McLean, VA
Dog boarding and daycarefor McLean.
We collect from McLean and bring your dog home the same way. About 60 minutes each way, and the day in between is spent on open ground rather than in a room.
The drive
About 60 minutes each way
The farm is roughly 37 road miles from McLean, which routes at about 60 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
McLean 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 McLean
- 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 McLean
What a day here actually adds, for a McLean dog
Most McLean dogs have a yard, and a good one. What they usually do not have is other dogs in it. A half acre by yourself is space without company, and company is the half that builds a sociable dog.
There is also nowhere local to do it. The county's nearest designated off-leash areas are in Oakton and Reston, and the leash law covers every trail in between. So a McLean dog can be beautifully exercised and still fairly poor at meeting other dogs.
Around McLean
We know the area, not just the postcode
McLean has the opposite problem to most of the places we collect from. Lots here run from half an acre to several, so private space is not the issue. There is simply no off-leash park in town, and Fairfax County's leash law does not make an exception for trails.
Where we collect
Franklin Park, Chesterbrook Woods, Langley Farms, and the rest of McLean.
Local dog parks
none inside McLean. The nearest official Fairfax off-leash areas are at Blake Lane in Oakton and Baron Cameron in Reston.
Where people walk
Scott's Run Nature Preserve, 358 acres on Georgetown Pike, which carries part of the Potomac Heritage 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.
Fairfax 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 McLean
- Do you actually collect from McLean?
- Yes. McLean 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 McLean?
- Roughly 37 road miles, which routes at about 60 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 McLean, 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 McLean.
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.