Arlington, VA
Dog boarding and daycarefor Arlington.
We collect from Arlington and bring your dog home the same way. About 72 minutes each way, and the day in between is spent on open ground rather than in a room.

The drive
About 72 minutes each way
The farm is roughly 42 road miles from Arlington, which routes at about 72 minutes without traffic. That is a long ride, and it is the first thing to work out before anything else.
Whether it suits your dog
Arlington is one of the further places we collect from. Some dogs travel well. For the ones that do not, a long daily round trip is the wrong answer however good the day at the other end is.
The evaluation sorts that out before the first pickup.
Times move with traffic and the number above assumes none. Most dogs settle into the van within a week or two. A few never do, which the evaluation catches before your dog is ever in one.
Included in the rate
- Pickup and drop off in Arlington
- The Basic training level, every day
- Open ground and supervised group time
- Indoor settling, so the calm carries home
Daycare from $60per day
Boarding from $75per night
Dogs in Arlington
What a day here actually adds, for a Arlington dog
Arlington is the densest place we collect from, and the dog-life arithmetic there is genuinely different. Most people are in apartments or condos with no yard, which is precisely why the county maintains ten separate off leash parks.
Ten parks is a lot of provision, and it is still a queue of small fenced squares. An Arlington dog can be walked twice a day, well, and still almost never open up into a flat run. That gap is the reason the drive out here is worth considering at all.
Around Arlington
We know the area, not just the postcode
Arlington is the densest place we collect from. Most people are in apartments without a yard, which is exactly why the county runs ten separate off leash parks and why a dog there gets so much less unstructured running than one in Frederick.
Where we collect
Ballston, Clarendon, Shirlington, Rosslyn, and the rest of Arlington.
Local dog parks
Shirlington Dog Park, Glencarlyn Dog Park.
Where people walk
the W&OD Trail, the Four Mile Run Trail.
Plenty of dogs are fine in those places and still cannot cope with a busy pavement or a stranger at the door. If that is yours, the behaviour work is the part to read about. Here is how that runs.
Arlington County clients
What people nearby say
“We brought our rescue dog Otto home at 5 months old—he was extremely timid, anxious, had never been on a leash, and would bark at every person and dog. Michael didn't just train our dog—he trained us to be the kind of owners our dog needed. With incredible patience, he guided us through everything from leash walking and socialization to crate and house training, and was always there when we needed help, no matter the time. The transformation has been unbelievable—Otto is now more confident, calm, and happy. Michael truly cares and treats him like his own, and Otto absolutely adores him like a 2nd parent. We only trust Michael for boarding because he always comes back better, never with bad habits like elsewhere. If your dog has anxiety or behavioral challenges, I can't recommend him enough—he truly has a gift.”
“Michael and crew at RajaK9 have been so helpful to our dog and family. We have a large dog that grew more and more reactive and territorial as he grew into adulthood. Michael and his team spent a week boarding and training our dog to wear a muzzle and respond less aggressively to stranger dogs and people. Then Michael trained us how to better guide our dog's behavior and has provided tuneups ever since. We now board our dog with Raja when we travel and send him for daycare 2 days per week. Having a reactive dog is a journey - we're so happy to have RajaK9 to guide us.”
“We love having Michael and his team as our dog's trainer and boarder. She is quite a nervous and traumatized dog who Michael has helped tremendously in her behavior both with people and other dogs. Michael always goes above and beyond, such as when she got sick while boarding and we were out of the country - he saved her life by taking her to two different vet hospitals and making sure she got the necessary care for a rare condition. Michael is both exceptionally gifted with animals and just a tremendous all around person. Highly recommended!”
Questions
Boarding from Arlington
- Do you actually collect from Arlington?
- Yes. Arlington is on our regular run, and pickup and drop off is included in the rate rather than charged separately.
- How long is the drive from Arlington?
- Roughly 42 road miles, which routes at about 72 minutes with no traffic. It is the one part of the day we are honest about being work for some dogs.
- What does it cost?
- Daycare from $60 a day and boarding from $75 a night, transport included. Training on top of either is priced after the evaluation.
- Do you take reactive or nervous dogs?
- Often, yes. Most of the dogs we work with are reactive, fearful or rescues. The evaluation decides it rather than the label on the dog.
- What is the first step?
- An evaluation. We can do it at your home in Arlington, or you can come out to the farm. $125 at your home, $50 at the farm. If you start any program, the full evaluation payment is credited toward your first program payment.
We also collect from
Start with an evaluation in Arlington.
An hour at your place, or come out to the farm and see where your dog would spend the day. Either way you get a straight answer.
$125 at your home, $50 at the farm. If you start any program, the full evaluation payment is credited toward your first program payment.
