Board and train
Board and train for high-drive working breeds
Many working breeds were bred to do something all day, and a Calgary living room rarely offers it. The gap often shows up as herding the kids, fixating on the cat or inventing a job at the fence. A live-in program cannot give a dog a career. What it can do is teach the skills you need to direct that drive, and leave the daily outlet where it has always been: with you.
Last reviewed September 28, 2026
Skills, not a switch
What the two off-leash programs work on for a working brain.
Functional Off-Leash is built for dogs with decent manners who are ready to earn real freedom: three weeks at $3,030 + GST, working on reliable recall around distractions, off-leash house manners, distraction training and basic behaviour modification. A Micro or Mini Educator remote collar is included, introduced properly to the dog and taught to you. For a dog that locks onto movement, recall around distractions is the skill that decides whether the river path is an option; it is taught with markers and rewards first.
Advanced Off-Leash is built for owners who want their dog with them everywhere: four weeks at $3,940 + GST, working on off-leash heel, advanced recall, sit, stay and down at distance, public manners and advanced distraction training, with the remote collar included and two free follow-up sessions. Both programs run daily one-on-one training inside a structured routine. Neither promises calm. They teach cues; whether the dog settles on a given evening depends on the day it has had and the outlet it gets from you.
- Recall around real distractions
- Down at a distance
- Remote collar taught to you
- Daily outlet stays yours
The honest limit
What a program cannot change about a dog bred to work all day.
Three or four weeks of structure does not lower a cattle dog's need for work, and we do not claim it will. The programs aim at a dog who knows recall, heel and the distance cues well enough to be given real outlets: a run in a designated off-leash area, a long line on the river path. Calgary's bylaw requires a leash off your property unless the area is designated off-leash, so check before you unclip. We supply the skills. You supply the hours.
Before the consultation, think through a few things. What does your dog chase, and from how far? Do you want a down at distance, or a recall? How many hours a week can you give to running, hiking or training games? If your dog lunges, barks at passers-by or guards, tell us plainly. Those are behaviours we can observe; the cause is not always unmet drive, and Behaviour Rehab is built for anxiety, reactivity and aggression and starts with a full assessment.
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
E · 3-week board & train
Functional Off-Leash
Everything in the on-leash program, then the next level: reliable off-leash recall even around distractions.
Includes handover lesson, follow-ups, Educator remote 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 board and train good for a Belgian Malinois?
It can be, when the goal is the skills the off-leash programs work on: recall around distractions, off-leash manners, heel and cues at distance. It does not replace the daily work many Malinois need, and we would not pretend otherwise. If the dog already lunges or has bitten, Behaviour Rehab is built for that and starts with a full assessment.
Which board and train program is best for a working breed?
Functional Off-Leash, three weeks at $3,030 + GST, works on recall around distractions and off-leash house manners. Advanced Off-Leash, four weeks at $3,940 + GST, adds off-leash heel, sit, stay and down at distance and public manners, with two follow-ups. At the consultation we recommend a program, including a smaller one when that is enough.
Will board and train calm down a high-energy dog?
We cannot promise calm, and we do not describe an off switch as something a program hands over. The programs teach cues the dog can respond to, and many high-drive dogs still need a real daily outlet for the drive itself. That part comes from you, after the stay.
Can board and train fix reactivity in a herding dog?
Lunging, barking and fixating are behaviours we can see; the cause is not always unspent drive, and we do not guess at it from a breed name. Behaviour Rehab is built for anxiety, reactivity and aggression over five to six weeks, planned and priced after a full assessment. We describe what a program works on, not a result.
Keep reading
Give the drive a job.
Describe the breed, what the dog chases, and the hours you can give. We will be honest. Book a consultation.
From real owners
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