Miami Board and Train

Every board and train program is 100% force-free and includes transfer sessions so your whole family knows how to keep the momentum going

Meet the Dog Trainers

Your dog. A real home. Real results.

Forget training sessions that put all the work on you. Our Board and
Train program places your dog with a dedicated, certified trainer in a
real home environment, where skills are built through repetition,
consistency, and expert guidance, every single day.

During your dog’s stay, we’ll:

  • Identify your dog’s biggest challenges and set clear, achievable goals
  • Build real skills through daily, structured force-free training
  • Keep you updated with progress reports so you’re never in the dark
  • Transfer everything your dog learned directly to you in a hands-on
    session
  • Send your dog home ready to work, with a plan you can actually
    maintain
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Dog during board and Train program in Miami
Dog during board and Train program in Miami FL

Built for Busy Pet Parents.

Board and train is ideal for families dealing with serious or complex behavior challenges who need faster, more intensive results than weekly sessions can deliver.

It’s also a great fit if your schedule makes it hard to practice consistently between sessions, or if you’ve just adopted a dog and want to give them the strongest possible foundation right from the start.

At Dances With Dogs, we believe the best training happens where life actually happens — not in a kennel. Our board and train programs place your dog with a dedicated trainer in his private home, where learning is woven into everyday moments: meal times, walks, greetings at the door, and settling calmly while the family relaxes.

Every session is built on positive reinforcement and the latest behavioral science, guided by our team of credentialed force-free trainers. No prong collars. No shock collars. No intimidation. Just science, consistency, and a dog who genuinely understands what you are asking.

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Board and Train Options

We offer three programs designed to meet dogs at every stage of their training journey.

All programs focus on foundation skills and manners.

We believe complex behavior cases — including aggression, severe reactivity, and separation anxiety — are best addressed in the environment where the dog actually lives. Removing a dog from its home and family to work on behaviors that are deeply tied to that context is not, in our professional opinion, the most effective or ethical approach. These cases deserve personalized, in-home behavior work, and we offer exactly that through our private coaching programs.

Foundations

Build it right from the beginning.
2 weeks in-home with a trainer.

Puppies (minimum 10 weeks old, two rounds of core vaccinations) and adult dogs with no significant behavioral history who need a solid foundation of manners, impulse control, and reliable cued behaviors built the right way from the start.

WHAT YOUR DOG WILL LEARN

• Sit, down, stay, come, place, and loose-leash walking
• Crate comfort and calm settling behaviors
• Impulse control foundations: leave it, wait, and polite greetings
• Emotional regulation and calm responding to everyday stimuli

Contact for Pricing

Week 1: Assessment and foundation building
Your dog settles into the training home and we identify reinforcement preferences, learning style, and any sensitivities. Foundation behaviors are introduced using marker training and positive reinforcement across multiple short sessions daily. The focus is on building a trusting relationship and creating a history of reinforcement for the behaviors that will serve your dog for life.

Week 2: Fluency and generalization
Behaviors are proofed across different environments, distractions, and contexts within and around the home. Duration, distance, and distraction are systematically added so skills hold up in the real world, not just in a quiet training session.

WHAT IS INCLUDED

  • Multiple short positive reinforcement sessions daily
  • Structured enrichment, socialization, and daily routine
  • Video progress updates throughout the stay
  • 1 transfer session with the family (60 minutes)
  • Written training plan and reinforcement schedule
  • 2 weeks post-stay support via text and email

Transform

Go deeper. Go further. Come home a different dog.
4 weeks in-home with trainer

Dogs with a history of pulling, jumping, poor impulse control, or mild leash reactivity, and those whose previous training did not stick. Also ideal for families who want a highly reliable dog across a wide variety of real-world settings. Puppies meeting the minimum age and vaccine requirements are also welcome.

WHAT YOUR DOG WILL LEARN

  • All Foundations skills at a higher level of fluency and reliability
  • Advanced impulse control and duration behaviors
  • Threshold management and calm emotional responding to mild triggers
  • Real-world generalization across public environments and novel settings
Contact for Pricing

Week 1: Assessment and relationship building
Comprehensive behavioral assessment, reinforcement profiling, and establishment of trust and predictability. Foundation behaviors introduced using force-free marker training across multiple daily sessions.

