Board and Train: What to Ask Before You Send Your Dog Away

Before you send your dog to a board and train program, ask how your dog's day is set up and what methods and equipment the trainer uses. Also ask how you'll see the training and how the trainer will teach you to keep it going at home. Visit the facility first and get the methods in writing. Groups such as the AKC and AVSAB give advice on these questions, and we've turned it into a checklist below.

What board and train is

In a board and train program, your dog lives with a trainer or at a training facility for a set time. The AKC describes these programs as lasting two or more weeks. Preventive Vet says most run two to five weeks. Your dog works with at least one trainer on anything from basic obedience to fear or aggression.

The appeal is clear. Someone else does the daily training while your dog is away. The catch is that your dog has to learn to listen to you once home. The AKC says dogs at these programs learn a skill very specifically, so you'll need to keep training for it to carry over. It adds that if you never reward a learned behavior at home, your dog will soon stop doing it for you.

Board and train is also expensive. Rover's cost guide lists $3,000 to $4,000 for two weeks, and Preventive Vet gives $500 to $1,250 or more per week. Prices vary by area and trainer, so treat these as rough ranges. That price is a good reason to ask hard questions before you sign.

Questions about your dog's daily schedule

Your dog will spend every hour of the day in someone else's care. Ask the trainer to walk you through a normal day. Preventive Vet and the MSPCA suggest these questions.

• How many hours a day will my dog spend in a kennel or crate?
• Does my dog stay in a kennel or dog run when not training?
• How are training sessions scheduled through the day?
• How many people will work with my dog?
• When are meals, potty breaks, walks and play time?
• How much rest does my dog get during the day and overnight?
• What exercise and enrichment are provided?
• Will my dog be around other dogs, and under what conditions?
• How many dogs are on site at once?
• How do you track eating and drinking, and what happens if my dog stops eating or loses weight?

Dogster notes that new dogs may need an adjustment period of three days to more than a week before real training starts. Ask how the trainer handles that first stretch, and whether it counts toward the program length.

Questions about training methods and tools

Methods matter more than anything else on this list. AVSAB's position statement on humane dog training says evidence supports reward based methods for all dog training. It also says there is no evidence that aversive training is necessary, and that trainers should avoid tools that cause pain, such as prong collars and shock collars.

AVSAB's guide on choosing a trainer lists other tools and techniques to avoid. These include leash jerks and rolling the dog onto its back. Rattle cans and spray bottles are on the list too. The guide also flags dominance words such as "alpha" and "pack leader" as a warning sign.

Ask these questions directly.

• What methods do you use to teach new behaviors?
• What do you do when my dog does something you don't want?
• What equipment will my dog wear? Will you use a prong, choke or shock collar at any point?
• What food or toys do you use as rewards?
• How will you know if the training frightens my dog?

Whole Dog Journal recommends asking about pinch collars and shock collars by name, even when a trainer says they use positive reinforcement. The MSPCA warns that corrections with collars like prong or shock collars can lead to fear of the handler and aggression. It also says that for dogs with fear problems, kennel based training may make anxiety worse.

Check the trainer's credentials

The AKC and the CCPDT both describe dog training as an unregulated industry. The AKC adds that anybody can print business cards and charge for training. Credentials give you a way to check.

The Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers suggests looking for its trainer credentials, CPDT-KA and CPDT-KSA, or its behavior consultant credential, CBCC-KA. Its statement on board and train abuse also tells owners to interview the trainer about their education and methods. It says to ask whether the trainer carries liability insurance, too. AVSAB's trainer guide names the Pet Professional Guild and the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants as groups whose members are more likely to use positive methods. It lists Fear Free as well. AVSAB also says credentials don't guarantee quality, so ask about methods even when a trainer is certified.

Preventive Vet adds two more checks. Confirm the business is licensed and insured for both boarding and training. Ask what vaccines and parasite checks the program requires of every dog.

