1. How long is the Love Wags A Tail board-and-train program? What is the cost?
This depends on the dog. There isn’t a one size fits all in program duration. This is why we talk or email with our potential clients to find out what their training needs are, to find out about your dog, and we can then determine the length and cost of the program. A dog who needs to learn a few basic behaviors such as sit, down, and stay, doesn’t need the same duration in board-and-training that a dog who needs housetraining and is eliminating in his crate.
2. Do you accept all dogs into the Love Wags A Tail board-and-train program?
Dogs who are off-leash dog aggressive or human aggressive are not candidates for the Love Wags A Tail board-and-train program. However, if your dog is leash reactive, and you are considering board-and-train, please contact us. We do enroll certain leash reactive dogs.
3. Can we visit our dog during board and train?
When dogs arrive at our home, it takes a bit of adjusting for them to get into a routine. Some dogs adjust faster than others, but once they are comfortable, the training commences more comfortably for them, as well. Having owners return for visits often disrupts the adjustment period, and we lose some momentum, so we discourage on-site visits. But we offer an option where owners can come by to pick-up their dog for a local outing to a park or another spot. Then drop off the pup on your way home. The time frame has to be convenient for both dog owner and trainer, as we are also on a schedule and have appointments to keep. We do our best to accommodate our clients.
4. Do we get any follow-up in between the start and end of the board-and-train period?
Yes, of course. We know how much our clients love their dogs, and we provide weekly email updates on training with pictures and smaller email updates in between.
5. How do we know our dog’s been trained? Do we get any training?
We create a video of your dog doing the behaviors learned at the end of the Love Wags A Tail board-and-train program. Even with housetraining, we do our best to provide a potty video. Of course, we also go over the behaviors in person at the conclusion of the board-and-train, teach you how to take the lead, cue your dog, and what to do when your dog gets it right or misses. For housetraining, we provide a step-by-step plan for maintaining and progressing with potty training when your dog gets back in the home.`
6. What do we need to pack for our dog for the Love Wags A Tail board-and-train program?
Not much. Your dog’s kibble and canned food, favorite hard toys, leash, collar, and a harness. The collar and harness must fit. If you have a puppy, they must fit the puppy at the start of the training. We occasionally got a puppy whose collar would fit as he grew into it, but that wouldn’t help him in the now. We attach a tag with the Love Wags A Tail contact information on it for all our client dogs upon arrival, so collars and harnesses must fit. Every dog needs to wear a collar during their stay with us and a harness is mandatory for car rides and walking. We also require an up-to-date vaccination record from your vet, and if your dog’s heartworm preventative is due on a date during his stay, please include the dose and the date to administer. We will do so.
7. Do we get extra lessons after the board-and-train?
The lesson at the conclusion of the board-and-train is included with every package. You also will receive an on-line video of your dog performing the behaviors, hand signals used, and we include snippets of lessons to show you what to do when the dog doesn’t follow the cue. At the drop-off lesson, you’ll get a full lesson as well. We show you the behavior, then you take the dog to repeat it. After training is completed, we offer follow-up email answers on questions regarding that which we trained during your dog’s stay. If you would like further training for other behaviors, we offer follow-up board-and-train options as well as in-person training and Skype lessons. We don’t abandon you when your dog comes home. We are here to answer questions as they come to you.
8. What food will you use to train our dog?
We use a variety of foods depending on the dog. The object of every training session is to motivate your dog to learn and work for the food reinforcement. As we increase distractions, the food reward needs to compete. We use such food such as cheese, chicken, steak, dog food rolls, sausage, and more. We primarily use our homemade fudge from the dog’s canned food, but also use tuna, sardine, ground turkey, pumpkin and peanut butter,in other homemade dog training food staples. If your dog is allergic to any food, we work around that. We use real food to train. Not “treats.”
For those who have been taught there is “people food” and “dog food,” you have been marketed to well. The food in dog food, if it’s premium, *is* people food processed into convenient delivery systems such as kibble and canned food. Scavenger dogs eat everything under the sun they can find. Feeding dogs wholesome food is what they dream of and deserve. When the dog returns, you will be able to maintain most obedience behaviors with their regular food, but depending on the dog’s training, you may also need to maintain a stash of delectable food for those high distraction times. Having a bait bag for the dog’s return is necessary. There are many lovely ones on the market. Our favorite is the Rapid Rewards Bait Bag or the smaller version, the Trek and Train. They come in a variety of colors.
9. More about food.
We also work with dogs to find a dog food toy that motivates them to use. Why? Because when our beloved board-and-train friends go home, they will no longer be using their mental and physical energy to earn their daily ration of food. And we’d like to see that they have a way to expend their mental energy in other ways, which is where food toys come in. We find at least one food toy each of our board-and-train dogs enjoy. Many find multiple types enjoyable. The more types, the better for their minds. We email a link to our clients regarding the food toy their dog most enjoyed.
10. Who is the trainer? How many lessons a day?
Helen Verte Schwarzmann, CTC, CPDT-KA, CTDI is the trainer, the one you talk to on the phone and in emails, and the only one who is training and taking care of your dog. If your dog is in board-and-train for obedience behaviors, there are two formal lessons per day. Housetraining is ‘round-the-clock training. So is counter surfing, jumping up, barking for attention, and a few other behaviors.
11. Where will my dog sleep?
All our board-and-train dogs sleep in crates. or ex-pens on a soft dog blanket. We have a variety of sizes available to fit our guests. When we leave the house, as well, they are put into their crate for their safety. Crates are equipped with padded blankets and water bottles or water pails. Dogs have access to water 24/7.
12. What forms of payment do you take and when is it due?
Ten percent of the total training package reserves your dog’s spot in the Love Wags A Tail board-and-train program. This deposit is non-refundable, but it applies to your total package price, which is due via cash or check at the start of the board-and-train. Depending on our schedule, we may have an immediate opening or one at a later date. Your reservation is not guaranteed until the deposit is made. We take a maximum of three board-and-train dogs at a time. We have had pairs of dogs come into the program as well as singles.
13. Do you take credit cards or have a deferred payment plan?
For either of those options, we use PayPal. There is an additional 3% charge to cover the PayPal processing fee if you choose that form of payment.
Please contact us if you have further questions. We love our board-and-trains and want our clients to feel confident that their dogs and pups will be treated kindly, trained humanely, and enjoy plenty of exercise, attention, and play during their training and boarding with us.
Contact the professional dog trainer and owner of Love Wags A Tail Dog Training today.
Helen Verte Schwarzmann
Certified in Training and Counseling
Board of Veterinary Medicine, Continuing Education Provider, State of Florida
Certified Trick Dog Instructor
AKC SMART Pup and Canine Good Citizen Instructor and Evaluator
Your Board-and-Train Puppy and Dog Trainer for Weston, Southwest Ranches, Davie, Fort Lauderdale, Plantation, and Broward South Florida
