Best Dog Boot Camp Los Angeles Pets & Parents Deserve!
(In a Certified Dog Behaviorist/Dog Trainer’s home)
Private~Customized~One-On-One~Luxurious~Five-Acre Home Ranch
You and your dog will learn more in one week (or longer!) than you ever thought possible!
Our dog training Los Angeles dog training boot camp, board and train near me is not only for aggressive dog training, and separation anxiety training but is designed for all dog anxiety problems and is optimal for dog obedience training and learning. All dogs and their parents will learn a tremendous amount during their Boot Camp in Los Angeles. Dogs that require extra work in certain problem areas or have special needs will thrive as well.
Boarding and training camp is also designed for dog parents with busy schedules who don’t have the time, expertise, experience, or skill to work with their dog. We will pick up and drop off your pet(s) so that they can be trained with renowned and Certified Behaviorist and Trainer Russell Hartstein, CDBC, CPDT for dog boot camp Los Angeles, training, and boarding for one week or longer to give them the best education a family and dog can get!
Private one-on-one learning customized by Russell Hartstein for your unique dog. Russell recognizes the individual spirit of each dog he serves. Each Boot Camp is customized by Russell based on each dog’s unique learning style and considerations such as:
- Morphology
- Biology
- Developmental period
- Breed
- Genetics
- Motivation
- Energy
- Age
- Sex
- Temperament
- Personality
- Sociality
- Preferences
- Ontogeny
- Abilities
Your dog boot camp in Los Angeles will comprise of dog training, behavior modification, and dog boarding. Dog boot camp will take place in a private five-acre, fully fenced-in behavior and training facility. During boot camp, your dog will receive one-on-one, 100% undivided personal care, and attention and be taught by a master Certified Dog Behavior Consultant (CDBC) (fewer than 200 worldwide!) and Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT), Russell Hartstein.
Russell will be living with your pet(s) and providing exclusive care and teachings for both you and your beloved dog. One of the many reasons for this one-on-one non-volume approach is that science has long shown that even the “best” dog boot camp kennels are fundamentally flawed and much more stressful than a boot camp in a home environment (one-on-one). Adding to a dog’s anxiety are multiple unknown pets (and people) which are much more stressful than a single dog and person staying in a home environment.)
This is a one-of-a-kind, first-class, highly specialized, catered, customized, and comprehensive service where each program is designed specifically to meet the needs of each individual pet and family. Each package will include the following fear-free, positive reinforcement dog training camp, and behavior modification methods depending on your pet’s needs: Classical conditioning, operant conditioning, desensitization, counterconditioning, socialization, enrichment, integration, habituation, generalization, proofing, stimulus control, fluency, basic, mid and advanced level obedience methods and your pet’s customized behavior modification program. For many other answers to your questions please see our Los Angeles Dog Boot Camp FAQs below.
Although your dog will receive hours of intensive daily hands-on training lessons and behavior modification, our love for dogs and ambition to train and rehabilitate each dog successfully typically has us putting in many more hours of behavior modification and dog training. Los Angeles pet parents can rest easy, knowing that during your absence, your pet will receive:
- An exclusive and intensive, private one-on-one custom dog training, behavior modification, and boarding program, reinforcing training and behavior all day and night, taught and supervised by trusted pet expert Russell Hartstein, a renowned Certified Dog Behavior Consultant, Certified Professional Dog Trainer and pet nutritionist
- Your dog will receive a unique and customized training and behavior program catered specifically for your family and dog
- Each day of Dog Boot Camp in Los Angeles consists of exclusive, private attention, and customized training and behavior modification, one-on-one with no other people or pets present (unless called for as part of your dog’s behavior and training protocol)
- Comprehensive environmental, emotional, cognitive and behavioral analysis. A functional assessment and detailed dog training plan via email with abundant supporting resources will set you up for success the moment your dog returns to your home.
- A thorough explanation of the analysis and treatment options, recommendations, prognosis, and the likelihood of improvement over time with each customized plan.
- Your dog’s training and behavior modification program are integrated into every aspect of your dog’s daily life
- Multiple daily personalized Private Enrichment Dog Training and Behavior Modification Walks, tailored specifically to your dog, including as many short walks any time your dog desires
- All that the luxury Dog Boarding Los Angeles package offers
- Los Angeles Dog Boot Camp boarding, training, one-on-one, in a Certified Behaviorist and Trainer’s private five-acre behavior and training facility, with (24/7) personalized expert Certified Dog Behaviorist and Trainer supervision throughout your dog’s boarding
- Complimentary Los Angeles Pet Transportation with a Certified Dog Trainer and Behaviorist
- Enrichment in all aspects of your dog’s life. Your dog will receive customized socializing, feeding, hydrating, walking, cuddling, playing, training and exercise schedules.
- Dog anxiety spa package including, anxiolytics, nutraceuticals, anti-anxiety supplements, calming canine classical music and lavender/chamomile therapeutic-grade organic essential oils, scientifically proven to calm and soothe pets and every luxury a dog could dream of, dog appeasing pheromones and unlimited private enrichment training walks and outings.
- Complimentary recommendations and advice curated for your unique family regarding best nutrition, dog treats, supplements, toys, enrichment devices, equipment, Los Angeles veterinarians, exercise programs, and socialization protocols
- A review of your dog’s medical and behavioral history via the questionnaire and any pictures and videos that you send prior to your service
- Daily pictures and/or videos of your dog’s experiences during their Boot Camp
- Upon drop off, Russell will come to your home to go over any questions you might have to enhance and support your understanding of the protocols, and training and to evaluate the space inside and outside of your home where your dog might go to help set up your environment for success.
