Canine center in Norwalk serving Fairfield County. Its Stay and Train "Bootcamp" includes an initial evaluation, daily individual training sessions, socialization and boarding.
Program details are summarized from Dog Gone Smart's own website. Confirm current pricing, program length, and availability directly with the trainer before booking — and see what to check before you hand over your dog.
Dog Gone Smart is based in Norwalk, CT. Full details are on their own site at doggonesmart.com/stay-and-train. Board and train clients commonly travel from surrounding areas, since the dog stays on site for the length of the program.
Published pricing for Dog Gone Smart is Pricing starts at $200 per day including training & boarding. Confirm directly with the trainer — program length, your dog's needs, and what's included (equipment, follow-up lessons) all change the final quote.
Two weeks is the common minimum for meaningful obedience results, and three to four weeks is typical for off-leash reliability. Serious behavior cases — aggression, severe reactivity, resource guarding — generally need four to six weeks or more, and many trainers set a minimum stay for those. Programs shorter than a week are usually best understood as a jump-start or a refresher, not a transformation.
It works when the handoff works. A good trainer can reliably teach your dog new skills in a few weeks, but dogs do not generalize automatically — the results hold only if you learn to maintain them. This is why the go-home lesson and follow-up support matter more than almost anything else in the program. Ask specifically how many follow-up sessions are included and what happens if the behavior returns two months later.
Ask: How many dogs are in your care at once, and who handles my dog? What training methods and equipment do you use, and what happens if my dog does not respond? Where does my dog sleep? Can I visit the facility before booking? How many follow-up lessons are included? What updates will I get during the stay? Vague answers to any of these — especially about methods and supervision — are a reason to keep looking.
Reputable programs are, but the industry is largely unregulated, so due diligence is on you. Visit in person before you book. Ask to see where dogs sleep and exercise, confirm the trainer carries insurance, ask about staff-to-dog ratios and overnight supervision, and check that they have a working relationship with a local vet. Be cautious of any trainer who will not let you see the facility, or who guarantees a specific outcome on a fixed timeline.
Board-and-train of roughly 4 weeks for obedience and 4-6 weeks for reactivity, anxiety or aggression, serving lower Fairfield County.
Board and training program where the dog lives with the trainers for a set number of days and is trained either on leash or on and off leash; based at 351 Courtland Ave, Stamford.
Board and train programs where the dog stays with the trainers: a 2-week on-leash foundational program, a 4-week advanced off-leash program with e-collar, and a 4-week adventure board and train.
All-breed dog trainer in East Haddam serving eastern Connecticut. Offers private one-on-one and in-home training, group exposure classes, and resident training programs.
Puppy Stay and Train for puppies 8-20 weeks: the puppy stays in the trainer's home Monday through Friday and goes home on weekends, with house training, crate training and basic commands.
Women-owned dog training company in Prospect, CT. Its bootcamps are residential: the dog stays for a 3-week on-leash or 4-week off-leash program, followed by private lessons for the owner.