Board and train for families with kids

Jumping and mouthing: what changes in one week versus two

In one week, the Foundation stay builds the replacement behaviors: sit to greet, settle on a mat, impulse control at doors and around toys, and calm crate time. For a puppy or young dog, that is often enough to change the daily picture, as long as the family keeps the same rules at home. Our page on puppy mouthing and biting explains why the timing of rewards matters so much.

In two weeks, the Advanced stay proofs those skills around more people and more excitement, which is what a house with children really is. Running feet, squealing and dropped snacks are high-level distractions. The second coaching lesson then helps the family fix what has slipped once real life resumes.

The family go-home lesson

The handover works best when everyone who will handle the dog takes part, because a dog that hears five different cues from five people quickly learns to ignore all of them. Ask at booking how many family members can join the go-home lesson so you can plan around school and work.

Before the lesson, agree as a family on house rules: is the dog allowed on the couch, who feeds it, where it rests at dinner. Our guide on teaching the whole family the cues has a simple plan for getting everyone consistent.

• Write the cue words on the fridge so everyone uses the same ones
• Give each child a small, specific job
• Keep a jar of treats out of the dog’s reach for practice
• Agree on one adult who handles any problem moments

Safety rules training does not replace

Even a well-trained dog has limits, and most bites to children come from a dog the child knows. Teach children not to hug dogs, not to approach a dog that is eating or sleeping, and to call an adult rather than taking something from the dog’s mouth. The American Veterinary Medical Association publishes dog bite prevention advice for families, and it is a good starting point to read together.

Give the dog a place to escape to, such as a crate or gated room, that the children know is off limits. Supervise every interaction with young children actively, not from the next room, and separate them when you cannot watch.

When to get help before a stay

If your dog has growled, snapped or bitten around children, or stiffens when they approach, a standard manners program is not the first step. Say so in the enquiry. Gabby will assess first, and some dogs need Dogtown’s six-to-ten-week behavior-modification programs or a veterinary behaviorist.

Keep children and the dog apart until then. That is not a failure; it is how families keep everyone safe while the cause is worked out.