Board and train
Does board and train fix recall?
Not if fix means a recall that can never fail, and we will not pretend otherwise. What a board and train can do is put three weeks of daily one-on-one work behind the cue, around the kinds of distractions dogs actually meet, and send home an Educator remote collar you have been taught to use. Here is what Functional Off-Leash works on, and what remains yours.
Last reviewed September 28, 2026
The recall curriculum
Three weeks around distractions, with the collar taught to you.
Functional Off-Leash is the published program built around recall. Over three weeks of daily one-on-one training the dog works on recall around distractions, distraction training, off-leash house manners, socialization and basic behaviour modification. Markers and rewards come first, as they do in every program. An Educator remote collar is included and introduced properly, and owner education on using every tool properly is part of the program. It is built for dogs with decent manners who are ready to earn real freedom.
What a board and train cannot change is the world the dog comes home to. A hare, a running dog or a dropped sandwich will still outrank you on some days, and no program removes that. We also cannot promise that a recall practised with us carries over untouched to a different voice in a different park. That is why owner education, the handover lesson and the free follow-up sessions are written into the program rather than offered as extras.
- Recall around distractions
- Educator remote collar included
- Owner education on the collar
- Off-leash house manners
Which off-leash program
Functional or Advanced depends on what off leash means to you.
There are two off-leash board and trains. Functional Off-Leash, three weeks at $3,030 + GST, centres on recall around distractions and off-leash house manners. Advanced Off-Leash, four weeks at $3,940 + GST, adds off-leash heel, advanced recall, sit, stay and down at distance and public manners, with two free follow-up sessions and a remote collar included. Off-leash heel through a busy market is Advanced curriculum; coming back at the campsite is what Functional is built around.
Two things shape the conversation at the consultation. The first is where you want the dog off leash and what lives there: wildlife, water, cyclists, other dogs, a road nearby. The second is how you feel about learning a remote collar, since owner education on the tool is part of both programs. If the dog also drags on leash, that is what On-Leash Foundations is built for. The program is recommended at the consultation, and a smaller one when it is enough.
Asked and answered
The questions people ask us.
Does board and train fix recall?
It works on recall, and Functional Off-Leash is the program built around it: three weeks at $3,030 + GST with an Educator remote collar included. We do not describe any recall as fixed, because recall keeps needing practice, and that practice moves to you at the handover lesson.
Will my dog come back after board and train?
We cannot promise that for any dog, and we would rather say so than sell certainty. What we can describe is the work: three weeks of daily one-on-one training on recall around distractions, an Educator remote collar you are taught to use, a handover lesson and free follow-up sessions.
What does recall board and train include?
Functional Off-Leash includes three weeks of daily training and a structured routine, an Educator remote collar, owner education on using every tool properly, a handover lesson and free follow-up sessions. The curriculum covers recall around distractions, off-leash house manners, socialization, distraction training and basic behaviour modification.
Do I need the advanced off leash program for recall?
Not necessarily. Functional Off-Leash centres on recall around distractions, while Advanced Off-Leash, four weeks at $3,940 + GST, is built for owners who want off-leash heel, distance commands and public manners as well, with two free follow-up sessions. The consultation recommends one of them, and the smaller when it is enough.
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