The holidays are upon us! Schedules are crazy and filled with a myriad of festive activities. You are immersed in the hustle and bustle, trying to create the perfect holiday experience for you and your loved ones. Does this perfect experience include your fur babies too? Or do you hide your pups away when guest arrive? Do you need to leave your pups behind while you travel far and wide? What to do with your dog over the holidays can be a serious dilemma.

The Lucky Dogs

Some dogs are able to go anywhere with their humans and easily adapt to new situations. They are friendly to people and keep out of the way. They have great manners and understand personal space. They do not bark incessantly, jump on people or make a mess. You are relaxed because your dog does great in social situations. If this describes your dog, you are very lucky indeed!

The Not So Lucky Dogs

Unfortunately, not everyone is so lucky. Many dogs are not great in social situations, which is extremely stressful to the dogs, but more so to their humans. Often, dogs are hidden away in another part of the house until the guests depart. This can work for a short duration, but can get tedious and unmanageable for longer-term house guests.

Some dogs spend holidays at boarding kennels, while others are left home alone with arrangements for brief, daily sitter visits. These are not ideal solutions for any dogs. Young dogs get bored and develop bad behaviors. Separation anxiety can develop or get worse. Owners often feel guilty leaving their dogs in less than ideal situations, which could impact the enjoyment of their vacation trip. Needless to say, all of the cases are extremely stressful for everyone.

Board & Train Holiday Vacation

Our board and train programs are ideal for holidays and vacation travels. While you are away on your travels, your pup lives and trains with us in North Asheville. We are not a kennel facility with cement runs and lonely hours. Your dog lives with us. They learn and play with our Muttley Crew of trained therapy dogs. Their days are filled with fun, educational activities. Our B&T Holiday Vacations are ideal for young dogs, older dogs and brand new puppies.

Training with Love & Affection

Our goal is for your dog to listen to you without the need of e-collars or tons of treats. We focus on what dogs really want – your love, attention and affection. You and your dog form a unique partnership, so we customize your training program to fit your personal needs. We use dog training tools best suited to each individual situation. The ultimate reward we offer our lovable dogs is the love and affection they so enjoy – and so do we! Petting and verbal praise are extremely high value treats!

Gifts That Keep On Giving

Imagine your dog as the dog of your dreams. Our board and train holiday vacation will get you on the road to that dream dog quickly and playfully. When your dog’s holiday vacation with us ends, the fun doesn’t stop. We teach you how to have fun with your dog as you continue the training process through our program.

Dog Training is a PROCESS

Our B&T program includes private sessions and weekly group sessions at no extra cost. Private Sessions allow you and your dog to practice the skills they learned during their B&T stay that are needed for a stress-free home life. During private sessions, you and your dog work one-on-one with a trainer to practice training skills. Weekly group sessions are attended by multiple client dogs. You and your dog learn to work as a team around other dog teams in public setting  (including those with squirrels). Group sessions are great opportunities to practice new training skills in high distraction situations that are part of life.

Schedule Your Holiday Vacation Today

Call us (828-423-9635) to learn more. Our space is very limited because we give your pup our full attention. We can help your dog become the Dog of Your Dreams so next time, your dog will be one of the lucky ones. If they can be there, next time they will be there. We want your dogs to learn to be part of your holiday festivities without any stress. We train dogs to be Lucky Dogs!

Kathryn R. Gubista, PhD is an evolutionary biologist, college biology instructor, former zookeeper, author, certified professional dog trainer with Lucky Dog Training Asheville and has over 30 years of dog training and human teaching experience. Please contact us for more information at TrainingLuckyDogs@gmail.com or call us at 828-423-9635.