Art of the Dog Canine Academy is a 21-day live-in training program for dogs with severe behavioral problems — and for dogs that are simply out of control in daily life. Serving Denver and Longmont since 2019.
A board and train (sometimes called a dog boarding school or send-away training program) means your dog lives with trained professionals for a set period of time, receiving structured training throughout — not in scheduled sessions, but continuously, woven into every hour of every day.
That continuity is what makes the difference.
Weekly private lessons and group classes put the owner in the role of trainer between sessions. When the owner isn’t consistent — when life happens, when the dog has a bad day, when the right moment to reinforce doesn’t appear — the training doesn’t stick. The behavior gets managed. It doesn’t change.
Our 21-day program removes that variable. For three weeks, your dog is in a structured environment built specifically for behavioral change. By the end, the behavior isn’t something they’re performing on cue. It’s habit.
It’s the question most owners ask before they reach out.
Tu asked it. He was worried that sending Goose away would create distance — that the dog wouldn’t recognize the relationship when he came home.
What actually happened:
“I feel like the relationship has only gotten better since boarding him. It didn’t diminish at all.” — Tu
The reason makes sense when you think about it. Before the program, every interaction was filtered through a layer of stress — the reactive dog, the difficult walks, the management workarounds. After the program, the stress is gone. What’s left is the relationship.
We hear this often. Not as a criticism — as a reasonable question from someone who’s been burned.
The short answer: not all board and trains are the same.
Most programs take any dog. They’re built for volume — 2-week rotations, a curriculum that works for the average dog with average problems. When the dog is reactive, or anxious, or has a behavioral history that requires specialist knowledge — volume programs fall short.
We’re built differently. We take a limited number of dogs. We specialize in the cases that other programs turn down or fail. And if the behavior drifts after the program — a year from now, five years from now — you come back. Unlimited. For life.
Dakota came to us after researching multiple programs. He chose us specifically because of the lifetime support:
“Most of them guaranteed their program for like a year, maybe two years max. Art of the Dog actually offered the lifetime support on their program. I took that very seriously because I thought that meant that they really stood by their work.” — Dakota
We’re not the cheapest option. We’re also not trying to be.
What we consistently hear from graduates is a version of what Dakota said:
“The program was worth every dollar we invested because of the quality of life it afforded Norman.” — Dakota
Most people who reach out have already spent money on training that didn’t produce lasting results. The question isn’t whether training is worth it — they’ve already decided it is. The question is whether this training will work where others didn’t.
That’s what the lifetime support is about. It’s a commitment to the outcome — not just the 21 days, but the life your dog lives after.
If you’re weighing the decision, start with the free training video. It walks through our method, the results we get, and what the program involves.
Every graduate gets lifetime support. If your dog drifts back toward old behaviors — a year from now, five years from now — you can come back. Unlimited one-on-one follow-up sessions, no expiration date.
This is not a refund policy. It’s a commitment to the outcome — not just the 21 days, but the life your dog lives after. That distinction is what Dakota noticed. Most programs back their work for a year, maybe two. We back it for life.
The first week, your dog settles into the new environment, builds trust with the training team, and begins developing foundational habits. Most dogs show noticeable behavioral shifts within the first few days.
The core work happens in week two. New behaviors are shaped, old patterns are interrupted, and the consistency that breaks down in a home environment is maintained around the clock.
By week three, the new behaviors are setting. Simultaneously, your trainer sends you videos and step-by-step instructions so you’re prepared to maintain everything at home. Pickup day is a hands-on session — we walk you through every command, every scenario, and every tool for keeping the progress going.
You receive daily photo and video updates throughout the program. You know what your dog is working on, how they’re doing, and who they’re working with.
“They were just so communicative with learning about what goals we had for the training. I got updates every day of what they were working on, how he was doing. They would also send videos of how I could train myself. I felt very equipped when I picked Rev up.” — Jamie
“They were really open about their training methods, which I really appreciate. It gave me some comfort in knowing that I could trust these people with my dog.” — David
We work with dogs across a wide range of behavioral issues. The most common:
Dogs that lunge, bark, or fight on leash. Dogs that have bitten or shown aggression toward people, other dogs, or household members. Multi-dog household conflicts. We take bite-history cases — this is the work we specialize in.
Separation anxiety, fear-based reactivity, destructive behavior rooted in anxiety, generalized fearfulness in new environments. Dogs that are suffering, not just difficult. The framing matters: this dog isn’t trying to be difficult. They’re overwhelmed. That’s fixable.
Leash pulling, jumping on guests, poor recall, general unruliness that restricts your lifestyle and exhausts your patience. The dog isn’t dangerous — but daily life with them is harder than it needs to be.
“He’s great on the leash. He’s great in public situations. He just has really been able to fit into my lifestyle. They gave me peace of mind and just gave me a really great dog.”
“Our relationship with Banks has significantly improved. We love going for walks with him now. We love going on hikes and exploring Colorado together. He is always just locked in.”
“Once Auggie came back home after 3 weeks, he was a totally different dog.”
“It’s a lot calmer in the household for sure. There’s a lot less frustration on my end. I just wanted to bring him everywhere with us, kind of like an adventure dog.”
“The program was worth every dollar we invested because of the quality of life it afforded Norman.”
Start a conversation with our team — tell us what you’re dealing with and we’ll follow up personally. Not ready to talk yet? Watch the free training video first: 14 minutes that walk you through our approach, the results we get, and what the program involves.
Serving Denver & Longmont, Colorado · In operation since 2019