- Uncompromised attention to detail and safety (30-year safety record!)
- Access to Board Certified Veterinarians 24/7
- Platinum Club Members receive 50% off of our LA Dog Boot Camp
Our best dog boot camp training addresses all dog behavior problems and issues including but not limited to:
- Dog aggression training
- Fear aggression training
- Territorial aggression training
- Resource guarding dog training
- Dog-on-dog aggression training
- Leash aggression training
- Food aggression
- Predatory aggression
- Boarding for aggressive dogs
- Dog anxiety training
- Separation anxiety
- Separation distress/Isolation distress
- Puppy potty training/Housetraining
- Dog barking
- Dog biting
- Dog jumping
- Dog leash reactivity and pulling
- Old dog aggressive to puppy (or vice-versa)
- Dog impulsivity and arousal issues
- Service dog training
- Therapy dog training
- Emotional support dog training
Dog Boot Camp Los Angeles (Boarding & Training) FAQs
Please use this table to jump to a specific FAQ section below.
- Where do you offer Los Angeles puppy & dog board and train near me?
- What is dog boot camp? Is it the same as board and train near me?
- What happens to my dog during dog boot camp?
- Who will be caring and teaching my dog while at puppy & dog boot camp?
- What dog training, behavior modification, and obedience methods and techniques are used during dog boot camp obedience classes?
- How much behavior modification and training do you do with a dog at boot camp?
- What are some important questions to ask yourself, the trainer & business owner, before deciding on what dog boarding training school to choose?
- What are the most common behavior and training problems a puppy dog has in boot camp?
- How much will my dog learn at puppy dog boot camp classes?
- How long will it take to train my dog at dog training camp?
- How long should my dog stay at dog boot camp?
- May I visit my dog during dog boot camp?
- How should I prepare my puppy for their puppy boot camp classes near me?
- Do you offer cage-free dog boarding and training near me?
- How do you communicate with a parent during a dog’s boot camp?
- What’s the difference between puppy boot camp and dog boot camp?
- When to start training a puppy
- How much does Boot Camp (Boarding and Training) cost?
- In-Home Dog Training or Board and Train (which is better)?
Where do you offer Los Angeles puppy & dog board and train near me?
For our dog board and train Los Angeles boot camp program, we serve the entire Greater Los Angeles area including Malibu, Beverly Hills, Bel Air, Brentwood, Pacific Palisades, Downtown Los Angeles (DTLA), Santa Monica, Venice, West Side, Manhattan Beach, Westwood, Marina Del Rey, Calabasas, Hidden Hills, Burbank, Glendale, Pasadena, Hollywood, Palos Verdes, and the San Fernando Valley.
However, dog parents bring us their dogs from all over the world. We have trained puppies and dogs of all ages in our boarding and training program for presidents of countries, celebrities, CEOs, government officials, embassies, military, police dogs, and pet dogs from around the globe.
What is dog bootcamp? Is it the same as dog board and train near me?
Dog boot camp and boarding and training go by many names such as dog training camp, puppy boot camp, dog boarding school, dog board and train, dog training and boarding, dog boot camp, boarding and training, dog training camp, puppy camp, overnight dog training, residential dog training, intensive dog training, dog boot camp near me, dog training boot camp, dog behavior boot camp, etc. For ease, we call it, Dog Boot Camp, or refer to it as Boarding and Training. Despite all of the name variations, what they all mean are very similar, your dog stays in someone else’s home or dog training facility and trains in their space, under their care and supervision, not in your home or under your care and supervision.
What happens to my dog during dog boot camp?
That is an excellent and very important question. We have been training and boarding dogs for decades! This is such an important topic because your dog’s health is at stake when choosing the right dog trainer and boarding facility. Trust and expertise are some of the most important factors to look for in a Certified Dog Trainer, Behaviorist and Nutritionist. Your pet will be out of your sight and care, so knowing that the expert trainer and pet care provider is extremely trustworthy, knowledgeable, experienced, and Certified Fear and Force-Free Trainer is vital.
Your beloved pet is not under your supervision and you don’t have any idea how your dog is being treated, trained, or if they are even being trained at all! It requires a leap of faith that all caring pet parents should be concerned about.
At Fun Paw Care, our entire schedule revolves around your pet’s dog boarding and training classes. Because each dog is an individual and needs unique individual care and treatment, we cater to those unique qualities to make sure your dog is successful, comfortable, safe, stress and fear-free, happy, and in an optimal learning environment while in our care.
How we do this may entail creative environment management/antecedent arrangments, or setups such as customized dog walking and training schedules during odd hours, training dogs with variable lighting conditions, acoustics, olfaction, times, environments, around different types of animals or people, with different breeds, ages, sizes and play styles of dogs. We address all areas of a dog’s somatosensory system and leave no stone unturned by addressing a dog’s ontogeny, psychology, emotion, cognition, and physiology with different types of equipment, props, positive reinforcement dog training, and behavior modification techniques, etc.
No two dogs in our board and train program are the same and dogs require a great deal of specificity which is why it is so time and expertise-intensive. We are extremely successful in analyzing and treating dog training and behavior problems because of our vast experience, education, expertise, and working with thousands of dogs’ behavior problems, emotional and psychological issues, and all breeds and mixed breeds.
This unique advantage combined with our education and Certifications in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) for companion animals (canines and felines) makes us uniquely positioned to offer and help any behavior and training problem, even the most troubled and severe behavior cases where you may have seen several trainers and behaviorists before are successful when they stay with us for boarding and training.
Who will be caring and teaching my dog while at dog boot camp boarding school?
