One-to-four-week board-and-train for Minneapolis-St. Paul dogs with multiple daily training sessions, off-leash and crate work, behavior modification for reactivity and anxiety, and an owner transfer session.
Program details are summarized from The City Canine'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.
The City Canine is based in Saint Paul, MN. Full details are on their own site at thecitycanine.com. Board and train clients commonly travel from surrounding areas, since the dog stays on site for the length of the program.
The City Canine does not publish pricing, which is normal for board and train — most trainers quote after an evaluation. Board and train programs generally run $1,500–$6,000 depending on length and intensity. Request a quote to get their number.
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.
Intensive three-to-six-week board-and-train programs in St. Paul with daily structured training and behavior modification.
Offers an Adventure Board & Train for full board-and-train participants and extreme behavioral cases, alongside its Exploring Tails Camp boarding program, at 10921 Excelsior Blvd in Hopkins.
Standard 2-week board and train program with multiple daily training sessions, socialization and supervised care at the facility; puppy board and train programs are also offered.
A board & train program run from the trainers' home on 2.5 acres, about an hour north of the Twin Cities. Programs run 2 to 6 weeks and include daily training, weekly progress reports and two private lessons.
Board and train is accepted case by case. Dogs go to the facility with the trainer each day and return home with her at night, with several sessions a day covering crate manners, handling/grooming and stays.
Four-week board & train sessions held at Augusta Montgomery, the trainers' 20-acre residence south of the Twin Cities; dogs must be 8 months or older, housebroken and non-aggressive. The company also runs training and daycare locations in Long Lake, Edina and Burnsville.