BOARD AND TRAIN DETAILS, PREREQUISITES & PROCEDURES
This is for informational purposes only, full contract is emailed upon request.
Onward Bound offers both in-home with a trainer or at or facility for "boarding school". Dogs are given plenty of individual attention as well as group training sessions daily. Your dog’s days will be filled with a menu of activities all designed to address and identified goals, concerns and/or problems, in an intensive & proactive format including but not limited to:
- Goals set forth by you & Your trainer — This usually includes things such as house manners, skills (obedience), reactive behavior, listening, etc.
- Priorities set forth by Your trainer — This usually isn’t determined until the dog is in our trainer’s care. Usually in this program goals are set & put in motion but our trainers may also see other issues that need addressing & will do this upon contacting you & discussing. All priorities & goals discovered by your trainers are only to benefit you & your dog.
- Socialization & play with people & other dogs — A resident (or other trusted) dog-friendly dog, or dogs, may sometimes provide appropriate play, if/when it’s time and/or if it’s beneficial to your dog. Structure includes balance between play, fun, working & opportunities to rest to absorb lessons. Onward Bound's program geared more toward training priorities over play with other dogs. With reactive dogs our goal is neutrality not necessarily social interactions.
- Daily training & work toward goals/priorities — Your dog will receive daily training that is directed toward your goals & priorities. Your trainers may also see things that are priority that will affect your long-term goals. This will be worked on first & foremost so that your dog receives what is needed to accomplish your goals as well as the well-being of your dog. Your trainers will work towards the goals by increasing reliability of manners & skills in increasingly challenging ways incorporating distractions, distances & durations. Structure/routine & management styles used in Board & Train are all intended to enhance the learning or training experience.
- Transfer & Reintegration back home — At the end of your dog’s program you will come pick up your dog from Onward Bound you are required to be available for a minimum 1 hour session (we call a “Transfer Lesson”) that will cover your dog’s completed program. In this session you will review what your dog has been taught by learning what your dog has learned, how to maintain your dog’s training, & many other details so that you can reintegrate your dog into your home & into his/her “new life”. You will receive written documents with protocols, homework & often video (video may not always be available.)
Pre-Requisites to meet before attending Onward Bound
- All dogs must be properly crate trained. — All dogs that participate in this program must be trained to stay in a crate without signs of stress/anxiety when left in a crate. Young puppies or dogs newly crate trained dogs are welcome as long as they are not overly anxious, overly vocal or stressed when crated. (If dogs exhibit these behaviors while at Onward Bound they may possibly be asked to be picked-up.)
- Dogs cannot exhibit separation anxiety. — All dogs must be comfortable being left alone (along with the above crate training requirement) in a crate without exhibiting more than minor stress. Unfortunately Onward Bound is not able to accommodate any dogs that suffer from any level of separation anxiety or distress.
- Dogs must not have had parasites or worms within 3 months of starting at Onward Bound, a clean fecal within the last three months is required. —Onward Bound uses strict cleaning routines and dog disease specific cleaners. This makes Onward Bound unique however it also makes for much stricter rules on other things. Giardia, Hookworm, Roundworm or Tapeworm can be passed to other dogs and some to humans, therefore it is vital that your dog has been treated and 100% clear of any of these worms and/or parasites at least 3 months prior to starting Onward Bound.
- All dogs attending Onward Bound must be up-to-date on all vaccination according to their dog’s age. Puppies may have fewer vaccinations due to age, however any puppy must have had at least one Parvovirus, Distemper, Bordetella, and Leptospirosis vaccination no less than 14 days prior to starting Onward Bound.
- Dogs must be kept up-to-date on heartworm & flea/tick preventative. — All dogs must be currently free from heartworms, fleas & ticks and currently taking heartworm preventative & flea/tick preventative. We can administer any of these while your dog is at Onward Bound if they need to have it during their stay.
- Dogs that require regular haircuts must be trimmed before coming to stay at Onward Bound. We take dogs on various adventures and long ‘doodle type coats become messy and tangled easily. Regular grooming along with a bath and weekly nail trims will take place for all dogs.
FAQs: Frequently Asked Questions about Board and Train
- How old does my dog have to be to attend Onward Bound Academy? — Your dog must be a minimum of 10 weeks old to attend. There is no dog too old to learn new tricks.
- How many dogs are in the program at a time? —Generally there are 2-4 dogs attending board and train at the same time. We also hold day school and camp for a maximum of 20 dogs total. Our ratio of five dogs to one trainer is one of the lowest in the industry, ensuring the best possible care for our canine charges.
