Starting a puppy off on the right foot (or paw!) is the absolute best thing you can do to ensure their life-long success and well-being. If that feels like a lot of pressure, have no fear! We are here to tackle all the hard parts for you - housebreaking, crate training, confidence building, environmental exposure, safe socialization, obedience foundations, play development… Puppy Pre-K is the jumpstart every puppy needs! But then what comes next?!
If you like the turnkey, hands-off approach of a board-and-train program then continuing training with Keen Camp is a no brainer! Keen Camp is our classic, 3-week immersive board-and-train. With this program, your dog will come to live with one of our trainers for 3 weeks (Monday to Friday). To set you up for success, we include three pre-immersion lessons to jumpstart your training, a go-home lesson each week during the immersion, and two follow up lessons to fine tune and troubleshoot if needed!
The combination of Puppy Pre-K and Keen Camp is perfect for folks who love the expedited results and plug-and-play approach that come with board-and-train programs but want to have their puppy in-home for the majority of their puppyhood (versus a longer program like Puppy Prodigy).
Puppy Pre-K is all about laying a strong foundation. Having a young puppy in your home can be very disruptive! If you work long hours, travel a lot, or have competing priorities like young children, it can be hard to dedicate the time needed to form good habits. Puppy Pre-K is a 3-week board-and-train. Your puppy will come to live in-home with one of our trainers and they’ll lay a strong foundation during those critically important early weeks. You’ll get daily updates during their stay and, when you come to pick up your puppy at the end of the 3 weeks, we will do a go home lesson with you to go over everything they’ve learned.
Once Puppy Pre-K concludes, your puppy will return home with instructions for how to continue their training until they’re ready to come back for Keen Camp. You’ll also have 3 in-home lessons that you can use to bridge the gap if desired. Once your dog reaches 6 months of age (or later if preferred), they’ll return to us for another 3-week board-and-train, this time covering advanced obedience, both on and off-leash.
Among other things, we will teach your dog to walk nicely on and off-leash, recall consistently regardless of distractions, behave calmly in your home, focus and engage with you, interact politely with people, respect doors and thresholds, navigate the world with confidence, stop unwanted behaviors and more!
As we progress through training, we’ll move from quiet, calm environments to busier, more distracting environments. We will proof your dog’s training in environments such as dog-friendly stores, busy parks, hiking trails, parking lots, etc. Before beginning training, we’ll discuss with you the types of environments that you envision spending time with your dog and then we will train specifically for these environments! Want to hike with your dog? We’ll take them on a hike! Want to hang at a brewery with them? We’ll do a training session at a brewery! Want to improve their comfort level at the vet? We can do a training session in the lobby!
While we do have a planned curriculum of behaviors and life skills that we believe every dog should know, this program is highly customizable based on individual needs. If there are behavioral issues you want to work on, problem areas you want to dedicate more time to, tricks you want to teach your dog, etc., just let your trainer know!
INCLUDED COMMANDS WE BELIEVE EVERY DOG SHOULD KNOW:
- NAME RECOGNITION – look to you for direction when name is given
- HERE – recall to handler
- SIT – sit and remain in position until released, automatic sits at heel position
- DOWN – down and remain in position until released
- PLACE – go to a specific boundary and remain until released (bed, crate, etc.)
- HEEL – walk on left side, nose to knee, auto sit when handler stops walking
- SWITCH – switch from left side to right when heeling
- LET’S GO – follow along, less structured loose leash walk
- WATCH – make eye contact with handler
- TOUCH – two paws on object, i.e. a rubber feed bowl
- OUT – drop a toy
INCLUDED MARKERS WE BELIEVE EVERY DOG SHOULD KNOW:
- KEEN/CLICK – terminal marker / release word for food reward direct from handler; builds drive, enthusiasm and engagement
- GET IT – terminal marker / release word for toy reward or food reward delivered indirectly by handler (tossed out)
- YES – terminal marker / release word for toy reward direct from handler (optional)
- FREE – terminal marker / release word with no reward (freedom is the reward)
- GOOD – duration marker; let’s your dog know you like what they are doing and to keep doing that behavior; food, affection, or praise reward
- NICE – duration marker; let’s your dog know you like what they are doing and to keep doing that behavior; no reward (optional)
- EH-EH – lets your dog know that they are on the wrong track
- NO – stop unwanted behaviors
Frequently Asked Questions
What areas does KeenDog serve?
- We primarily serve the Charlotte, NC / Fort Mill, SC area. The beauty of board-and-train programs like Puppy Pre-K and Keen Camp is that the extended length makes it more feasible to work with clients who are not local to the Carolinas. For Puppy Pre-K, we require that you drop off and pick up at our location. For Keen Camp, typically we require that you bring your dog to us at the beginning of the program, we board them through the weekends, and then we bring them to you at the end of the three weeks. We then remain in your area for a few days, conducting multiple lessons to hand off the training to you like we would for local clients. Additional fees apply for out-of-area dogs. We also welcome you to come to Charlotte for the go home, we do require you to stay for the weekend to ensure ample time for multiple training sessions. To inquire about training for out-of-area dogs, please reach out to Katrina.
What is the wait time for Puppy Pre-K?
