WIND RIVER CANINE PARTNERS

Pet Training | Service Dogs

Off-Leash Training

Kennel-Free Boarding & Daycare

Wind River Canine Partners is a unique DOG TRAINING, BOARDING, AND DAYCARE facility located just 12 miles south of Missoula on a beautiful ranch in the Bitterroot valley.

We offer small, tailored daycare groups that create healthy play habits for dogs; kennel-free boarding with spacious, natural yards for our overnight guests; and a team of highly educated and skilled trainers to create the strongest partnership you’ve ever had with your dog.

Join our pack today!

Daycare & Boarding

Come stay at the Wind River Ranch! For our boarding and daycare clients:

  • Indoor-outdoor access between our heated & air-conditioned barns and our spacious, natural-grass yards.
  • Dogs can participate in small, hand-selected play groups during the day or have their own space, whichever they prefer.
  • Maximum play group size is 8 dogs, so we can match each dog to others of similar play styles and temperaments. 
  • Staff on site 24/7 so your dogs are always protected, even overnight

Dog Training

Real-world training that caters to the Montana lifestyle. Create the “Go Anywhere, Do Anything” dog that can be your adventure partner, whether that takes you into the woods or downtown. We offer:

  • Foundation Partnership Training
  • Off Leash Reliability
  • Behavior Modification
  • Specialty Skills: Nose Work, Pulling Sports, Bite Work, Therapy Dog, and more!

Service Dog Program

A unique owner-training service dog program that helps individuals with disabilities train their own dogs for specifically tailored tasks to help them live more independent lives. Training for mobility assistance, seizure, allergen detection, psychiatric assistance, and more. 

