Does a board and train affect the bond?
One of the programs that we offer for our clients is something called a Board and Train. This means that we actually take a dog to live with us for a period of time to complete training. Our two programs are a Jumpstart (one week) and Bootcamp (two weeks).
Typically people have a fairly strong reaction to the idea of someone else training their dog. Reaction #1: “Oh! You’ll take him?” This is followed up with a huge grin. Or, reaction #2: They clutch their dog to their chest and say with a scowl, “No way are you leaving with my dog.” Admittedly, this is a bit of an over exaggeration, but not by much. Dogs are a subject that tend to bring out strong emotions in people.
So an underlying fear many people have when they consider a board and train is whether or not the bond with their dog will be effected by being trained by someone else. Recently, a post was made on an on-line message list regarding just this concern. Most people who responded had no experience with board and trains but were people who undoubtedly would have had reaction #2 to the idea. And their responses seemed to imply that by not training the dog herself, this woman would be missing a fundamental experience with her dog. There was a lot of guilting going around.
Here is the reality. We have board and trained dozens and dozens of dogs. Without fail, when they realize that they are back home, they are happy. They are happy to see their owners. They settle back into life at home very well. And no dog we have returned from a board and train has ever forgotten their owner, or crossed their paws and said with disdain, “I can’t believe you sent me away!” And I have also never had an owner say, “Now that Fido is back, I just don’t feel like this is my dog. I don’t feel bonded anymore.”
Is our bond with our dogs so weak a thing that a week or two away would destroy what we have built with them? Of course not. And since training a dog doesn’t just take a week, but an entire lifetime, the risk of losing the ‘bonding’ experience of not doing all the training yourself is also a rather silly affectation.
Is living away from home a stressful experience? Sure, but stress isn’t always a bad thing. Stress is what incites change in people, and in dogs. A proper amount of stress on the immune system is what makes it stronger, in fact. Dogs are incredibly adaptable. It is something we see again and again when we do board and trains.
This is one of the reasons board and trains are so effective, when done properly. And when given the correct tools upon their dog’s return, owners can keep that change and mold it into a new behavior pattern.
In general, we say that a one week board and train program is about the equivalent to an average owner working with their dog for two to three months. Sound impressive? You should see the faces of the owners when they see what their dog can do!
Now that I’ve told you all the reasons that a board and train can be a great option, here are a couple of things to keep in mind.
- Dogs are not robots. Even with great training it still takes maintenance. It is simply not reasonable to think that even with a board and train there will be no work on the part of the owner.
- If you are too busy to even consider trying to train your dog, perhaps you are too busy to have a dog. Dogs require work, and effort. If you cannot commit to a minimum level of work, please consider whether or not you are being fair to your four legged companion.
Lastly, there are a couple of circumstances in which we would actually recommend a board and train, though that is the major exception to the rule. We have done a couple of board and trains because the owners had some physical limitations. Or their schedules were exceedingly erratic. These are situations where a board and train may not only be appropriate, but close to the only option available.
Training your dog can be a full and rewarding experience. But no matter how you do it, training is a necessity in your dog’s life. If you think you are unable to do it, there are professionals that can give you a major head start with a board and train option.