• For our Board and Train Programs: Your dog should be a minimum of 16 weeks of age for the board and train programs and if their required vaccines have been completed.

• For our On-Site Training Lessons: Your dog must be at least 12 weeks of age for the on-site lesson program.

First of all, it is not true that you can't teach an old dog new tricks!

W have had dogs that are 9 years old come through programs with us.

For adult dogs, we take a personalized approach with a case-by-case basis and evaluate your dogs' age and health, and your training goals before any commitments are made.

We work with all breeds!

If you are having problems with aggression or resource guarding, we will always do an evaluation with you first to decide the best next steps.

Required vaccines are:

• Bordetella

• DA2PP

• Rabies vaccines.

We require that documentation is sent to our email address prior to your arrival.

The ideal document to send us is usually called the “Reminder Report” and includes:

• The dogs’ name

• The owners name

• The date that each vaccine was given

• The due date for each vaccine.

Please Note: The due date for each vaccine is important, as each one has its own expiration date, ranging from 6 months to 3 years.

We have several trainers here on staff and we generally assign the dogs to a trainer as they come in. It depends on which trainers have openings on their list at the time!

Learn more about our training team here!

We start with a nylon slip leash / collar, a flat nylon buckle collar, a chain slip collar or a fur saver collar.  

(If your dog is in a protection training program, we generally use a 2-inch wide leather agitation collar and/or a leather harness.)

Then, we use prong collars for the on-leash training and e-collars for the off-leash training with most dogs.

We take the time to fairly introduce each collar to the dogs based on the training program they are enrolled in.

Our goal is to create a positive association with these training tools. We want the dogs to see them and be excited to get to work!

We use a specific brand of e-collar with our training dogs (E-collar Technologies / www.ecollar.com).

These collars have 100 levels, so we are able to fine-tune until we find setting that each individual dog needs!

The models we use most frequently are the ME-300 (for toy-sized dogs), the ET-300 (for small dogs) and the ET-400 (for medium and large sized dogs).

We generally recommend upgrading to the bungee collar strap option, as this allows for more flexibility in the collar when the dogs are exercising.

If your dog has a long or thick coat, we generally also recommend purchasing the long titanium contact points (3/4”).

These collars are not included in any of the training program packages, and they must be purchased separately.

Please reach out to us with any questions you have before placing your order!

Generally, training collars are to be used for maintenance training for the life of the dog, especially in new environments or areas with new stimuli.

We always recommend putting the collar(s) on the dog first thing in the morning and then taking them off before bedtime if you will be home throughout the day.

For safety reasons, we also recommend taking the collar off when you leave the house, when the dog is in the crate, and overnight.

Absolutely!

Maintenance training at home is extremely important. During the go-home lesson on pick-up day, we will talk with you about how to incorporate short training sessions into your daily life.

We compare this to athletes - they are practicing frequently to be sure that they perform well during competitions / games.

If they do not practice, they will gradually lose those skills over time.

Yes! Our 2, 3, and 4-week board and train programs include follow-up lessons!

You will accrue one follow-up lesson per week of training to be used after the dog completes the program.

You can request a day and time for your follow-up lessons through your online account.

We always recommend returning for your first follow-up lesson about two weeks after you take the dog home from a program.

The credits do not expire!

Your dog will stay in a 5ft x 10ft outdoor covered kennel run with a dog house and access to a 2.5-gallon water bucket.

Please note: In the case of inclement weather, we crate all dogs indoors.

We do not allow you to visit during your dog's board and train program.

Most dogs take a few days to settle in once they arrive.

If you visit in the middle of their program, it will generally take them another few days to settle after you leave, which can interfere with training momentum.

We give updates by request!

You can text or call the office number for an update and/or request to receive photos of your dog.

• All dogs go out in the yard to go potty first thing in the morning. If they are friendly with other dogs, we try to pair them with a playmate to go out with during this time.

• Each of the trainers generally has around three or four board and train dogs on their list at any given time.

  • The trainer will get one of their dogs out for a 10 - 20 minute training session and then put the dog back in a play yard, in a crate for some crate training, or back in their kennel to rest.

  • Then, the trainer will get the next dog on their list out for a session and repeat this process, cycling through their list several times throughout the day until each dog has had the number of training sessions they need depending on the program they are enrolled in.

• At the end of the day, the kennel staff come in for their second shift to turn the dogs out for play / potty time again while their kennels are being cleaned.

• During the two days when the trainers are off per week, the dogs each get out several times for potty and play breaks and go for leash walks with the kennel staff.

• The dogs that are enrolled in our full training programs (2, 3 and 4 week) are trained 5 days per week, 4-5 times per day.

• The dogs enrolled in our maintenance training programs are trained twice per day.

We have several trainers on staff, and we generally assign the dogs to a trainer as they come in. It depends on which trainers have openings on their list at the time!

If they are friendly with other dogs, we try to pair them with a playmate or put them in a small supervised play group.

They will go out in these pairs and groups at least a couple of times daily while their kennels are being cleaned.