Choosing a trainer
How to choose a dog training program when you work long hours
Long workdays do not rule out good training. They change which kind fits. The question is not how much you love your dog, it is how many usable minutes you have between getting home and going to bed. Below, each option is laid out by the time it takes from you, the time it gives your dog, and what lands on your evenings.
Last reviewed October 4, 2026
Audit your evening
Map the minutes before you compare prices.
Take a normal weekday and mark the gaps: commute, dinner, the walk, the hour you collapse on the couch. Private Training at $150 + GST a session hands you a written plan to practise all week, so it depends on those gaps being real. If your evenings vanish to overtime or shift changes, a plan on the fridge can turn into a guilty reminder.
Next, look at the daytime. A dog alone for long stretches may reach the evening with energy to burn and little patience for drills. Day Training puts one-on-one daily training, supervised play and enrichment into those hours instead. Board and train moves the daily repetition off your plate for the length of the program, then hands it back at the handover lesson.
- Real minutes free each evening
- Hours the dog spends alone
- Who handles drop-off and pick-up
- Commute against the published windows
Three time trades
See what each format leaves for your weeknights.
Day Training runs Monday to Friday at $650 + GST a week, with drop-off from 8:00 to 10:00 am and pick-up from 5:00 to 7:00 pm. Your dog comes home every night, and your weekly homework is a one-hour go-home lesson plus keeping the house rules consistent. Check those windows against your commute before anything else.
Board and train asks almost nothing of your evenings during the program, apart from reading updates. On-Leash Foundations is 2 weeks at $1,865 + GST, and Functional Off-Leash is 3 weeks at $3,030 + GST with an Educator remote collar and owner education. Your evening work starts at handover, where you learn to keep the habits going. At the consultation we suggest the lightest option that fits.
Asked and answered
The questions people ask us.
Is day training good for people who work full time?
Day Training is built for dogs who need consistent work while their owners want them home every night. It runs Monday to Friday with drop-off 8:00 to 10:00 am and pick-up 5:00 to 7:00 pm. Whether those windows suit your job is worth checking first.
Can private lessons work if the owner works long days?
Private Training gives you a one-hour session and a written plan to practise all week, so it relies on short, regular practice at home. If your evenings can hold that, it may be the smaller option that fits. If not, Day Training or a board and train moves more of the repetition to us.
How much homework comes after a board and train?
Each board and train ends with a handover lesson showing you how to keep the habits going in daily life. Free follow-up sessions are included, and On-Leash Foundations adds lifetime phone and email support. The ongoing work is consistency rather than long drills.
Does day training include weekends?
No. Day Training is a Monday to Friday program at $650 + GST per week. The weekly one-hour go-home lesson is where you learn what to keep consistent over the weekend.
Keep reading
Fit training around your workweek
Book a consultation and bring your real schedule. We will recommend the option your evenings can carry, including a smaller one.
From real owners
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