Every now and again, we get asked about board-and-train programs. CLEAR Dog Training doesn’t offer board and train. We specialise in in-home visits and owner coaching instead, and there are a few reasons for that apart from the practical logistics involved. The idea behind board and train is certainly attractive on paper. Your dog disappears for a few weeks and comes back magically “fixed” — calmer, easier to walk and suddenly much better behaved.
Well… really?
That’s not to say board and train can never help. In some situations, particularly where owners have already put a lot of work in and are still struggling, it may absolutely have a place. But one thing that often gets overlooked is that dogs don’t just learn behaviours. They also learn people.
Dogs learn people too
Years ago, I had a dog that worked beautifully with me. The dog understood boundaries, walked nicely and generally knew what was expected. Hand the same dog to a dog walker and the whole picture changed. He did not reward the dog for doing the right thing, and he did not kindly but firmly correct the dog for doing the wrong thing. So the dog promoted itself to executive status and did what it wanted. As soon as the dog came back to me, it would walk beautifully again. That didn’t particularly bother me because the dog clearly understood that different people played by different rules. Dogs can be very situational. They quickly work out which people understand the rules and can enforce them, and which people really don’t know what they’re doing. Dog training is similar.
Why in-home training can work so well
That’s one reason why in-home training can work so well. The dog is learning where the real-life problems are actually occurring — at the front door, on walks, around visitors and during normal family life. At CLEAR Dog Training, a lot of what we’re really doing during home visits is teaching owners how to work more effectively with their own dogs.
How to reward good behaviours so they increase?
How to calmly manage and block behaviours they don’t want so those behaviours gradually decrease?
How to communicate more clearly with the dog in front of them?
In many cases, owners are surprised how much progress can happen once they become a little more confident and consistent themselves. In the vast majority of cases, CLEAR’s two-session Foundation package gives owners a very solid starting point and enough information to move forward confidently with their dogs.
Cost matters too
Cost is another factor owners need to think about realistically. As of May 2026, CLEAR Dog Training’s two-session in-home package costs $250 in the Wynnum-Manly area, slightly more elsewhere. If owners do need extra help after that, additional coaching sessions are also available and are generally very affordable. By comparison, many board-and-train programs can run into several thousand dollars once boarding, training and follow-up sessions are included.
Questions owners should ask
Owners should also ask careful questions about exactly how dogs are being trained in any board-and-train facility. Years ago, I visited one where barking collars, prong collars and loud physical interruptions were part of the training environment. Some balanced trainers who offer board and train may also use remote electronic collars or other aversive tools as part of the training process. Some owners are comfortable with that approach. Others are not. The important thing is that owners understand exactly what methods are being used and feel comfortable with them before handing their dog over.
Final thoughts
None of this means board and train can never help. But at CLEAR Dog Training, we genuinely believe there is enormous value in owners learning the skills to train their own dogs in real-life situations. That’s the reason we specialise in in-home visits.
— Caroline Strainig, CLEAR Dog Training
