Dog Training Programs

   Our Board & Train Program is a very condensed program. What we consider our "Basic" course, most trainers would label as "Advanced."

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   In our program the dogs are put on a schedule and boundaries are established. Their day begins at 6am, when they go out for their morning potty break. They then have breakfast and daycare time with the other dogs. We allow them to have playtime first thing in the morning, in order to get their morning zoomies out. We pair them up with a doggy friend that is more their size, age group, and that has the same energy level. Play incorporated with obedience training is very important for the dogs. They have playtime inbetween their training sessions and gives them a break from the training they are receiving. It also provides them with socialization. 

Our Dogs in Training are taught the following Commands:

Place

The place command is very important. It sets boundaries for your dog. Place is a designated elevated dog bed, that remains in a consitent location in your house. Some prefer to have more than one. For example, one can be in your living room and one in the sitting room. The place stand must remain in the same location, in order to provide consistency to the dog. The dog is told to go to this dog bed and remain there until given permission to be released. If you have company coming over, you can put your dog in place, and he must stay in place as the door is knocked on or doorbell is rang. When your company enters the house, instead of being jumped all over, the dog remains at place, until granted permission to leave place. The dog will lay comfortably on his place stand. This provides a sense of security to the dog and is good for dogs that suffer from reactivity and/or anxiety. Instead of them worrying about having to be in charge of the entire househld, all they have to be concerned about is their place stand. It provides them a sense of safety and security. You will find that your dog of its own free will, will often go to place and relax. We call this "self calming." Dogs that have been properly trained, learn to reserve their energy and to self calm. 

Emergency Down

 Emergency down in our Basic Course goes all the way into our Intermediate. In the Basic Course the leash is dropped and the dog is told to down. The dog can be stepped over and people can walk around the dog and the dog knows it must remain in the down position, until released by its handler. This is a great safety command. If you have another dog charging you or a dog off leash and need immediate control of your dog, until the situation is resolved, you can have your dog remain quietly by your side in the down position. In the intermediate course, the dog will be required to down from a distance of approximately fifteen feet away after being given a verbal command to down. 

Sit and Wait

 This command is excellent for the door rusher. We teach the dog to sit and wait before going in and out of doorways. This establishes self control in the dog, and prevents them from dragging their owner in and out of doorways. They are taught to sit and wait before going outside. This helps set boundaries within your household, with your dog. It is also a great command for having your dog wait to go in and out of vehicles, along with waiting to be fed. 

Loose Leash Walking 

   This command is important for the dog to understand not to drag or pull on the leash during walks. We train the dog to walk quietly (not to react), and not to pull on the leash when walking. 

Heel on Leash

  The Heel command differs from walking on a loose leash. The heel command is excellent for busy environments and when another dog is acting out around your dog. The heel command requires the dog to sit at the handler's left side and when the handler steps off to walk, the dog remains at the left side, under control and non reactive.  

Ignore Distractions

To avoid and ignore distractions, this is in the form of other dogs, cats, chickens, sheep, goats and horse. We proof our obedience by having the dogs do their obedience around other dogs. We incorporate stability drills into all of our obedience programs. Stability drills is where the dog must be non reactive and walk and do their obedience around other dogs, and not become distracted or reactive. They hold place, and downs and heeling around other dogs, cats, and farm animals. We also work on crate training and often housebreaking while the dog is in our care. The dogs meet approximately 20-30 new dogs and people they have never encountered before and work around them, as part of the proofing process. 

We recommend checking out our videos on Facebook at KnightWatch K9 Pet Training. 

If you would like to sign up, we require a meet and greet prior to signing up. We always recommend you meet the trainer before you sign up, and that you also visit the facilty.

We often have a waiting list, and a deposit is required to reserve all reservations. We do have payment plan options available.

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