About Us
Idaho Elite K-9 is located in Rigby, Idaho, and was founded by Christopher and Rachel Norman. What started as one trainer working on his own has grown into Southeast Idaho’s premier dog training and boarding facility. Complete with 2 facility training buildings, 48 kennel suites, roughly 24,000 square feet of training space, and a team of dedicated trainers and staff, all built around the same standard Chris set on day one: elite results, real education, and dogs and owners who are set up to succeed together for life. To date, thousands of dogs have come through Idaho Elite K-9.
Our Story
Chris has been working with dogs for approximately twenty-three years. He got his start in high school, running a pack of fifteen to twenty hounds used to hunt mountain lion, bear, and bobcat — hands-on experience that taught him a great deal about working with hunting dogs, and he's also spent time working bird dogs. That early foundation carried into his law enforcement career: he spent years as a patrol K-9 handler with the Bonneville County Sheriff's Office, working a dual-purpose Belgian Malinois on Patrol, and went on to serve as the agency’s K-9 Coordinator. Chris earned his K-9 handler certificate through Alabama Canine, and went on to complete an instructor program at Tarheel Canine Training in North Carolina, earning his police instructor certification in tracking, detection, patrol, and obedience. He's continued that education at courses all over the country, working with and learning from many well-known trainers along the way. Chris & his previous K-9 partner Tango competed at the Idaho Police Canine Conference, earning 1st place in detection and 2nd place in patrol. That hands-on law enforcement and competition background — thousands of hours spent training real working dogs for real jobs — is still the foundation everything at Idaho Elite K-9 is built on.
Chris and Rachel have always been builders. Alongside Idaho Elite K-9, the two have started and run several other companies together, and that broader business experience shows up in how the facility operates today. In the early years, Rachel worked behind the scenes — helping lay the groundwork for Idaho Elite K-9 while still running their other businesses day to day, and caring for their 3 children. When Chris and Rachel expanded into their current facility in 2024, Rachel stepped in full time, bringing her background in business building and marketing to help take the company to the next level. Dog training has always been Chris's passion; building businesses has always been Rachel's — and together, that combination is what has allowed Idaho Elite K-9 to grow the way it has and shaped the company into how it exists today. Their years of side by side team work have built a company that they are exceptionally proud of. Now with a team of additional trainers and staff brought on so that every dog who comes through the door gets the same level of attention and expertise Chris built his reputation on, just at a much bigger scale.
Our campus now includes a dedicated second facility built for training and seminars, complete with dock diving, agility courses, Halo salt rooms, water treadmills, and regular treadmills and more at their K-9 wellness and working dog center.
Hundreds of dogs have now come through our training programs — regular and advanced obedience, both on and off leash, along with therapy dogs and service dogs, that serve in our local schools, law enforcement agencies & jails in our local community. Our trainers are experienced with police, detection, and patrol dogs. Due to our training background at Idaho Elite K-9. We also work extensively with reactive and aggressive dogs, and it's an area we specialize in.
What We Do
At Idaho Elite K-9, we provide training and boarding for family pets as well as working dogs, with programs built to fit the dog and the goals in front of us — whether that's basic obedience, solving a specific behavior problem, or advanced working-dog training.
One-on-one training — Personalized training plans built around your dog and your goals, with sessions designed to get real, lasting results.
Board and Train programs — Your dog stays on site with us, giving our trainers the time to work through foundational obedience alongside any deeper or more specialized training your dog needs.
Boarding — Safe, comfortable kennel suites for dogs who just need a great place to stay while you're away. Complete with green light therapy, sound therapy, and aroma therapy to help calm any anxious nerves while families are away.
No matter which program is the right fit, our goal is the same: give you the tools, education, and support you need to keep the results going long after training ends.
Our Team
We now have several trainers on staff, all educated and trained to the high Idaho Elite standard, so every dog gets the same level of expertise and care no matter who's working with them. Every trainer on our team was hand-picked and personally trained by Christopher Norman, and each has gone on to further their education at a variety of different schools, making our team one of the most well-rounded and highly trained in the region.
Our Mission
Our mission at Idaho Elite K-9 is to equip every dog owner with the skills and education they need to build a long, happy life with their dog.
Get Started
We'd love to meet you and your dog. Contact us today to schedule your free consultation and see how we can help.