Board and Train is the most intensive dog training program available — and also the most misunderstood. Families often come to us with one of two misconceptions: either they think it’s a magic fix where they drop off a problem dog and pick up a perfect one, or they’re worried they’re sending their dog away to be “broken.” Neither is accurate. Here’s exactly what the process looks like.
Before drop-off: the assessment
Every Board and Train at NSFK9 starts with a phone assessment and, for most dogs, an in-person evaluation. We need to understand your dog’s history, temperament, drives, behavioral issues, and your goals before we design a program. This isn’t a formality — it’s how we determine whether Board and Train is even the right program for your dog, what the program should focus on, and what realistic outcomes look like.
We also use this conversation to set honest expectations. If your dog has behaviors that won’t be fully resolved in a 3-week program, we’ll tell you that upfront rather than let you believe otherwise.
Drop-off day
Drop-off is usually low-key. Your dog arrives, we do a brief transition orientation, and you leave. Some dogs settle immediately; some take a day or two to acclimate. We’ve found that prolonged, emotional goodbyes from owners increase dog stress significantly — a matter-of-fact goodbye is genuinely kinder to the dog.
We recommend bringing your dog’s regular food and any items that are meaningful to them. We don’t recommend bringing toys that might create resource-guarding scenarios in a new environment.
During the program
Your dog is in a structured training environment with daily training sessions, controlled exercise, and consistent rules. The daily routine creates predictability, which significantly reduces stress and accelerates learning. Training is not just the formal sessions — we’re shaping behavior throughout the day, because that’s how habits form.
Most families receive updates during the program. You’ll see progress, and occasionally you’ll see a day where something isn’t clean yet — that’s normal. Training isn’t linear.
A common concern from owners: “Will my dog think I abandoned them?” Dogs don’t experience time the way humans do, and they don’t hold grudges. Dogs who have completed Board and Train consistently return to their owners with relaxed, happy demeanors. The structure and clarity of the program actually reduces anxiety for most dogs.
The owner transfer
This is the most important part of the program, and the part that determines whether the results stick. Board and Train doesn’t produce a “trained dog” in a vacuum — it produces a dog who has learned a set of behaviors in a specific training environment. The owner transfer process bridges that gap.
At NSFK9, the transfer involves multiple sessions where we teach you everything your dog knows — the cues, the reinforcement patterns, the management strategies, and the rules your dog has been living by. You learn to handle your dog the way our trainers have been handling them, and we don’t send your dog home until you can demonstrate the same results we’re getting.
After pickup: the most critical period
The first two to four weeks after pickup are where Board and Train either holds or starts to fade. Your dog is transitioning from a high-structure training environment back to a home environment that may have very different rules and energy. The dogs who regress almost always do so because the home environment reverts to the patterns that created the original behavior problems.
Consistency is everything. The rules don’t flex. The cues are used the same way every time. Everyone in the household is on the same page. This isn’t difficult once you’ve been through the transfer process — but it requires intentional commitment for those first few weeks while new habits solidify.
Graduate support
At NSFK9, training doesn’t stop when your dog goes home. Every Board and Train graduate receives continued support — because real life with a dog doesn’t follow a curriculum, and we’d rather you call us when something comes up than let a small issue become a big one.
Considering Board and Train in Minneapolis?
Start with a free phone assessment. We'll walk you through what the program looks like for your specific dog and answer every question you have.