Comparisons
On-Leash Foundations vs Functional Off-Leash
Two board and train programs sit next to each other on our price list and get mixed up constantly. One is two weeks long and built around the leash, for the dog who drags, lunges at squirrels or treats the leash as a suggestion. The other is three weeks long and built around freedom: the river path, the off-leash park, the campsite. We compare what each works on, what each includes and what each costs.
Last reviewed September 25, 2026
Two different jobs
One program works on the walk, the other on the recall.
On-Leash Foundations is built for dogs who drag or lunge on the leash, and for owners who miss enjoying the walk. Two weeks of daily one-on-one training and structured routine work on loose-leash walking, heel, sit, stay, down and place, with practice around everyday distractions. It comes with a slip lead and training collar to take home, a handover lesson and a free follow-up session. Nothing in it is about letting go of the leash.
Functional Off-Leash is built for dogs with decent manners who are ready to earn real freedom. Three weeks of daily training work on recall around distractions, off-leash house manners, socialization, distraction training and basic behaviour modification. A Micro or Mini Educator remote collar is included, with owner education on using every tool properly. Off the owner's property, Calgary's bylaw requires a leash outside designated off-leash areas, so that freedom has specific places to live.
- Drags or lunges: On-Leash Foundations
- Recall and off-leash manners: Functional Off-Leash
- Two weeks or three weeks
- Consultation recommends the program
Beyond the price gap
The third week is a different curriculum, not a bigger dose.
The quickest way to tell them apart is to read what each one lists. Everything On-Leash Foundations works on happens with a leash in hand: loose-leash walking, heel, sit, stay, down, place and everyday distractions. Functional Off-Leash lists recall around distractions, off-leash house manners and basic behaviour modification, none of which appears on the two-week list. The dearer program is not the cheaper one plus a week; it is a separate set of skills with its own tool.
The support after the stay differs too. On-Leash Foundations includes one free follow-up session plus lifetime phone and email support. Functional Off-Leash includes one free follow-up session and the owner education that goes with the remote collar. Both come with a handover lesson. Which program fits a particular dog is settled at the consultation, where we recommend the program built for the job, and that is the two-week program whenever it is enough.
| On-Leash Foundations | Functional Off-Leash | |
|---|---|---|
| Length | 2 weeks | 3 weeks |
| Price + GST | $1,865 | $3,030 |
| Built for | Loose-leash walking and household obedience | Reliable recall and off-leash manners |
| Tools | Slip lead and collar included | Educator e-collar included, owner education |
| Includes | Handover lesson, follow-up, lifetime support | Handover lesson, follow-ups |
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
Asked and answered
The questions people ask us.
On Leash Foundations vs Functional Off-Leash: which one do I actually need?
We answer that at the consultation by looking at the dog rather than the wish list. On-Leash Foundations is built for the dog who pulls and lunges and for an owner who misses enjoying the walk. Functional Off-Leash is built for dogs with decent manners who are ready to earn real freedom, and when the two-week program is enough, that is the one we recommend.
Should I choose the 2 week or 3 week board and train?
We suggest choosing by curriculum rather than by length. The two-week program works on loose-leash walking, heel, sit, stay, down and place around everyday distractions; the three-week one works on recall around distractions, off-leash house manners and basic behaviour modification, with a remote collar included. The extra week is a different skill set, not more of the same.
Which board and train program is best for leash pulling?
On-Leash Foundations is the program written for dogs who treat the leash as a suggestion: two weeks at $1,865 plus GST, working on loose-leash walking and heel around everyday distractions. It comes with a slip lead and training collar to take home, a handover lesson and one free follow-up session.
Do I need on leash training before off leash training?
We answer that dog by dog at the consultation. On-Leash Foundations was written for dogs who still drag and lunge on the leash; Functional Off-Leash for dogs with decent manners who are ready for more freedom. We recommend one program for the individual dog, and the shorter one when it covers the job.
Keep reading
Pick the right length.
Book a consultation and we will say which of the two fits, leash program or recall program.
From real owners
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Real Northline dogs