- We try our best to get puppies in for training as soon as possible. On average, our wait time is 1 to 3 weeks for puppies, but this can vary. We always recommend reaching out as soon as possible, even before you bring your puppy home!
How does scheduling work for Keep Camp?
- If you know your schedule in advance, we can typically put dates on the calendar for Keen Camp at the time of booking. If you need some time to plan, we can wait until after your dog has completed Puppy Pre-K. We typically book immersions 4 to 8 weeks in advance, though this can fluctuate greatly depending on a number of factors. Around holidays, for example, we don’t take on as many Keen Camp dogs because we want to make sure we’re able to accommodate all clients who are in need of holiday boarding. If you want to sign up two dogs for Keen Camp at the same time, this can also impact scheduling. If you have any questions about time, please email our scheduler.
How are trainers assigned?
- Trainers are assigned based on a number of factors including availability, behavioral expertise, breed experience, and client preference. If you are hoping to work with a particular trainer, please let us know when you sign up.
Will I work with multiple trainers or just one?
- When you sign up for Puppy Pre-K, a trainer will be assigned based on availability, breed experience, and client preference. Typically puppies stay with one trainer for the duration of their stay, but occasionally they will work with more than one due to availability. We do our best to schedule Keen Camp with the same trainer, but factors such as booking around a holiday or looking for specific dates may make this difficult. We’ll always make sure you’re comfortable with your trainer assignment prior to finalizing plans.
Is a board-and-train the right fit for my dog?
- Board-and-train programs have pros and cons. With the Keen Camp program, we take an expedited, intensive approach to training meaning that you can get big results, very quickly, without much work on your part. That being said, it is critical that training is maintained to prevent your dog from reverting to old habits. While your involvement during the training phase is less than it would be if you did in-home lessons, your commitment to maintaining standards and holding your dog accountable must be just as high.
Why do you send dogs home on the weekend during Keen Camp?
- Most advanced obedience board-and-train programs are 3 weeks straight through with only one go-home lesson at the end. In one short lesson, you are expected to learn everything your dog learned in 3 weeks. That is crazy to us! During Keen Camp, we cover A LOT each week. You are much more likely to experience life-long results if you have ample time to learn and practice the concepts your dog has already mastered. When you come to pick up your dog at the end of each week, we’ll do a one-hour go-home lesson going over everything they learned that week. We will send you home with things to practice over the weekend and, at drop off the following week, we’ll debrief on how the weekend went. These checkpoints provide an opportunity for you to ask questions as well as reveal any areas that we need to revisit or troubleshoot during the next week of training.
What is the purpose of pre-immersion lessons?
- We include 3 pre-immersion lessons in this program because they give us an opportunity to bridge the gap between Puppy Pre-K and Keen Camp. If any new issues arise, we can use your lessons to troubleshoot those issues before they become bigger problems. If you choose not to use your pre-immersion lessons or are unable to, they can be used as extra follow up lessons.
What is the purpose of follow up lessons?
- Follow up lessons are for refining, perfecting, challenging your dog, and answering questions. We typically recommend scheduling your first follow up for a week or two after the immersion portion of Keen Camp concludes, and then your second follow up a few weeks after that. We want you to apply all that you’ve learned in your home environment and everyday life, and then let us know if you’re having trouble with anything. At your follow up lessons we’ll review and troubleshoot, and make sure you leave feeling confident. If you need additional support, we recommend attending our group classes which are included in this program.
What training methods are used?
- We take a modern, balanced approach to training. We do not use a one size fits all approach; we train the dog in front of us, utilizing all four quadrants of operant conditioning.
Why must my dog be 6 months of age or older to participate in Keen Camp?
- Board-and-train programs, Keen Camp in particular, take an expedited approach to training. We progress very quickly from basic to advanced obedience and we want to make sure that dogs are old enough to understand actions and consequences. All dogs mature at different rates, we find that most dogs are mature enough at 6 months of age to begin e-collar conditioning which is an important aspect of the Keen Camp program.
Why is Puppy Pre-K not offered as a standalone program?
- At KeenDog, we finish what we start. We don’t just want to just potty train your puppy and send you on your way… there are trainers out there who will do that for you. We want you to live an optimal life with your dog. We want to holistically train them to be the best that they can be, and we want to train you as well, so that you can pick up where we’ve left off and hold them accountable long term.
Is an e-collar included with this program?
- Yes! This program includes a professional grade e-collar from E-Collar Technologies. Not familiar with e-collars or how they’re used in training? Schedule a virtual consultation and we’d be happy to talk you through our beliefs on e-collars, the conditioning process, and our training methodology. The e-collar will not be introduced until later stages of training.
Is a training manual included with this program?
- Yes! The training manual is a comprehensive reference PDF that covers everything taught in lessons.
Is KeenDog boarding included with this program?
- Yes! Access to boarding with our KeenDog trainers is included with this program (additional fees apply).
Are KeenDog group classes included with this program?
Do you offer discounts for completing training with multiple dogs?
- Yes! We offer a $500 discount for the second dog if you are signing up two at once. If you would like to complete training with more than two dogs, please reach out before signing up!
Not sure which program is right for you and your dog? Schedule a virtual consultation with one of our trainers. They’ll be happy to discuss your needs and point you in the right direction!