One person day and night! A renowned pet expert, author, and Certified Dog Trainer, Behaviorist, and Nutritionist Russell Hartstein CDBC, CPDT will be training and working with your dog directly.
What dog training, behavior modification, and obedience methods and techniques are used during dog boot camp obedience classes?
Regardless of your dog’s behavior issues or condition, we only recommend and use fear-free, force-free, science-based, efficacious techniques with love, care, and acumen. Many factors contribute to our dog behavior and training protocols. Much will depend on your individual dog’s training and behavior problems, and a myriad of other factors and issues, some of which are your family’s needs, your dog’s temperament, personality, age, health, medical history, preferences, breed, emotional state, and ontogeny, etc.
Regardless of the needs of each dog, the training methods are always force-free, fear-free and the trainer should be certified by accredited independent organizations. A trainer or behaviorist should never use or recommend any punitive equipment such as a vibration collar (shock collar) choke chain or pronged collar under any circumstances. Instead, equipment such as a front-attaching dog body harness, head harness and muzzle may be used humanely and much more effectively. They should never practice dominance theory at all or follow the advice or be associated with any reality TV show host.
How much behavior modification and training do you do with a dog at Boot Camp?
Your dog’s custom training and behavior modification program are integrated into every aspect of your dog’s daily and nightly life at Boot Camp.
Every part of your dog’s experience with regards to walking, training, behavior modification, socializing, play, enrichment, etc, will vary between pets and is contingent upon many factors such as your pet’s level of stimulus gradient resiliency, exposure therapy, environmental, energy, play style, socialization, cognitive and emotional needs, fear anxiety, stress, and arousal, etc.
There will also be considerations such as your dog’s temperament, personality, ontogeny, breed, sex, reproductive status, age, health, physiology, the time of year (environmental factors), etc.
Every training and behavior modification plan is customized to your dog and, every dog is radically different.
There is no cookie-cutter model or time frame that we provide. For example, while a puppy potty training will need many walks during the night to avoid accidents, an adult dog may benefit from a full night’s rest without interruption.
What we do promise is our guarantee which includes our commitment to values, ethics, morals, and safety woven into every aspect of your dog’s training and behavior modification program and integrated into every aspect of your dog’s daily and nightly life.
What are some important questions to ask yourself, the trainer & business owner, before deciding on what dog boarding training school to choose?
Science has long shown that even the “best” dog boot camp kennels are fundamentally flawed and much more stressful than a boot camp in a home environment (one-on-one). Adding to a dog’s anxiety are multiple unknown pets (and people) which are much more stressful than a single dog and person staying in a home environment.)
Beyond that, here are some questions to ask the owner and Certified Behaviorist and Trainer (they should be the same person, and not a franchise or multi-location facility) before you start your Los Angles dog boarding and training boot camp.
- Is the dog trainer and behaviorist certified by valid, industry-recognized certifying bodies such as the CCPDT, IAABC, and fear-free organizations?
- Not all certifications, certificates and qualifications are created equal! Make sure to do your homework thoroughly. This will tell you a lot about the trainer or behaviorist. If your dog trainer doesn’t pass this test walk away and no need to go any further.
- How many other dogs, cats, people, and animals will be present during the day and night?
- Is the dog training camp conducted in the dog trainer’s home and also where your pet will be sleeping? Or is boot camp in a stressful boarding kennel, daycare facility, or home with many other dogs and/or people around?
- Will the Certified Behaviorist and Trainer be working with your dog’s behavior problems in a home environment or will my dog be staying in a stressful commercial facility or dog kennel and learning in a facility with other untrained animals present? If your dog is staying in a dog boarding kennel in Los Angeles or at a commercial dog training facility, you will want to ask who is sleeping with your pet or if your pet left alone at night, only viewed on camera or supervised by a night staff person or a person who is not the trainer and behaviorist?
- How many other animals (dogs, cats, birds, etc.) are in the home/facility, and/or how many and which ones are staying at the dog boarding and training facility?
- Will your dog be stressed or overexcited by other species that will be at the dog boarding school or pets on the premises?
- How many hours does the certified trainer spend with your dog specifically?
- How many different trainers will interact with your dog?
- Will your dog be walked privately? If so by whom? How many people will be walking your dog?
- Who will feed your dog, how and when? How many people will be involved in feeding your dog?
- Will you receive frequent detailed expert behavior analysis and training evaluations, including videos and/or pictures, and resources to aid in your dog training success after your dog is returned to you?
- Will the certified behaviorist offer a transportation service where they pick up and drop off your dog from your home in a safe way according to fear-free practices?
- Will the certified behaviorist come to your home and set up your home environment for success and show you what your dog has learned after your dog’s boot camp?
- Who cleans the dog bootcamp home or facility? (what is the frequency, quantities/composition of cleaning solutions, duration, etc.) How is the dog boarding school cleaned? With what chemicals and what is the procedure?
The more problem behaviors that are present and the more intense the behaviors, the longer your dog should stay for boarding and training because each behavior is most successful when worked on individually and some behavior modification protocols are incompatible. Dogs suffering from severe separation anxiety disorder are recommended to stay at dog boarding school with the support of psychopharmaceuticals. Without supportive medication, boarding and training school may make extreme cases of separation anxiety worse, not better.
Questions your trainer and behaviorist will likely ask you prior to your dog’s boot camp.
- What behavior problem/s your dog is experiencing?
- What cues and obedience training does your dog already know and what needs to be practiced, conditioned, and learned?
- What dog knowledge and skills do you and your family already have?
- How much time do you train your dog and work with your dog’s behavior issues?
