Your Dog Lives In Our Home. We Do The Training.
You Get Your Life Back.
Board & Train at K9 Principles gives your dog the structure, training and daily consistency they need while living inside a real home — not in a kennel facility.
With more than 30 years of professional dog training experience behind every training plan, we work with the dog in front of us, building better manners, stronger obedience and more reliable behaviour for everyday life.
Trusted dog trainers for the Hamilton/Burlington SPCA and Hamilton Animal Services. Home-based training. Individualised programs. Lifetime support!
We Do The Heavy Lifting For You
Most owners are not short on love. They are short on time, consistency and a clear plan.
Training a dog properly takes repetition, structure, patience and daily follow-through. That can be difficult when you are already balancing work, family, schedules and everything else life throws at you.
That is where K9 Principles Board & Train comes in.
We take on the intensive daily training, build the foundation and create the consistency your dog needs. Training becomes part of everyday life — during walks, at doorways, around the home, while settling, through daily routines and anywhere better behaviour is needed.
You do not have to spend months wondering whether you are doing enough, doing it correctly or accidentally making the problem worse.
We do the heavy lifting. You learn how to maintain the results. Together, we make life with your dog easier.
Choose The Board & Train Program That Fits Your Dog
More Than 30 Years Behind Your Dog’s Training
Dog training is not about following the same formula with every dog.
Every dog brings a different temperament, history, level of maturity, learning style and set of behaviours to the programme. Knowing what to teach is important. Knowing why a dog is behaving the way they are, when to change the plan and how to bring out the best in that individual dog comes from experience.
K9 Principles brings more than 30 years of professional dog training experience to every Board & Train program.
That experience includes working with thousands of dogs, helping owners through everything from basic manners to serious behavioural challenges, teaching dog training seminars internationally, and working alongside organisations such as the Hamilton/Burlington SPCA and Hamilton Animal Services.
Your dog is not being placed into a one-size-fits-all system.
Their training plan is built around the dog standing in front of us — what they already know, what they need to learn, what motivates them and what will help them succeed when they return home.
Experience does not just change what we teach. It changes what we see, how quickly we recognise what the dog needs and how effectively we adjust the training along the way.
Why Training Inside A Real Home Matters
Your dog does not live their everyday life in a training facility.
They live in a home.
They need to learn how to settle while people are relaxing, wait calmly at doors, move through rooms without creating chaos, behave around meals, handle normal household activity and understand when it is time to switch off.
That is why our Board & Train dogs live inside our home as part of everyday life.
Training is not limited to scheduled sessions. It happens throughout the day, during the moments that matter most — walking through doorways, settling in the living room, moving around other dogs, waiting for meals, relaxing while people are busy and learning how to make better choices when nobody is actively asking for a command.
This gives us the opportunity to work on more than obedience.
We can build the calmness, manners, structure and habits that make living with your dog easier.
Because the goal is not simply a dog who performs well during training. The goal is a dog who knows how to live successfully in your home.
Every Program Includes More Than Training
Your dog is not dropped off, trained in isolation, and handed back with a list of commands.
Every Board & Train program is built around care, structure, communication, and owner support.
Included With Board & Train:
The K9 Principles Training Guarantee
We Guarantee Positive Progress
When you invest in a K9 Principles Board & Train program, you should expect to see a meaningful, positive change in your dog’s training and behaviour.
We guarantee that your dog will make positive progress towards the training goals established for their program while they are in our care.
Dogs are living animals. Genetics, temperament, age, previous learning and life experience all influence behaviour. Long-term success also depends on the consistency and follow-through your dog receives once they return home.
Our Responsibility
Our job is to provide the daily training, structure, repetition and professional guidance needed to create meaningful progress. We will train the dog in front of us, adjust the program when needed and be honest with you about what we are seeing throughout the process.
Your Responsibility
When your dog returns home, we will teach you how to continue the training, maintain the expectations and communicate with your dog using the system they have learned with us.
You do not have to become a professional dog trainer.
You simply need to follow the plan.
And We Continue To Support You
Every K9 Principles Board & Train program includes private transition training and lifetime phone and email support.
If you have questions after your dog comes home, you can reach out to us.
We do the intensive training. We create the progress. We teach you how to maintain it. And we continue to support you afterwards.
That is our commitment to you and your dog.
The Training Doesn’t End When Your Dog Comes Home
A successful Board & Train program is not about creating a dog who only listens to the trainer.
The training has to transfer back to you.
Before your dog returns home, we make sure the skills, expectations and routines they have learned are ready to become part of your everyday life.
Your private transition lesson is where we show you how to communicate with your dog, reinforce the behaviours they have learned, maintain the structure we have established and handle the situations that were causing frustration before training began.
You will understand what your dog knows, what we expect from them and what you need to do to keep the progress moving forward.
And once your dog is home, you are not left on your own.
Every K9 Principles Board & Train program includes lifetime phone and email support, so if questions come up, you can reach out to us for guidance.
We train your dog. We teach you how to maintain the training. And we continue to support you after they come home.
We Intentionally Take Fewer Dogs
K9 Principles does not operate a high-volume Board & Train program.
We intentionally limit the number of dogs we accept so each dog receives the time, attention and consistency needed to make meaningful progress.
Your dog is not simply added to a large rotation of dogs moving through a facility.
They live in our home, train throughout the day and receive an individualised program based on their behaviour, temperament, maturity and training goals.
Limiting our intake also allows us to pay attention to the details — how your dog settles, how they respond to pressure, what motivates them, where they struggle and when the training plan needs to change.
Fewer dogs means more individual attention, more thoughtful training and a program built around your dog rather than a production schedule.
A Simple Process. A Big Change At Home
Step 1: Tell Us About Your Dog
Complete the Board & Train application and tell us about your dog, the behaviours you are struggling with and what you would like everyday life to look like instead.
Step 2: We Determine The Right Training Plan
We review your dog’s age, behaviour, training history and your goals to determine which Board & Train program is the best fit.
Because we intentionally accept a limited number of dogs, we also make sure your dog is suited to living and training inside our home.
Step 3: Your Dog Lives And Trains With Us
Your dog comes to live inside our home while we provide the daily training, structure, repetition and real-life practice included in their program.
Throughout their stay, you receive regular photo and video updates so you can see their progress and follow the training journey.
Step 4: We Transfer The Training Back To You
Before the process is complete, we teach you how to communicate with your dog, maintain the expectations we have established and continue the training successfully at home.
You will understand what your dog has learned, what we expect from them and what you need to do to keep the progress moving forward.
We build the training. We show you how to maintain it. And we remain available through lifetime phone and email support after your dog comes home.
Ready For Life To Feel Easier With Your Dog?
If you are looking for professional Board & Train with more than 30 years of experience behind the training, a real home environment and a program built around your individual dog, we would be happy to learn more about what you are dealing with.
Because we intentionally accept a limited number of Board & Train dogs, availability can fill quickly.
Complete the application below and tell us about your dog, the challenges you are experiencing and what you would like life together to look like when training is complete.
By submitting, you agree to be contacted by K9 Principles regarding your enquiry.