Rescue Dog Board & Train

[fmeekins]

I adopted a dog about 3 weeks ago, and he’s so wonderful I love him! He’s a 4 y/o mini Aussie that I rescued after his owners could no longer care for him.

Despite being told he walks well on a leash, I noticed that my pup is VERY leash reactive towards dogs and and on occasion towards people, and struggles with redirection. He constantly barks and tugs on his leash as well.

My partner and I recently tried to introduce our dogs to one another. His puppy is a 7 m/o that he’s had since 9 weeks. Though I know my partner’s dog is a puppy, they are the same size so I thought it would be okay. The off-leash introduction did not go as planned. At first he was okay and went to sniff her, but she was a bit nervous. She finally started to come out of her shell, and when I went to pet her he would whine, bark, and growl. He nipped at her twice and would not let her move. So, we separated them before it got worse. I believe I may be seeing signs of dog aggression. I’d seen him play with a couple other dogs at the rescue, and things were fine and was told he plays well with other dogs.

I would like to send my dog to a board and train program to help kickstart training and found a 4-week program with good reviews that I think would be a good fit. However, they want to take him right after Christmas and I worry that 6 weeks after adoption may be too soon. I don’t want my dog to feel abandoned by me, but I also want to make sure he’s properly trained as soon as possible so he can live happy AND be safe.

Thoughts on if it’s too soon?

TL;DR I’d like to send my rescue pup to a board and train facility. Is 6 weeks post adoption too soon?

 

[christopherb]

@fmeekins Board and Trains with the single exception of Instinct Dog Training (which is run by veterinary behaviorists) are a bad idea all around and an especially bad idea for reactive dogs. Nearly every single board and train uses aversive methods, many have shady business practices, and plenty of ones that were outed as abusive had lots of good reviews beforehand.

Spend the money on a qualified trainer who will work with you instead.

https://iaabc.org/certs/members

 

[bushido8000]

@christopherb Just FYI, the one you’ve mentioned isn’t the sole exception - there are two strictly force-free/R+ board and trains in my area, one is an accredited trainer who does B&T out of his home (obviously one dog at a time) and another who has a more traditional kennel set up and multiple trainers on staff and can accommodate more than one at a time.

With that said, without question FF/R+ B&Ts are rare.

 

[christopherb]

@bushido8000 Ah thanks, I didn't realize more FF B&Ts had sprung up, Instinct was the only reputable one I had ever heard of. Are you willing to share what area the ones you're talking about are in? Could be a good resource

 

[bushido8000]

@christopherb Sure. Both are in the Chicagoland area. The in-home option (depending on specifics of the dog) is KinDog Behavior and Training and the more kennel-type option is with I Got This Sit (it's their Live In and Learn program). I'm familiar with both and can vouch for them both being very reputable.

And I am hopeful that more FF/R+ B&Ts will be established going forward. I personally am not in favor of B&Ts, primarily because most of them use aversives, but even with the FF/R+ ones, the owner is not part of the equation (at least in large part) and I think that is such an important part of the training/behavioral mod process. But I do understand that people have limited time, etc. and using a B&T to for the foundational work for longer term training/behavioral mod may be the best option for some, so there really is a need for FF/R+ B&Ts.

 

[joshuawithmartin]

@christopherb There are a few I know of usually run by just one trainer so they aren’t really facilities that are comparable to the yank and crank sort, but they’re out there!

Yes! Dog is one and The Polished Pup are a few examples. They typically have long waits and limited availability, but I’m glad they exist at least.

 

[fmeekins]

@christopherb I honestly appreciate the advice. I’m a first time dog owner and knew I wanted to rescue, but am starting to feel ill equipped with the behaviors — which is why I was considering a board and train program that also includes additional private training sessions post program so I could learn what they taught.

The one I had decided on has GREAT reviews, but my priority is to the doggo and his wellbeing who I just want to make sure I’m taking great care of. Most of the trainers I’ve looked into that specialize with dog reactivity have pushed board and train on me and it seems like those have been majority of the options in my area. I will do more research. I know this is something I shouldn’t try to rush for convenience, and I just want to do good by my pup

 

[jrod307]

@fmeekins There’s a lot of traditional trainers who present themselves as “specializing in reactivity” but who generally use the same methods on most if not all dogs that they see. But they aren’t the only trainers out there who either can help you handle reactivity or who have additional training in working with reactive dogs.

It looks like you’re in the Seattle area from your other posts. I don’t know of anyone specific in Seattle (though I’m positive there are some good options) There is a well regarded trainer with additional credentials in aggression south of Tacoma https://www.mywoofwisdom.com/behavior-modification?

