About Board and Trains
“It’s more about training the humans, isn’t it?”
This is a question I hear frequently when talking about the benefits of in-home training. Yes, it’s true!
My name is Chloe, and I’m a certified professional dog trainer. My goal is to help you learn how to teach your own dog how to behave in a way that works for your lifestyle.
Does your dog engage in behavior that is annoying, undesirable, or straight up dangerous?
A board and train may seem like the answer to your prayers when you have dog problems. Your dog goes away to live with someone who loves dogs for two to four weeks. You get a vacation, and your dog gets an education, right?
Many dog lovers in the Kansas City metro became aware of the board and train crisis at the beginning of this year when a viral video of a man calling himself a trainer circulated across the country. Matt Fiala of A1 Dog Training is shown using extremely forceful handling methods on someone’s beloved family dog. Animal people called out for legal repercussions after witnessing the undeniable abuse depicted in this graphic video. How is this man allowed to get away with this? How long have dogs been getting abused at board and trains with no consequences? How could something like this happen?
Many dog lovers discovered only this year that dog training is still an unregulated industry in the United States. Anyone can call themselves a trainer and start boarding dogs in their home, calling it “training,” and charging you thousands of dollars.
Sure, there are some licensed businesses that conduct board and trains, and not all of them use the same methods depicted in the A1 video. However, many issues can arise when sending your dog away to a board and train.
Board and train facilities can have unpredictable results for a variety of reasons.
Devices for physical punishment like e-collars and bean bags are used at most board and train facilities in Kansas and Missouri. Frequently, these trainers receive a minimal education in dog body language and training, and they are not certified. The welfare of your dog is not a priority when they put on a prong collar on your dog and get to work forcing them to obey commands they may or may not understand. A lack of transparency in the methods and tools used can prevent you from fully understanding and consenting to the amount of force applied to your dog during their stay. This style of handling can stop behavior, but a heavy hand comes with many risks. Your dog may begin showing avoidance, apathy, or aggression toward other animals, other people, or even you.
If your dog does learn despite the circumstances, results can deteriorate over time. Because the environment is different during your dog’s board and train, these skills may not transfer to your home, and your dog may be reinforced by aspects of their environment and continue engaging in those annoying behaviors you thought were fixed. Your dog may get used to this level of punishment and continue doing these annoying behaviors despite the consequences. If you feel too uncomfortable punishing your dog to continue, you may not have the tools to maintain any positive changes made. Sure, you could keep turning up the dial on your e-collar, but do you really want to?
There is a better way to train your dog.
Rather than spending thousands of dollars on deteriorating results, you can learn to communicate with and teach your dog at a fraction of the cost.
With positive reinforcement training, we use a holistic perspective of the dog when creating a thoughtful management and training plan to make impactful changes in behavior. When your environment is set up for success, your dog can stay in the habit of practicing good manners without the need for constant correction. Training starts out easy enough for you and your dog to be successful, and rather than setting you up to fail, we raise the level of challenge as you progress forward.
When you control the rewards and give them out for good behavior, your dog will learn to trust that you are not a harmful dictator who gets in between them and a good time. You can learn to be a benevolent leader who prioritizes their needs, and they will actually want to listen to you. With the help of a dedicated positive reinforcement trainer, you can become the most reinforcing part of your dog’s environment and take your relationship to new heights.
If you love your dog, please research your trainer, and ensure that the methods used will not cause more problems than they solve. You can learn to teach your dog to behave politely with rewards and enjoy all the benefits of a loving relationship with human’s better half.
