Costs
How to budget for board and train
A board and train has a published price, and a workable budget is built from that number rather than around it. The steps are simple: add the tax, divide by the days to see what the total covers, list what is already included, and only then compare it with any other complete quote. We lay them out below, with a hypothetical savings example at the end.
Last reviewed September 28, 2026
Build the number
Add the tax, divide by the days, then count what is inside.
Every published price is before GST, so the first step is adding the tax on top of the number you see. The second is dividing by the days to see what the total covers: two weeks at $1,865 is about $133 a day, three weeks at $2,775 about $132, four weeks at $3,940 about $141. That is arithmetic, not a daily rate we sell, and we mention it only because it makes the totals easier to compare.
The third step is listing what the total already covers. Every board and train includes a handover lesson and free follow-up sessions; Advanced Off-Leash and Behaviour Rehab list two. Puppy Fundamentals and On-Leash Foundations send home a slip lead and training collar, and On-Leash Foundations adds lifetime phone and email support. Functional Off-Leash includes a Micro or Mini Educator remote collar; Advanced Off-Leash includes a remote collar too. Nothing on that list is an extra.
- Add GST before comparing
- Divide by the actual days
- List what is already included
- Compare complete quoted totals
Quotes and savings
Compare complete totals, then picture the monthly saving.
Two quotes compare fairly only as complete totals: the full price of each, tax included, with the same questions answered for both. How many days does the dog train, and is it daily? Are the tools the dog learned on included? Is there a handover lesson, and how many follow-ups come after? A quote missing one of those is not automatically dearer; it simply needs the missing item priced before the two totals mean the same thing.
For the savings side, here is a purely hypothetical example, not advice. Setting aside $200 a month reaches the $1,865 On-Leash Foundations price in ten months, before GST; at $300 a month, the $3,940 Advanced Off-Leash price takes fourteen months. Behaviour Rehab is priced at $4,850 to $5,760 + GST after a full assessment. Payment arrangements are covered on our payment plans page. Private Training is also available at $150 + GST per one-hour session.
Asked and answered
The questions people ask us.
How do I budget for board and train?
Start with the published price and add GST. Divide by the days if it helps you see what the total covers, then list what is already included: the handover lesson, free follow-up sessions and any tools. Compare with another provider only once you have their complete total on the same basis.
How can I afford board and train?
Our prices are published, so the total is known before the consultation, except Behaviour Rehab, which is priced within $4,850 to $5,760 + GST after a full assessment. Payment arrangements are discussed at the consultation and covered on our payment plans page. Private Training at $150 + GST per session is also available.
What is a realistic board and train budget?
For our programs, between $1,865 and $5,760 before GST, depending on the program recommended at the consultation. The total already includes the handover lesson and free follow-up sessions, so there is nothing to add for those. Some programs also include the slip lead, training collar or remote collar the dog learned on.
Is saving for dog training worth it, or should I start sooner?
As a hypothetical, $200 a month reaches the $1,865 two-week program in ten months before GST. A habit tends to keep being rehearsed while you wait, and with puppies the key learning window is a factor. A consultation settles which program we recommend, and Private Training at $150 + GST can start sooner.
Keep reading
Get the complete number
We will tell you exactly what each program includes so your budget is built on the full total. Book a consultation.
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