You should also look at https://www.rplusdogs.com/ who does all virtual support and who also has additional credentials in aggression/reactivity.

I’m sure you will find someone who will help you develop a great relationship with your new rescue!

 

[joshuawithmartin]

@jrod307 I would be extremely wary of nearly every trainer that “specializes” in reactivity that is strongly pushing for board and train. If you do a search in this subreddit for board and trains you may find some info in the comments and threads that are helpful to you as well.

 

[kidwindy001]

@fmeekins I’m also a first time dog owner and sent my dog to a board and train - they also had great reviews and i truly didn’t know what else to do at the time so I didn’t give it a second thought. I can tell you from first hand experience that it made my dog worse, particularly the use of aversive methods that 99% of board and trains use. The thing is - these places claim to “fix” your dog in a couple weeks, however, truly fixing reactivity takes a lot longer than a couple weeks. When I first got my dog back from her B&T, I truly did think she was “fixed” - she was no longer reacting to dogs or people and I was amazed. I didn’t love using the ecollar, but I did because it seemed to be working. I thought it was too good to be true, and that’s exactly what it was. about a month later, her reactivity started showing again and she just completely spiraled back into old habits. The issue is that the aversive methods essentially scare your dog into obedience (fear of punishment) but don’t actually address the underlying issues that cause the reactivity. For my pup, she was undersocialized and probably abused. Her reactivity was completely out of fear, and punishing her for that only made her more fearful, so she reached a breaking point and went right back to reacting just as much as before she had any training at all. Honestly, it’s been over 2 years since the B&T and still feel guilty every single day for putting her through that.

 

[busryde]

@fmeekins Board and trains usually use extremely aversive (aka painful) training methods. It is very easy to force dogs to behave in a few weeks. It is much harder to instill lasting, positive change.

You would be much better off going to work with a trainer yourself. After all, the dog has to live with you, not with the trainer.

 

[uyencdt]

@fmeekins A lot of board and train facilities use aversive methods to quickly change the behaviors that the owners see. This is a bad idea with a reactive dog- aversives suppress an undesired behavior but they do NOTHING to change the underlying issue that caused that behavior. It can also backfire. If you use a collar to punish a dog reactive dog every time they lunge and bark at another dog, they may learn to stop reacting but they will still feel that fear and frustration that caused them to lash out, and often this can lead to worsening aggression issues because they have no outlet for those feelings and no way to actually manage them! I would keep searching for a trainer until you find one that doesn't want to send your pup off to board and train. A big big part of training is the bond and the trust that you build with your dog. It's also essential when you have a reactive dog. You need to convince your dog to trust you enough that when they see a trigger, they look to you for how to handle it instead of reacting because they trust that you will keep them safe. Here's a good read on a lot of aspects of working with a reactive dog: https://www.3lostdogs.com/a-beginners-guide-to-helping-your-reactive-dog-get-better/

I work with a trainer for my reactive dog and a lot of the early stuff we focused on was basic obedience, which you can do now while you look for a trainer! Also, some of your problem may be that your pup just hasn't had enough time to settle in yet. You can look up the 3:3:3 rule of bringing home a new dog.

Best of luck!

 

[johansen]

@fmeekins I wouldn’t recommend a board & train for the same reasons others have mentioned.

 

[kingdomkey]

@fmeekins Others have replied about board and train, and I agree with their comments

As far as introducing dogs goes, take it really, really slow. I’ve had a reactive dog for six years, and in June I brought in a new dog who isn’t reactive. Just this past month I’ve started letting them mingle together without muzzles or barriers and things have been going well, but it took a long time

These are the steps I took:
1. Total separation. Closed doors, separate walks. I kept the new dog mostly confined to one room so that my old dog could continue his normal routine (also, I didn’t know how the new dog would act and it turns out she chews/destroys things)

1. Gated doors so they could see each other when humans are home. Walks together. Did a couple walks with my husband walking one dog and me walking the other, they didn’t have any bad interactions so I started walking them together for all their short potty breaks. They’d each get a longer walk alone where I could focus on the individual and their needs/wants/training
2. Everything from step 2 + muzzled, limited interactions in the living room (the most neutral room, not where my old dog likes to sleep or close to his crate)
3. Step 2 and 3, + using x-pens to allow the new dog into different areas of the house. This got my old dog used to seeing the new dog in “his” areas
4. Supervised free rein with muzzles
5. Supervised free rein without any barriers or muzzles

The process wasn’t as straightforward as this list suggests, lots of going back to more separation and there were several intense scuffles between the dogs. But no one suffered any lasting harm and I think they’re at a place where we can all peacefully and safely wander the house now

Also, my reactive dog just pain doesn’t like puppies of any size…he prefers older, mellow dogs