In order to provide the best care and attention to our board training dogs we only take on one or two dogs at a time. Our boarders are allowed full access to the house and are treated like our own while they are with us. In addition to the commands below, we provide field trips and public access interactions for our board training dogs so that they can practice their new skills in a busy environment with distractions. Board training stays range from four to twelve weeks.

* We are unable to take dogs with any type of aggression as they will reside in our home with our family while in training.

Training Commands

  • Sit
  • Down
  • Come
  • Stand & Stay
  • Sit & Stay
  • Down & Stay
  • Wait
  • Loose leash walk, (no pulling)
  • Heel, (formal walk on the left side & sit when the handler stops)
  • Place, (dog will stay on his/her bed for at least 10 minutes)
  • Up, (jump up into the car)
  • Kennel, (go into his/her crate)
  • Fetch, (retrieve a ball and return it to the handler)
  • No, (stop negative behavior)
  • Out, (release an object to the handler)
  • Ok, (release from a command, dog is free to go play)

Housebreaking & House Manners Training 

Your dog will be trained to . . . .

  • Be well housebroken as they have been trained in a home
  • Be calm in the house and able to entertain themselves
  • Chew only on his/her own toys when they are unoccupied in the house
  • Sit for greeting and petting
  • Stay back from the door when welcoming guests
  • Stay off the furniture unless invited with an “up”
  • Be able to safely stay alone in the house with our being destructive

Your dog will be trained NOT to . . . .

  • Jump on family or guests
  • Nip or mouth people or other pets
  • Steal food off counters, tables, or from children
  • Chew on items other than their toys
  • Bark excessively
  • Run outside if the door is open

Extensive Socialization program/Public access training for Service and Therapy dogs in training 

* Our socialization program’s goal is to expose your dog to as many different settings as possible during their time with us. We exceed the IAADP minimum standards of 120 hours of training for public access work. During this socialization and public access period your dog will be exposed to:

  • Children, (our kids, as well as their friends)
  • Multiple adults & different handlers, (so that they get used to obeying commands from handlers that are not trainers and are less experienced with dogs)
  • Cats, (our indoor cats as well as outdoor neighborhood cats)
  • Veterinary appointments so that they are comfortable at the vet and find the experience positive
  • Regular baths so that they are comfortable and calm for grooming, ear cleaning and nail trims
  • Car travel so that they can travel calmly and jump in and out on their own, (depending on dog and vehicle size)
  • Trips to local parks
  • Trips to schools
  • Trips to kids’ soccer/baseball games, etc.
  • Socialization and training at busy downtown settings with lots of traffic & noise
  • Trips to outdoor malls
  • Trips to pet stores and home depot, (as well as other dog friendly indoor establishments)
  • Trips to busy outdoor concerts, events and farmers markets
  • Trips to local hiking areas to walk/hike around other dogs and wildlife, (squirrels, birds, rabbits, etc.)
  • Trips to the beach and lake
  • Trips to dog beach and/or dog park to socialize your dog with other dogs that they don’t know, (this helps dogs get used to dogs of all temperaments and energy levels since my own dogs are all calm and well behaved)
  • Dogs that are intended for service work will also ride public transportation, take trips inside retail establishments, (grocery stores, banks, movie theaters, etc.), and spend time at the airport. They will experience intensive training where they will go everywhere that I go for a longer period of time.