Board your dog with us for training!
Send your dog to Board & Train for $100 a day!
We offer the option to board your pet or service dog in training with us to work on basic commands, socialization, focus out in public, tricks and tasks. Dogs participating in Board & Train will stay on our 2-acre property in Atascadero, California, live inside of my home, and get daily training, exercise and love from our training staff. Training happens both on the property and out in public depending on what your dog needs.
We are balanced trainers with an emphasis on positive reinforcement. We use lots of treats and healthy boundaries with our dogs to shape behaviors while still making training fun. Dogs will get supervised play time with other dogs, will sleep inside, and will be fed in separate kennels to avoid resource guarding. Any time your dog is left unsupervised they will be kenneled to keep them safe. Pet parents will get regular updates on the progress of their dog's training with photos and videos. At the time of pick-up, one of our trainers will spend 30-60 minutes with you to show you what we have worked on and make sure al family members are comfortable reinforcing training techniques.
Board & Train with us is a minimum 7 days to ensure we are able to give a dog enough foundation with a new skill before teaching the owner how to continue to reinforce and build upon what we have done. Please understand that there is NO GUARANTEE that behavior problems will be resolved or commands will be fully learned in the span of your dog's time with us as every dog is unique and learns at different speeds. We also have NO GUARANTEE that your dog will be able to be a service dog if they go through our training program, as that depends on the behavior, past history, temperament and health of the dog that are beyond our control. If you are boarding your dog with us with the intention of it being trained as your service dog and we have concerns about your dog's ability to do that job, we will contact you immediately with those concerns.
Please make sure that your dog meets all of our requirements for Board & Train if you would like them to participate in our training program. Send us an email at theservicedogconnectionprogram@gmail.com to schedule your dog for Board & Train.
Board & Train Requirements:
Dog must be at least 6 months old & done with puppy series vaccines
Your dog must have completed a minimum of 3 rounds of the DA2PP Puppy Series vaccine AFTER the age of 8 weeks old. Any vaccines given before 8 weeks of age do not count. You must also have proof of these vaccinations, so just saying that you gave the vaccines yourself is not enough.
Dog must have a current Rabies, Distemper Parvo & Bordetella Vaccine
We will need proof of these vaccinations for the health and safety of your dog, and the dogs and staff on our property.
Dog must be over 30lbs at the time of boarding
This requirement is a safety reason. We have several dogs on the property that have a high prey drive, and the smaller your dog is the more it looks and sounds like a squirrel!
Dog must be relatively friendly with people and other dogs
We are happy to help build some confidence with your dog around other people and dogs, but we do not specialize in aggression and our property is not set up to work well for intensely reactive dogs. If you have a dog needing help with aggression or reactivity issues, please reach out to Bonnie Corwin of SLO Dog Adventures. This is her specialty.
Dog must not be able to escape from a 4-ft wire fence
We need to feel confident that we can keep your dog safe and secure on our property. The yards are securely fenced, but the fencing is only 4 feet high.
Dog must not have any contagious illness, parasites, or severe medical conditions
We want to make sure we can properly care for the dogs staying with us, and keep everyone as safe as possible. Dogs must be free of fleas, ticks, and other parasites, not have any contagious illness, and not require serious ongoing medical attention that we would be in charge of.
*** CANINE INFLUENZA VACCINES STRONGLY RECOMMENDED!***
With the recent outbreak of Canine Influenza throughout California, we highly recommend that you dog be vaccinated against this before boarding. This vaccine can be given at your regular veterinarian or at a low-cost vaccine clinic but does require a booster vaccine 4 weeks after the first one.
Leash Manners
Focus Out In Public
Focus Out In Public
Loose leash walking is a major foundational skill in our program to increase eye contact, self-control, and focus when out in public. Before we can work on ignoring distractions, reactivity issues, and greeting people calmly, we have to get a loose leash walk solid!
Focus Out In Public
Focus Out In Public
Focus Out In Public
Once we have a solid heel, we practice loose leash walking and focus in a variety of public places. We take our dogs out in public at least 5 days a week.
Impulse Control
Focus Out In Public
Impulse Control
Whether your dog struggles around dogs, kids, food, toys, or other distractions, we can increase impulse control at a pace that allows your dog to feel successful and really understand expectations.
Recall Skills
Confidence Building with People
Impulse Control
We work on recall skills using long lines, treats, and several large fenced yards on our property. Once a dog shows proficiency on the property, we build on these skills out in public. We do not use e-collars for recall.
House Manners
Confidence Building with People
Confidence Building with People
If your dog struggles with door manners, settling in the home, and waiting at the door, we use a structured approach in my home to work on these skills.
Confidence Building with People
Confidence Building with People
Confidence Building with People
Some dogs lack confidence with strangers. We use very structured stages to introduce new people to these dogs at a pace that they feel comfortable with. This allows the dog to feel some level of predictability and control to build their confidence during greetings.
Non-Aggressive Dog Reactivity
Service Dog Task & Public Access Skills
Non-Aggressive Dog Reactivity
If you have a dog that is friendly with other dogs off leash, but has reactivity on leash, we will happily teach your dog a more appropriate response to dogs when on leash. We do not specialize in rehabilitating actual aggression cases, but have trainers that we can recommend to you for this.
Basic Obedience
Service Dog Task & Public Access Skills
Non-Aggressive Dog Reactivity
We are happy to teach your dog sit, down, stay, leave it, and place command so you have a way to communicate better with your dog. We use lots of positive reinforcement through treats, praise, toys and affection to achieve this.
Service Dog Task & Public Access Skills
Service Dog Task & Public Access Skills
Service Dog Task & Public Access Skills
We cannot guarantee that your dog has what it takes to be a service dog, but we are happy to help with public access training and task training if your dog shows potential. We will also be super honest with you if we do not think your dog is the right fit for service dog work.