Week 2: Skill building and fluency
Core cued behaviors brought to fluency. Impulse control work deepened. Introduction of threshold management and calm emotional responding to mild triggers if applicable.

Week 3: Generalization and real-world application
Training moves into novel environments including public spaces, neighborhood walks, and varied settings. Skills are proofed against real-world distractions including people, other dogs, traffic, and novel surfaces.

Week 4: Reliability and family preparation
Behaviors polished to a high level of reliability. Transfer sessions with the family begin. The focus shifts to teaching your family to maintain and continue building on the training using the same force-free techniques, so the skills your dog has built keep growing after returning home.

WHAT IS INCLUDED

  • All Foundations program components
  • Multiple short R+ sessions daily with enrichment and structured routine
  • Video progress updates twice per week
  • 2 transfer sessions with the family (60 minutes each)
  • Comprehensive written behavior report and reinforcement schedule
  • Custom training plan tailored to your family’s lifestyle and goals
  • 4 weeks post-stay support via text and email

Elevate

The most comprehensive immersive training experience we offer. 6 weeks in-home with trainer

Dogs who need an extended immersive experience to achieve the highest level of behavioral reliability. Ideal for dogs with deeply ingrained habits, long histories of reinforced unwanted behaviors, or families committed to investing in the most thorough training experience available.

WHAT YOUR DOG WILL LEARN

  • The complete Foundations and Transform skill set at the highest level of fluency
  • Advanced real-world generalization across complex, unpredictable environments
  • Extended duration, distance, and impulse control work
  • Exceptional reliability in a wide variety of everyday settings
Contact for Pricing

Weeks 1 and 2: Assessment, bonding, and foundation
Thorough behavioral and reinforcement assessment. Foundation behaviors introduced and brought to early fluency. Emotional regulation and settling behaviors established from day one. The extended timeline allows for a deeper understanding of your dog as an individual before the real training work begins.

Weeks 3 and 4: Advanced skill building and generalization
All core behaviors brought to a high degree of fluency and proofed across a wide variety of environments and distractions. Duration, distance, and impulse control work deepened significantly. Real-world outings become a regular part of the training week.

Weeks 5 and 6: Reliability, mastery, and family integration
Behaviors maintained at a high level of reliability in complex, unpredictable environments. Multiple transfer sessions with the family ensure a seamless transition home and set everyone up for long-term success. The final week is designed to bridge the gap between the training home and your home.

WHAT IS INCLUDED

  • Full Foundations and Transform skill set with the highest level of fluency and reliability
  • Multiple short R+ sessions daily with structured enrichment and routine
  • Video progress updates three times per week
  • 3 transfer sessions with the family (60 to 90 minutes each)
  • Comprehensive written behavior report and long-term maintenance plan
  • Custom training plan tailored to your family’s lifestyle and goals
  • 6 weeks post-stay support via text and email
  • One follow-up home visit within 30 days of return

Carrie literally changed our lives with her program!

” Our dog Molly was out of control. She was so hyper and would jump all over you constantly… After one week, Molly was brought to our house for a visit. We were blown away by the self control she had learned and how calm and happy she was. Now that Molly is home she hangs out inside calmly and the kids can pet her and snuggle her.”

-Stephanie Trejos

How Board and Train Works

Contact us and describe your dog’s behavior history and your goals
We schedule a pre-board consultation to confirm fit and set expectations
Your dog begins their program — Foundations (2 weeks), Transform (4 weeks), or Recalibrate (6 weeks)
Your dog receives daily, one-on-one force-free training from a certified professional
You participate in transfer sessions so you learn how to maintain everything at home
Your dog returns home with new skills, and you have the tools to keep them

FAQs about Board and Train

What is board and train and how does it work?

Board and train is an immersive dog training program where your dog lives with a professional trainer for a set period of time — typically two to six weeks — and receives daily hands-on training. At Dances With Dogs, your dog stays in the private home of our dedicated trainer in Miami, where training is woven into everyday life situations including meal times, walks, and calm settling throughout the day. Every session uses positive reinforcement and force-free methods. At the end of the stay, we conduct transfer sessions to coach your family on how to maintain and build on the skills your dog has learned.

