“We cannot recommend Steve highly enough. His ability to connect not only with dogs, but also with their owners, truly sets him apart. He takes the time to listen carefully, understand concerns without judgment, and patiently troubleshoot challenges in a way that feels manageable and encouraging.
Working with our anxious and reactive shepherd has been a journey, and Steve has been instrumental in helping us build both our dog's confidence and our own. Rather than offering quick fixes, he provided practical stepping stones that helped us make steady progress in a variety of real-life situations. His calm demeanor, knowledge, and thoughtful approach made such a difference for a dog who struggles with anxiety and reactivity.
What we appreciated most was how supported we felt throughout the process. He consistently adapted strategies to fit our dog's needs and gave us tools we could realistically use day to day. Thanks to his guidance, we've seen meaningful improvements in our shepherd's confidence, ability to cope, and overall quality of life.
If you are looking for a trainer who is compassionate, knowledgeable, patient, and genuinely invested in both the dog and the human side of training, we wholeheartedly recommend him.”
Board and Train Programs
Immersive dog training with fast, lasting results
Busy schedule? Struggling to make progress on your own? Our Board & Train program is designed to fast-track your dog's progress by combining professional daily conditioning with structured home life balance.
Fast-track your dog's progress
During their stay, your dog receives multiple dedicated individual training sessions per day from a certified trainer. By immersing them in a consistent, structured environment, we install clear boundaries and reliable obedience far faster than weekly classes can achieve.
Program features and highlights
- Daily professional conditioning
- Intensive 1-on-1 practice in real-world settings.
- Core obedience mastery
- Sit, down, place command, off-leash recall, and polite heel walking.
- Structured socialization
- Building neutrality around public distractions, other dogs, and novel environments.
- Nightly TikTok livestream
- Training goes out live on TikTok every night, so you can watch your dog work and stay connected with them while they are away.
- Comprehensive go-home transition
- Dedicated private handoff sessions to teach you how to maintain their training at home.
- Lifetime support
- Ongoing guidance to ensure your dog's success lasts a lifetime.
What's included, and what to bring
- Included in the stay
- Multiple one-on-one sessions a day, structured socialization around real-world distractions, the nightly TikTok livestream, your go-home handoff sessions, and lifetime support afterwards.
- You bring the food
- Enough of your dog's usual food for the whole stay, portioned out if they are on set meals. Changing a dog's diet in the same week as everything else is a lot to ask of their stomach.
- You bring any medication
- Labelled, with dosing instructions, and enough to cover the full stay plus a few spare days.
- Vaccinations up to date
- We need proof your dog is current before drop-off. Dogs share space here, so this one is not something we can be flexible on.
- A clean bill of health
- Your dog needs to be well enough to train and to be around other dogs. If anything has been off lately, tell us when you book rather than at the door and we will work around it.
The Board & Train advantage
Building foundational habits requires hundreds of repetitions under professional oversight. We handle the heavy lifting of teaching the new behaviors, letting you focus on maintaining a well-mannered companion.
Nervous and reactive dogs are welcome here
This is where most of the harder cases land, and they are welcome. Dogs who bark and lunge at other dogs on the leash, who go over the top when someone knocks, who get tense about a food bowl or a favourite chair — none of that rules a dog out of a board and train, and none of it is a character flaw. It is nearly always a dog who is worried and has not been shown a better option yet.
A stay suits that work because the practice is daily and the environment stays consistent. We start at whatever distance your dog can genuinely cope with and build from there, and the go-home sessions cover the part that matters most: how to read what your dog is telling you, and what to do about it before it boils over.
Steve has completed the Aggression in Dogs Master Course and has spent years volunteering in rescues and humane societies, so there is very little he has not already seen. Your dog will be treated like one of his own for the whole stay.
How it works
What working together looks like
The same four steps every time, so you know what you are signing up for.
Intake and assessment
We go over your dog's history, your household, and what you need to be different when they come home.
The immersive stay
Multiple dedicated one-on-one sessions a day in a consistent, structured environment, with socialization around real-world distractions, plus a nightly TikTok stream so you can follow along from home.
Go-home handoff
Dedicated private sessions that teach you how to hold the new behaviors in your own house.
Lifetime support
Ongoing guidance after the program, so the training lasts rather than fading.
In the field
Board and Train Programs in practice
Two weeks of repetitions you would need months to build
Foundational habits take hundreds of correct repetitions under professional oversight. Board and train front-loads that work, so what comes home to you is a dog you are maintaining rather than a dog you are still teaching.
Call (224) 219-7855Recent work
Training in the field.
Before we start
A few useful answers.
What training methods do you use, and will you take on a nervous or reactive dog?
And yes, absolutely. Worried dogs, barky dogs, dogs who guard the food bowl or lose the plot at the end of a leash are all welcome, and nothing about your dog is going to shock me. I'm an Animal Behavior College graduate, an AKC Canine Good Citizen evaluator, and I've completed the Aggression in Dogs Master Course. That work is part of private lessons and board & train rather than something separate you have to book.
How does a Board & Train program differ from Private In-Home Lessons?
Board & Train Programs are immersive stays where your dog lives and trains directly with me. I handle the heavy lifting of building fundamental behaviors and consistency, followed by comprehensive handoff sessions to transfer that control smoothly back to you.
My dog is older / set in their ways. Is it too late to start training?
Reviews
Dog owners who count on us.
Rated 5.0 from 39 reviews by local customers.
“Steve was absolutely great with our dogs (one reactive and other anxious)! He helped us with the basics and taught us skills that have already made a huge difference in behavior. He was extremely professional and very knowledgeable. Would 100% recommend him!”
“We had a fantastic experience with Steve the Dogman. He is professional and extremely knowledgeable about positive reinforcement techniques. Steve was patient and calm with us and our dogs. The emphasis on positive reinforcement made training sessions enjoyable for myself and our dogs. Our younger dog, Mia experienced serious separation anxiety. With Steve's help, she can now be left at home safely for an appropriate amount of time. I highly recommend Steve the Dogman for dog training needs.”