- How many animals and people live with and/or interact with your dog regularly?
- How many behavior problems is your dog experiencing? For example, do you want to stop your dog from jumping on people, pulling on the leash, and separation anxiety or to get puppy potty trained, socialized, and enriched? Or does your dog display reactivity, fear aggression, predatory aggression, or general aggression and anxiety with people and dogs?
- How intense is your dog’s behavior?
- How long has your dog been performing problem behaviors?
- How much obedience training does your dog have in all environments?
- Has your dog ever bitten, barked, growled, snarled, or snapped at someone (dog, cat, person, or another animal)?
- Has your dog ever worn a muzzle or been positively conditioned for one?
- What type of prior dog training has your dog received and by whom?
- Is your dog heterospecific (different species) and conspecific (same species) friendly?
- What type of medical issues is your dog experiencing?
- Is your dog on any medicine, psychotropic, or supplements?
- What type of food and treats is your dog being fed? Quantity per serving, times, and method?
- What is your dog’s nutrition profile and the overall quality of their health?
- How food-motivated is your dog for food?
- How toy-motivated is your dog?
- Is your dog spayed or neutered?
The longer a dog stays in our five-acre boarding and training Los Angeles California facility with continuous and consistent training the more ingrained and conditioned good behaviors become and the more fluent the dog becomes in performing those behaviors in all environments. The same principle applies to the reduction of a dog’s anxiety and fear.
Although not linear, there is a direct correlation between time/practice to learning/conditioning. Because dogs do not generalize training and behavior well, the longer a dog stays at a dog boarding and training school the more their newly learned dog obedience skills, behaviors, habituation, counterconditioning, and desensitization work done to reduce their fear, anxiety, and stress carry over into your home environment. Dogs learn best in a continuous uninterrupted optimal learning environment with a strict routine and schedule.
After all, what good is it if your dog behaves in a dog trainer’s boot camp facility if your dog reverts to the same old bad behavior in your home environment?
What are the most common behavior and training problems a puppy dog has in boot camp?
Boot Camp is not just dog boarding for aggressive dogs and boarding for reactive dogs. Puppies and dogs come to us with a gamut of issues. Often a new pet parent is overwhelmed with raising a puppy and need to learn the basics of puppy 101 as soon as possible. Other times parents don’t have the time, expertise, or specialty to ensure 100% perfect puppy potty training to stop accidents from happening in the home. Potty training can be exhausting and training a dog when and where you want them to eliminate can be extremely time-consuming.
More so if the dog is not a puppy but an adolescent or adult dog that was adopted with learned house training preferences. Some dogs learn to never pee or poo in front of people or never to go potty while on the leash (or both), others learn to go only after out for a two-hour walk, at the last minute before going inside, while other dogs will not eliminate in front of people or while on a leash. All of these are fixable with time, dedication, and expertise.
We work on puppy training and obedience in our puppy boarding and training courses, which often involve puppy behaviors such as biting, nipping, excess barking, and separation distress. We teach puppies how to self-soothe, all obedience behaviors, sit, down, stay, loose leash walking, healing, and focusing on the handler. In addition to relaxation and deference protocols. We amp up our socialization, counterconditioning, and desensitizing for any fearful puppy and spend lots of time changing fearful experiences, triggers, and stimuli to wonderful experiences where the puppy now looks forward to the previous scary object, person, animal, or situation.
For all of our training and boarding services, we also teach parents throughout a pet’s stay about what we are working on and provide supporting information for them to rely on when the puppy goes back to living with you in your home.
For our adolescent, adult, and senior dogs, we teach all of the above and much more. We train obedience at our board and train school. We train all breeds, ages, and life stages of dogs and a dog is never too young or too old to learn!
We also work with serious life-threatening behaviors such as aggression, biting people, biting dogs, reactivity, chasing moving objects, (cars, skateboards, bikes, etc.) we work with canine compulsive disorders (CCD), resource guarding, fence fighting, barrier frustration, leash reactivity, under enrichment, malnutrition or inappropriate nutrition and a variety of overall fear, anxiety and stress behaviors and training problems and disorders.
How much will my dog learn at puppy dog boot camp classes?
Lots! But equally if not more important is what you will learn about your dog and how to work with your dog when they are returned to you. Both dogs and parents learn simultaneously. The training and behavior your dog learns depend on too many factors to list. Some of which are, your dog’s behavior and medical history. However, your dog’s motivation is more important than the dog’s intelligence.
We ask that a parent choose 1-2 primary behaviors that are most problematic and then we work from that starting point. If the behaviors are incompatible to be worked on simultaneously we will inform you.
For example, potty training and obedience, training or any other behavior modification protocols are not compatible with house training until potty training is engrained more fully. This is because to set your puppy up for perfect potty training success, we must have complete control over all aspects of their intake (hydration, treats, and food.) What goes in must come out and we have your puppy on a strict routine and time frames according to their ages, sex, activity level, training, and time of year. If we were to train other behavior protocols during your puppy’s potty training, it would conflict with their strict schedule of hydration, food, and treats and their poop/pee regularity.
Because we use food and treats to change behavior and for obedience training, any work feeding your puppy in those areas would throw off their pee and poop cycle detrimenting their potty training.
Obedience training, behavior modification, socialization, counterconditioning, and desensitization involve, feeding your dog often throughout the day. This would also cause your puppy to be thirsty and throw off their urination schedule as well. As you can see, other protocols would conflict with potty training. Therefore some protocols such as potty training are practiced mostly by themselves, while many other protocols may be worked in conjunction with each other.
How long will it take to train my dog at dog training camp?
