Love, Care & Expertise: Learn About Our Board And Train Programs In Alabama

At Highland Canine Training, many of our professional dog trainers located across North America offer Board and Train Programs to help their clients achieve their dog training goals. Board and Train programs offer many benefits for dog owners; they provide significant amounts of hands-on time for trainers with dogs, and can be beneficial for owners who don’t have the time to dedicate to Private Lessons. A Board and Train program is also a great option for dog owners heading out-of-town on work or vacation, as you can mix safe, secure boarding with any training that your dog requires.

At Highland Canine Training, we have always ensured the highest standards of care and attention for every dog we work with, and that is no different when it comes to our Board and Train programs. One challenge for dog owners when it comes to leaving their dog in the care of a dog trainer for three or six weeks is a psychological one – how can they be certain that their dog will be taken care of and provided for? It’s a natural question, and one that goes to the heart of what we do, because we all have dogs in our families too. We go the extra mile to ensure dogs in our care enjoy their stay with us, as Corey Archer – Training Director for Highland Canine in Alabama – explains.

“After being in the dog training industry for many years, I have learned that our clients see their dogs as their children,” says Corey. “With this in mind, we make every effort to ensure they are cared for as if they were our own. We strive to provide the best customer service and deliver quality training to each and every client.”

To learn more, we spoke with a few of our recent clients at our Alabama training facility to understand their experiences when leaving their dog with our team for a Board and Train program.

Training goals

One of the great things about working as professional dog trainers is that no two dogs are the same – the variety is endless. We also see these differences in the goals that clients set for their dogs.

Danielle Brown first started sending dogs to Highland Canine’s Alabama facility back in 2011. Since then, she has sent five dogs to Corey and his team – each with varying goals.

“13 years ago, I had an Australian Shepherd mix with aggression and fear issues around strangers and other dogs – and I wanted to be able to walk her and socialize her without fear of her attacking other dogs,” explains Danielle. ”Needless to say, she stayed 6 weeks and came home with strong discipline and obedience to commands, and is still a great family dog. A year later I rescued a Pit Bull mix who I wanted to have assessed for aggression and on-leash obedience training. She also stayed for 6 weeks, and is an absolutely loving dog which my nephew owns.

“Fast forward to 2024, I rescued another puppy (9 months old) who is hyper and headstrong and needed someone who knows how to train dogs correctly. I reached out to Corey and now I have a well-disciplined, loving puppy.”

Another client, Melissa Noto, brought her excitable puppy to the Alabama facility earlier this year.

“Our puppy was jumping on us and our guests, specifically our grandchildren,” says Melissa. “Not being mean, just excited. Our goal was to stop him from jumping and biting (again, he was not being mean – just being a puppy.) He was a little less than a year old when we took him. We wanted to put a stop to it early.”

With dog training, there can always be new skills to learn and new programs to embark on – as Jessica Moore’s Bernedoodle found out.

“We first heard about Highland Canine from some friends of ours, who were so pleased with the training program,” explains Jessica. “First time we did the puppy simple training, on-lead. We had him there for six weeks for the program. We were trained when we picked him up on how to work with him. The second time, we went for off-lead training. Amazing experience again. They take time and really are amazing.”

Seeing the transformation

With their dog training goals in place, our team at Highland Canine takes the time over the duration of the program to systematically train and proof the desired behaviors. When clients come to pick up their dog, they are trained on how to maintain those behaviors moving forward – and are often amazed at the transformation they can see in their dog.

Danielle explains: “For my latest addition to my crew, I have taken her back for two types of training. Firstly, on-leash, which resulted in her being able to be very focused and follow commands; finally I took her back again last month for the off-leash training. It is amazing to have her follow instructions without having her on the leash, and less fear of the gate being opened and her taking off as she is full of energy. Last Sunday, I dropped off another rescue for on-leash training in hope of better preparing this little guy to find a good home, and so far my weekly photos show a tremendous growth in his behavior. I expect the same results as I have had in the past.”

Melissa saw a similar transformation in her puppy. “He’s 17 months old now – five months out of training,” she explains. “It has been life changing for us. A few learned commands and he is a different dog.”

In addition to the training, our team also places a priority on follow-up support for dog owners. We offer a subsequent appointment after the Board and Train program is finished, and our trainers also make themselves available for questions via phonecall, text or email after the program is complete.

“We have a Bernedoodle and he is a big dog,” says Jessica. “He needed some extra training for when out in social situations. We have been so pleased with everything and love that we can reach out at any time about anything.”

Care and attention

While the training aspect of the program is obviously pivotal, as Corey detailed at the outset of this article, Highland Canine also understands how important it is for dogs to be cared for as if they are our own. We asked our clients to explain their thoughts on how their dog was looked after during their stay at our facility.

“Absolutely pleased,” says Danielle. “Including a bathe at pick up. Well fed, happy, and one can see how much the dogs love and respect their trainers. One can clearly see Highland takes very good care of their animals, including field trips in the car, and pool time for those who want to assess the ability of their dog to swim. The follow-up visit after training at your house is very helpful, this helps reinforce what you as the owner learned when you pick your puppy up and it helps the trainer see the home environment so they can give you valuable feedback to keep your puppy on track.”

Melissa and Jessica concur. “Absolutely!” explains Melissa. “So much so that any time we’re out of town we leave him in their care.”

“They take time and really are amazing,” says Jessica. “I know leaving your pet which is part of your family at a training facility can be scary. I highly recommend Highland Canine. I make sure to tell everyone about them and how they have helped our family.”

A final note from one of our clients

To wrap up this article, we wanted to highlight Yas Seay’s comments in their entirety. Yas first found out about Highland Canine approximately three years ago after reading reviews on Google, and put her dogs through an Advanced training program with Corey and the team this past summer.

Yas explained her experience working with the Highland Canine team in Alabama.

“We were looking for a place to not just board our dogs, but also to train, teach life-long skills to and love on our pups while we were traveling abroad for a month. We didn’t want them just sitting in a kennel while we were gone, we wanted them to learn and grow! My goal was for them to be able to go on walks without yanking on their leashes.

“My two Goldens were not only loose-leash walking, but they were also off-leash walking by the time we picked them up. We live on the beach and they are able to live their best life running off leash in the waves without running away – thanks to this Highland Canine team! So grateful! It brings us so much joy to see our fur babies so happy and free…and obedient! Never thought we’d see the day!

“We are very happy with how they were cared for. Their facility is so clean and looks like a dog’s dream. My dog Farley literally ran out of my car to go cuddle up to Corey, she remembered him fondly from staying here three years ago. Our amazing trainer texted frequent progress videos and cute pictures of our pups, which we loved receiving while we were traveling in Australia – it made us feel connected to them while we were physically far away!

“After keeping in touch with Corey over the last 3 years, I have so much respect for him, the way he treats his staff, the way he runs his business, and most importantly…the way he cares about Farley and Dingo.”

In conclusion

A Board and Train program can be a daunting prospect – but our team in Alabama, headed up by Corey Archer, is passionate about providing your dog with the care, attention and love they deserve. Not only will your dog receive that, but they’ll also receive expert, professional dog training from our team – enabling you to achieve your dog training goals and live a happier life with your pet.

For more information about Highland Canine’s services in Alabama: