Board and train
Board and train before a baby arrives
A due date is a deadline the dog does not know about. Between appointments and everything else the countdown brings, the dog's manners can slide down the list. A live-in program takes the daily training off your plate for two to six weeks, depending on the program, then hands the work back to you in a handover lesson while there is still room in the calendar to practise.
Last reviewed September 28, 2026
Household goals
What a newborn household tends to ask a dog for.
The goals a newborn household usually names are a small set: a dog who settles on a mat while the baby is fed or changed, calm when the door opens for grandparents and meal drops, four paws on the floor around anyone carrying the baby, and a dog who can be alone in another room without fuss. None of those replace a gate, a closed door or an adult actively watching. They make the separation easier to live with, not optional.
Our programs work on part of that list directly. On-Leash Foundations, two weeks, works on place, sit, stay and down, loose-leash walking and everyday distractions. Puppy Fundamentals, three weeks, works on place, crate comfort, name recognition, leash manners and socialization. Door greetings, jumping and time alone are goals to raise at the consultation, where we match a program to the dog rather than promise every skill from every program. A handover lesson and free follow-up sessions come with every board and train.
- Mat settle, gate still up
- Calm when the door opens
- Four paws on the floor
- Supervision never handed to the dog
Timing it right
Working the calendar backwards from the due date.
We suggest simple arithmetic: take the program length, add the handover lesson, then leave a few weeks for the dog to live the new rules at home before anything changes. On-Leash Foundations runs two weeks and Puppy Fundamentals three, so a handover well before the due date still leaves room to practise. Babies keep their own schedule, so earlier is kinder than tight. The consultation is where the program gets matched to your dog and the dates get settled.
If your dog barks at the door or has growled at a visitor, raise it at the consultation. Behaviour Rehab is the program built for anxiety, reactivity and aggression: five to six weeks of individualized work, planned and priced after a full assessment, with two follow-up sessions and in-depth owner education. Whatever the program, separation comes first: gates, a space away from the nursery, and no unsupervised access to the baby. A growl is information worth keeping, not something to punish.
The programs
Programs and prices
SW · Weekdays, drop-off 8–10 am · pick-up 5–7 pm
Day Training
Professional training all day, your couch at night.
Includes weekly one-hour go-home lesson, daily structure
NE · 2-week board & train
On-Leash Foundations
If every walk is a wrestling match, pulling, barking, zig-zagging, this two-week program rebuilds the walk from the ground up with foundational on-leash obedience..
Includes handover lesson, follow-up session, lifetime support, slip lead + collar
S · 5–6 week board & train
Behaviour Rehab
Kaitlin's specialty, and the work she loves most.
Includes assessment-built plan, 2 follow-ups, deep owner education
Asked and answered
The questions people ask us.
Is a board and train before the baby worth doing, or should we wait until after?
We can only say what each option involves. Before the birth, the handover lesson and the home practice fall in a stretch of calendar you can still plan around; afterwards, the same practice competes with everything else in the house. Either way, the dog's training never stands in for gates, closed doors and an adult watching.
Which dog training program makes sense before a baby arrives?
The consultation recommends the program, including a smaller one when it is enough. On-Leash Foundations is built for dogs who drag and lunge on the leash, Puppy Fundamentals for puppies in their key learning window, and Behaviour Rehab for anxiety, reactivity and aggression after a full assessment.
Can a dog do a board and train during pregnancy, and when should it start?
Yes, and we suggest working back from the due date: program length, plus the handover lesson, plus several weeks of practice at home, plus a buffer because babies keep their own schedule. That usually points to starting earlier than a first guess.
Our dog is reactive and the baby is coming. Is board and train still the right move?
Possibly, and a full assessment comes before any answer. Behaviour Rehab is built for the barkers, lungers and growlers, with two follow-up sessions and in-depth owner education, but no program removes the need for physical separation and active adult supervision around an infant.
Keep reading
Plan around the due date.
Share the due date and the dog's current habits, and we will work the timing backwards with you. Book a consultation.
From real owners
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Real Northline dogs