Board and Train Programs in Maine

The Puppy Head Start — Puppy Board & Train Program

For puppies 3-6 months old

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The habits your puppy builds now determine the dog you'll live with for the next decade. This program establishes the foundation that prevents the problems other trainers charge thousands to fix later.
 

Your puppy will learn:
 

• Core cues: Sit, down, kennel, place, recall, leave-it, potty on cue

• Calming chant: You will learn a technique you can use at the vet, in the car, or any stressful moment

• Foundational concepts: Heeling position, impulse control, stay, leash pressure response

• Communication language: Yes, Good, No, Nope, and/or clicker (if desired)

• Early behavior modification: Mouthing, jumping, demand barking, introduction to the concept of "No"
   

What makes this different: This isn't obedience drilling for a puppy. It's learn-to-earn — making training fun and fulfilling while building structured independence. Your puppy learns that you are the healthy center of their world without creating the dependency that causes problems later. You'll also receive personalized coaching tailored to your pup's breed and personality.
 

Most puppy programs are glorified socialization classes held in a pet store aisle. This is one-on-one professional training on a working farm, with a trainer who's been developing puppies for over two decades.

Includes: 1 private owner transfer lesson. Our comprehensive Housebreaking Guide, Email troubleshooting support until your puppy is 6 months old.

Duration: 1 week

The Complete Program — Off-Leash Obedience Board & Train

For dogs 6 months and older — Our flagship program

This is the full transformation. Your dog will learn to make the right choices — reliably, under distraction, in the real world.
 

Your dog will learn:
 

• Commands: Recall (come), sit + stay, down + stay, heel, place, kennel, threshold manners

• Behavioral understanding: "No" becomes a meaningful word your dog understands, knows how to avoid, and knows how to respond to

• Communication language: Yes, Good, No (clicker if desired)

• Behavior modification included: Leash reactivity, jumping, demand barking, counter-surfing, and other behavioral issues — included at no additional charge*

What makes this different: At most board and train operations, your dog lives in a crate in someone's basement and trains in their backyard. Maybe they go to a park. Maybe a parking lot.
 

Here, your dog trains around livestock on open acreage. They work through a confidence course. They navigate fenced and unfenced terrain where the consequences of not listening are real. They go on field trips to Bath, Freeport, and pet-friendly stores. By the time your dog comes home, the training isn't theoretical — it's been pressure-tested in environments most trainers can't replicate because they don't have them.

I train three dogs at a time. Not ten. Not twenty. Three. And if your dog needs additional time to meet my standard, I extend the program at no extra charge.
 

Includes: 2 private owner transfer lessons. Limited lifetime email and phone support for the training provided.**

Duration: Approximately 3 weeks
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Payment plans available — ask during your consultation.

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*Serious behavioral cases are assessed individually. We don't take serious human aggression cases. See Specialized Programs below.​

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**Lifetime support does not cover new or emergent behavioral issues or any additional training not included in the original training plan / agreement.

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The Cornerstone Program — On-Leash Obedience Board & Train

For dogs 6 months and older

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Not every owner needs off-leash reliability. Not every dog's life calls for it. But every dog — and every owner — deserves one thing: a dog that listens, walks politely, and behaves in the real world. That's what this program delivers.

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Your dog will learn:

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• Commands: Loose leash walking, sit + stay, down + stay, place, come (recall), threshold manners, kennel on command

• Behavioral understanding: "No" becomes a meaningful word your dog understands, knows how to avoid, and knows how to respond to

• Communication language: Yes, Good, No (clicker if desired)

• Behavior modification included: Jumping, leash pulling and lunging, counter-surfing, demand behaviors — included at no additional charge*

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What makes this different: No e-collar. No shortcuts. Everything is accomplished through leash communication, reward-based methods, and a training collar — on 15 acres of working farmland where the distractions are real and the results have to hold. Your dog won't train in a parking lot. They'll train around sheep. Around chickens. On open terrain. In public spaces. The obedience your dog builds here is the kind that holds when it counts.

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This is the right program if you want a well-mannered dog on leash — one you can take anywhere with confidence. It's also a natural foundation for The Complete Program if off-leash reliability becomes the goal later.

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Includes: 1 private owner transfer lesson. One year of email and phone support for the training provided.** 

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Duration: 2 weeks​​

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*Serious behavioral cases such as reactivity are referred to The Complete Program. We don't take serious human aggression cases.

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**Support does not cover new or emergent behavioral issues or additional training not included in the original training plan / agreement.