Board and train
Board and train for separation anxiety: what to know
Whether a live-in program can help a dog who panics when left alone is covered elsewhere on this site. This page is for the owner who has read that and is now weighing the decision. Separation anxiety is usually described as distress rather than disobedience, and that shapes three things: what a program can work on, what to ask your vet, and what comes home with you at the handover lesson.
Last reviewed September 28, 2026
Distress, not defiance
What Behaviour Rehab works on, and what it cannot reach from here.
A dog with separation anxiety is usually not ignoring a command. Many owners describe pacing, howling, drooling or scratching at the door once they leave, and a sit or a stay does not speak to that. Behaviour Rehab is the program we built for anxiety, reactivity and aggression. Its work covers a full behaviour assessment, anxiety rehabilitation, fear-based behaviour work, confidence building and structured socialization, over five to six weeks of daily, individualized work.
What a live-in program cannot change is your hallway. The dog practises new skills with us and then returns to the same door, keys and car sounds where the distress was rehearsed. The program includes in-depth owner education, a handover lesson and two follow-up sessions, so the plan comes home with you. We do not promise the struggle ends. At the consultation we say honestly whether the program fits your dog.
- Distress, usually not defiance
- Full assessment before pricing
- Two follow-ups included
- Handover lesson brings it home
Before you decide
Questions for your vet, and questions for us.
Some dogs left alone hurt themselves, wreck doors or lose control of bladder and bowel. We train dogs and leave diagnosis to veterinarians, so we will not tell you what those signs mean. Ask your vet whether anything medical could be contributing, especially if the behaviour appeared suddenly or the dog seems to be in pain. Whatever your vet says, bring it to the consultation. Behaviour Rehab is planned and priced after a full assessment, and your vet's view belongs in it.
The fit questions are for us. What the program works on for a dog like yours, what the handover lesson will teach you, and what the two follow-up sessions cover. The other formats are worth raising too. Day Training runs Monday to Friday at $650 + GST per week with a weekly one-hour go-home lesson, and the dog is home every night. The consultation is where we recommend the program, and a smaller one when it is enough.
Asked and answered
The questions people ask us.
What should we expect from a board and train for separation anxiety?
Expect a program described by what it works on, not by a promised result. Behaviour Rehab covers a full behaviour assessment, anxiety rehabilitation, fear-based behaviour work, confidence building and structured socialization over five to six weeks, with updates to you while your dog is with us. It ends with a handover lesson and includes two follow-up sessions.
Which board and train program covers separation anxiety?
Behaviour Rehab is the program built for anxiety, reactivity and aggression. It runs five to six weeks at $4,850 to $5,760 + GST, planned and priced after a full assessment. The consultation, not this page, is where the recommendation is made.
Can live-in training cure a dog's separation anxiety?
We do not promise a cure, for this or for any behaviour. What we can describe is the work: daily individualized training inside a structured routine, in-depth owner education, a handover lesson and two follow-up sessions. If your dog's distress is intense or appeared suddenly, ask your vet as well.
Should we do day training instead for a dog with separation anxiety?
That is a consultation question, and a fair one to bring. Day Training is $650 + GST per week, Monday to Friday, with a weekly one-hour go-home lesson, and it is built for dogs who need consistent work and owners who want them home every night. We will say which format fits after hearing what your dog does when you leave.
Keep reading
Start with the honest version.
Book a consultation. Tell us what your dog does when you leave and what your vet has said. We will map the next step.
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