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Dog Training Near Columbus, Ohio

We Also Offer Boarding, Daycare, and Grooming Just 30 Minutes From Columbus

Looking for exceptional dog care near Columbus? Lead the Way K9 was founded and continues to be run by a husband-and-wife team, Josh and Brittany, in nearby Delaware, Ohio. Located just 30 minutes north of Columbus on 5 beautiful acres, Lead the Way K9 offers dog training, boarding, daycare, and grooming. Columbus dog parents make the drive because their dogs love coming here and can’t wait to see us!

What Makes Our Dog Training and Care Different

Every dog that comes to Lead the Way gets a full evaluation first, because we believe in getting to know your dog so we can provide them with the best experience. Before a dog ever joins daycare or boarding, we spend a whole day getting to know them—how they do in a group, how they interact with our team, what their temperament is like. By the time you drop them off for a real visit, we’re already familiar with your dog, and they’re usually pretty excited to see us!

Our facility is another part of what makes us different. Two turf play yards, a standalone training building, and climate-controlled kennels ensure your four-legged family member is as comfortable as possible. Folks who visit for the first time are usually pretty surprised. Every photo and video on our website and social pages is from right here—real dogs, real yards, real days. We want you to be able to picture your dog here before you even make the drive.

Columbus Dog Boarding, Daycare, Grooming, and Training

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Dog Training

Dog training from professionals who take the time to really get to know your dog. Our 7-day puppy program and 2-week board and train are designed to bring out the best in your pup. Whether you’re dealing with obedience issues or have a dog that’s difficult to walk on a leash, dog training in Columbus from Lead the Way K9 helps your dog become calmer, more confident, and ready to listen.

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Dog Boarding

Going out of town? Dog boarding near Columbus at Lead the Way is a different experience than your average kennel. Your dog gets a consistent daily routine, time outside in the turf yards, and we send you photo updates so you know exactly what your pup is up to. We do an evaluation before any dog’s first boarding, so by the time they arrive for their overnight stay, they already know our team.

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DoGGY DAYCARE

Dog daycare in Columbus gives your pup a full day of supervised outdoor play on turf with dogs they actually get along with. We take the time to match dogs by temperament and play style so everyone has a good time. For dogs that don’t get a lot of space to run at home, a day here makes a real difference. We send photo updates throughout the day so you can see for yourself!

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Grooming

Dog grooming in Columbus for dog parents who are looking for a service a cut above the rest. Our affordable grooming services provide a spa day for your dog, with full bathing, nail trims, and ear cleaning available, starting at $80. We send before-and-after photos every appointment so you can see how great your pup looks. Find out how fresh and pampered your dog can look with our professional grooming services!

