Virginia’s Best Board & Train Program!

Our board & train program is the premier dog training program in Charlottesville, serving all of Virginia (and beyond!). It’s an all-inclusive, total immersion-style training program designed to help family dogs become their best selves. There’s no other program like it!

We get extraordinary results from our board & train program for the following reasons:

• We are solely focused on family dogs. We don’t do any other kind of training—no competitive obedience, dog sports, service dogs or law enforcement training. Our focus on family dogs has allowed us to get really, really good at teaching dogs what they need to know to be well behaved in a family context.

• We use only the most efficient training methods and tools. We know you don’t have hours per day and weeks per year to work with your dog—that’s our job! There are always changes to be made at home, but you won’t need to teach your dog anything. They’ll return home equipped with all the skills they need to be well behaved.

• We train you, too! Your dog will have the skills they need to be well mannered at home, but those skills will go right out the window if we don’t take the time to thoroughly coach you through how, when and why to handle your dog. (This is the trap many board & train programs fall into!) Our “human training” includes thorough in-person lessons/coaching sessions, written guidance, “homework” and lifetime support after graduation.

• We train dogs in my home and in “real world” environments (not a facility). This is a family business run from my home and even my kids are involved. All dogs spend time learning “real life” good behavior in our home as regular family life goes on around them. We also take dogs on a number of field trips into Charlottesville and Crozet to ensure that your dog can go anywhere you want to take them—from soccer practice to a dog-friendly brewery & beyond.

• We don’t just teach obedience, we also address each dog’s state of mind. We help each dog learn how to tap into their inner calm, even when they’re feeling amped up. We also help them learn to look to humans for guidance instead of acting on impulse. This state of mind work sets us apart from all other trainers.

Don’t just take our word for it—here are the words of a few of our clients:

Why our board & train is so effective

During the board & train period, your dog lives here with us. This gives us the opportunity to immerse your dog in a 24/7 lifestyle training program. Every interaction you have with your dog is important and helps to shape their understanding of the world and of their relationship to their humans. It is impossible for dog trainers to coach owners through all those nuances during private lessons, which means that owners will miss a lot of “little moments” at home—through no fault of their own, this is just a limitation of the private lesson format. The board & train’s ability to provide comprehensive training for your dog is one of the main reasons why it gets far better results than any private lesson program ever could. Once established, your dog’s comprehensive understanding of how to behave can easily be transferred to your home.

Our program also goes far beyond the typical board & train program. We don’t just teach obedience, we also address a dog’s state of mind. “State of mind” refers to a dog’s mindset, including their ability to tap into their inner calm, even when they’re excited or amped up in any way. This ability is an absolute game-changer for any and every dog. Imagine being able to prompt your dog to be calm on command—that’s what state of mind training gives you!

So many of our clients come to us after having worked with multiple trainers, and we don’t want to be another trainer in that cycle—we want to be the last trainer you ever have to hire. That’s why we only offer dog training programs that get quality, long-lasting results. We view our board & train program as an investment in your dog’s quality of life and in your family’s quality of life with your dog, and we do our very best to deliver the best possible results.

the importance of a home environment

The fact that our board & train program is completed from our home makes a huge difference in your dog’s experience during training, and in the long-term outcome of training.

We teach all new skills away from distractions, but then as your dog gets better and better, we’ll practice and “proof” those skills in my home around my family. Your dog will learn the behaviors and patterns they need to be successful at home in a home environment, not a sterile facility. Facilities can’t mimic your dog’s way of life at home, but training and learning in my home with family life going on around them certainly does. This makes a difference!

We are a family-owned business, which means my wife and kids (and dogs and cats) are involved in each dog’s training as well. The energy of kids (even teenagers) is very different from that of adults, so this is important exposure for every dog. We also do typical family things like eat dinner together, watch movies together, and welcome guests, and your dog will learn how to respond appropriately in all of those scenarios (and many more).

Our home is located about 35 minutes southwest of Charlottesville, Virginia in the beautiful mountains of Nelson County. All trainees enjoy playing in our large fenced yard, our unfenced yards (once they’re off-leash trained), hiking on our property, and taking field trips into Charlottesville, Crozet, & Waynesbor. The field trips ensure that your dog knows how to listen to directions and behave appropriately no matter where they are—a dog-friendly patio restaurant, busy downtown area, neighborhood playground, and beyond. Our clients love that they can take their dog places without any chaos!

