Why Board and Train?
Why would I want to send my dog away to be trained by someone else? I can’t be without my dog! I would miss my dog to much! I just want to stop these “X number” of things my dog does. It costs to much!
Chacco Cane Corso
These are some of the common questions, concerns, and phrases I hear when it comes to board and training a dog. Larry Krohn said it best once when he said something to the effect of, sending a dog to board and train is like taking a heroin addict out of the toxic environment they’re already in so that they can get the help they need to get better. I agree with this statement 100%. I’ve always liked the military boot camp comparison myself. If you want to turn an average citizen into a soldier you have to pull them out of society, break down their behavioral routines, created new ones, and then slowly integrate them back into society. It’s the same with dogs, especially the older they get. Dogs have routines, behaviors that have been practiced, reinforced, and imbedded deep into their daily lives. Those are usually the behaviors that we as humans don’t like. When my clients try and tell me they just want their dog(s) to stop doing X. That’s when I have to explain that we need to dig further down into why they do what they do, how much it’s been reinforced over the years, and come up with plans to not only stop those behaviors, but create new behaviors we do want out of the dog.
Marely Yorkshire mix (fear and anxiety B&T)
This is one of the best reasons to send your dog to board and train. It’s structured, highly routine, and breaks down and removes all the dogs preexisting behavioral patterns. This greatly aids the dog in forming new behavioral patterns that can be easily carried back home once complete. This transition makes it so much easier on the dog rather than remaining in the same environment, withheld from all the highly rewarding behaviors it’s practiced it’s entire life, and then having an owner trying to teach new behaviors at the same time. When you take a dog into a brand new environment where it has no predeveloped reinforced behaviors, its much easier to just start teaching that dog from day one all the new behaviors we want from them and show them that they will be reinforced like never before. Once the dog goes back to the old environment it’s easier for the dog to handle and accept that they will not be allowed to practice the old behaviors any longer, but the new learned behaviors will still be practiced and heavily reinforced. The new behaviors have been solidified through detailed practice brought on by a professional trainer, and then simply carried on by an owner. The dog is more forgiving of the owners unpracticed mistakes in training this way too since it knows the routine by now.
Sam Belgian Malinois (My dog in the mountains off leash)
If you can’t stand being away from your dog for a few weeks, I would suggest that this may be part of the overall issue. I’m not saying you shouldn’t miss your dog. You should, and your dog should be happy to see you when you come for the owner instruction throughout the board and train. That’s all part of a healthy relationship. Your kids will grow and move out of the house. You’ll miss them, and you’ll be happy to see them when you come to visit. However, if you refuse to allow your child to grow and leave the nest then the relationship is unhealthy right? You wouldn’t refuse your child a chance at a multi week summer camp, especially if it’s going to be instructional and aid them in mental or physical growth in some fashion, just because you’ll miss them to much. Would you? It should be the same for your dog. Allow them to grow, experience, and become a better version of who they are from a professional. Just do your homework and make sure you are picking the right professional to send your dog to, not the cheapest!
Winston Cane Corso (Fear and anxiety board and train)
This brings us to cost. I’m not saying the most expensive trainer is the best trainer, and I’m not saying that the cheapest trainer is the worst trainer. On the contrary, there are some very great trainers out there doing wonderful work for minimal pay. Those are usually involved in the rescue world though and aren’t making their living and running their private business off the money they make training. If a person is truly a good trainer, running a legit business, covering overhead, paying employees properly, doing right by the dogs and clients, all while making a decent living for themselves then it’s not a cheap service. It just is what it is, things cost money. Some trainers charge less than others and some charge a lot more than others. Over the years this is sort of what I’ve come to find in cost of trainers, but there are always exception to the rule. I have usually found that lower costing trainers are basing their profit off of quantity of dogs. The more dogs they can run through their business the more profit they make. If you visit these trainers you may find that they have multiple employees on payroll handling the dogs, they’re board and train time frame is typically less time on average, and they most times have a lot of dogs on site. This can create the perception to the client that the person is really good and very sought after as a trainer. On the other hand you have trainers like me. I’m very personal to the dog and clients needs. I require more time with the dog to create the proper relationship with both dog and client. I charge more due to the fact that I have less dogs on site at any given time so my attention can be given to the dogs I have more readily. Being a home based business my clients dogs are in my home being treated as if they are one of my own dogs. I also have the great privilege of being able to pick my clients. See for trainers like me here at Arkhein K9, LLC, it’s not just about the money. Trainers like myself only take on clients that are committed to their dogs, because we understand that commitment is what it takes to actually train a dog. I will not waist my time and I will not waist a clients time and money if I feel they are not committed to their dog and the program.
Scout German Short Haired Pointer (obedience board and train)
To wrap up, I can and do have clients that I teach to train their own dogs themselves. They end up not paying as much money in the long run and I have some clients out there that have done some really amazing work with their dogs. However, those are the exception and most people don’t go as far with their dog, but as long as they and the dog are happy, I’m happy. I’ve had clients pay for at home owner training, then turn around and do board and train because they realized it’s better to have a professional do the initial work, or it was just to much for them. Either way is not right or wrong, it just is. Some people have gifts, understand different concepts better, and are more in tune with their dogs than others. With my experience, knowledge and education in the field, and dedication to my craft, there is no doubt that I can do more for a dog in a board and train than an average owner can do for their dog. You can do the remodel to your own home and it will look pretty good to the average person. A carpenter can walk in and see all the mistakes you made. Let a good carpenter remodel your home and everyone gets to marvel at how well it was done. Even other carpenters.