See What People Say About Us

Serving Columbus Dog Owners Who Expect More

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Josh Conway
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⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I cannot say enough good things about Lead the Way K9! We take both of our dogs, Archie and Peanut, here for doggy daycare, and the experience has been absolutely fantastic. Every single person we have dealt with has been incredibly polite, friendly, helpful, and genuinely seems to care about the dogs they are taking care of. The owners have also been unbelievably accommodating. Whether it is scheduling, answering questions, or just making the whole process easy, they have always gone out of their way to help us. That level of customer service is becoming harder and harder to find, and it absolutely deserves to be recognized. The facility itself is phenomenal. It is clean, well maintained, spacious, and you can immediately tell that a tremendous amount of thought has gone into creating a safe and enjoyable environment for the dogs. But the best review really comes from Archie and Peanut themselves. 😂 The second they realize where we are going, they get excited, and when we pull in they practically break their necks trying to get through the door! Then when we pick them up, they are literally smiling. Happy, exhausted dogs that clearly had an absolute blast. There are plenty of places you can pay to have someone watch your dogs. Finding a place where you genuinely feel like your dogs LOVE being there and are being cared for by people you trust is something completely different. That peace of mind is worth every single penny. We absolutely love Lead the Way K9 and cannot recommend them highly enough. Archie and Peanut give them five stars too! 🐶🐶❤️
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Seth Jump
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Lead the Way is great! The team does an excellent job with our dog and shares pictures of our furry friend while we’re away. I highly recommend boarding your dog with them.
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Tim Newell
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Our fellow love's it here, always comes home and crashes for about 2 days.. Great people..
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Hannah Sierra, MBA
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We’ve been boarding our two pups here while we travel for work, for the past two years. We have our main residence in Texas and a farm in Ohio and still prefer to fly the pups all the way to Lead The Way no matter where our trip is headed. We have two large high energy dogs, one apricot Golden Doodle, “Georgie”, and one black German Shepherd, “Maizy”, and they both go to “camp” together! The owners specialize in dog training and maintain a very well managed environment for dogs to be and feel safe in. They take a lot of pride in their business, you can tell by how beautifully maintained the facility is the moment you drive onto the property. They also bring a festive holiday spirit to the experience for the dogs and send lots of photos. You can even add an exit bath so that they’re squeaky clean upon pick up! Most of all we are thankful that the team here is flexible as our jobs can be demanding and change at moments notice. 🙏
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Loraine Maguire
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They are the BEST! All 5 of our Danes have gone here and the training is top notch!!!
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Mindi Stoner
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We cannot say enough wonderful things about Josh and his team! They have gone above and beyond in caring for our two pups, treating them as if they were their own. What truly sets them apart is their communication. They kept us updated and were honest about how our dogs were doing. It's clear the staff genuinely care about the health, comfort, and well-being of every dog in their care. We are incredibly grateful for their kindness, professionalism, and dedication Highly recommend!
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Robert Brennan
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Amazing place for dog boarding, day care, training, and grooming. Josh and team are awesome
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Meryl Gasser
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We had an amazing experience with Lead the Way K9 Training & Boarding! They took our dog in at the last minute after a scheduling mix-up with another boarding facility, and Josh and his team were incredibly responsive and accommodating from the start. During her week-long stay, they sent us daily photos and updates, which gave us so much peace of mind knowing she was happy and well cared for. They even celebrated the 4th of July with her while we were away 🥹 When we picked her up, she was excited to see us, but as soon as we got in the car, she kept looking back like she wanted to go back and be with all of her new doggy friends! That told us everything we needed to know about how much she loved her time there. It’s never easy leaving your dog behind, but the care, communication, and attention they provided exceeded our expectations. We will absolutely board her there again and highly recommend Josh and the entire team at Lead the Way K9 Training & Boarding!
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Katie Trippel
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We have used k9 lead the way for boarding our 1 yr old mini Bernadoodle, Stanley. We have been consistently impressed with the care and communication shown by Josh and his team. They provided frequent pictures when we were gone, which helped us (especially my kids) know that Stanley was having a great time and in good hands. Additionally, their prices are reasonable and the facility is beautiful and clean. Highly recommend K9 lead the way for boarding needs!!! We will continue to use them any time Stanley needs a place to stay🐾
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Ralph S
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In April of 2021 I sent our Irish Terrier Penny for training and had great results. Over the years since then I have sent Penny and our pug mix Daisy many times for boarding. Josh and his team does a great job keeping us updated with plenty of pictures of dogs and how they are doing. I have referred family and friends to Lead the Way and all have had great experiences like us. I highly recommend Lead the way for your training and boarding needs!

COLUMBUS SUCCESS STORY

REAL RESULTS FROM COLUMBUS DOG OWNERS

See how we’re helping dogs and their families thrive in the Columbus community

Kodi’s Training Journey

Dog Name: Kodi

Program: Adult Dog Training

Location: Columbus, OH

Completed: December 2024

A Spectacular Training Experience

Jeremy brought Kodi to Lead the Way for adult dog training and found the experience exceeded expectations. Kodi was cared for and happy throughout her learning trip, thriving in the immaculate facilities with top-notch staff.

What made the difference? The trainers didn’t just work with Kodi—they trained Jeremy and his family to be effective trainers themselves, ensuring lasting results. The experience was so positive that Jeremy plans to use Lead the Way’s boarding services in the future.

Jeremy Chandler
Local Guide • 14 Reviews • 5 Photos

“Just got back from the adult Dog Training and it was a spectacular experience. The place and people at Lead the Way are all top notch. We can tell our Kodi was cared for and happy on her learning trip. The facilies were immaculate and the trainers were very helpful training us to be the next trainers. Would recommend enthusiastically! Will likely board in the future.”

Our Location

Our Delaware facility offers a peaceful retreat for premium dog care services, conveniently located just 30 minutes from downtown Columbus.

Directions from Columbus:

  • Take I-71 N toward Delaware
  • Exit onto US-36 E/US-37 E
  • Turn right onto US-36 E
  • Facility will be on the left

Distance from key locations:

  • 30 minutes from downtown Columbus
  • 20 minutes from Worthington
  • 25 minutes from Dublin
  • 15 minutes from Powell
  • 5 minutes from Delaware City Center