Board and Train

Life is busy, and training your dog is challenging. If you find yourself not being able to enjoy your time with your dog because of bad behaviour, and you just don't have time to fix it, we can do some of the heavy lifting for you. We have customizable programs to help you train your puppy, adult dog, problem dog, or service dog. 

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Our Obedience Board and Train programs are a minimum of 3 weeks in length. Week 1 is for the dog to settle in, and destress, and for us to develop a working relationship so that we figure out how best to teach your dog the required skills. Week 2 is very busy with learning new things, and unlearning others. Week 3 is for practicing the new skills, and generalizing them to different locations.  Included in your board and train program is a lesson at the end of week 2 so we can show you what we are working on, and tweak anything that isn't working for you. There is also a go-home lesson on pick-up day to review everything we have done in detail. 

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If you are looking for more advanced obedience training, and/or off leash training, we can either do a second 3 week board and train at a later date, or extend your program from 3 weeks to 5 weeks. 

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Reactive and Aggressive Dogs (RaADs) require a minimum of 4 weeks with us because they often take longer to settle in, and their training is more intense, requiring both obedience, and behaviour modification. Depending on the severity of the issue, or how many issues there are, we may recommend a 6 week, or 8 week program to better meet your needs. We meet with you every two weeks for a private lesson, and you will get a full review of their training on go-home day. 

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Service Dog Board and Train programs can be as short as 3 weeks to get you started, or help you train something that is more difficult, and can extend to many months in our care. We can raise, train, and socialize service dog puppies, teach basic, and advanced obedience, do task training, and get your dog ready for their public access test. Long term service dog board and trains are discounted, and include weekly private, or group lessons to keep you up to date with your dog's progress. 

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Service dog board and train pricing requires you to have a doctor recommendation for a service dog, and requires the dog to be suitable for use as a service dog. 

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Training Equipment 

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Our training programs, and techniques are not dependent on any one type of equipment. We can use your preferred type of equipment, provided it is safe, and effective. During the course of a board and train we may recommend something that will work better for your dog, or situation, but we always try to stay within your comfort zone. 

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We are not a traditional prong collar, and e-collar training program. We stand out from the competition with our dedication to positive reinforcement training, and our willingness to put animal welfare first. If it can't be done without suffering, then it shouldn't be done. Many board and train programs require that you use their training tools of choice which makes it very hard for people who prefer a force free approach to get help. 

 

We do not however, condemn the use of any tool in training. There is a time and a place for most tools. If prong collars and e-collars are already a part of your training, or there is a situation where those are the safest, most humane, and most effective tools, we are happy to work with them. Our goal will always be to train the dog so that those tools are the back-ups, not the focus of your training. If the tool fails, the training should not. 

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We hope that people of all training beliefs will feel comfortable using our services, and confident that we will find the "least intrusive, minimally aversive, and most effective" methods to help you, and your dog succeed.

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FAQS

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Q: Where will my dog live?

A: All dogs are housed with us in our home to keep their routines and expectations as close to what they are used to as possible. Dogs may be allowed to interact with other friendly dogs, or if needed they can be housed separately. They must be comfortable in a crate before they come. 

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Q: How much time do the dogs spend training each day?

A: That depends on your dog's temperament, and what we are training. Small, and frequent skill training sessions are best. 6 hours of training a day is overwhelming, and less successful then 4-8, 15 minute sessions. Some training sessions may be longer out of necessity, like public access trips, or participation in group classes to learn neutrality to dogs, and people. Some dogs can't get enough of training, and some dogs lack the drive to train for long periods of time so we sprinkle training into their day in bite sized pieces. Sometimes training doesn't even look like, or feel like training. Recalls, and loose leash walking can be taught on walks as easily as in the classroom. We train until the dog understands, not until the clock tells us to stop. 

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Q: Will my dog get to run around, and be a normal dog while they are with you?

A: Yes! Your dog will get to run, play, explore, and act like a normal dog. Think of this like summer camp. Your dog will spend their days split between learning new things, and doing fun things. We love our boarding dogs, and they get welcomed into the family with many pets, and affection. 

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Q: Can you guarantee that my dog will listen to me when they come home?

A: A board and train is designed to help pave the way for you, but you still need to walk down that road. We will teach your dog the skills, and commands, but unless you learn how to maintain them, you will not be successful for long. Every board and train program comes with lessons to teach you what we have taught the dog so you can practice at home. Dogs are not computers that we can program. Part of why they listen to you is the relationship that you build through clear, consistent leadership at home. The greater the effort you put in, the better the results will be. 

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Q: What exactly will you teach my dog?

A: That is up to you. We will asses your needs, and the dog's current level of training, and help you come up with goals that are reasonable for the length of time we have with your dog. One owner may be focused on good leash manners, while the next wants an awesome recall. If the dog is a puppy, we will focus on puppy skills like crate training, potty training, socialization, and basic obedience. If they are an adult dog with basic training completed, our focus might shift to heeling, long down stays, and distraction proofing. 

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