Dog Boarding School

Boarding school programs, sometimes referred to as board-and-train programs, present specific challenges that trainers must address. As your dog's advocate, it's your responsibility to make sure that these issues are being addressed humanely, effectively, and legally.

As the term “boarding” suggests, dogs stay at the facilities where they are being trained. Taking care of dogs requires canine-care knowledge and a comfortable, safe facility. Don't accept that any body in any setting is able to adequately care for and train your dog. Some “boarding schools for dogs” consist of crates in basements or garages. Some boarding school trainers work full-time jobs, elsewhere . First, ask the questions; and then, ask to see for yourself:

EXACTLY where will your dog stay when s/he is not being worked? If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Will your dog be kept in a crate or in a kennel? Can your dog move around? Will that crate or kennel be located in a garage? a basement? a kennel building? outdoors?

Where does training take place? Is the training area safe and secure?
Is this facility licensed to house however many dogs are in training PLUS the trainer's own dogs? If the answer is “yes,” ask to see the license. If the answer is “that's not necessary here,” verify that (unusual) fact by calling Code Enforcement of the city in which the house or facility is located and ask about kennel laws. If you are sending your dog to an illegally unlicensed facility, you'd better find out where the “pound” is, in case animal control acts upon a complaint against the trainer for harboring too many dogs.
Is this a full-time job for the trainer? Where does s/he spend most of the day? the week? If this is a part-time job for the trainer, should your dog be there full-time? If the trainer has other jobs, how is your dog confined and cared for in the trainer's absence? When will the trainer be available to help you in the future, should the need arise?
Who is the trainer's veterinarian(s)? Call the vet's office and verify that a good relationship exists.