The Dog Wizard Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
The Dog Wizard is a dog training franchise offering obedience classes, behavior modification, and board-and-train programs. Franchisees run training operations, delivering sessions and managing clients and trainer staff in a protected territory.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A The Dog Wizard franchise requires a total initial investment of $116K – $194K, including a $60K franchise fee and an ongoing 8.0% royalty[2]. Per the 2024 FDD, average unit revenue was $262K[2]. FranchiseVerdict grade: A (Strongest tier), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified · figures per the 2024 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $116K – $194K
- 33rd pct Pet Services
- Avg gross sales
- $262K
- 10th pct Pet Services
- Royalty
- 8.0%
- 63rd pct Pet Services
- Units
- 69
- 72nd pct Pet Services
- SBA charge-off
- N/A
Quick verdict · Pet Services · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Pet Services avg · No shading = within ±10% · Red = unfavorable by >10% · Source: FDD filings + SBA 7(a)
Data from public FDD filings and SBA records. Not financial advice. Methodology
Bottom line
- COSTTotal investment $116K – $194K including a $60K franchise fee, 8.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSAverage unit revenue of $262K/year (median $143K).
- RISKVerdict A (Strongest tier), verdict score 74/100 (higher is better).
- GROWTHSystem growing at 94.1% CAGR over 3 years with 69 total units. Strong expansion trajectory.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- ITK9 Franchise, LLC
- Parent company
- ITK9 Company, LLC
- Predecessor
- The Dog Wizard Academy, LLC
- Prior franchisor entity
- CEO title
- Chief Executive Officer
- Grant Reeves
- Incorporated in
- OH
- HQ
- 4170 Pearl Road, Medina, OH 44256
- Auditor
- R. Evans & Assoc., Inc.
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $4.8M
- vs $2.6M prior year
- Management churn noted
- Frequent turnover
- Item 2 disclosed frequent executive changes
Independent franchisee associations
- Franchise Advisory Council (FAC)
Franchisee-led councils or alliances disclosed in Item 20. Indicates operator voice.
Affiliated brands
- The Dog Wizard Academy
- Dog Wizard Resource Center
Other brands the franchisor or its parent operates (Item 1).
Overview
About
- CEO
- Grant Reeves
- Headquarters
- OH
- Founded
- 2019
- FDD year
- 2024
- States available
- 20
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 78% below the typical pet services franchise.
Source: FDD 2024 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown14 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Feenot refundable | $60K | $60K | |
| Travel and Living Expenses to Attend Initial Training | $2K | $4K | |
| Initial Training Fee | $10K | $30K | |
| Start-up Kit | $6K | $7K | |
| Start-Up Digital Marketing | $5K | $8K | |
| Licenses | $1K | $2K | |
| Computers, Software, Office Equipment, Furniture, Phones, Answering Service | $750 | $3K | |
| Professional Fees | $0 | $3K | |
| Insurance | $2K | $3K | |
| Utilities and Operational Services | $250 | $500 | |
| Vehicle Expenses | $0 | $5K | |
| Vehicle Wrap Production and Installation | $3K | $4K | |
| Inventory and Supplies | $500 | $750 | |
| Additional Funds - 3 months | $26K | $65K | |
| Total initial investment | $116K | $194K |
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.
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $116K – $194K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $26K – $65K
- Middle of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $60K
- Bottom third — review vs category
- Royalty
- 8.0%
- percentage · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 2.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 10.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 8.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 2.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $5K |
| Training fee | $20K |
| Transfer fee | $13K |
| Renewal fee | $10K |
| Inventory (initial) | $500 – $750 |
| Total fee load | 10.0% of rev |
What do units actually make?
Average unit sales run 63% below the pet services norm.
Source: FDD 2024 · Item 19
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
$34K
13.0% margin
Unlevered ROIC
17%
EBITDA / total invested capital
Payback
5.9 yrs
cash-on-cash, unlevered
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
What one unit earns on your invested capital
Model A · Single-Unit Return
Computes unlevered return on invested capital (ROIC) for a single franchise unit. The target band for an attractive franchise is 30–60% ROIC. Below that and a passive index fund likely outperforms; above that and the franchisor has pricing power you're subsidizing.
Note: Item 19 revenue is what the franchisor discloses. It's the top line only. Operating costs below are category estimates. Override them to match your real lease quote, labor market, and build-out budget.
Returns model · single-unit ROIC
What would one The Dog Wizard unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Estimated return on your total franchise investment, before any debt financing.
17%
Below the 30–60% attractive-franchise band
What 25 units return when you use SBA financing
Model B · Return on Equity: Debt-Financed Acquisition
Models a 25-unit portfolio acquisition financed with an SBA 7(a) loan. Shows equity IRR (your return on cash invested), DSCR (how safely the cash flow covers debt service), and the capital stack (SBA + seller + equity breakdown).
This is the “search fund” or “entrepreneurship through acquisition” scenario: you buy an existing multi-unit operator, use leverage to amplify returns, and either operate or hire management. The 25-unit size is the typical minimum for an SBA-backed franchise portfolio acquisition to pencil as a full-time income.
What “return on equity” means here: if you put in $500K of your own cash and the business generates enough EBITDA to pay down debt and grow, your equity IRR is the annual return on that $500K, including the value created when you eventually sell. Target IRR for a search fund is typically 25–35%.
Levered LBO scenario · Yale Crease Capital framing
What would 25 The Dog Wizard units return on equity?
