Looking for big results, fast?!
Keen Camp is our classic, 3-week immersive board-and-train program. With this package, 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 two 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!
This package is a great option for owners of dogs 6 months or older* who are looking for expedited results, don’t have the bandwidth to work with their dog daily during the initial training phase, or prefer to leave laying the groundwork to the professionals! While this package is a more hands-off option, we will still ensure that you have the knowledge and handling practice necessary to hold your dog accountable after they complete training. This package includes a training manual that will serve as a reference between meetings with your trainer and help you maintain your dog’s training!
During your dog’s time with us, they’ll learn basic and advanced obedience, both on and off leash (e-collar included!). 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 package is highly customizable based on individual needs. If there are behavioral issues you want us to work on, problem areas you want us to dedicate more time to, tricks you want us to teach your dog, etc., just let your trainer know!
*Please note - because of the expedited nature of this program, we require that dogs are 6 months of age or older prior to starting Keen Camp. We want to ensure that they are mature enough to be held to a high standard. Pre-immersion lessons can be completed prior to 6 months of age if desired.
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
EXAMPLES OF PROBLEM BEHAVIORS THAT CAN BE ADDRESSED WITH THIS PACKAGE:
- Pulling on leash
- Not coming when called
- Excessive barking
- Whining or barking in crate
- Jumping on people or furniture
- Counter surfing
- Mouthing or play biting
- Chasing cats or prey
- Destructive chewing
- Marking in the home or on walks
- Not following through on commands when distracted
- Resource guarding*
- Leash or barrier reactivity*
- Aggression towards people or other dogs*
*Please schedule a virtual consultation prior to booking to discuss severity of behavior and schedule an in-person assessment.
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 Keen Camp is that the extended length makes it more feasible to work with clients who are not local to the Carolinas. 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.
How does scheduling work for Keep Camp? How far in advance do I have to sign up?
- 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. We always try to get dogs in for training as soon as possible, so please email our scheduler and we can give you an idea of our next availability!
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.
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.
- Another thing to consider is that it isn’t always possible to replicate problem-behavior outside of a dog’s home environment. If your dog is exhibiting any behaviors that are specific to your home or the area immediately surrounding your home, then it is usually best to train them in that environment versus removing them from it.
- In the same way, it isn’t always possible to replicate problem-behavior with a different handler. If your dog is reactive, for example, this behavior can be handler-specific for a number of reasons. Reactivity can stress out owners and their anxiety then exacerbates the issue. Because our trainers are unfazed, dogs often exhibit different behaviors when we handle them. In-home lessons are typically a better option as we spend more time with you, the owner, handling your dog and we address both dog and human behavior to find solutions and get you long term results.
- If your dog has any behavioral issues that present a high level of risk to our trainers and/or other animals in their homes, it is likely that we will recommend against Keen Camp, at least to start with, so that we can have ample time to understand their behavior and establish safe handling practices before deciding whether a board-and-train will be safe for all parties.
Why do you send dogs home on the weekend?
- Most 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! You are much more likely to experience life-long results if you have ample time to learn and practice the concepts we taught your dog during their time with us. 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 2 pre-immersion lessons in this package because they give us an opportunity to get to know your dog (and you!) before they come to stay with us. We use this time to establish a relationship, jump start training, and answer any questions you might have.
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 training 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 package.
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.
Want to start training sooner? Check out our Whole Enchilada program! It is very similar to our Keen Camp program with the addition of extra in-home, pre-immersion lessons to jump start training as early as 8 weeks of age.
Is an e-collar included with this package?
- Yes! The Keen Camp package 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.
Is a training manual included with this package?
- Yes! The training manual is a comprehensive reference PDF that covers everything taught in lessons.
Is KeenDog boarding included with this package?
- Yes! Access to boarding with our KeenDog trainers is included with this package (additional fees apply).
Are KeenDog group classes included with this package?
My dog already knows some commands. How will that impact training?
- We will start by assessing your dog’s obedience foundation. If they already know some commands and perform them well, we’ll adapt our training to accommodate these commands (i.e. if they know the command “Come” and recall reliably to that command, we’ll keep it!). In most cases, owners come to us because their dogs don’t consistently respond to commands. If this is the case, we’ll typically choose a new word to use (like switching from “Come” to “Here”) and retrain the command.
What if my dog has a bite history?
- We don’t shy away from working with aggressive dogs, but we do want to know ahead of time if your dog has a bite history. We will work with you to plan a safe approach to your dog’s first interaction with your trainer. We may have you start work ahead of time on muzzle conditioning, meet in a neutral environment, give you special instructions for how to handle your dog, etc.
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 package 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!