Dog Training in Hilliard, OH

Top-Rated Dog Grooming, Boarding, and Daycare Facility for Your Pup

Lead the Way is a family-owned facility in Delaware, Ohio, run by husband-and-wife team Josh and Brittany. With dog training, boarding, daycare, and grooming all on one beautiful 5-acre property, it’s the kind of place dogs love coming back to. Hilliard dog owners have been making the 34-minute drive to Lead the Way K9 for years—and they’ll tell you it’s absolutely worth it. Find out why Hilliard loves Lead the Way!

What Makes Lead the Way K9 Stand Out

We know 34 minutes is a bit of a drive, and we don’t take that for granted. Our Hilliard clients keep coming back because their dogs love it here. We often hear clients say that their dogs don’t even say goodbye at drop-off anymore, they just run straight in! We’re easy to reach, flexible with scheduling, and we send photos and videos of your pup throughout the day so you can see exactly what they’re up to. We never charge extra for basics like play time and bathroom breaks, making our pricing affordable for dog parents.

Key Services We Offer in Hilliard, OH

Dog Training

Dog training in Hilliard for dogs of all ages, energy levels, and temperaments. Our 2-week board and train has helped high-energy, reactive dogs become calm and confident. We also offer a 7-day puppy program for younger dogs. Josh and Brittany walk you through everything at pickup so you leave feeling confident and equipped to keep the training (and the results!) going at home.

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Dog Boarding

Heading out of town? Our boarding clients tell us Lead the Way has completely changed how they feel about leaving their dogs behind. With our dog boarding in Hilliard, your pup gets outdoor play time every day, a consistent routine, and photos sent throughout their stay so you can see them having the time of their life. Daycare is included with every boarding visit too, so your dog is out running around with friends (not sitting in a kennel waiting for you to come back)!

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DoGGY DAYCARE

Exceptional dog daycare in Hilliard for dogs who deserve a really good day. We match every dog with compatible playmates based on play style and energy level (which we assess during each dog’s initial evaluation with us). We send updates of your dog throughout the day, and you’ll pick up a dog that’s happy, clean, worn out, and ready to relax for the evening.

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Grooming

A good groom isn’t just about how your dog looks—it’s about how they feel when you pick them up. Our dog grooming in Hilliard starts at $80, with baths, haircuts, nail trims, ear cleaning, and deshedding all available, so your dog is perfectly groomed and relaxed when you pick them up. We send before-and-after photos after every visit, and every dog gets outdoor playtime before and after their appointment too–best grooming day ever!

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What Our Hilliard Dog Training
and Boarding Clients Say

Hilliard Pups and Their Families Love Lead the Way

    
 
 
         
   Josh Conway 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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! 🐶🐶❤️
  
 
        
   Seth Jump 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. 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.
  
 
        
   Tim Newell 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Our fellow love's it here, always comes home and crashes for about 2 days.. Great people..
  
 
        
   Hannah Sierra, MBA 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. 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. 🙏
  
 
        
   Loraine Maguire 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. They are the BEST! All 5 of our Danes have gone here and the training is top notch!!!
  
 
        
   Mindi Stoner 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. 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!
  
 
        
   Robert Brennan 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Amazing place for dog boarding, day care, training, and grooming.  Josh and team are awesome
  
 
        
   Meryl Gasser 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. 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!
  
 
        
   Katie Trippel 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. 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🐾
  
 
        
   Ralph S 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. 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!