better than avg vs category
- Royalty
- 8.0%
- percentage_of_gross · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- $2,500
- Total fee load
- 8.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 8.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $130 |
| Transfer fee | $2K |
| Renewal fee | $3K |
| Total fee load | 8.0% of rev |
Financial Performance
- Avg gross sales
- $1.7M
- Per unit, per year
- Median gross sales
- N/A
- Item 19 type
- gross_sales
- Sample size
- 3 units
- vs category median 12 · small
- Range (low → high)
- $440K→$2.0M
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Transparency
- 3 / 5
- vs category median 4 / 5 · below
Compared against 75 Pet Services brands
vs Pet Services averages
How Instinct Dog Behavior & Training Compares
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 7
- Opened
- 4
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 0
- Turnover rate
- 0.0%
- Company-owned
- 1
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 86%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (yr3)
- +200.0%
- Net unit change last year
3-year detail · Item 20
- Transfers (3yr)
- 0
- Continuity rate
- 100.0%
- Units that stayed open
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 contact records (FDD Item 20). Shows states with at least one current operator on file. Full state registration data (Item 12) will appear on a future FDD refresh.
Fast growth in a small system. Newer franchisors expanding quickly may not yet have the support infrastructure of larger systems.
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA loan disclosures. This brand has only 2 7(a) loans on file; statistical reliability is limited below 10 loans.
- Total loans
- 2
- Loan volume
- N/A
- Amount data pending
- Median loan
- N/A
- Charge-off rate
- N/A
Historical SBA 7(a) lending data, not predictive of future performance. How SBA charge-off rates are calculated
- Repayment rate (PIF)
- N/A
- 5-yr charge-off
- N/A
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 0
- Defaults
- 0
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
Risk analysis
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.
Litigation (Item 3)
No litigation is required to be disclosed in this Item.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Barry Knepper
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Score breakdown · what drove the 51 / 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
| Initial term | 7 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 7 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 1 |
| Territory type | Geographic (ZIP codes/boundaries) |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Online sales rights | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | New York |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
No litigation is required to be disclosed in this Item.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 41 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 55 hrs
- Training location
- On-site at franchisee location
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Field support
- 56 hrs/yr
- On-site visits per year
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
15 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Instinct Dog Behavior & Training · FDD (2022) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Instinct Dog Behavior & Training franchise?
The total investment to open a Instinct Dog Behavior & Training franchise ranges from $143K – $889K, with an initial franchise fee of $40K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Instinct Dog Behavior & Training franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the Instinct Dog Behavior & Training FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $1.7M. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
What is Instinct Dog Behavior & Training's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Instinct Dog Behavior & Training (fewer than 10 loans on file). Charge-off rates are one way to gauge franchise risk, but not all franchise loans go through the SBA program. We recommend reviewing turnover and closure data in the FDD and speaking with current franchisees.
How many Instinct Dog Behavior & Training franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Instinct Dog Behavior & Training has 7 total units in the United States, including 6 franchised units and 1 company-owned units. 4 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Instinct Dog Behavior & Training a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Instinct Dog Behavior & Training as a A-grade franchise with a risk score of 51 out of 100, based on our analysis of investment costs, revenue data, SBA loan performance, and growth trends. Our rating is based solely on publicly available FDD and government data; we recommend speaking with current franchisees before making any investment decision. This is not investment advice.
Data sourced from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) FOIA records. Not financial advice.
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Data extracted from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) loan disclosures (FOIA). This information is provided for research purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, or investment advice. Verify all figures with the franchisor's current Franchise Disclosure Document before making any investment decision.