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Elizabeth McNeilly profile picture
Elizabeth McNeilly
February 22, 2019
Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5
The new owner trained my black lab Maggie, did amazing job. She also goes there for daycare it is always tired when she comes home and loves every minute of it. The staff is wonderful everything is clean and organized. And my dog is always tired and happy I’ve never been happier with the training I received when my dog was a needed it. I would refer any dog family to canine partners
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Eryn Rudolph profile picture
Eryn Rudolph
December 22, 2019
Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5
Cant believe I forgot to leave a review for this place. Ally has been amazing and continues to work with me to train a service dog and has been incredibly accommodating to me. All of the dogs are well looked after and cared for and everyone at the kennel is super amazing! I travel across the country everytime I need to train one of my dogs. Best people ever!
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Anna Cohen profile picture
Anna Cohen
February 12, 2026
Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5
Elena worked MIRACLES with our Vizsla! I am so very thankful for all that she’s done to help us and our dog!!
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Taylor Dowell profile picture
Taylor Dowell
February 25, 2019
Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5
Amazing trainers, they work miracles! Best boarding facility in the area, my dogs always get all the exercise and attention they need and are EXHAUSTED from playing so much when I pick them up!
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worfels profile picture
worfels
June 14, 2019
Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5
Or dog has had a lot of successful training here. And it's the only place we board him because he gets to have such a great time. It's so helpful to know that when you say goodbye!
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Karyn H profile picture
Karyn H
July 5, 2024
Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5
Wow! Just wow!! We are so happy with the training that Rex received from Elena-- I'm still in shock how good he is. He heals perfectly and just the fact that we can take him out and he doesn't run away is still blowing my mind. It's so nice to be able to have a dog that can go with you places and be GOOD!!! His life will be changed forever and we get ours back! Prior to his training, he was 3 years old when we got him from Anaconda humane society and had been in their kennel for 10 months. Didn't think it was possible to get him to be 'normal' since he was kenneled for such a critical time in a dog's life. Wasn't sure he was fixable... but Elena did it!!! with flying colors. We are very appreciative!!!
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Emily Weaver profile picture
Emily Weaver
December 12, 2022
Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5
I have had a great experience with Wind River Canine Partners and I cannot recommend them enough. We put our black lab through the two-week foundation board and train with Kevin (who was absolutely fantastic) and it changed everything! He taught us how to more effectively communicate with our dog and gave us a running head start with her on-leash manners, on top of polishing up all her basic commands. Walks with her used to be exhausting and now they are enjoyable for both of us! I plan to send her back for the advanced training as soon as we can.
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Kate Haire profile picture
Kate Haire
May 13, 2023
Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5
Many thanks to Kevin Alford for working with me and my English Cocker Spaniel puppy Percy - we are making real progress and I couldn't be more pleased. Kevin is extremely knowledgeable, experienced, and professional - as well as kind, patient, and able to explain not only what to do, but why, and the short-term and long-term outcomes to look for. Looking forward to more training in the future!
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Harley Sanford profile picture
Harley Sanford
February 22, 2019
Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5
My service dog Cadence has changed my life in ways that cannot be put into words. This has all been possible by the amazing team at Wind River, from their one on one owner training, their board and train, their continuous training over the phone or through follow up training to insure my service dog and I are an amazing team together. I would hands down trust Them with any one of my dogs needs and training!!
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Joy Elzea profile picture
Joy Elzea
March 8, 2024
Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5
Kevin has done a wonderful job instructing and training our dog. We highly recommend him!
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Scott Dahmer profile picture
Scott Dahmer
September 14, 2017
Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5
If you want your dog well cared for....take him/her here.
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Nikki Pastian profile picture
Nikki Pastian
February 8, 2021
Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5
Amazing facility and trainers. At first we were slightly unsure of what to do when our border collie became protective of us, however trainer, Haley turned this around. Haley's hard work and dedication truly shows through with the amount of love our pup has for her. She has been professional, dedicated, and normalized all our concerns, because of her we now have the confidence to take our pup places again. We cannot wait to continue training with her to expand the positive relationship we now have with our pup.
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Dempsey Vick profile picture
Dempsey Vick
June 7, 2023
Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5
My wife says the place is awesome
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MariahLynn Macy profile picture
MariahLynn Macy
August 17, 2025
Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5
Absolutely an ama,8ng place with ama ing staff. My dog loves it there
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Jeff profile picture
Jeff
January 25, 2024
Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5
I felt extremely comfortable recommending wind Rivers services during the time I managed a competing facility, unleashed. I received exclusively positive feedback about wind River from clients and acquaintances. Recently I had two of my dogs in for a temperament assessment at wind River. I was very impressed with the smooth and professional operation I found. I received a detailed behavior report on both my dogs, compiled by one of the wind River trainers Hannah. I've had the pleasure of working with Hannah in the past at another facility and I trust her implicitly. The owner was kind enough to come out and go through my dog's assessments with me personally and in depth. It was the end of the day, there was only one dog left, but The owner still took the time to give me the very best one-on-one service. Boarding is hard. It's hard on the dogs and it's hard on the people. Knowing there's a place I can trust to care for my dogs when I'm away is literally priceless! Thank you so much
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Carla Jones profile picture
Carla Jones
March 5, 2025
Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5
I highly recommend training with Ally she was great with our German Shepard puppy and taught me a lot so that I could continue the testing myself. I also recommend their boarding facility and the staff is so friendly!
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Tari Lautenschlager profile picture
Tari Lautenschlager
January 11, 2021
Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5
Staff is great. Friendly. Very communicative. And, my dog really enjoyed his time there too
