Comparisons
Board and train vs day training
Two formats, both one-on-one. In Day Training the dog arrives on a weekday morning, works through the day and goes home for the evening. In a board and train the dog lives with us for the length of the program, two to six weeks depending on which one. The differences that matter are where the dog sleeps, how the week is priced, and which owner lessons come with it.
Last reviewed September 24, 2026
The real differences
Home every night, or living in the routine.
Start with the night. In Day Training the dog comes to us between 8 and 10 in the morning, is trained one-on-one through the day, and goes home between 5 and 7. Evenings and weekends are spent at home. Day Training covers one-on-one daily training, obedience development, structured socialization, supervised play and enrichment, and manners reinforcement. In a board and train the dog lives with us, and daily training, exercise, socialization and enrichment all run on the structured routine the dog is learning.
The owner lessons differ too. Day Training includes a one-hour go-home session with the owner every week. Every board and train includes a handover lesson and free follow-up sessions once the dog is home: one for Puppy Fundamentals, On-Leash Foundations and Functional Off-Leash, two for Advanced Off-Leash and Behaviour Rehab. On price, Day Training is $650 per week plus GST. Board and train programs run from $1,865 for two weeks to $5,760 for a five to six week Behaviour Rehab, plus GST.
- Home at night or living in
- Weekly go-home lesson or handover
- Priced by week or program
- One-on-one in both formats
Making the call
Each format has a stated purpose.
Day Training is built for dogs who need consistent work and owners who want them home every night. It runs Monday to Friday at $650 plus GST per week. The weekly one-hour go-home session is where the owner is shown that week's work in person, with the dog in the room, and the dog's own bed is where it sleeps. Supervised play and enrichment are part of the day as well.
Each board and train has its own purpose. Puppy Fundamentals is for puppies in their key learning window. On-Leash Foundations is for dogs who drag or lunge on the leash. Functional and Advanced Off-Leash are for dogs ready to earn freedom off the leash, and Behaviour Rehab is for anxiety, reactivity and aggression, customized after a full assessment. We recommend a format at the consultation, for a particular dog and household, and when Day Training is enough, that is the recommendation.
| Day Training | Board and train | |
|---|---|---|
| Where the dog sleeps | Home, every night | With us for the program |
| Length | By the week, Monday to Friday | 2 to 6 weeks |
| Price + GST | $650 per week | $1,865 to $5,760 by program |
| Owner's job | Weekly go-home lesson, nightly practice | Handover lesson, then follow-ups |
| Built for | Manners, leash skills, focus | Deep habits, off-leash, behaviour change |
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
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
Asked and answered
The questions people ask us.
Is board and train better than day training?
They are two formats rather than two grades of the same thing. Our Day Training is one-on-one work Monday to Friday with the dog home each night and a weekly go-home lesson. A board and train is a live-in stay of two to six weeks with a handover lesson and free follow-ups, and each program is built for a specific goal.
Day training vs board and train: which costs more?
Day Training is $650 per week plus GST. Board and train programs run from $1,865 plus GST for the two-week On-Leash Foundations to $5,760 plus GST for a five to six week Behaviour Rehab, which is priced after assessment. The totals depend on how many weeks each format runs.
Can a dog do day school instead of board and train?
Day Training is built for dogs who need consistent work and owners who want them home every night, so it is a real option rather than a fallback. Whether it fits a particular dog is what we settle at the consultation, and when the smaller option covers it, we say so.
Dog day training or board and train: how do you decide?
We decide at the consultation, based on the dog, the goal and the household. The published programs each state what they are built for, from puppies in their learning window to anxiety and reactivity rehab, and Day Training states its own: consistent work with the dog home at night. We recommend one format, and we say why.
Keep reading
Bring us the undecided dog
Tell us the dog, the goal and the household, and we will say plainly which format fits. Book a consultation.
From real owners
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