The board and train go-home lesson

Board and train go-home lessons in Gloucester, MA: one after Foundation, two after Advanced, what each covers, and who in the family should attend.

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Dogtown walker and a black doodle on a loose-leash walk across the lawn

Why the lesson matters more than the stay

During the stay your dog learns cues from a trainer, in our building, with our timing. None of that automatically transfers to your voice, your hands and your hallway. Dogs are poor generalizers: a sit learned in one place with one person is a different behavior in another place with another person.

The lesson closes that gap. It is the difference between a dog who “behaves for the trainer” and a dog who behaves for you. Our page on why dogs listen to the trainer and not the owner explains what is going on.

What the lesson covers

The lesson follows the same pattern for each skill: watch, try, adjust. The trainer shows you the cue with your dog, explains the hand signal and the reward, then hands over the leash. You repeat it until it works for you, with feedback on timing, position and voice.

You leave knowing the exact words your dog has learned, how to reward them, and what to practice in the first week. That last part matters: most slipping after a stay comes from changing the words or skipping the rewards too soon.

Skill	What you practice in the lesson
Sit, down, stay	The cue word, the hand signal, the release word
Place	Sending your dog to a bed and releasing them
Recall	Calling, rewarding, and not calling when you can’t win
Leash skills	Holding the leash, rewarding position, turning without a tug
Doors and food bowls	Asking for a wait before the good thing happens
Advanced extras	Neutrality around distractions and using cues away from home

Black doodle jumping up for a reward during a lawn session

One lesson or two?

Foundation includes one go-home lesson, which suits the basics: one session is enough to learn the cues and the routine. Advanced includes two, because distraction and real-world skills only show their weak spots after you have tried them on your own street.

The second Advanced lesson is scheduled after a stretch of practice at home. Bring what went wrong. If your dog pulls toward squirrels or ignores recall at the park, that lesson is built around fixing it, and the timing of both lessons is confirmed when you book.

Who should come

Bring everyone who walks, feeds or lets the dog out. If two adults use two different words for “down”, the dog will learn that the word means nothing. One lesson with everyone present saves weeks of confusion later.

Children can come and watch, and older children who handle the dog can take a turn. For young children, the most useful lesson is a few simple rules: don’t call the dog unless you can reward it, and leave a dog on its bed alone. Our guide to teaching the whole family the cues has an age-by-age list.

Every adult who handles the dog
Teenagers who walk the dog
Dog walkers or sitters, if they can make it
A notebook or phone for the cue list

What to bring to the lesson

Bring the leash and collar or harness your dog will wear at home, so you practice with the real equipment. If you aren’t sure your gear is right, ask before you buy anything new; our page on what equipment to buy after board and train covers the basics.

Ask what rewards your dog has been working for during the stay, so you can stock up before the first walk home. Arrive with questions from the daily updates, and with a list of the situations at home you most want help with.

The first week after the lesson

Keep the first week boring. Same words, same rewards, short sessions at home before you take skills onto busy streets. Expect a dip in the first few days as your dog adjusts to home; it is usually short.

Our guide to the first week home gives a day-by-day plan, and the regression guide covers what to do if things slip. If you want more help later, private sessions start from $94.

The two programs

1 week · Puppies, young dogs & foundational manners Foundation Board & Train A one-week stay for puppies, young dogs and dogs missing the basics: obedience, leash skills, place, stay, recall, impulse control and household manners, with daily updates and a go-home lesson. Read about Foundation 2 weeks · Adolescent dogs & real-world reliability Advanced Board & Train A two-week stay for adolescent dogs and dogs who know their cues at home but lose them everywhere else: everything in Foundation, plus distraction proofing, real-world outings, neutrality and two go-home coaching lessons. Read about Advanced

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