Questions about photo and video updates

You should be able to see what's happening with your dog. The MSPCA suggests asking, "How will I be able to witness the training in real time so I know how and what my dog is being trained?" Dogster suggests asking how the program lets you check in and monitor progress.

Ask how often you'll get updates and in what form. Video of actual training sessions shows you the methods in use, which a still photo can't. If a trainer won't let you see sessions in any form, ask why before you sign.

Questions about transfer sessions with you

A transfer session is a lesson where the trainer teaches you to handle your dog the way they did. Since skills fade when you don't reward them at home, this part matters. The AKC says the facility should teach you the cues and hand signals it used, plus ways to keep the work going at home. Whole Dog Journal says a program should end with a few private sessions that show you how to keep the behaviors going.

Ask these questions.

• Will I attend lessons during the program, or only at the end?
• How many transfer sessions are included, and are they private?
• Will you visit my home after the program?
• What support do I get after my dog comes home, and for how long?
• Can other people in my household attend?

Preventive Vet stresses that you need these handling skills yourself, since your dog will be living with you.

Get the details in writing

The AKC advises asking what methods and equipment will be used and what behaviors will be taught. It says to get the answers in writing. Before you sign, make sure your agreement covers the points that matter to you. The list below is our own suggestion, not a legal requirement.

• The start and end dates and the total price
• What's included, such as transfer sessions and follow up support
• The methods and equipment the trainer agreed to use
• Your visiting rights and how updates will be shared
• What happens if your dog gets sick or hurt
• The refund or cancellation terms

Be wary of guarantees. The AKC says to be wary of anybody who guarantees results. Preventive Vet says, "No reputable dog trainer should ever give a guarantee." Whole Dog Journal calls promises of eliminated problems or 100 percent off leash reliability "a huge red flag." The MSPCA says the hope that a dog will come home fully trained is often too good to be true, because behavior can slip back at home.

Visit the facility before you sign

Most of the sources we read recommend seeing the place in person. The AKC suggests inspecting where your dog will live and watching the other dogs to see whether they seem relaxed or fearful. It also says to insist on visiting rights. The CCPDT says to check whether the facility is clean and well kept and whether staff interact with dogs in a positive way. It also suggests watching a session to see whether the dogs seem engaged and eager to work.

Whole Dog Journal suggests noticing whether the place is clean and whether dogs are barking constantly. Ideally, watch the trainer work with several clients' dogs, including one at about your dog's level. Preventive Vet says a live virtual tour is the minimum if you can't go in person. Ask whether you can visit your dog during the stay, a question Dogster also raises.

Get references, too. The AKC suggests calling past clients. The CCPDT suggests asking for clients who hired the trainer for a similar problem.

When board and train isn't the right fit

Some dogs do better with other options. The AKC lists group classes and in home trainers as alternatives. For problem behaviors, it suggests an experienced trainer or a veterinary or animal behaviorist.

If your dog has fear or aggression problems, see your veterinarian first. AVSAB's humane training statement says dogs with serious problems such as aggression or separation anxiety should always be evaluated by a veterinarian, because medical factors can contribute. When a dog shows fear or aggression, AVSAB's trainer guide tells owners to contact a veterinarian with advanced behavior knowledge, a veterinary behaviorist (DACVB) or a credentialed behavior consultant. Preventive Vet notes that complex issues like these often take six to eight months or longer, which is far longer than most board and train stays.

Once you have your questions ready, you can start looking at trainers in your area.

Finding board and train programs on AnimalTrainerPro

We list more than 5,000 dog trainers in the US and Canada. Each listing shows where its information came from, such as a professional directory or the trainer's own website, so you can check credentials at the source. Featured listings are paid and always labeled. You can read how results are sorted to see how listings are ordered.

Pick two or three programs and ask each one the same questions. Then visit the one you like best before you hand over your dog.

Trainers who find their business here can claim their profile for free.