Training notes
Boarding over the holidays: what graduates get
Every December the same question lands in our inbox: can you take our dog while we fly out? If your dog is a graduate of one of our board and train programs, the answer is yes, at $65 a night. If not, the answer is no, and we want to explain why that policy is a kindness rather than a velvet rope.
Last reviewed August 26, 2026
The stay
A stay that feels like a return visit.
A graduate arrives already fluent in the house. They know where they sleep, what place means, how meals work and what is expected on a walk, because they lived it for two to six weeks during their program. So a holiday stay is not an adjustment period followed by a vacation; it is a return to a routine they already trust. Structure, enrichment and rest run on the same rhythm they trained in, and the commands you paid to build stay in play instead of gathering dust while you are away.
It is boarding with the people who trained them, which changes the small moments. Loose-leash rules hold on every walk. Place still means place when the household gets busy. Recall gets used, not just remembered. And because everything we do is one-on-one, your dog is not disappearing into a crowd of holiday boarders; they are living with people who know their quirks, their pace and exactly which look means they are about to test a boundary.
- Graduates only, any program
- $65 per night plus GST
- Same routine they trained in
- Skills stay in rotation
Graduates only
Why we say no to dogs we have not trained.
The honest reason: boarding a dog we do not know means guessing. We would be guessing at their triggers, their crate history, how they handle other dogs and what their owners actually expect. Guessing is a bad foundation for a stay that is supposed to be restful. With graduates, the assessment happened long ago, over weeks of living together. We know what the dog can do, and the dog knows what we ask. That is the entire admission requirement, and it is non-negotiable for a reason.
If you want holiday boarding and your dog is not a graduate yet, the path in is a program, and December is a reason to pick the right one rather than the fastest. On-Leash Foundations is a two-week board and train at $1,865. Puppy Fundamentals runs three weeks at $2,775. Both finish with a handover lesson and free follow-up sessions, and both make every future trip you take simpler, because from then on your dog has a second home at $65 a night.
The programs
If this note hit home.
The programs below are how we turn a seasonal problem into a solved one.
Asked and answered
The questions people ask us.
How much does graduate boarding cost at Northline K9?
Graduate boarding is $65 per night plus GST, and the price applies to any graduate of our board and train programs. During a stay your dog lives inside the same routine they trained in.
Can my dog board with you if they haven't done a program?
No. Boarding is reserved for graduates because a good stay depends on us already knowing the dog and the dog already knowing our expectations. Completing any board and train, from the two-week On-Leash Foundations up, opens the door.
Will my dog's training slip while I'm away over Christmas?
Not here. The stay is built so your dog's skills get daily practice rather than a two-week vacation: walks, place, recall and household manners run as they did in training.
When should I book holiday boarding for my dog?
As early as you can. Everything we do is one-on-one, so space is limited by design. If your dog is a graduate, email info@northlinek9.ca with your travel dates.
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Earn the second home
Finish a program once and every trip after gets easier. Book a consultation and ask about the right fit.
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