[Riggan]

TT,

I can’t answer your question directly since there are so many factors involved: your dog’s temperament and background, the techniques and skill level of the trainer, etc. But I can give you some things to think about.

Some background: Lance (4yo GSD mix) came into our home a year ago. He was picked up on the streets at about 1yo. After about 6 months, he was adopted by a young couple. They sent him to a highly respected board and train for 2 weeks. After about a year, they returned him to the shelter because of issues with their newborn child. I adopted him 3 months later. So I have seen the results from a situation similar to yours, and can say that the board and train was a disastrous experience for Lance, for the reasons I will list below.

1) Board and train trainers need to get results quickly since they only have the dog for a couple of weeks and they must demonstrate their value to the client. This often means using techniques that are not the most effective for dogs with fear issues. In Lance’s case, they used prong and e-collars. Since Lance is one of the softest dogs I have ever worked with, these tools only reinforced his fear that people cause pain and are to be feared. Yes, he had a very good “Sit” when I adopted him, but at the cost of a dog who was completely shut down and hated anything that resembled training. It also was not effective when something was so scary that it overrode his fear of the punishment. In his case, this was his terror of the baby, which in turn led to fear aggression displays and his return to the shelter. Fear behaviors cannot be resolved quickly and therefore I don’t believe that they are appropriately addressed by most board and train facilities.

2) Just because a dog behaves beautifully with a professional trainer does not mean he will behave for you. Especially with fear issues, the dog must develop a strong relationship with YOU. You must also learn the techniques that are going to be used with your dog. For most people, I think finding a good trainer who has experience working with fearful dogs and then having him / her train you to train the dog is the most effective approach. This also allows you to go at whatever pace the dog is able to tolerate. You and the dog learn together, building a relationship of trust in the process.

3) If your dog is a rescue, and particularly if he came from a shelter, going into a board and train facility can be very traumatic as it is another case of being “abandoned” by someone in the same way he was abandoned at the shelter. Different dogs deal with this transition of environments differently. Some can recover relatively quickly, while others can be completely broken by it. Each time, though, it takes longer for the dog to trust.

4) Much also depends on your own schedule and capabilities. Working through fear issues requires time and consistency. You must also be able to keep both the dog and everyone the dog is around safe as you work through his issues. Are you in a position to be able to do this? (There is no judgment here. There are many life circumstances that can make this difficult if not impossible. The important thing is to be honest with yourself.) If you can, then I promise the results will be worth it. You will develop a strong bond of trust between you and your dog, become more confident in your own ability to work through issues, and experience the pride of seeing the progress in your dog as he becomes happier and more confident. If you can afford board and train, I assume that weekly lessons with a trainer would also be possible.

Now you have to consider your particular dog, situation, and the board and train you are considering. Fear aggression can lead to a variety of outcomes. The dog can go into a threat display and if that does not succeed can then either attack (fight), flee (flight), or completely shut down (freeze). Which the dog chooses will depend on their personality. If the dog’s default mode is to attack, then board and train may be useful to keep everyone safe IF the trainer is very experienced in breaking this pattern successfully and then transferring this skill to the owner. The key issue here for me would be the level of danger that the dog poses to others. If possible, I would still prefer for the owner to work directly with the trainer rather than send the dog to “boot camp.”

Hopefully this has given you some things to consider. Welcome to the group, and don’t hesitate to ask as many questions as occur to you. There is a wealth of experience here. Sometimes you will get conflicting recommendations, but each will give you food for thought as you decide what is right for you.

[TT]

Thank you so much for your very detailed and thoughtful answer! Much to think about but I truly appreciate your time!

[Ed]

A couple of my neighbors have sent labs and labradoodles to board and train. The dogs forgot how to walk on a leash after a few months. I think the issue is not the behavior per se, but the gap between the skill set that dog requires and what we are able to offer. So a successful board and train experience would make that gap a bit narrower, but it is not really a dog that is being fixed… if that makes sense. Like in all the dog training classes we go/watch, it is not really the dog that is being trained 🙂

[Gerard]

I agree with Ed . It is not just the dog that needs training . If you want a super relationship with your dog YOU are the one that needs to learn to handle your dog .

Board and train facilities are fine , but , if they do not teach you too , then most will be lost over time . The handling MUST be totally consistent

[Gerard]

Also Riggan’s answer is spot on too