Has anyone ever done a board & train?

[raechiemay]

Has anyone ever done a board & train?

Some of you may know that Duchess has been temporairly living with my parents until I can move. I'm hoping that next month I can restart the home buying process so I can have my girl back. If that doesn't work then there are some apts nearby that allow giant breed dogs. Only bad thing is pet rent for me would be $50 a month with 2 dogs. Anywho, Duch has a LOT of bad habits now. Nothing that I don't think can be fixed but I know a good trainer that offers board & train for approx 6-8 weeks. I believe it is 7 days on, 7 days off, 14 days on, 7 off, then finishing up with 7 more days with the trainer. I have friends that use him for group classes & they swear by him. The board & train package itself is $850 but I can get a 10% discount & after she completes that I can participate in group lessons for free for the remainder of her life. What are y'all's thoughts & suggestions on this? Questions I should ask? I won't enroll her until I have my housing situation figured out as I don't want her going back to my parents to forget everything she learned. Thanks!

 

[casMahn]

Re: Has anyone ever done a board & train?

I sent Nessie to a board and train when she was a puppy. With her being my first dog, I had no idea how to train. I loved it, she came back knowing all of her commands on and off leash.

The nice thing was, like you mentioned, they included training for me afterwards. So once a week, we went back to the trainers to teach me how to handle her & to learn how to train her in the future.

It still took a lot of work outside the training sessions, which I am sure you are expecting. But with me being a novice owner, this turned out to be a perfect situation.

Steve

 

[raechiemay]

Re: Has anyone ever done a board & train?

Thanks for your input! I realize it will still take time outside of being at the trainers to keep her in line which is ok with me. She was doing ok in the summer when I had time to work with her but with my parents living 23 miles away it's not always easy to just go over there & work with her. I've trained dogs before but Duchess is not at all like my first EM. So I am having a little trouble getting her under control when I do see her. I hear she is ok when I'm not around but when I am she gets very guardy & loud like she thinks everyone & everything is going to attack me at any second.

 

[KristinandCianna]

Re: Has anyone ever done a board & train?

So Duchess is an EM to? You also have Daisy right? I would personally never do board and train. I wouldn't trust someone else with my dog. That being said, as long as you REALLY trust this trainer, and as long as he follows up with you and your dog and make's sure you are implementing everything correctly, I'm sure it will be a good thing. Just be careful and be sure this trainer is good, maybe ask to speak to others have have put their dog's through board and train with him.

 

[raechiemay]

Re: Has anyone ever done a board & train?

Yes Duch is an EM & everything I know about EMs, most of her behaviors don't sound typical to the breed. However, I've read a couple threads here with people who had the same issues. And yes I have Daisy too. Only reason why I don't have Duch living with me at the moment is because of my landlord & I really worry about my fence not being sturdy enough. I worry about her getting out & biting someone.

I've talked to this trainer on a few occasions & he knows what he's talking about. My friend that uses him loves him & she will sometimes leave her dogs with him when she goes out of town. I guess I need to talk to him about training a mastiff & see what he says.

 

[CeeCee]

Re: Has anyone ever done a board & train?

The behaviorist I worked with when Zeek entered his first adolescent phase offered me the option of a board and train. For us, it didn't feel right. There are so many nuances of a dog's triggers and communications, I felt that I need to learn them, to experience them, and then be able to teach him and lead him through them. For me, a huge part of the training process is also a bonding process and I wanted all of that to happen with me.

I've made my share of mistakes, but each one of those have been a learning experience for both of us. In each one of these experiences, we learn more about one another (I learn more about myself), my observation skills become more fined tuned, and my timing gets more precise. I am SO much more in tuned with both of my dogs and I feel like I am becoming the life longer leader that my dogs need.

Bumps, mistakes, heart stopping moments and all, I am very happy with my decision.