At Core Canine, our Board & Train programs are designed to create lasting change through structure, clarity, and consistency. While your dog stays with us, they’re immersed in a purpose-driven routine tailored to their individual needs, whether that’s foundational obedience, behavioural issues, or advanced training. Each day is designed to build calmness, engagement, and responsiveness through real-world exposure and one-on-one work. We handle the heavy lifting, so you can focus on life knowing your dog is in capable hands.

Weekly progress updates.

A structured one-hour handover lesson at the end of the program.

All food provided.

Bedding supplied.

Optional Add-Ons (If Selected)

Departure Hydro Wash.

Training Journey Highlight Reel.

Professionally filmed and edited video capturing key moments of your dog’s stay, delivered digitally and shared to socials.

This is not a high-volume setup. Traditional facilities often divide responsibilities across multiple staff – feeding, cleaning, handling, and training carried out by different people, with dogs frequently passed between junior trainers still learning under the supervision of a head trainer. While operationally sound, it lacks the attention to detail required to guide detailed behavioural change from start to finish.

Core Canine runs differently. Every element of your dog’s experience is handled solely by Troy – from training and handling to feeding, husbandry, bonding, and rest. There are no rotating staff, no shift transitions, and no separation between the person responsible for training, daily care, and the environment your dog lives in during their stay. That consistency allows for more meaningful work and lasting results.

We keep numbers low on purpose. Fewer dogs means more attention, greater clarity, and the ability to adapt training to each dog’s specific needs. Structure isn’t something added to parts of the day, it defines the environment. From first light to lights out, seven days a week, your dog is guided with intention, building neutrality, stability, and confidence across all settings.

Before your dog begins their Board & Train program at Core Canine, please ensure the following:

Vaccinations:

– Your dog has received their C3 vaccination – Parvovirus, Distemper, Hepatitis.
– Your dog has had its Kennel Cough (Bordetella) booster within the last 12 months.

Proof of vaccination must be provided before or at drop-off (printed or emailed copy is fine).

During your dog’s stay, we supply:

– Food (if you’re not bringing your own).
– Bedding.
– Collars.
– Leads.
– Toys, blankets, and other essentials.

What You Can Bring:

– Your dog’s food (if you prefer to supply your own)
Note: We do not have storage space for personal raw meals.
– Kibble feeders: Please overpack – it’s better to have too much than not enough.
– Treats (optional): You’re welcome to include a large bag of your dog’s favourites.
– Comfort item (optional): One toy, ball, or blanket that helps your dog settle.
– Weight support supplement (if your dog is prone to losing condition – especially common in GSPs and Weimaraners)

Our Board & Train programs are a structured, immersive training experience where your dog stays in our care for 2, 3, or 4 weeks within a controlled, home-style environment designed for daily structure, training, and behavioural development.

It’s designed to create lasting change through clarity, consistency, and structure built into every part of the day, not just during designated training sessions.

Each dog is worked one-on-one and integrated into a daily routine that includes training, handling, exposure, socialisation, and downtime – all designed to produce calm, capable behaviour that holds up in the real world.

At Core Canine, dogs are not just taught commands, they’re taught how to live. That includes appropriate social interaction with both people and dogs, building neutrality and confidence in varied environments.

You may also see your dog featured on our social media as part of their training journey, showcasing progress in real time.

What Each Day Looks Like

– Targeted one-on-one training sessions: Focused on foundation skills, engagement, leash handling, recall, impulse control, and more.
– Place training: To build calmness, impulse control, and neutrality in the home and public spaces.
– Daily walks: With purpose – not just exercise, but guided opportunities to reinforce leash manners, exposure, and focus under distraction.
– Real-world exposure: To varied environments (streets, shops, parks) to generalise behaviour and build reliability outside the learning environment.
– Structured socialisation: With people and dogs, teaching your dog how to exist calmly and appropriately around others.
– Crate time and downtime: To encourage calmness, reduce overstimulation, and reinforce boundaries.
– Bonding and handling rituals: That build trust and deepen the working relationship between your dog and people.
– A predictable, repeatable routine: That’s built to carry over into your home environment, not just in theory, but in practice.

Every day is intentionally structured to build clarity, confidence, and influence – not just during training sessions, but through every interaction, every walk, and every moment your dog is handled.

The Outcome

Obedience matters, but it’s not the end goal. It’s a framework we use to build something more durable: a dog that can think clearly, regulate themselves under pressure, and respond appropriately no matter the environment.

When it’s time for your dog to return home, you won’t be left guessing what to do next.

You’ll receive:
– A 1-hour handover session at pickup, where we teach you how to handle your dog and continue what’s been put in place.

Maintenance is the key to success. This session is designed to make sure the progress made here continues well beyond the handover.