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George Havens profile picture
George Havens
October 24, 2021
Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5
Nice facility with an outstanding staff.
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Jane Elleby profile picture
Jane Elleby
June 14, 2019
Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5
Thank you Wind River Canine Partners for your work in fostering and encouraging a strong team with our son and his newly graduated service dog. Your expertise in good citizenship obedience training, medical task training, and public access training was thorough and infinitely rewarding for their team. AND you kept it exciting and fun. My son came back from his transfer of skills week full of confidence and ready to begin his life with a entirely focused and knowledgeable service dog! As a mother seeing the success of the partnership and team building, I feel grateful, appreciative, and thankful that we chose Wind River Canine Partners and would recommend your organization with the absolute highest of accolades. Thank you to Ally Cowan and the team. Jane Elleby
Posted on Google Google
Chris Patterson profile picture
Chris Patterson
September 16, 2023
Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5
Wind River and Kevin Alford did an amazing job with my 1 yr old GSD/Lab mix. He's a completely different puppy. Money well spent!
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Janelle Mostad profile picture
Janelle Mostad
January 24, 2024
Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5
I developed epilepsy after An accident. My family did not feel as though it was safe for me to be out in the world by myself without help so we went to Wind River and asked them to train a dog to help me in the case I had a seizure. They did an amazing job. Katie (my service dog) even rode on an airplane with me numerous times. One flight attendant didn’t even realize she was there until we got off the plane because she was tucked under the seat. I was able to educate people not only on epilepsy, but on the requirements of a service dog and show them what Katie could do. If you need help with basic training or more advanced training, I would highly recommend Wind River. Their staff is friendly and encouraging. I can’t even express how thankful I am to wind River.
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Carey Snow profile picture
Carey Snow
October 3, 2023
Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5
Clarify and redirecting my use of verbal, hand and e collar corrections makes an immediate improvement in our pup’s behavior. No more pulling against the leash, or rushing guests at the door or little kids wanting to pet him. Ally is a straight forward communicator and understands how important consistency is to see the best results when working on improving dog behaviors by teaching us owners.
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Boo Bear1982 profile picture
Boo Bear1982
December 28, 2023
Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5
Great place to let your dog have a vacation! The staff is great with ALL sizes of dogs.
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Elizabeth profile picture
Elizabeth
January 20, 2023
Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5
We love Wind River Canine Partners for several reasons. 1) We feel confident and safe leaving our dogs in their care. I have 3 dogs. 2 of our dogs need medication and they are able to administer it to them. Our border collie, bull dog is scared of gun shots, and fireworks. They make sure she feels safe and confident. Our chihuahua can be grumpy but he is so happy when we come here. Our American Bully gets plenty of outside time, play and socialization. 2) Their training results speak to their dedication and hard work. We did a two week board and train last April with several follow up sessions for our American Bully. She was 4 months at the time. Lydia did such a great job with her. Our dog is now 1 and is still very motivated to do all of the training Lydia helped her with. The training we learned from Lydia also transferred to our other 2 dogs and helped us form new habits creating a more peaceful home environment. Also, our dog loves Lydia! 3) They are continuing to work with us as we prepare our American Bully to start training to become a service dog. We highly recommend their services.
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Mary Beth Egan profile picture
Mary Beth Egan
November 22, 2023
Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5
Exceptional care and concern in their boarding- and their training WORKS! I recommend Wind River without hesitation. They changed our relationship with our puppy from chaos to calm and enjoyable. Their training is dog- and human-kind.
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Gina Sanford profile picture
Gina Sanford
February 22, 2019
Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5
There aren't enough words to describe how amazing Ally & Kelsey are! Ally at Wind River Canine Partners helped train my husband's service dog Cadence and my Daughter's service dog Jazmine. During Cadence and Jazzy's board and stay portion of training, they stayed at Wind River and received the absolute best care. Cadence is now a working service dog for PTSD anxiety and migraine detection. Jazzy is now a working service dog for allergy detection (peanuts) medical alert and anxiety. There aren't words to describe how our life has changed for the better, because of the work Cadence and Jazzy are able to do for my husband and child. This is the absolute best facility around for training and boarding! Thank you Wind River for all that you do.
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Drew Craig profile picture
Drew Craig
March 12, 2023
Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5
We love Wind River! Honestly, 5 stars aren't enough for how amazing our experience has been with the trainers. Before Wind River, our dog was wild and out of control and we weren't able to get a handle on him. We enrolled Chewie in the Board and Train option that Wind River offers while we went off for a vacation. When we returned from our trip, we came back to completely different dog. Kevin was the primary trainer that worked with Chewie. During the training process, Kevin would send us updates of Chewie's progress and give us tips on how to help Chewie be successful. When we picked up Chewie they took us through an in depth walk-through on the training that was done, as well as 2 private lessons in the weeks following. If you are looking for the best trainers in the area, Wind River is the place to choose.
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Alex Epping profile picture
Alex Epping
February 22, 2019
Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5
I took my Catahoula mix to Wind River for aggression training, and they have completely changed our lives! The one on one care they provide while training is amazing, and I love knowing that when I’m out of town, Beau is treated as one of their own. I can’t recommend this place enough!
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Casey Smith profile picture
Casey Smith
April 10, 2024
Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5
Great staff and facility! Thank you for training our new pup so well, we will recommend you to everyone we know! 🙂
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karen reynolds profile picture
karen reynolds
January 16, 2024
Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5
Our dog, Freya, loves it there for boarding and daycare. She gets so excited when we turn down the road to Wind River. Everyone is very nice and they always make sure Freya is having a good time.

CALL, TEXT, OR EMAIL!

(406) 272-2140

staff@windriverkennels.com

HOURS

Drop off & Pick Up Hours:
Open 7 Days Per Week
7AM-7PM

We are CLOSED from 12:30-2:30PM every day for ranch chores!

Training by appointment only!

ADDRESS

5353 E. CARLTON CREEK RD
FLORENCE, MT 59833

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