How much will it cost? How long will it take? Approximately, a ballpark number, some idea, etc., What can I expect at Boot Camp? Can you provide feedback or an opinion as to what will change after boot camp? And every other variation of the same questions that you can think up cannot and would not be answered by any ethical Certified Dog Behaviorist and Trainer. Further, if a “trainer” or “behaviorist” offers you “deliverables” a time frame or a specific cost for a dog to learn (XYZ), you aren’t working with a Certified Trainer or Behaviorist, and here’s why.
Education is a valuable investment in your dog. Each dog {and parent(s)} is an individual and the process is a dynamic ever-changing one. There are no guarantees and the success of any training program is contingent upon pet parent compliance and so many other factors. Training is a process, not an event. Dog training and behavior modification take time, patience, consistency, and dedication.
Not only does answering, “How long…” and therefore, “How much…” go against the ethical pledge a Certified Behaviorist and Trainer makes when becoming Certified, but until Russell works one-on-one with your dog and family, no ethical trainer or behaviorist would/could give a guarantee or an accurate estimate of how long (or how much money) it would take for you and your dog to be trained or learn a behavior.
In addition, every parent’s definition of “trained” is different and subjective. Also, “trained” is misleading as it points to an event and something that has occurred in the past. However, a dog learns every second it’s alive, from birth to death.
It doesn’t matter if you have a service dog, a protection dog, or an aggressive dog that bites, even after a dog is “trained” the parent needs to continue the learning and teaching process with a pet for them to stay sharp and precise with their behaviors throughout their life or the dog will constantly be back at the dog training camp facility.
Dogs are not machines or inanimate objects. Ask a mechanic how much or how long until they can fix a car or ask an engineer how long it will take to erect a bridge and they can tell you precise numbers.
However, ask a teacher how long will it take for your child to learn a language or subject at school, or ask a psychologist how long it will take for your relationship to improve with your partner and your answer would be very different.
How long it takes to train a dog is also directly associated with the question, “How much will it cost to train my dog?” There’s a direct correlation between a psychologist/behaviorist/teacher/trainer’s time and expense.
A parent’s participation, understanding, dedication, and compliance in following through with the behavior modification and training protocols put forth by a Certified Behaviorist and Trainer will be critical to make sure your dog remembers and practices their learned behaviors.
Here are just a few other factors that come into play with the “How long…” and/or “How much…” questions.
- Parent(s) skill level at training and modifying behavior
- Parent(s) free time
- Parent(s) understanding of a dog’s behavior, health, biology, life stages, emotion, cognition, motivation, hierarchy of rewards, laws of learning, and all things related to a dog’s learning process.
- Parent(s) work schedule
- Parent(s) expertise in training and behavior modification
- Parent(s) compliance, involvement, and understanding
- How many people or nonhuman animals are in the household or involved
- Dog’s age
- Dog’s sex
- Dog’s life stage
- Dog’s breed
- Dog’s ontogeny
- Dog’s motivation
- Dog’s health/medical issues
- Dog’s physiology
- Dog’s emotion
- Dog’s cognition
- Dog’s fear, anxiety, and stress
- Dog’s temperament
- Dog’s personality
- Dog’s conditioning
- Dog’s trust levels/how long it takes your dog to “warm up” to a new person
These a just a few of the many variables that affect a dog’s learning.
We do provide some guarantees but not on when, what, how much, or how long it takes for your dog to learn. On average most parents leave their dogs with Russell anywhere from 1 week to several weeks for Boarding and Training but this fluctuates greatly. One week may be sufficient for many behaviors and disorders. This article explains the science of dog training, the learning curve, and the family participation requirement more thoroughly.
Dogs and parents can learn a ton in one week but the longer your dog stays in dog training and boarding the more you will both learn and the stronger your dog’s appropriate behaviors become. The more time, the more conditioning and iterations we practice, and the more ingrained behaviors become. For perspective, service dogs take months or years to train including their public access, puppy training, basic and advanced obedience training, and task training components to get to a service dog level of fluency and proofing.
There are a myriad of questions that are gathered before your dog board and train service. Some questions will be gathered before your dog’s training and others will be gathered during a dog’s boarding and training classes through Russell’s direct experience and observation.
Most of the time what a parent describes as (dog aggression, dog playing, dog happiness, dog sadness, dog depression, or my dog doesn’t have any obedience, my dog is stupid or stubborn, my dog is potty trained, my dog doesn’t like toys, my dog can’t be trained, my dog is well trained and knows how to sit, down, stay, etc.) are all not accurate when Russell begins working with the dog directly.
Parents love and mean well but are not experts in dog behavior and training. Therefore most parents’ assessments of their dog’s behavior, cognition, and emotional state are often misevaluated, diagnosed, and labeled.
Therefore when pet parents say they want us to stop their dog from barking, jumping on people, pulling on the leash, biting people or dogs, being aggressive to people, dogs or cats, or request us to stop their dog from being fearful, having separation anxiety disorder, or from having general dog anxiety issues many of the issues and problems do not exist when at Boot Camp and/or are not the causes of the underlying behavior and training issues. A dog’s behavior is typically rooted in emotional, behavioral, psychological, medical conditions, a combination of these, or in complete other areas.
In addition, when Russell evaluates a dog’s behavior, the dog has different underlying issues and many times the problem behaviors that a parent wanted him to work on are not the most important or aren’t issues at all on his training ranch or when training in cities.
Russell addresses the root of the behavior problem. After addressing the root cause of the problem (typically fear, stress, and anxiety) he teaches alternative appropriate behaviors and new positive conditioned emotional responses (CER). Many times, addressing what the parent wants doesn’t always lead to positive behavior change.
