Being a new student can be intimidating. There are new dogs and new skills to learn, and a new environment. We want to make your dog’s first day of school comfortable so she can learn without feeling completely out of her element. So what does the first day of training look like? Well, that all depends on your dog, of course!
The training structure of the first couple of days are always up to your dog. In the first class, we want to set a foundation with your dog. We’ll go over basic skills and get to know each other. And we always start with treats!
Usually the first day or two, depending on the length of her stay, we’ll get her real comfortable with her surroundings. It’s really just all fun and games. During that time (and for the rest of her stay) our staff will analyze her behavior, asking questions like :
- What does she know already?
- How aggressive is she?
- Is she fearful or nervous? (almost always, yes!)
If your dog has no aggressions, we’ll introduce her to dogs in small groups and allow them to play. Take a look at Henry socializing on his second day of Board & Train!
With aggressive dogs, we get them as comfortable as possible with the staff through one-on-one bonding. A staff member will take your dog on a solo walk, and later she might enjoy some one-on-one cuddle time.
If your dog is also human aggressive, we start training right away. We might begin by doing some muzzle conditioning or just spending quality time getting comfortable with each other. When she’s comfortable, we’ll bring her around other dogs for a bit of socializing. Take a look at Koa on his first day, getting comfortable with Malaika.
If the dog is severely aggressive, it’s always on leash with a fence or kennel in between them.
After your dog is comfortable, we get into the good stuff. We start all dogs with basic skills, to gauge where they’re at and get them warmed up for more training.
- We always start with on leash work, introducing correct on leash walking and control.
- Basic command words are also on the list! We’ll practice “sit,” “come,” “off” and other command words that she may or may not know.
If your dog tends to have separation anxiety, it shouldn’t be a problem at DGA. The dogs are with people all day in fun, structured activities. By the end of the day, she’ll be too tired to be anxious!
We offer two board and train programs, both of which include a day with you! This training day always lands at the end of your training schedule so you can learn to incorporate what was learned in the class and use these skills properly at home.
Remember, while we train your dog with all the skills we’ve discussed, it’s important that you keep up with the training at home. Dogs need consistency (just like humans!) for new skills to stick. If you don’t use them, you’ll lose them!
Ready to sign up for your board and train program? Open Enrollment dates kick off August 22-September 2! Call Today to reserve your spot 775-800-1011