OUR BOARD & TRAIN PROGRAMS

Our board & train programs include 4-week, 6-week, 8-week and 10-week programs. The longer the program, the more time we have to help your dog pattern good behavior in a variety of real life contexts. 4 weeks is enough for the typical family dog without major issues, but all dogs benefit from longer programs. The more work we do here, the smoother life is post-training!

For dogs who require more in-depth behavior modification, such as dogs with separation anxiety, aggression of any kind, resource guarding, leash reactivity and more, the 6, 8 or 10 week programs are required. We have excellent success with behavior modification needs of all kinds, but in order to do the job thoroughly, your dog does need to remain with us for more than four weeks.

Below are the details and pricing information for each program. Payment plans are available!

4-week BOARD & TRAIN PROGRAM (our standard program)

Four weeks is just the right amount of time for the typical family dog to learn and master e-collar communication, obedience and good behavior patterns, and to be able to apply those skills in a family setting and in public without much hassle. This leads to a dramatic improvement in your dog’s behavior and in your experience with your dog.

You also receive the coaching that you and your household need in order to maintain your dog’s training results over the long haul, to apply your dog’s new skills at home, and to apply your dog’s new skills out in the world. Your package also includes lifetime email support. We want you to feel confident, prepared, and supported over the long haul.

Our 4-week board & train program is a comprehensive program that includes all of the following and more (click the plus sign to open each item and read more details):

The four-week program is appropriate for the average family dog without major issues. We often say that our board & train program helps dogs become their best selves—and our clients agree! If you want your dog to be their best self, make communication between you and your dog smoother, and be able to include your dog in more of family life, then this program is for you. 

Investment: $5,050 (payment plans are available)

6-week board & train program (behavior modification)

Six weeks is the right amount of time for dogs who struggle with issues like leash reactivity, resource guarding, crate issues, fear, anxiety, and others. It’s also appropriate for family dogs who don’t have issues—the more time your dog spends with us, the better patterned their new “good” behavior will be, and the smoother life will be going forward!

Our 6-week board & train program is a comprehensive program that includes all of the following and more (click the plus sign to open each item and read more details):

The 6-week program is appropriate for the average family dog without major issues and also family dogs with behavior issues such as leash reactivity, minor crate issues, resource guarding and others. These behaviors CAN change! 

Investment: $6,050 (payment plans are available)

8-week board & train program (behavior modification)

Eight weeks is the right amount of time for dogs who struggle with significant behavioral and state of mind issues, such as severe separation anxiety, severe anxiety in any context, aggression that’s been practiced over many years, dogs with a significant bite history, etc. It’s also appropriate for family dogs who don’t have major issues—the more time your dog spends with us, the better patterned their new “good” behavior will be, and the smoother life will be going forward!

Our 8-week board & train program is a comprehensive program that includes all of the following and more (click the plus sign to open each item and read more details):

The 8-week program is appropriate for the average family dog without major issues and also family dogs with significant behavioral issues and/or state of mind issues, such as severe anxiety, severe fear, or any intense behavior issue that’s been practiced for a long period of time. These behaviors CAN change! 

Investment: $7,050 (payment plans are available)

10-week board & train program (behavior modification)

Ten weeks is the right amount of time for our most intense trainees. Everyone thinks their dog falls into the “most intense” category, but very few actually do! The dogs who need to spend 10 weeks with us are typically dogs who have unusually severe behavior modification needs. Sometimes the severity emerges at a young age, sometimes it became severe because it’s been practiced for such a long period of time, and sometimes it’s just bad genetics/bad luck.

Ten weeks can also be appropriate for family dogs who don’t have major issues—the more time your dog spends with us, the better patterned their new “good” behavior will be, and the smoother life will be going forward!

Our 10-week board & train program is an extremely comprehensive program that includes all of the following and more (click the plus sign to open each item and read more details):

The 10-week program is appropriate for the average family dog without major issues and also family dogs with extreme behavioral issues and/or state of mind issues. These behaviors CAN change! 

Investment: $8,050 (payment plans are available)