Board and train dog training programs can be a fantastic way to give your dog all the basic commands he needs – and then some – in the shortest time possible. Whether your dog needs basic obedience training or needs help with an issue like fear aggression, board and train programs can make a significant positive impact on your dog’s life.
You may think that once your dog comes back from a board and train program that he’ll be fully trained without any work on your part.
Unfortunately, that’s not really how it works. Your dog will need some additional training from you in his home environment to confirm and retain the skills he learned during his board and train program.
Failing to build upon your dog’s new skills once he returns home would be a waste of time and money. So what do you need to do when your dog comes home to get the most benefit from his board and train experience?
Learn from the trainer
Any good board and training program will have you learn from the trainer before you take your dog home. You will need to learn the techniques and commands that the trainer used to maintain the same training at home.
Asking your dog to do something with a command that is different than the one he learned will not work and will only lead to frustration for both you and your dog.
You should have at least an hour or two with the trainer before your dog comes home to learn what you need to know to continue your dog’s training routine at home.
Practice makes perfect
Just because your dog understands how to sit at the boarding facility doesn’t automatically mean that he will understand that he needs to follow the same command at home. It will take a regular commitment from you to maintain your dog’s training at home to solidify those skills to a point where your dog understands that he must always follow the commands and not just under certain circumstances.
You know how they say “use it or lose it” when referring to muscles or even memory? The same applies to dog training. Your dog will forget commands that are not used regularly.
Take a group class
Group classes help your dog learn to listen to you in a distracted, but controlled environment. This should be the next step in your training to help solidify your dog’s new skills. Seeing other people working with their dogs can also help you feel less alone as you learn how best to continue training your dog.
Bring training out into the real world
You want your dog to understand that he needs to listen to your commands no matter what, and you can’t do that until you’ve practiced the commands in a variety of different locations. Take your dog to the park, Home Depot, and a pet store, for example, to get your dog used to listening to you in a wide variety of distracting environments.
While board and train programs won’t automatically give you back a perfectly well-behaved dog, they will help you and your dog jump into a healthy training relationship that will set you both up for a lifetime of success.
If you have any more questions, a reputable board and train program should be able to answer every question to your satisfaction, including what type of training methods they use and whether the dogs stay in a kennel overnight or go home with the trainers.
As long as you follow up with training once your dog comes home, board and train programs can be a great way to give your dog a solid training foundation.
