Board & train
Board and train for Cavalier King Charles Spaniels
Cavaliers were bred to sit on laps, and many of them take the job seriously. The trouble shows at the edges: the dog who cannot be left in another room, the dog who ignores a recall the moment a magpie lifts off the pathway, the dog who greets every stranger with a full-body wag. A live-in program works on those edges without hardening a soft dog.
Last reviewed October 4, 2026
Inside the program
Recall off birds, a place off the lap, and quiet when the door closes.
Many Cavaliers carry more spaniel than their size suggests. A sparrow in a hedge or a gull on the river path can switch the ears off, and a soft dog who is also quick is hard to call back. Functional Off-Leash is the three-week program built for exactly that: reliable recall around distractions, with a Micro or Mini Educator remote collar included, introduced properly and taught to you so the tool goes home with its instructions.
The other two issues are the companion side. A dog bred to be in your lap often has no idea what to do when the lap leaves. Place gives a Cavalier a spot of its own and a way to settle, and it is taught in both Puppy Fundamentals and On-Leash Foundations. Where alone time has become real distress, with pacing, howling or scratching at the door, Behaviour Rehab is built for it: a full assessment first, then anxiety rehabilitation at the dog's pace.
- Recall around birds and gulls
- A place that is not a lap
- Calm alone in another room
- Greetings on a loose leash
Back at home
The lap comes back, with a few conditions attached.
Nothing in the program asks you to stop cuddling your dog. What transfers home is a set of rules about when: the Cavalier goes to place while you eat, settles in a crate or on a bed while you shower, and gets the lap by invitation rather than by climbing. The handover lesson goes through all three, and the welcome package includes a crate-training guide so the alone-time work has a routine behind it.
You keep the recall alive by paying it generously, including the day the dog turns away from a magpie and comes back. A soft breed reads tone closely, so part of the handover is how to ask, not only what to ask for. The training method itself is in our Cavalier King Charles Spaniel training guide; this page is about which program carries it. The consultation recommends one, and if On-Leash Foundations covers the problem, that is where we point you.
The programs
Programs and prices
W · One-hour session
Private Training
One-on-one coaching with you on the other end of the leash.
Includes a written weekly plan to work from
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
Asked and answered
The questions people ask us.
Is a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel board and train too much for such a gentle dog?
Not when it is built around the dog in front of us. Skills are taught with markers and rewards first, and tools are matched to the individual dog rather than to the breed. A soft dog gets a soft program, and the consultation is where we talk about yours.
Which board and train for a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel who ignores recall around birds?
Functional Off-Leash is the three-week program built for recall around distractions, with a Micro or Mini Educator remote collar included and owner education on using it properly. If the chasing is mild and leash manners are the bigger gap, the consultation may recommend On-Leash Foundations instead.
What does a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel training program cost?
On-Leash Foundations is $1,865, Functional Off-Leash is $3,030 and Behaviour Rehab runs $4,850 to $5,760 after a full assessment, all plus GST. Puppy Fundamentals for a young Cavalier is $2,775 plus GST. Which one fits depends on what the dog is doing, and the consultation sorts that out.
Can a board and train help a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel with separation anxiety?
Behaviour Rehab is the program built for anxiety, with a full assessment first and anxiety rehabilitation at the dog's pace over five to six weeks. Where the distress is severe, a vet visit alongside training is a sensible step. For milder clinginess, the place and crate work inside a shorter program may be what the consultation recommends.
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Let's talk about your Cavalier
Tell us what your Cavalier does when a bird goes up or the door closes. Book a consultation and we will match the program.
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