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Dog Boarding & Training Advise... I'm just curious if anyone has use a board & train program for their pooch? I was seriously considering it- well, still am- but found out the cost is quite extreme!
We have a 7 month old lab. Long story short- we had ever had a large breed dog and he grew so big so fast we were not successful with training him to behave indoors... or out for that matter. So now he's tied up outside of our fence in the backyard (he was chewing everything including the siding right off our house when he was inside the fence.) We got him a shock collar but it's literally almost impossible to even get close enough to him to get the collar on without getting completely malled.
Basically I didn't buy a $500 dog so that we could leave him tied up in the backyard his whole life and have to change into old clothes just to get close enough to him to feed him. He's not mean at all, he's just a really big puppy who loves to jump on people and chew. I want him to be a part of our family & come inside, go on vacation with us, etc. I feel like a terrible pet owner and feel that we need help training him and learning for ourselves what needs to be done to be good "pet parents."
Does anyone here have experience with board & train programs? It sounds so good but it's so expensive. The one we looked into was almost $1900.00. I'm torn because that's a lot of money but at the same time if my child was having extreme behavior issues that I had tried to fix myself and someone said they could fix the, all for that price, I probably wouldn't hesitate. And I want my dog to be a part of the family! It's a rough time for me right now trying to figure out what to do. Sorry for rambling! Any advise?
Re: Dog Boarding & Training Advise... Sounds like he is bored..is he getting daily walks and playtime? Have you tried crating him while you are gone? He is still a puppy and puppies do like to chew. I would try to give him plenty of exercise and try crate training him.
There are a ton of programs out there for training for much less. Look into local humane societies or Petsmart. They both have reasonable prices.
Good luck! I know training can be very time consuming and tiring.
Re: Dog Boarding & Training Advise... Holy cow! That is super pricey. I think I would start crate training. Even if you start outside, and then move the crate inside. We had a lab for almost 12 years and he was a member of the family. We did not crate him, but we had him before kids and we paid for a trainer to come weekly in the beginning. We also bought a dog run for the backyard that he ripped apart with his teeth. Yes, the chain link metal dog run.... We had to repair it with coat hanger. He was a crazy big dog. He was still too crazy to walk on a leash even in his old age. But, he was calm in the house with my kids and loving and loyal. Good luck!
PS: Ev is my QBFF...
meggers takes all the brown "e's" and ruuuuuunnnnnnnnsssssssssss!
Re: Dog Boarding & Training Advise... I agree - maybe he needs more walks, actually walks instead of just being tied up. I don't personally advise the 'take your pet somewhere to be trained' because the training would work in that atmosphere - you need training done at your home, with your family an active part of it. If you don't follow through (or don't have time to) with the training the dog behaviorist suggests, then I wouldn't spend the money.
You can also get him AKC certified through most of these programs. Call your local SPCA or ask your vet for a dog trainer (like Cesar-the dog whisperer). I wish I could afford to have him on my personal staff.
Good luck!
Re: Dog Boarding & Training Advise... Thanks for the advise so far.
I forgot to specify that the reason we are looking into board & training is because we live at least an hour away from any trainers. So, although it would be nice to have one come to our home or to attend classes with him, it simply isn't possible.
He does get daily walks and lots of dog toys to chew. We haven't tried crating. Something to look into!
Re: Dog Boarding & Training Advise... $1900 is way too much! I have been a professional trainer for 30 years. Although I am taking a break since we are now traveling with my husband's job.
I have done in board training for people. I was charging $300 a week. It took no more then 2 weeks for me to train a dog. Make sure that they are not a kennel. They should be training your dog in their home. It does you no good if your dog is sitting in a kennel all day and only getting out for a half an hour training session. I wish I was closer to you I would help you out for a lot less then $1900!!!!! please dont pay that!
Re: Dog Boarding & Training Advise... That sounds better!Originally Posted by mommy22boys
Just asked lots of questions like, where your dog will be spending the day, how many times and how long they are actually working with your dog every day, what kind of guarantee they have, what kind of follow up they provide, and it never hurts to ask if they can give you any kind of discount. You also need to know if they provide the food, and if so what kind they feed, or if you need to provide the food.
There should be a training session with you when you pick your dog up to show you how to reinforce what they have taught your dog.
Good lucK!
Tammy
Re: Dog Boarding & Training Advise... Thanks so much for the advise! I actually was able to get her to discount it to $550 because she said labs are fairly easy to train. Do you agree with that? It sounds like she has a really good routine for the dogs and a good place for them to play when they aren't being worked with. Unfortunately it's about 3 hours away... but I'll drive 3 hours to save over $1,000! lol
Re: Dog Boarding & Training Advise... Yes! thats a great price, and yes labs are very easy to train!
Just remember to ask if you need to bring food or not.
Did she asked about vaccinations? Make sure your dog is up to date on his vaccinations especially Bordatella for kennel cough. I would absolutely drive 3 hours too.
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