1. Learning Happens Through Repetition and Consistency
Dogs learn through classical and operant conditioning, which rely on consistent repetition over time. Our Board & Train programs provide structured, daily sessions that reinforce desired behaviours far more frequently than sporadic at-home or weekly lessons ever can.

2. Dogs Generalise Behaviours Through Controlled Exposure
Real-world reliability isn’t built in the lounge room. Dogs must learn to generalise behaviours across environments, distractions, and contexts. Our Board & Train programs allow for progressive proofing in different scenarios – something YouTube videos or group classes can’t simulate.

3. Removes Reinforcement of Bad Habits at Home
Problem behaviours are often maintained or reinforced by the home environment, whether through routine, emotional reactions, or lack of structure. By removing the dog from those triggers, our Board & Train programs create a neutral environment for new behaviours to take hold without interference.

4. Professional Timing & Dosage = Clearer Communication
Training relies heavily on timing & dosage of reinforcement protocols. As professionals, we are trained to apply the correct dosage (always as little as possible, and as much as necessary) and mark behaviours with precision, which leads to faster learning and fewer mixed messages. Inexperienced owners often reinforce the wrong thing, with or without the correct dosage and without knowing it.

5. Addresses Behavioural Issues at the Root
Most surface-level training (like in group classes or online tutorials) treats symptoms. Our Board & Train programs allow us to observe patterns over time, identify root causes, and build a customised plan that shifts mindset, not just behaviour.

6. 24/7 Structure Builds Habit, Not Just Skill
Training a behaviour is one step – maintaining it under pressure is another. Living in a structured training environment teaches dogs impulse control, neutrality, and calmness across all parts of the day, not just during a training session.

7. Emotional Regulation Can’t Be Rushed
Anxious, reactive, or overstimulated dogs need desensitisation and counter-conditioning, which take time and controlled exposure. Our Board & Train programs provide the space and pacing required to lower arousal, rebuild trust, and stabilise behaviour, something quick-fix solutions can’t replicate.

8. Reduces Stress and Conflict Between Dog and Owner
When dogs and owners struggle to communicate, it often leads to frustration, confusion, and emotional tension. Our Board & Train programs create separation between the emotion and the training, allowing the dog to reset and the owner to re-enter with clear instruction and support.

9. Behaviour Is Shaped Through Environmental Control
Effective behaviour change depends on managing antecedents (what happens before the behaviour). Our Board & Train programs control the dog’s environment 24/7 – removing uncertainty, limiting rehearsals of unwanted behaviours, and shaping calm, clear responses.

10. Most Owners Don’t Have the Time or Headspace to Be Consistent
Even the most committed owners have jobs, families, and obligations. Training requires consistency, presence, and patience. Our Board & Train programs do all the heavy lifting – creating a strong foundation so owners can focus on maintaining progress, not starting from scratch.

WILL MY DOG LISTEN TO ME AFTER BOARDING AND TRAINING?
Your dog will return with a clearer understanding of structure, communication, and expectations, but like any skill, it still requires follow-through. We don’t just train your dog; we teach you how to maintain the progress. A successful outcome depends on consistency at home, and we provide the tools and support you need to continue that work confidently.

WILL THE TRAINING WORK OUTSIDE OF CORE K9?
The purpose of our training is to create clarity and structure that can be transferred into your everyday life, not just within our facility. While every dog is different, we prepare both dog and owner for that transition. You’ll receive clear guidance on how to maintain the progress at home, and we’re here to support you through that process.

WHERE DOES MY DOG STAY?
Your dog will stay in a calm, structured environment designed to reflect real-life expectations. With round-the-clock supervision, we create a space that promotes clarity, emotional regulation, and consistent routines – essential for long-term behavioural change. The setting mirrors a domestic lifestyle, helping your dog learn to settle, follow direction, and build healthy habits that transfer back home.

Sleeping Options:
– Indoor: All dogs sleep indoors in their own crate with bedding provided for comfort and security.
– Outdoor Kennels (Optional): If requested, your dog may sleep in a fully enclosed outdoor enclosure featuring a private kennel, raised bedding, shelter, and access to fresh water.

These sleeping arrangements are designed to encourage structured rest, which is critical for recovery, emotional stability, and learning retention throughout the program.

Rest & Facilities:
Outside of formal training sessions, dogs rest in individual, fully enclosed outdoor enclosures that include:
– Private kennel.
– Raised bedding.
– Shelter
– Fresh water.

This intentional balance between structure, downtime, and real-world exposure supports your dog’s development and overall progress during their stay.

DOES MY DOG INTERACT WITH OTHER DOGS?
Your dog will not be playing or running around with other dogs during the program. Instead, they’ll be learning healthy socialisation, working in close proximity to other dogs and learning to regulate their behaviour, whether that’s over-excitement, reactivity, or aggression. All dogs are housed, trained, and managed individually to ensure safety and focus. The goal is to build neutrality and engagement, helping your dog see you as the most important and relevant part of their environment.