It is because of this and many other factors that a dog’s behavior and training must be experienced by a Certified Behaviorist and Trainer directly, to see what is stressing your dog and causing them anxiety, fear, and stress or why they are behaving in a way that is not desired by the parents.
As an expert Certified Behaviorist and Trainer, Russell needs to experience what is going on firsthand with your dog in his care, away from the parents and the home environment that may be contributing to the underlying behavior problem. This way he can thoroughly evaluate your dog’s behavior, health, and training and reduce problem behaviors and teach new appropriate behaviors instead.
It is imperative not to create more fear, anxiety, and stress but instead to work to reduce any underlying fear and build trust, love, connection, confidence, safety, and communication.
Ultimately, fear-free foundational relationship-building exercises cultivated throughout your dog’s boarding and training time with Russell, allow your dog’s thinking, learning, and understanding to increase and their fears to go down. This enables a dog to learn obedience training and many other cues and behaviors in a comfortable, optimal, enjoyable, and loving environment where they look forward to learning and wanting to please.
Russell’s goal is to educate and teach the dog and family simultaneously, as quickly as possible as you are the ones living with your dog and need to understand how, why, when, and what to do in order to effect change. This is also the most cost-effective and time-effective method.
How long should my dog stay at dog boot camp?
It depends on many factors. Too many to list, especially without speaking with you or meeting your beloved pet. How much do you want your dog to learn? How many behavior problems are present? How food-motivated is your dog? Does your dog get diarrhea easily? Can they healthily eat a wide variety of foods and treats? How old is your dog and how long have you had your dog are some of the many factors that go into that answer. However, after the first week, we can give you a more accurate answer to that question.
The average time spent in our Los Angeles board and train school is three weeks. Some service dogs stay for months and some puppies or dogs with minimal issues stay for 7 days/6 nights. The minimum amount of time a dog may stay for boarding and training is for 7 days/6 nights. Our Los Angeles dog training and boarding programs are designed this way with uninterrupted continuity, and consistency to optimize your dog’s learning process and experience.
After your puppy stays for training and boarding for at least 7 consecutive days, they may stay in any daily increment you like.
May I visit my dog during dog boot camp?
No. Sorry if that gives your separation anxiety 🙂 but it’s best for your dog. This is for many reasons, some of which are that your dog is conditioned to behave differently and inappropriately around familiar family members. It would not be helpful to break your dog’s continuity, and consistency and your dog’s learning process for them to be interrupted during their carefully laid-out training schedule and routine. For your dog to learn optimally it is best to be patient and allow them to take full advantage of this unique boarding school experience to learn from the best in the most efficient way possible.
How should I prepare my puppy for their puppy boot camp classes near me?
That depends on each training and boarding facility. Regardless if you are flying to Los Angeles with your pet or are a local LA resident, Fun Paw Care recommends that you have your dog’s food and treats preferences dialed in to get your dog or puppy up and learning from day one as soon as you drop them off.
To speed up your dog’s learning process as much as possible and to ensure your puppy gets the most out of their boot camp experience, make sure you have thoroughly explored your dog’s food reward hierarchy and have appropriate size, shape, texture, and palatability of treats your dog has a history of loving.
Make sure that your dog does not have diarrhea prior to arrival and when eating a variety of foods. Know what dog training foods and ingredients agree with and don’t agree with your dog. If we have to experiment with foods, ingredients and treats your dog will likely get diarrhea. If your dog gets diarrhea, all other protocols halt to ensure your dog gets back to healthy stool and has perfect potty training and no defecation in the home or crate. This can be very time-consuming if your dog has an upset stomach and has to be walked at all hours of the day and night.
So make sure to fully understand your dog’s pallet, and what dog training treats work and doesn’t work prior to your dog’s boot camp.
Our advice is to try several (at least a dozen) different types of soft, small, malleable, easy-to-ingest dog training treats of a wide variety of ingredients. Only use dog-training-appropriate food treats. In other words, do not use brittle, dry, crunchy, too large, soft, or liquidy (peanut butter or cream cheese, for example, would not be good) training dog treats. Nor would cooked salmon or other foods that are too soft or wet such as baby food, sardines, nut butter, squirt cheese, etc.
Make sure the consistency, malleability, size, and digestibility are all congruent with dog training. If there are issues with the training foods and treats when we receive a dog or puppy the priority will be focused on finding the foods that are suitable for your dog and that will take priority over all other behaviors and training because food is the main motivator and reward system that we use to teach, train and change behaviors. Those fundamental food sources and treats must be known about and supplied when you drop off your puppy or we will spend lots of time exploring this area.
If we have to order them and experiment with any of the above that will significantly delay the learning of your dog and the practice of all other dog training and behavior modification protocols. The exception is that some parents drop their dogs off for boarding and training wanting us to find and explore the foods that their puppy dog can eat. That is a protocol all unto itself and is also an option that takes time and a great deal of effort as many dogs get diarrhea from the process.
If a parent drops off their dog not knowing what training foods their dog likes and can healthily digest without giving them diarrhea or upsetting their stomach, or if a puppy has an all-you-can-eat buffet or free feeding choices directly before being dropped off and isn’t hungry for the rest of the day, these factors would delay their learning process.
Ideally, a puppy is hungry because we will feed your puppy the daily allocation of their food with their training and behavior modification work. We primarily use food rewards to motivate puppies, teach new behaviors, and change old behaviors.
In addition to having your puppy ready on the food and treats side of the equation, have all of their belongings ready to go, listed under our dog boarding Los Angeles and will be sent to you before your service.
