# training and boarding



## rick smith (Dec 31, 2010)

training and boarding.... is it common in the states and other countries ?
i'm not talking about boarding a dog for awhile that mostly just involves feeding and watering; i mean a training project that involves the dog staying away from its owner.
....don't know if it's worth a thread....but interesting topic to me

this issue recently came up and results were as bad as they get. dog was not trained and got passed on and dumped.
sounds like the quick assessment was attributed to poor training and the trainer took most of the hit
... but i have a lot more opinions on this since i am confronted with it all the time. owners who want to send out their dog, get it trained and come back and pick up a trained dog.

so, what's a "boarding facility" ? 
what does that term mean to you ?
what should the facility (or person) do when they "board" a dog ?
what should the owner do ?
have you sent out your dog for training and how did it go ?

or, somebody approaches you and wants you to train their dog and board it with you for awhile. 
does this happen very often ?
how do you handle that question and what are your policies ?

yeah, i know there are some common sense responses that will be tossed out, but i also know from experience there can easily be problems that result if the plan is not well thought out. and i have also learned to recognize some red flags. maybe others have noticed the same things and i'm interested in what they've learned

for me it all boils down to the question of how much another trainer can train another person's dog. i say training depends entirely on the owner, and a trainer who spends too much time working with the dog is not helping the owner. 
- i also think this applies to any training, any time, and not just boarding cases


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

There is a full range of what the bigger boarding kennels will do.
Until my bros and sisters offered to take care of my dogs in a few weeks (vacation) I had a reservation for a kennel near here.
I chose the basics with orders to do nothing but feed my dogs and clean their kennel. NO petting, NO playing, No play time with other dogs, NO grooming, NO training. Their training is all geared for simple OB up to competition OB. No bite work at all. 
Even if all these "extras" weren't more money I don't want anyone to do anything but feed water and clean. 
You could get rooms (kennels) with a view, rooms with a tv, rooms with actual little beds, air conditioning, canine play time, all sorts of bathing and grooming, training, you name it. 
For 40 bucks a day to include both dogs I was getting a nice run with indoor and outdoor access. That's it and that's all I wanted.


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## rick smith (Dec 31, 2010)

Tx for the info

but with that said..... 
i absolutely have NO interest discussing the amenities in pet hotels 

guess i wasn't clear enough  
that's why i listed a current reference to another thread which involved boarding and training 
.... please ... boarding and training related only

whether on an individual basis with one trainer or a larger kennel who is capable and offers training with the boarding from the staff who runs the kennels

hope that's clearer


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## Mircea Hemu-Ha (Nov 24, 2009)

It's done quite a bit in Romania.

Most pet-dog-people have no clue how to do basic stuff with a dog. Training the dog for them and then handing it back to them may well serve to show the dog the  differences. Just because you teach a resource guarder not to do it around you, doesn't mean he won't still do it around his handler.
And most people who do know how to work a dog have no need for someone else to do it for them. I can see where titling by a more experienced handler may be preferred, but this is different, the owner did the basics himself.

I firmly believe the owner needs to do most of the work (under supervision and guidance), so they may learn how to move, react to and read their own dog. If they don't, no amount of boarding-training and explaining will make up for it.

The only way i see boarding as a good training aid, is if once the dog is returned to its owner, training with the owner may begin. In this context, you can polish the rough edges yourself while boarding the dog, and help the owner deal with a more compliant dog, but i would say the real training is only just beginning at that point. Maybe this is how it's done in other countries ?


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## rick smith (Dec 31, 2010)

re: "It's done quite a bit in Romania."

assuming you are not just talking about basic family pet dogs who will spend most of their time around the house or going out for short walks in the neighborhoods, etc
...are you aware of how it is done, and have you done it ?

specifics :
- do they work the dogs around other animals and other dogs, and is this cleared with the owner up front ?
- how long do they usually board the dog ?
- for what basic OB ? (basic can have a wide variety of meanings)
- for fixing behavior problems ?
- do they also take the dog outside the kennels to do environmental work, or is the dog only kept on the kennel premises ?
- do they start bite work foundations ? (rags/tugs/wedges/sleeves, etc)
- do the owners go to the kennel and join in the training or is the dog sent off and picked up "xx" months later ?

these are the kind of details i'm interested in knowing, and as you might suspect, some of these areas are reasons why i think remote boarding/training can create as many problems as the owner is trying to fix or prevent from happening if it is not discussed in advance. 

and in my experience the owners don't even know what questions to ask, or what they want to do with the dog .... which puts the monkey on the kennel's back


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## Mircea Hemu-Ha (Nov 24, 2009)

Sorry, i don't board dogs and what i know of how others do it is mostly second hand so i won't speak for them.

