Board and train
Board and train for large and giant dogs
A pulling habit that is a nuisance in a puppy can take an adult off their feet once the dog outweighs a child. That is the case for training early, before the weight arrives, and for doing it where the rules are practised daily. The method does not change with size. This page sets out which program works on which leash skill, and what to plan for on Calgary sidewalks in winter.
Last reviewed September 28, 2026
Before the weight
Which program works on which leash skill while the dog is still light.
Puppy Fundamentals, built for a puppy in its key learning window, runs three weeks at $2,775 + GST and works on leash manners, name recognition, sit and stay, down and stay, place, crate comfort, socialization and new sights and sounds, with a slip lead and training collar to take home. For a giant-breed puppy, leash manners and place are the items most tied to the adult weight, and they are taught with markers and rewards first, while the dog is still easy to guide.
On-Leash Foundations is built for dogs who drag or lunge: two weeks, $1,865 + GST, working on loose-leash walking, heel and place around everyday distractions, with lifetime phone and email support. Both programs pair daily one-on-one training with a structured routine, end with a handover lesson where the slip lead and training collar are fitted and explained, and include free follow-up sessions. We teach the skill; how a particular dog carries it into adulthood depends on the practice at home.
- Leash manners before adult weight
- Place taught with rewards first
- Collar fitted and explained at handover
- Practice at home stays yours
Ice and public walks
Planning for Calgary sidewalks, and the programs for a dog walked in public.
Calgary sidewalks ice over for months, and a heavy dog that pulls is a different problem on ice than on grass. In January a lunge can put the handler on the ground. Equipment helps but does not replace training: a slip lead or a properly fitted prong collar, matched to the individual dog and taught to you at handover, gives clearer guidance than a tug of war. Plan for the season: where will the dog walk, and who else will hold the leash?
For a big dog you want off leash, Functional Off-Leash, three weeks at $3,030 + GST, works on recall around distractions and off-leash house manners with a remote collar included. Advanced Off-Leash runs four weeks at $3,940 + GST and works on off-leash heel, distance cues and public manners, with two follow-up sessions. Check Calgary's bylaw too: dogs must be leashed off your property except in designated off-leash areas. Which program, or whether a smaller one is enough, is recommended at the consultation.
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 worth it for a large breed puppy?
It is worth weighing earlier than for a small dog, because a leash habit formed in a puppy is attached to a much heavier dog within a year. Puppy Fundamentals works on leash manners, place and crate comfort over three weeks at $2,775 + GST. Whether it fits your puppy, or whether something smaller is enough, is what the consultation is for.
Can you train a giant breed to stop pulling on the leash?
Loose-leash walking is the core of On-Leash Foundations, taught with markers and rewards first and then proofed around everyday distractions. A slip lead or prong collar is matched to the individual dog and taught to you at the handover lesson. The dog's weight changes how much the skill matters and how you plan for it, not how it is taught.
Do big dogs need a longer board and train?
Not because of size. Program length follows the skills each program works on: two weeks for On-Leash Foundations, three for Puppy Fundamentals or Functional Off-Leash, four for Advanced Off-Leash. A giant dog with a bite history or serious reactivity is a different conversation; Behaviour Rehab is built for that and starts with a full assessment.
What equipment do you use on a large or giant dog?
Whatever the individual dog needs: a slip lead, a prong collar or a modern Educator remote collar, never chosen by breed or weight alone. Every tool is introduced properly to the dog and then taught to you before the dog goes home. The remote collar comes with the off-leash programs; Puppy Fundamentals and On-Leash Foundations send home a slip lead and training collar.
Keep reading
Train before the weight arrives.
Send the breed, the age and where the dog will be walked. We will talk through the programs honestly. Book a consultation.
From real owners
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