Equity IRR · 5-yr
49.9%
7.57× MOIC
Year-1 DSCR
1.88×
EBITDA ÷ debt service
Equity required
$315K
on $1.6M purchase
Total debt
$1.3M
SBA $0.8M + senior + seller note
These models are for research and scenario planning only. Not investment advice. Actual results depend on your specific location, management, and market conditions. Consult a franchise attorney and accountant before signing any franchise agreement.
Item 19 · Source: 2024 FDD
Financial Performance
- Avg gross sales
- $262K
- Per unit, per year
- Median gross sales
- $143K
Gross sales are revenue before expenses — not profit. Actual owner earnings depend on rent, labor, royalties, marketing fees, and debt service.
- Item 19 type
- Historical Performance
- Sample size
- 45 outlets
- vs category median 12 · large
- Range (low → high)
- $12K→$1.6M
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Transparency tier
- revenue_only
- Categorical assessment of disclosure depth
- Reporting year
- 2023
- Fiscal year the figures cover
- Source filing
- FDD 2024
- Disclosed in the 2024 filing, covering 2023
- Transparency
- 7 / 10
- vs category median 4 / 10 · above
Compared against 68 Pet Services brands
Operator outlook
What the numbers say
Data-driven interpretation of this brand's financial disclosures, fee structure, and system trajectory.
Unit economics
Average unit generates $262K/year in gross sales. Median is $143K — top performers pull the average up, so a typical unit earns less. Revenue-to-investment ratio: 1.7x.
Fee burden
Total ongoing fee load of 10.0% (near the Pet Services average).
Disclosure
Transparency score 7/10 — this franchisor discloses detailed breakdowns (quartiles, segments, or cohort data). Buyers can model unit economics with higher confidence.
Operator retention
System expanding at 94.1% CAGR over 3 years across 69 units — operators are staying and new ones are joining.
Source: FDD Item 19 financial performance representations and publicly filed FDD data. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Verify all figures with the franchisor and current franchisees before making any investment decision.
vs Pet Services averages
How The Dog Wizard Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2024 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 69
- Opened
- 34
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 1
- Terminated
- 1
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 1
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 4.5%
- Company-owned
- 3
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 96%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- +94.1%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- +94.1%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 34
- Closed (3yr)
- 1
- Terminated (3yr)
- 1
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 1
- Transfers (3yr)
- 5
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
- Transfer rate
- 5.7%
- Owners selling to other franchisees
- Termination rate
- 5.7%
- Franchisor-initiated terminations
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 12 · 20 states reported
The Territory Map
FDD Item 12 reports the state count, but the specific list isn't in our current data. The map will appear once we re-extract from the FDD or enough franchisee contacts are available.
20
states with franchisees (per FDD Item 12)
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 8 7(a) loans on file; statistical reliability is limited below 10 loans.
- Total loans
- 8
- Loan volume
- $1.2M
- Median loan
- $163K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- N/A
- limited sample (8 loans) — rate not shown below 10
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
- 5
- Defaults
- N/A
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
What could kill this investment?
Source: SBA 7(a) FOIA · FDD Items 3, 21
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 4, 8, 16, 21
Risk & Legal
69-unit service franchisor with $4.78M revenue, audited and Item 19 disclosed, strong +94.1% net growth. Two related 2022 Ohio cases (franchisor/franchisee contract and tortious-interference) both settled in Nov 2023 with no admission of liability. Concluded litigation is the only concern.
Litigation (Item 3)
2 case reference(s): 0 pending, 2 settled.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · R. Evans & Assoc., Inc.
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: Yes
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
Score breakdown · what drove the 74 / 100 verdict
- 01MINORTwo related 2022 cases — both settled Nov 2023
- 02MINORNo bankruptcy/going-concern/distress
- 03MINORNet growth +94.1%, 69 units
- 04MEDAudited, Item 19 disclosed
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 10.0% of sales (royalty + ad fund), before rent and labor.
Source: FDD 2024 · Items 11, 12, 17
FDD Items 12, 15, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 10 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 10 years |
| Territory type | Zip Codes |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | Yes |
| Territory population | 200,000 |
| Online sales rights | Granted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 30 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | No |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Termination groundsℹ | 2 |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 4 |
| Mandatory arbitration | No |
| Arbitration location | Medina, Ohio |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Ohio |
| Litigation count | 2 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
2 case reference(s): 0 pending, 2 settled.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 56 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 184 hrs
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 6 mo
- From signing to launch
- POS system
- Fullsteam/Vonigo Pay
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Fullsteam/Vonigo Pay
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
59 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
The Dog Wizard · FDD (2024) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a The Dog Wizard franchise?
The total investment to open a The Dog Wizard franchise ranges from $116K – $194K, with an initial franchise fee of $60K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do The Dog Wizard franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the The Dog Wizard FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $262K. The median is $143K. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
What is Item 19 in the The Dog Wizard FDD?
The FDD section where a franchisor may disclose financial performance of its outlets. Disclosure is optional and formats vary; figures are typically gross sales, which is revenue before expenses, not profit. FranchiseVerdict extracts these figures directly from the The Dog Wizard FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is The Dog Wizard's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for The Dog Wizard (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 The Dog Wizard franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, The Dog Wizard has 69 total units in the United States, including 66 franchised units and 3 company-owned units. 34 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is The Dog Wizard a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates The Dog Wizard as a A-grade franchise with a verdict score of 74 out of 100 (higher is better), 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.
For franchisors
Are you the franchisor?
If you represent The Dog Wizard, you can request corrections or provide updated information.
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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.