Board and Train

What is a Board and Train?

The Board and Train programs are multi-week training programs where your dog stays in my home and is immersed in consistent, structured, 24/7 training for the length of their program. 

These programs are designed to allow your dog to have a full reset in a calm and grounded environment in order to promote better learning while your dog works through their struggles and masters the foundations. While all dogs may learn the same obedience skills during their board and train, I will focus on your dog’s individual needs and learning style. Working with you every step of the way to ensure you feel educated, confident, and comfortable when it comes to handling your dog.

Our Programs

2 Week Board & Train

This program is designed for dogs:

  • 6 months or older
  • Minor to moderate behavioral issues (ex: minor to moderate jumping, excitability, minor nervousness or fear, minor reactivity, minor crate issues)
  • Learning basic obedience and manners
  • Confidence building
  • Cultivating a calm mindset 
  • On-leash skills (at home and in public)
  • Off leash skills at home

Includes:

  • 16 days of 24/7 training and care (including drop off and go home days)
  • “Field trips” off property to practice their skills in public
  • Midway check-in session
  • Go-Home session 
  • Training materials (videos, reading materials, owner education, etc.)
  • Training tools (e-collar, prong collar, elevated dog cot, longline, safety clip)
  • Access to boarding, pack walks, and private sessions upon completion of the program.
  • Lifetime email support
  • One free follow-up session or that can be scheduled and used up to 6 months after the program has been completed.

Dogs in this program are required to be familiar with the crate. They do not have to be fully crate trained, but they should be mostly calm (not attempting to escape). They should not be having regular accidents in the crate.

Investment: $2,400

Sign up for a free consultation!
3 Week Board & Train

This program is designed for dogs:

  • Dogs 6 months or older
  • Moderate to substantial behavioral issues (ex: moderate to severe reactivity, anxiety, fear, nervousness, excitability, moderate resource guarding)
  • Learning obedience and manners
  • Confidence building and cultivating a calm mindset (the 3 week program is particularly beneficial for dogs who need a lot of help in this area)
  • On-leash skills at home and in public
  • Off leash skills at home (and advanced off leash work when appropriate) 

Includes: 

  • 23 days of 24/7 training and care (including drop off and go home days)
  • “Field trips” off property to practice their skills in public
  • Midway check-in session
  • Go-home session
  • Training materials (videos, reading materials, owner education, etc.)
  • Training tools (e-collar, prong collar, elevated dog cot, longline, safety clip)
  • Access to boarding, pack walks, and private sessions
  • Lifetime email support
  • One free follow-up session that can be used for up to 6 months after the program is completed.

Investment: $3,600

Sign up for a free consultation!

Why Board and Train?

The Board and Train program allows me to do a lot of the early-on heavy lifting where the dog is likely to struggle the most – while you learn all the handling skills you will need to know from the comfort of your own home. You will also get hands-on practice during your midway and go-home sessions.  

I have found that it is much easier for people to learn without the stress of having to simultaneously teach their dog and vice versa. Think about it this way – I can teach you how to build a car while simultaneously teaching you how to drive (all while the car still isn’t fully functional), or I can build the car for you and teach you how to drive, how to best navigate difficult roads, and how to maintain the car once it’s built.

What will my dog learn?

This program is designed for dogs:

  • Sit
  • Down 
  • Come
  • Place
  • Heel (dog walks calmly at your side, either behind or at your knee)
  • Go (dog vacates an area/person’s space/dog’s space/etc.)
  • Out (dog drops whatever they have and steps away)
  • Kennel (dog goes to the crate and remains there until released, even if the door is wide open)
  • Release command
    • All dogs are taught an assumed “stay” command. This means that if they are given a command they are not allowed to do anything else until given the release command “break”. This creates consistency and predictability for the dog and makes training less confusing for them.
  • Threshold training (dog waits at doors, gateways, and waits to get in to or out of the car) 
  • Confidence building
  • Stopping unwanted behaviors 

I will also address any concerns you may have and/or any struggles your dog may be exhibiting such as anxiety, fear, or hyper-activity.

What will I learn?

I will teach you functional skills you will need to maintain your dog’s training as well as the why and how behind dog training. This won’t be a crash course or multi-hour lecture on the psychology of dogs, Operant and Classical Conditioning, or biology. This will be practical day-to-day knowledge about dog training and your dog’s behavior. 

You can expect to be given guidance on how to reinforce what your dog has learned, how to properly handle your dog once they have completed the program, and what to do in specific scenarios your dog struggles in.

What is included?
  • Prong collar (Herm Sprenger prong collar – sizes vary)
  • E-collar (Educator ET-300 Mini by E Collar Technologies)
  • Longline 
  • Elevated dog bed
  • Safety clip

Bonus:

  • Access to boarding upon completion of your board and train
  • Access to pack walks and community events (wonderful opportunities for you and your dog to practice what you’ve learned around likeminded people and dogs who have also completed the program). 
  • Access to private sessions.
  • Go home info packet (this info packet covers everything we will go over in the 2-3hr go home session. It includes everything your dog knows as well as protocols for the house, car, walk, and interactions with people and other animals.)
  • One free follow up training session that can be used for up to 6 months after your training program is completed
  • Lifetime email support

What does the process look like?

Step 1: Sign up

Once you have completed your free training consultation where we have discussed your training goals, your dog’s behavior, and what program would best fit your needs; I will send you the board and train agreement, an onboarding form, and the invoice for your deposit. Once those three things have been completed, you will be successfully signed up for your board and train program and your training slot will be reserved!

Step 2: Drop Off Session

 You will bring your dog to my home and we will go over tools, dog training education, training goals, and any questions you may have. The drop off session is typically around 30 minutes to an hour long.

You will receive updates from me every 2-3 days as well as updates via instagram stories and posts. While your dog is with me you’ll receive educational videos and reading materials that cover training fundamentals so that you are not overwhelmed at the midway and go home sessions.

Step 3: Midway Session

The midway session is our check-in session in the middle of your dog’s board and train program. Midway sessions are typically around 1-2 hours long, depending on your needs and your dog’s needs. This session is a wonderful time to get some hands-on practice with everything you’ve learned so far and get guidance.

The midway session is not mandatory as some of you may be traveling a great distance and may not be able to make it. However, I do offer the option to do a virtual midway session where we check in via Zoom. I highly recommend you take advantage of the midway session as it can be invaluable to you and your dog’s success in the future.

Step 4: Go Home Session

At the end of your dog’s board and train program you will return to my home to complete the Go Home session and pick up your dog. This session typically lasts around 2-3 hours; depending on how much we need to cover, how much practice you need, time to ask questions, etc. 

You will be sent a Go Home info packet before our session starts, which we will cover during the go home session. This info packet covers several different protocols for maintaining training, ensuring a calm household, “what if” scenarios, frequently asked questions, etc. We will cover everything your dog has learned, how to reinforce commands, guidelines for how to help your dog be successful at home, how to use the e-collar, and how to reward. 

I will demonstrate how to handle the leash, give obedience commands, use the e-collar, use treats, etc. and then have you and other members of your household practice with your dog. The Go Home session also includes taking your dog for a walk to ensure you and members of your household feel comfortable walking your dog and give you a chance to hone your leash walking skills. 

Ready to get started?

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Ready to start training?

Training Consultation