Love the hands-off approach of a board-and-train, but want to keep your dog at home with you? Wish the bootcamp could come to you? Well look no further!
The Home Slice is our 6-week, in-home immersion program designed to keep your dog learning and thriving right where they live — in your home! Instead of staying with a trainer full time, your dog will remain in their familiar environment while one of our trainers visits multiple times each week to work directly with them.
This program combines the structure and results of a board-and-train with the comfort and customization of in-home lessons. It’s ideal for dogs who may not do well in a boarding environment or for owners who prefer that their dog stays home with them during the training process. With periodic lessons along the way, we’ll keep you involved and up-to-date on progress. Without having to be present for every training session, you'll still have enough touchpoints to learn alongside your dog and you'll have ongoing access to your trainer for questions and support. This program includes a training manual that will serve as a reference between meetings with your trainer and help you maintain your dog’s training!
The structure of this 6-week program is wholly unique. Each week there will be 3 main touch points with your trainer. These will either be training sessions at (or outside of) your home (that you do not need to be present for), weekly training outings with the rest of the KeenDog team, or lessons with you at your home.
Here is a breakdown of what is included:
- Pre-Program Lesson: One lesson before the program begins to get to know your dog, review goals, and establish a training plan.
- In-Home Sessions: Your trainer will visit your home twice per week for one-hour sessions. Every other week, one of these sessions will include you and take more of a lesson format so that they can coach you on everything your dog has been learning.
- Weekly Training Outing with the KeenDog Team: Each Wednesday, your trainer will pick up your dog and bring them on an outing with the rest of the KeenDog team and other dogs in training. These sessions provide exposure to distractions, help generalize skills, and build confidence around new dogs, people, and environments.
- Follow-Up Lessons: Two follow up lessons after the six week program allow us to review progress, troubleshoot challenges, and ensure you and your dog feel confident moving forward.
Over the course of this program, your dog will 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!
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 minor 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 - due to the nature of the Home Slice program, clients must live within 15 miles of zip code 28216.
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 PROGRAM*:
- 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
*This program is intended for dogs without significant behavioral concerns.
Frequently Asked Questions
What areas does KeenDog serve?
- We primarily serve the Charlotte, NC / Fort Mill, SC area, but due to the nature of the Home Slice program, clients must live within 15 miles of zip code 28216.
How does scheduling work for the Home Slice? How far in advance do I have to sign up?
- Scheduling for this program is unique because it is only offered by one of our trainers - Lilly. Availability will depend on her schedule. Typically we book immersions 4 to 8 weeks in advance, though the flexibility of the Home Slice may make it possible to schedule with less advance notice. Proximity to holidays can impact availability as well as signing up multiple dogs. If you have any questions, please email our scheduler and we can give you an idea of our next availability!
What does each session include?
- Each training session is approximately one hour. The sessions are designed to replicate the structure of a traditional board-and-train day, but in your dog’s home environment. Combined with weekly training outings with our team, this approach allows your dog to learn and generalize behaviors in multiple contexts.
How does The Home Slice differ from a traditional board-and-train?
- The Home Slice delivers the same immersive, focused training that your dog would get from a board-and-train program, but it allows your dog to stay in their home environment. Instead of living with a trainer for several weeks, your trainer will come to your home and gradually involve you in the process. This setup is ideal for dogs who may struggle in new environments or are uncomfortable being crated.
Do I need to be home for every session?
- No, your trainer will handle most sessions independently, giving your dog uninterrupted, focused training. Every other week, one session will include you to ensure you stay up-to-date with what your dog is learning, are confident in handling your dog, and know how to reinforce learned behaviors.
Who is eligible for The Home Slice?
- This program is intended for dogs without significant behavioral concerns. If your dog needs help with issues such as reactivity, aggression, or anxiety, please check out our Behavior Modification Programs instead.
What is the purpose of pre-program lessons?
- We include 1 pre-program lesson with the Home Slice because it gives us an opportunity to get to know your dog (and you!) before we dive into intensive training. We use this time to review goals, establish a training plan, and jumpstart training.
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 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.
Is an e-collar included with this program?
- Yes! The Home Slice 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.
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?
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.
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!