Is board and train worth it?

Board and train is one of the most effective ways to establish reliable behaviors quickly, because your dog receives multiple short training sessions every day in a structured, consistent environment. For busy families, dogs who have developed habits that are hard to interrupt at home, or puppies who need a strong foundation from the start, it offers results that weekly lessons alone often cannot match. The key is choosing a program that uses humane, force-free methods and includes a thorough transfer process so your family can maintain what the dog has learned.

What is the difference between force-free board and train and balanced training?

Force-free board and train programs use only positive reinforcement — rewards, praise, and play — to teach and strengthen behaviors. Balanced training programs use a combination of rewards and aversive tools such as shock collars, prong collars, or leash corrections. At Dances With Dogs, we are exclusively force-free. We never use aversive tools or techniques of any kind. Our approach is grounded in behavioral science and builds a dog’s confidence rather than suppressing behavior through fear or discomfort.

Can puppies do board and train?

Yes. Dances With Dogs welcomes puppies from breeders at a minimum age of 10 weeks, provided they have completed two rounds of core vaccinations (DHPP or DAPP series) and proof of vaccination records is provided at intake. Our Foundations program is specifically designed for puppies and adult dogs building skills from the ground up. Because puppies at this age have not yet completed their full vaccination series, they are not exposed to high-traffic dog areas during their stay.

How long does board and train take?

Dances With Dogs offers three program lengths. The Foundations program is two weeks and is designed for puppies and adult dogs building a foundation of manners and basic skills. The Transform program is four weeks and goes deeper into fluency, generalization, and real-world reliability. The Elevate program is six weeks and is our most comprehensive immersive experience for dogs who need the highest level of behavioral reliability. The right program length depends on your dog’s age, history, and goals.

What happens after board and train?

Every Dances With Dogs board and train program includes transfer sessions with your family before your dog comes home. These sessions teach you the same techniques and cues your dog has learned so you can maintain and continue building on the training. You also receive a written training plan and reinforcement schedule, and post-stay support via text and email for the duration of your program. The goal is to set your whole family up for long-term success, not just send a trained dog home.

Does board and train work for reactive dogs?

Mild leash reactivity can be addressed in our Transform or Elevate programs, where we work on threshold management and calm emotional responding in real-world environments. However, Dances With Dogs does not accept severe reactivity, aggression, or separation anxiety cases for board and train. We believe these complex behavior cases are best addressed in the home environment where the behaviors actually occur. If your dog is dealing with complex behavioral challenges, we offer dedicated in-home private coaching programs that are specifically designed for that work.

Why is in-home board and train better than a kennel-based program?

Dogs learn best in environments that resemble the ones they will live in. When a dog trains in a private home rather than a kennel or facility, the skills they develop are more naturally transferable to home life. At Dances With Dogs, your dog lives with our trainer in his private home in Miami, where training happens in the context of real everyday situations — greetings at the door, settling while the family relaxes, walking in the neighborhood. This produces more reliable, generalized behavior than kennel-based programs where the training environment is very different from a family home.

How do I know if my dog is a good candidate for board and train?

Good candidates for board and train at Dances With Dogs are dogs who need a foundation of manners and basic skills, dogs with pulling, jumping, or impulse control challenges, puppies from breeders starting their training journey, and dogs whose previous training did not stick. We do not accept aggression, severe reactivity, or separation anxiety cases for board and train. The best way to find out if your dog is a good fit is to schedule a complimentary intake consultation with us.

What certifications do your trainers have?

Dances With Dogs is owned and led by Katie Casell, whose credentials include KPA CTP (Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner), CPDT-KA (Certified Professional Dog Trainer — Knowledge Assessed), FFCP (Fear Free Certified Professional), FDM (Family Dog Mediator), and CSAT (Certified Separation Anxiety Trainer). These are among the most respected certifications in the force-free training community and represent a significant commitment to continuing education and ethical, science-based practice.

See all of our Miami dog training and pet care services or contact us to learn more.

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Contact us today to get started!