No Bad Dogs: Is a Board and Train Program Right for You?

Sometimes board and train programs can be the right choice for your dog and your family, but please choose wisely. photo: AdobeStock

Board and train programs have recently become quite popular, especially among busy dog owners trying to address problem behaviors on their own. But there are also many questions surrounding these programs. While some may have a great deal to offer your dog, others have come under fire by knowledgeable trainers.

It's true that not all board and train programs are created equal. What are the benefits of a board and train? How do you know if it’s right for your dog? And most important, how do you determine which program to trust?

When Is a Board and Train Program the Right Choice?

Compared to one-on-one training, board and train programs offer some advantages. When working with reactive behaviors, advanced training skills may be needed to begin making headway, and it may be hard for owners just learning new training skills to be successful. Having a professional trainer get a jump on the process can expedite the training for the dog and make the learning experience for the owner much less stressful.

For dogs experiencing fear and reactivity, board and train programs can help by removing the dog from their old environment, which may be rife with associations that impede the learning process. The trainer then carefully manages exposure to the dog's triggers, creating new associations and building a repertoire of preferred behaviors before bringing the dog back to the old environment with new skills in their repertoire.

Additionally, many dog owners don't always have the time or resources to properly socialize puppies or to follow through with an extensive behavior modification plan for an adult dog. Once the dog has learned a great foundation in a reputable board and train program, owners can more easily maintain that training.

Board and train programs are ideal for solving or improving a number of training challenges. They can benefit dogs exhibiting fear and reactivity, resource guarding, or handling sensitivities that make grooming or vet care challenging. Dogs who seem untrainable to their owners or who have poor impulse control are often good candidates as well. Finally, board and train programs are a wonderful option for busy families who couldn’t otherwise commit to providing adequate early puppy socialization and foundation training due to time constraints. However, a board and train program is not usually suitable for treating separation anxiety.

How Do I Choose a Board and Train Program?

There are several things to look for when choosing a great board and train program. First and foremost, any program should be committed to training your dog with positive reinforcement. Programs that use choke chains, pinch or prong collars, or electronic collars should be avoided as they run the risk of creating various fallout behaviors including increased aggression and generalized anxiety.

By contrast, positive reinforcement programs teach dogs to want to work for us, which benefits canine behavior and the human-dog bond.

The boarding environment should be designed to minimize stress. Environments that are excessively loud or where dogs with reactivity see and hear each other all day can exacerbate stress, anxiety, and some reactive behaviors. Look for solid barriers between dogs and ample opportunities for the dogs to decompress in a quiet place.

Ensure the board and train program allows for plenty of enrichment. Dogs should have time outside their kennels every day for physical exercise and other activities they enjoy, such as sniffing, digging, playing with other dogs when appropriate, nose work games, snuggling with people, and doing normal dog things. Time in crates should be limited to sleeping hours.

A successful board and train program will also involve extensive training for the owner. A dog's behavior will change to meet their needs in a given environment. If an owner doesn’t receive appropriate training, their dog may behave perfectly with the trainer, then come home, and within a couple weeks behave as if no training ever took place. Whether the dog owner meets with the trainer weekly throughout the board and train program or receives lessons at the end, success depends on the owner learning to manage their environment to meet the dog's needs and to reinforce the newly learned behaviors.

Finally, a reputable board and train program will be very careful to limit promises of success. This is not because the programs aren't highly successful but because there are many components to success that are outside the trainer's control. These include the dog's genetics and previous learning history, the owner's consistency with following the new protocols, and the time spent on management and training maintenance throughout the dog's life.

Board and train programs may not be right for everyone, and it's important to examine each potential program critically before enrolling your dog. But for many dogs and owners, these programs offer critical training benefits that may be hard to obtain in the home setting.

There are many excellent board and train programs available today. Just be sure to do your homework to find the right one for you and your dog.