- How do I know how long my dog should stay at Onward Bound? — While there are programs with set days for training it is important to understand that there is no way to tell how long it will take to reach the goals you have for your dog. Every dog is different. There must be a 3-week minimum for dogs over 16 weeks as most dogs take at least 3-5 days just to adjust to their new surroundings. New habits require time to establish and become strong.
- What kind of training is done, i.e., what methods for training are used on my dog? — You can read more about Onward Bound’s philosophy on training & methods on the About page. In summary we utilizes reward-based training and do not rely on physical corrections or any type of punitive collars to train your dog.
- What does a day at Onward Bound look like for my dog? — On an average day they will spend the day being trained by a few different trainers, get some cuddles, train solo and in a group, and play with other dogs if appropriate. Reactive dogs will receive three to five focused behavior modification sessions. Nap times are given in our nap rooms with kennel suites to allow for important rest periods. Board and trains often get to spend time snuggling on the breakroom couch. At the trainer's home your dog will stay in their kennel when s/he is not being trained or playing or hanging out in the living room. S/he will sleep in her/his suite. Each day your dog gets to romp about a large fenced-in yard or go for walks. S/he will also hang out with the trainers while she work on the computer or accomplish daily chores. In between all this fun your dog will receive multiple training sessions working on specific behaviors.
- Will my dog socialize with other dogs at Onward Bound? — Maybe, if it’s appropriate. Each trainer has a different assortment of dogs in their home and the day school has an assortment of personalities that we try to match up for success. Onward Bound values training priorities over dog to dog play. So, your dog will spend a lot of time alone with their trainer for training, in groups training, and in her/his suite for naps & re-charging.
- How is this different than other board-n-train programs? — This program is different because we value your dog's welfare before the results. In an industry that is completely unregulated Onward Bound is one of the few board and trains that do not use force, fear, discomfort, or pain to make your dog comply.
Prices and inclusions
- All Program pricing includes boarding, training, Transfer Lesson & follow-up session(s).
- What payment plan options do you have? After the non-refundable $500 deposit is received there are payment options to pay the remaining balance, please inquire
- Any payment plan must be completed before your dog starts
- Puppy Board and Train (less that 16 weeks) $2,035
- Basic Manners $2,995
- Advanced Manners/Behavior Problems $4,975
- Deposit & Paperwork — You must pay a non-refundable $500 deposit to hold your spot at Onward Bound.
- Pay your deposit first. This will go toward the balance you will owe for your dog’s entire training/stay.
- This is NON-REFUNDABLE 30 days before your dog's stay
- You can write & mail a check for the non-refundable deposit. Make all checks payable to Onward Bound & mail to:
- Fill out the paperwork sent to you. You may print & scan/email to Ally and use Venmo (@onwardbounddogs) – OR mail all paperwork with the deposit check to above address.
Very critical things you should know about this program . . .
- This program is designed to work for your dog & with your dog. Some dogs come to us with trust problems, stress, or other things that may hinder their learning. While this isn’t normally the case, it has been in a few cases. We will work with your dog & will not force training or learning just to meet goals if your dog isn’t ready or able to do something. This can sometimes mean only a few goals are met, or even just one. It all depends on your dog. Your trainer will let you know right away if something like this applies to your dog.
- This program is not going to give you a perfect dog. This is a great program for dogs to get a huge boost on training; however, it’s not a one-and-done. Once your dog’s training is complete you will be required to maintain what your dog learned & likely even do more work in some areas. There is no such thing as getting a “fully trained” dog in a set number of weeks. Training a dog is a lifetime of consistency, dedication & proper handling from all family members.
- If you have a puppy under 12 months of age expect to keep working through developmental stages. Puppies do great in this program, however, it should be very well understood that puppies (especially under 6 months) couldn’t possibly learn everything they should in a few weeks, even in a month or two. They are developing & learning & growing which means they will need continued training, understanding of developmental stages, patience & consistency from all family members after they return home. You will in no way receive a puppy that needs no further work from you at home.
- You must do follow-up training. The first lesson takes when you pick up your dog, going over all the things your dog learned & is able to perform. It is important that you are available for this transfer lesson. If you do not follow through with the provided group class or lessons, you cannot expect to get the most from training.
- This program does not offer guarantees. Guarantees cannot be made with dog training or behavior. Dogs are sentient beings & many things must go into consideration when it comes to a dog’s ability to learn, how fast they learn & what they learn, therefore, it is impossible and unethical to guarantee training or results. We will work with you to help you get the most from your training program.