Board & Train
What is Board & Train Training? Board and Train or sometimes called IKT (In-Kennel Training) or "Boot Camp" is training in which a dog lives with a professional dog trainer in his or her home or at a particular training facility for a set number of weeks while being trained on a daily basis. Then the trainer or training facility will (or SHOULD) provide several private 1-on-1 training sessions in which they will teach the owners how to handle and communicate with their dog in various situations. Allegiant K9s not only offers 5 private 1-on-1 training sessions (in real world environments like local parks, hiking trails, clients' homes & neighborhoods, etc) with every Board and Train program, but they also offer complimentary unlimited phone and email support & complimentary life time access to Allegiant K9s Pack Walks for on-going support.
Why Allegiant K9s Board & Train?
1.) Quality of Training: Dave & Anna only work with 3-4 DOGS each per training cycle and dogs are trained 7 days a week, several times per day in a VARIETY of environments throughout the Charlotte, NC & surrounding areas, such as: local parks, trail systems, the US National Whitewater Center, indoor store environments (Lowes, Cabelas, Home Depot, etc) neighborhoods, city sidewalks, sports fields, The River Walk, and outdoor strip malls where dogs are allowed, etc. Therefore, your dog will not only receive positive experiences in all these environments helping to build confidence and adaptability, but your dog will learn to GENERALIZE its obedience and behavior to all these environments with real life distractions (people, dogs, wildlife, scents, noises, objects, etc) present. This assures your dog's behaviors are proofed in real-life situations.
Many other trainers/facilities only train 5 days a week. Most large Board and Train facilities train your dog in one environment: their facility. This type of training fails to address "real-life" situations and fails to "proof" the dog's behavior in various environments
2.) Results: Dave and Anna get great results and their clients are highly successful with their dogs for months and years after their board and train programs. Check out the HUNDREDS of videos on the Allegiant K9s Facebook page & Instagram page showing real world results with dogs in training and dogs with their owners post training. Feel free to check out the dozens of very genuine and thorough 5 star Google Reviews as well.
3.) Education & Experience: Dave's education and experience greatly separates himself from many other trainers. Many dog trainers today receive their primary training education through online certifications and/or a VERY common (especially with large franchises) 2-3 week "crash course" on dog training in which they are often learning to train dogs with one tool (the E Collar) and then off and training dogs after their 2-3 week crash course. Dave completed a 3 YEAR apprenticeship program with Leader Dogs for the Blind: one of the largest and most respected guide dog schools in the world in which he received a thorough hands on education in dog handling, psychology, learning theories & applications and client relations by some of the best trainers in the world. Dave also has experience working with personal protection dogs and working sled dogs. For the last several years Dave has focused all his training efforts on pet training: everything from general obedience to behavior modification to advanced off leash training. Dave has a passion for helping owners build the relationship they have always wanted with their dog!
4.) Environment! Dogs in training live on property with Dave or Anna in a structured home environment rather than a loud and chaotic kennel with dozens of dogs, and as a result, not be subjected to large kennel stress. Your dog will become part of Dave's and Anna's daily life and routine and therefore, learning invaluable skills and new behaviors that simply cannot be simulated in a large kennel environment.
5.) Communication! From the initial phone consultation through training and then post-training, Dave and Anna communicate constantly with owners throughout the process so owners know exactly what to expect and know exactly how their dog is doing with training. Dave and Anna do anywhere from 7-15 public Facebook posts (pictures and video updates) per week with dogs in training and they also send owners an additional 3-5 personal videos of their dog in training and play/socialization situations each week. Owners are always "in the loop" with Allegiant K9s!
6.) Proper group socialization and play: Dogs at Allegiant K9s get STRUCTURED group play and socialization 3 to 4 times every single day. The dogs are supervised throughout these sessions... ensuring only proper behavior is being displayed among all dogs.
7.) On-going support: Follow up support is key in owners' being successful with their dogs. All owners receive 5 private 1-on-1 sessions (up to 2 hours per session) and life-time access to the Allegiant K9s pack walks, hikes, overnight camping trips, and socials for on-going support. Dave and Anna also offer "Allegiant K9s Camps" for graduate dogs several times a year for on-going socialization, play and some obedience refreshers if needed. And... no "middle" man when you do need support. When you have a question... you call or text YOUR TRAINER directly. Dave and Anna communicate directly with their clients during and after training.