Westminster, MD
Dog boarding and daycarefor Westminster.
We collect from Westminster and bring your dog home the same way. About 27 minutes each way, and the day in between is spent on open ground rather than in a room.
The drive
About 27 minutes, and worth the arithmetic
The farm is roughly 17 road miles from Westminster, which routes at about 27 minutes without traffic. Worth comparing that to what it replaces.
Daycare in Westminster
You drive there and back twice, and your dog spends eleven hours indoors with a lot of other dogs.
Here
You drive nowhere. Your dog rides about 27 minutes each way and spends the day on open ground.
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 Westminster
- 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 Westminster
What a day here actually adds, for a Westminster dog
Westminster is the closest town on our whole run, under half an hour, and it is the most rural. Carroll County, big skies, and Hashawha's 320 acres with a raptor mews and a restored homestead on it.
Its dog park is the only one in the region that ties access straight to your licence: you cannot join Bennett Cerf without a current county tag in hand. It is a small thing that tells you something about how the county works, and it means plenty of Westminster dogs never use it.
Around Westminster
We know the area, not just the postcode
Bennett Cerf is membership only, and joining requires proof of rabies plus a current Carroll County dog tag. It is the only place we collect from where park access is tied directly to licence compliance.
Where we collect
The whole city of Westminster.
Local dog parks
Bennett Cerf Dog Park at Random House Park, which is membership only and needs a current county tag to join.
Where people walk
Hashawha Environmental Center, 320 acres with five miles of trail, Wakefield Valley Park, the Bear Branch Vista loop.
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.
Carroll 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 Westminster
- Do you actually collect from Westminster?
- Yes. Westminster 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 Westminster?
- Roughly 17 road miles, which routes at about 27 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 Westminster, 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 Westminster.
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.