Do you offer cage-free dog boarding and training near me?
This is one of the most common questions we get along with, is your dog boot camp cage-free or do you use crates? While meaning well, these are the wrong questions to ask a behaviorist about the dog boot camp facility. Instead, ask how are dog crates used (or not used) during your dog’s boarding school.
It’s important to understand that a dog crate is a tool just like a pair of running/hiking sneakers, a dog leash, or a harness. Crate-free dog boarding is no healthier than using a dog crate. It depends on how every tool is being used. Each dog is boarded in an impeccably clean and safe Certified Professional Dog Trainer’s five-acre behavior and training ranch with every detail designed specifically for your dog’s success and senses (not a kennel or commercial dog boarding and training Los Angeles facility) one-on-one with a Certified Trainer and Behaviorist.
A dog crate should never be used as punishment or villainized. Used properly, a dog crate is a dog’s Zen environment where your dog loves going to and has no fear, anxiety, or stress around. Many dogs love small dark areas where they feel safe, comfortable, and relaxed. Contrary to popular belief, dog crates are safe, fun, effective, and preferred by most dogs.
When you see a boarding facility or trainer use the terminology “Crate-free dog boarding or cage-free dog boarding” for web clicks and marketing purposes it shows how little the business/individual knows about the most basic fundamentals of canine behavior and cognition. It is an advertisement of ignorance and attempting to cater to the emotions of a pet parent and not the biological and behavioral preferences of the dog.
Dog crates for dog boarding and training boot camp are used if the dog has no aversion or negative conditioning to it. There are a plethora of new luxury dog beds located throughout my Boot Camp home and ranch as well as the bed where I sleep and the couch where I sit. Crate doors are typically left open and a dog is free to come and go as they please. Crates are vital tools when working with behavior problems such as puppy potty training, traveling safely, at the veterinarian’s office, and help teach many other training and behavior skills.
Dog crates are valuable tools that should represent a safe, comfortable, and stress-free area that dogs choose to go into just as we choose to sit on a couch, chair, or bed (all of which dogs are free to stay on when boarding and training with Fun Paw Care.) Dog crates have unfortunately become misunderstood and used as a marketing ploy because the dog training and behavior industry is unfortunately unregulated. Much more on that under my Resouces page, “How to Choose a Dog Trainer or Behaviorist.”
How do you communicate with a parent during a dog’s Boot Camp Los Angeles Training Program?
Los Angeles Boot Camp is a fully customized service. If you prefer videos, pictures, writing, texts, or verbal communication more than another form, please let us know in advance and we will do our best to accommodate. We do not assume or provide all types of communication.
Over the years written email communication has proven most successful. Also, I would prefer to have everything in writing via email so that a parent has adequate notes, links, analysis, and resources throughout a pet’s boarding and training program.
Of equal value are an expert Certified Dog Behaviorist’s custom-tailored resources, recommendations, and teachings for the parent/s.
We base our communication focus and choices on the feasibility, efficacy, safety, and functionality of the modality of communication. Shooting pictures and/or videos of your pet during their training and behavior modification protocols – with the exception of the pictures and/or videos that I provide that do not put a dog in danger or teach them inappropriate behaviors – are most of the time inappropriate and dangerous for your pet, the trainer and the public. Also, videoing protocols may set your pet up for failure and do not optimize their time with me.
For most parents written reports, texts, links, pictures, videos, and/or emails are even more important than the hands-on work.
My number one concern is always the safety of your pet and everyone who comes into contact with them. If videos/images can not be taken of your pet’s training and behavior modification protocol they will be described in detail with supporting documentation and if available, videos of other dogs will be provided.
My main goal is to provide the best service possible to help the pet and parent the most I can in the safest way possible while a dog is in my care. I take this honor and trust bestowed upon me very seriously.
Most requests as long as they are safe, reasonable, and healthy for the pet can be accommodated if mentioned beforehand.
What’s the difference between puppy boot camp and dog boot camp?
Puppy Boot Camp differs compared to adolescent, adult, or senior dog training camps because of the developmental period of the puppy.
The primary focus for puppies is on their sensitive period, a biological predetermined developmental period of emotion, cognition, socialization, enrichment, nutrition and physiology.
The type of help and support parents need during puppyhood vary greatly from adolescent, adult and/or senior dog life stages.
Your puppy’s young age dictates the most important windows of opportunity and development during their private puppy training school.
A puppy’s growth and developmental phase is what is prioritized in addition to any puppy behavior problems and emotional deficiencies.
Puppies need a continuous reinforcement schedule, a large amount of obedience training and a solid foundation of puppy behaviors and life skills (such as Sit, Stay, Sit – Stay, Down, Down – Stay), mixed in with socialization, potty training, enrichment, and basic manners training.
Russell also focuses on a puppy’s nutrition and finding a puppy food that’s best for your dog. Nutrition and supplements play an integral part in improving your puppy’s behavior.
Food is also a primary reinforcer and what Certified Dog Behaviorists and Trainers use to change behavior. In addition, Russell also focuses on motivational healthy dog treats and finding puppy foods that agree with your puppy’s stomach and potty training program.
Moreover, during our puppy boarding and training camp near you, puppies receive positive exposure to a variety of life stimuli.
For fearful puppies, Russell administers desensitization and counterconditioning behavior modification protocols.
Russell teaches puppies age-related behaviors and training, such as puppy potty training, how to walk on a leash, wearing different types of harnesses, collars and equipment, husbandry, and gentling.
Different dog life stages require different approaches to teaching, learning, and conditioning.
Just as we have kindergarten, middle school, high school, college and Ph.D. programs each puppy’s skill level will be taught at the level of each unique individual.
