Madison, WI

Harmony in the Home: We believe in balanced, relationship focused training and establishing long term trust with you and your pet right away. Through structured pack hikes, one-on-one sessions, and communication with pet-parents, we work to find the keys to that balance. We know the importance of treating each individual pet with respect and awareness of their own specific nature and needs. Our hope is that through finding better ways to communicate with animals, nature, and humans alike we can diminish the number of those in need.

Our Services

PRIVATE behavior SESSIONs ($99 for a 60-minute session)

Training sessions where we come to you and help with specific behaviors that need addressing. We work with both you and your dog; this way we can get a sense of how you and your dog interact, and we can work together on modeling behaviors that your dog will understand and that will help regulate their behavior.

PACK HIKES ($50)

Offered Monday through Friday with pick-up and drop-off at your home! This is a great way to exercise your dog both physically and mentally. We work on car manners, leash manners, off-leash hiking, and proper play; everything your dog needs to feel balanced and happy! Dogs must be signed up to hike every week on their scheduled day(s) for the sake of pack consistency. Package pricing available when you sign up for a schedule of 3+ hikes per week and if you have more than one dog hiking with us.

In-Our-Home Dog sitting ($100 per 24 hours; extra charge for multiple dogs and holidays)

(ONLY AVAILABLE FOR DOGS CURRENTLY HIKING WITH RUFF TRAILS)

Your dog stays in our home, decked out with all their "creature comforts." We also include a daily hike or at least two structured neighborhood walks per day. When your dog stays with us, they are receiving balanced training throughout their visit, and we are happy to provide daily reports and photos!

iN-YOUR-HOME DOG SITTING ($100 per 24 hours; extra charge for multiple dogs and holidays)

We come to your home to dog sit! Great for dogs with severe separation anxiety or elderly dogs that need special attention. Dogs receive daily training, hikes, and walks!

“My pup loves ruff trails! She always comes home tired and happy.”

“Nikki and Lauren took such good care of my doggo. He got to get out and do some exercising and socializing while I worked a long day. I don’t trust many people with Bruiser’s care (literally only two) and I have happily added Ruff Trails to the list. Thanks ladies!”

“My dog loves her hikes, and has developed so much with the training!”

“Ruff Trails is the best thing to happen to my two pups, Tater and Bubba. In particular, Bubba - part herding dog - has found the perfect channel for his pent-up need to “herd”, and Nikki and Lauren have expertly encouraged this, which has eliminated the sometimes negative manifestation of his bossy energy. Both dogs are good and tired after a hike with Ruff Trails, and they are so much more balanced on hike days. These women are true pack leaders!”

“Ruff Trails is amazing. They train and socialize dogs within a pack. They don’t discriminate based on breed, and above all they don’t advocate violence against animals.”

“Awesome business, owned by someone who truly loves and cares for the dogs. Don’t believe any negativity being spread by the haters. Meet Nikki and you’ll see immediately that you’re putting your loved pups into good hands. Good people speak for themselves, Nikki is one of those and Ruff Trails is a wonderful and caring extension of that.”

“I am so grateful that scout has the opportunity to be a part of ruff trails. She gets exercise, training, and socialization. Nikki (and crew) is amazing! I am so thankful she is a part of my dog’s life. ”