06/29/2024
When considering a board and train, it's important to know what are red and green flags to look for! Please share this information with anyone that you know looking at board and train programs so that we can start preventing dogs from entering abusive programs.
🛑 Claims to be able to tackle all issues no matter what (i.e. everything from manners to separation anxiety to human directed aggression) and/or the program sells itself as a fix for aggression or fear. When a dog is struggling with fear or aggression the MOST important piece of the equation is helping the owner understand their dog better, and removing the owner from the equation is inappropriate.
🛑 Requires the purchase of prong collars, choke chains, electric collars, or any equipment that relies on the use of discomfort to train. Any cookie cutter program that automatically applies pain and discomfort to every single dog entering their facility is a bad program. Period.
🛑 Has low reviews that include information about the dog developing behavior problems like fear and aggression later on, information about losing dogs or dogs getting injured while in the trainer's care, dogs dying while under the care of the trainer, dogs returning home with sores on their neck or sores on their elbows and bellies from being crated for too long, etc.
🛑 Offers guarantees. Offering guarantees for behavior change for any species is ALWAYS unethical. And always a huge red flag.
🛑 The only training videos you can find are flashy before and afters that don't show any actual training. Trainers who use pain to motivate dogs know that that most dog owners don't actually feel comfortable hurting their dogs, so they avoid showing the process.
🛑 Claim to use positive reinforcement with dogs, but do not want to use food to train. Food is one of the best reinforcers we have available. Not using food unless it's an extenuating circumstance is just bad training.