The curriculum for the boarding and training school is always one-on-one, customized and private positive reinforcement puppy training and behavior modification that is optimized specifically for your puppy’s biological and developmental period.
Puppy bootcamp, just like our adolescent and older dog bootcamp, is designed to be non-volume because dogs thrive, learn and play the best in one-on-one scenarios and it’s the optimal and healthiest way for a puppy to learn.
Each puppy training camp is customized by Russell based on each puppy’s unique learning style, anxiety, emotion, morphology, dog breed, age, sex, temperament, skill set, motivation, overall energy level, ontogeny and biological health.
Invest In LA’s Best Puppy Training Camp Near Me!
The best puppy training bootcamp is an investment in your puppy and gives you and your puppy the gift of a lifetime of happiness together. As with all investments, puppy training camp will pay many dividends down the road. Offer your puppy the best education, training, behavior modification, and care a puppy and family can get.
Our Puppy Training Camp addresses all puppy behavior problems and issues including but not limited to:
- Puppy aggression training
- Puppy potty training/house training
- Aggressive puppy biting
- Puppy barking
- Puppy Fear aggression training
- Territorial aggression training
- Resource guarding puppy training
- Puppy aggression toward other dogs
- Puppy leash aggression training
- Food Aggression
- Puppy dominance aggression
- Old dog aggressive to puppy
- Puppy aggression toward other puppies
- Aggressive puppy play
- Aggressive puppy behavior
- Puppy separation anxiety
- Puppy fears
- Puppy socialization
- Puppy play
- Puppy enrichment
- Puppy nutrition
When to start training a puppy
You should start training your puppy at 8 weeks or the moment you receive your puppy. Do NOT wait until your puppy has had all of their vaccinations before you start socializing, training and taking your puppy outside for walks.
It is also recommended globally by all medical and behavioral organizations (AVMA, AVSAB, WSAVA, etc) to start socializing and training your puppy ASAP and not to sequester a puppy and keep them inside before they have had their last round of shots.
The risk of contracting an illness is far lower than the risk of missing out on your puppy’s (time-sensitive) sensitive period and having behavioral problems and dog anxiety for the rest of your pet’s life.
Puppy training boot camp requires at least 1 round of vaccinations. Fun Paw Care can accept dogs with as little as one round of vaccinations because we are a non-volume private training school and your puppy’s health risks are minimized greatly.
Ideally, any ethical certified family breeder (not show dog breeder) will have already started socializing, habituating, desensitizing, potty training and teaching a puppy basic obedience before they arrive at your home at 8 weeks old.
How much does Boot Camp (Boarding and Training) cost?
Prices vary because we only focus on (non-volume) one-on-ones in a Certified Behaviorist, Trainer, and Nutritionist’s home. All of our Boot Camps and Services are customized to your unique dog and family.
Some of the many considerations that are taken into account are:
- Membership status. Members receive priority for all of our Services and may receive discounts up to 50% off on Boot Camp.
- How long a dog stays at Boot Camp
- Holiday, rush service/ last-minute request
- The location of the parent, timing of pickup, dropoff, and the logistics involved
- Training and behavior modification location and antecedent arrangement (on the ranch, driving to locations, or custom environmental setups).
- The dog breed
- The dog’s age
- The size of a dog
- How many dogs (from the same household) you want to enroll in Boot Camp at the same time
- The severity of a dog’s disorder(s), training and behavior issues
- The family or primary parent(s) needs
- Payment preferences
We’d like to get to understand your needs and preferences to see if there’s a good fit.
Please be so kind as to fill out our short Client Profile Form under the Get Started Now button below, and we will get back to you as soon as possible with pricing and further details.
In-Home Dog Training vs. Board and Train (which is better)?
You might want a Certified Dog Behaviorist and Trainer to come to your home instead of sending your dog to Boot Camp. You might think it’s more convenient and you want to show a behaviorist what your dog does in or around your home.
While both services (in-your-home dog training and boot camp) complement each other, in-your-home dog training is a service that is more helpful as an adjunct to Boarding and Training to support a family after Boot Camp(s) and not necessarily as a stand-alone and primary service to teach in a meaningful way.
Boot Camp is a much more intense, focused, in-depth, and serious way of learning for both the parents and pets in the fastest time frame possible.
Especially if a family wants their dog to be well-trained.
Although you can’t go wrong with a customized Boot Campo, there are instances where you might benefit from in your home dog training as a stand-alone service.
For example, if you’re a big DIYer, love to be part of every process and have the time, skills, experience, and expertise to teach and learn with your dog, in-home dog training may be a good option.
Also if you have limited resources to pay for a Boot Camp, in-your-home dog training may be helpful. On a side note, so will a Phone Video Consultation.
However, most parents want their pet’s learning curve to be fast, humane, safe and efficient. Dogs learn quickest, and more efficiently, with consistency, and continuity in an uninterrupted learning environment taught by a professional that’s designed to support your pet’s (and your) learning.
In-home dog training is typically a much slower, drawn-out process and is not best suited for most families as a stand-alone service. Instead of spending less money on each in-home training session, it would be wiser to save up and invest in a carefully cultivated, designed and effective Boot Camp to get the best bang for your buck.
Another benefit to Boot Camp is that you can receive the best of both services because after each Boot Camp Russell tours your home and goes over any questions you might have about your boot camp. Integrating your pet back into your home sets everyone up for success. This “mini in-your-home-dog-training session” allows you to benefit from having Russell in your home after your Boot Camp.
The best of both worlds!
Also, I only offer in-home dog training as a stand-alone service for Members.
