Calgary
Board and train before Stampede
Stampede asks a dog to cope with three things at once: ten consecutive nights of fireworks, a house that fills with guests who arrive late and loud, and a routine that goes sideways for the better part of two weeks. Two of those are manners problems a board and train can work on. The third, real noise fear, needs honesty about what training can and cannot do.
Last reviewed October 4, 2026
Three asks at once
Fireworks, guests and a crate are three different problems.
Start with the problem training cannot command away. A dog who shakes, drools, hides or tries to bolt when the fireworks start is afraid, and fear is managed before it is trained. That means a quiet interior room away from windows, an adult staying with the dog, and no crate door latched on a dog who has not chosen that crate as a den. If the panic is severe, a vet visit is the right next step, and a behaviour assessment follows it.
The other two asks are manners, which the shorter programs work on. Place while the door opens and a guest walks in is taught in On-Leash Foundations, two weeks at $1,865 + GST, with sit, down and stay around everyday distractions. Crate comfort and meeting new sights and sounds calmly are on the Puppy Fundamentals list, three weeks at $2,775 + GST, and the welcome package includes a crate-training guide so the den is built before the bangs begin.
- Crate chosen as a den already
- Place holds while guests arrive
- Fear managed, never commanded
- Quiet room away from windows
The fear route
Count back from the first night of fireworks.
The timing is arithmetic, not a forecast. A two-week program needs its drop-off date at least two weeks before the first fireworks night, a three-week program needs three, and both need the handover lesson at the end plus some ordinary evenings at home for you to run the new routine before the house fills. Work backwards from the first bang and leave room for the follow-up session once the guests have gone.
A dog who panics at bangs is a behaviour case with a different route. Behaviour Rehab runs five to six weeks, $4,850 to $5,760 + GST after a full assessment, and works on anxiety rehabilitation and fear-based behaviour at the dog's pace, with in-depth owner education. Nobody can promise a dog will sleep through fireworks; many fearful dogs tend to cope better inside a routine they trust. The consultation picks the program, and a shorter one is recommended whenever it is enough.
The programs
Programs and prices
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.
Can you train a dog to not be scared of fireworks before Stampede?
Fear is worked on, not switched off, so no honest trainer promises a dog who ignores fireworks. Behaviour Rehab works on fear-based behaviour and anxiety at the dog's pace after a full assessment, and the management plan for the ten nights comes with it. If the panic is severe, a vet visit is the right first call.
When does board and train need to start to be done before Stampede?
Count back from the first fireworks night by the length of the program, two weeks for On-Leash Foundations and three for Puppy Fundamentals, then add the handover lesson and a few ordinary evenings for you to run the routine at home. That is arithmetic, not a prediction about your dog. The consultation sets the actual drop-off date.
Will board and train help a dog settle when there are Stampede house guests?
Place while the door opens and a crate the dog treats as a den are both on the program lists, and the handover lesson teaches you to run them when the doorbell goes at midnight. Guests ignore the dog until it is settled, and the dog gets a quiet room as a real exit. Growling at a guest is a reason for distance and a professional assessment, never a correction.
Should a dog be put in a crate during the fireworks?
Only if the crate is already somewhere the dog chooses to rest, and even then leave the door open unless the dog is calm inside it. A quiet interior room with an adult present does more for a frightened dog than a latched door. Distress that does not ease is a reason to call your vet.
Keep reading
Plan the ten nights
Book a consultation and tell us how your dog handles bangs and doorbells now; the program and drop-off date follow from that.
From real owners
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