The only things i can judge with any kind of accuracy are the results, and IMO those are far from satisfactory, as a pet type training, basic OB commands or for ipo.


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## Karen M Wood (Jun 23, 2012)

I know a few people in florida that do in kennel/home training with other people's dogs. Two are professional sport and personal protection dog trainers. The other is a behaviorist. 
_- do they work the dogs around other animals and other dogs, and is this cleared with the owner up front ?
_In the cases i know of the dog being trained is not worked with other dogs unless dog aggression is part of the issue._
- how long do they usually board the dog ?
_That totally depends on what the dog is training for._
- for what basic OB ? (basic can have a wide variety of meanings)
_I think in all cases basic OB is the base line of obedience, most people paying for training are looking for more that base level dog training. The exception is the Behaviorist who often works with dog who have no training at all._
- for fixing behavior problems ?
_All 3 work with behavior issues at some point._
- do they also take the dog outside the kennels to do environmental work, or is the dog only kept on the kennel premises ?
_After the dog is showing improvements then yes, kennel only not from what i have heard from them._
- do they start bite work foundations ? (rags/tugs/wedges/sleeves, etc)
_2 yes, 1 no_
- do the owners go to the kennel and join in the training or is the dog sent off and picked up "xx" months later ?
_I would say yes with all 3 the owner must be involved with training the dog and owner as a team.
What good is a well trained dog if you don't know what it does? _
K


_


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## Michael Bennett (Apr 19, 2011)

I know of a few places like this, there is on affiliated with a rescue that I volunteered with. There are tons of people posting on facebook about how happy they are with the results and the dog is so much better now. I think they charge in the neighborhood of $2000 for a two week board and train.

Most of the places I have heard of that work that quickly use the e-collar, though I do not know to what extent. I would have some reservations personally about sending my dog somewhere that promises results so quickly however I do not know enough about the training they do to really comment. It is something that greatly interests me though because it is a business I wouldn't mind being in if the results are achievable through methods I personally believe in.

From what I have seen these places focus a lot on heeling, long downs, stays and ignoring distractions. I think there bread and butter is taking dogs that the owner has no control over and simply making them manageable.


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## Joby Becker (Dec 13, 2009)

board and train for basic OB is very common here.

most places I know of use pinch collars, and of course to train quickly, they use methods that work quickly, which may not be methods that everyone wants to use on their working prospects..


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## rick smith (Dec 31, 2010)

Michael
re: "I know of a few places like this, there is on affiliated with a rescue that I volunteered with. There are tons of people posting on facebook about how happy they are with the results"

please post the link to that facebook page; i'd like to read the comments about their work


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## Haz Othman (Mar 25, 2013)

Its interesting because with an average dog that has no significant issues you can put off leash healing, down, sit and stay on the dog in about two weeks with and e collar, prong and some treats, wont be competition quality but will look good to pet owners and will likely be miles beyond what they could achieve at the local petsmart. Charge $2000 for that sounds like good business to me.


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## Michael Bennett (Apr 19, 2011)

rick smith said:


> Michael
> re: "I know of a few places like this, there is on affiliated with a rescue that I volunteered with. There are tons of people posting on facebook about how happy they are with the results"
> 
> please post the link to that facebook page; i'd like to read the comments about their work


I PM'd you the info.


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## mike suttle (Feb 19, 2008)

Ariel and I do a fair bit of board and training work for other people. In fact Ariel had Boker for 2 months doing foundation OB with him, I'd say that went pretty well! :-D
We have five board and train dogs here in the kennel now.


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