The Back Story on how Theodore Ended Up at Summer Camp
When I was about seven months pregnant, my ‘nesting,’ as they call it, kicked in and I decided on Valentine’s Day at 5:00 PM that today was going to be the day we brought Dan’s dream dog home, a male goldendoodle named Theodore. We had been together for about 4 ½ years and this was what he has wanted for about 4 of those years. Dan didn’t want to go because we had many conversations about this not being the time with the baby on the way, so naturally he was hesitant. However, he knows when I make a decision it is hard to sway that decision and he knew if he didn’t get in the car I was going without him lol.
That night we brought home a sweet, shy, and cuddly 2 month old puppy whom we named, can you guess it, Theodore. The entire car ride home he rode in Dan’s lap and didn’t move. Poor guy had probably seen a lot of change in these short two months and we knew it wasn’t an easy transition for him. When we finally got home, after a one hour car ride, he started to get a little excited and began roaming around his new home. So many places to explore, he didn’t quite know what to do. Keep in mind we had just moved into our new home from a one bedroom condo, so it was very empty as it wasnt furnished yet so it was literally a puppy playground.
I told myself, and Dan, that these next 10 weeks were crucial in training so we would be ready for his next adjustment, bringing Sweet Girl home. This is where it got interesting. A few days went by and this puppy was perfect! He went potty outside, didn’t bark, and listened to everything. It was too good to be true. Then a week went by, we had a couple minor accidents. Two weeks went by, no accidents, no barking and listening. Three weeks, same thing and we honestly were confused. He was the best puppy I had ever had. I wondered if it was because I worked from home, it was easier to potty train him. Keep in mind we haven’t really started training him at this point. To be honest, I didnt even think about it because he was so well behaved.
About four weeks in, he barked for the first time and we were so surprised (and happy)! He started to become more playful with us, started to cuddle us a little more and his personality started to really show. We were in love with all of his craziness! At the time, we didn’t realize that this is where we (Dan and myself) went wrong. We were creating a monster over these next few weeks baby free, versus training him. A few weeks before Sweet Girl arrived, I knew something needed to change. Unfortunately, by this point I was physically exhausted from getting out of bed let alone training a very hyper boy. Dan was gone 10 hours a day and by the time he got home neither of us had the energy. We knew his behavior was our fault so it was hard to be mad at him.
Fast forward to our one week in the hospital. Uncle Joe came and stayed with him for the five days and let’s just say they both had the time of our lives. We came home and the only thing Theodore wanted was me. Afterall him and I stayed home together all day every day as I hardly left the house. He had no idea what to do with Sweet Girl but he has always been very sweet and kind to her.
Dan went back to work after one week, so it was now a very energetic puppy, a newborn baby and a tired mommy. Theodore had no idea what to do with his energy and neither did I as I was too tired. I hid in our master bedroom with Sweet Girl most of each day, and I knew that wasn’t healthy either. I thought about board and training, as it came highly recommended but I couldn’t pull the trigger. I couldn’t do the classes at Petsmart before because of the times they offered and my job hours. We started looking to hire a trainer to come to us because I was desperate at this point.
A week or so went by and I was so frustrated with him I found a trainer that day to come that weekend so Dan could be here as well. This trainer was extremely thorough, took his time to get to know us and Theodore plus he really gave us a ton of knowledge we really needed. He spent almost two hours with us and he left with us feeling hopeful. The only thing I didn’t fully comprehend at the time was the time it was going to take to undo what we had done and make him the good little pup we knew he could be. I quickly realized that as he honestly just got worse.
He went from being the best puppy to the worst. He countersurfed, grabbed my cell phone and ran, he would slap you if you hindered what he wanted to do, he barked for attention, began humping me, and much more. I started to seriously consider board and train, despite being hesitant, but I didn’t know what else to do. I researched everything there was to know about this process but still didn’t feel comfortable with Theodore leaving us for a short time, despite my total frustration for him.
One day I saw a post in our community group about a fellow neighbor (a street over) who had opened up a board and train company out of his home. In doing some very quick research I learned Kevin was a K9 officer who specialized in training police dogs for his career. The neighbors that had already brought their dog there raved about him. I immediately felt more comfortable for two reasons (1) Theodore would be extremely close and (2) these neighbors have no problem vocalizing their opinions if they don’t like/agree with something lol. I sent him a Facebook message for more information and we scheduled a consultation for a few days later.
Our Board and Train Experience
When we first met Kevin he was very kind but immediately knew when I said he was full of energy I was not exaggerating. I explained all of our concerns and problems he worked with him for about 30-45 minutes to get to know Theodore to see if it would be a good fit for him as well. This part I really appreciated. It was clear Kevin went into this business because he was passionate about it, it was not a financial thing to him (although a perk I’m sure), and that made me even more comfortable about it. At the end of this consultation, desperate mind you, he said he could work with him and it should take about 3 weeks, maybe 4. He then followed up with when do you want to start, with zero hesitation I said can you take him now. Laughs were shared followed by a “I am going out of town in 10 days and I’ll be gone for 10 days. It wouldn’t be fair to him to bring him back half way through training.” So we settled on 21 days from that day. Although I was sad, I was excited to see the light at the end of the tunnel and let’s just say the countdown was on.
Twenty one days had passed and the day had come where Theodore went to summer camp. I was so excited because it was this day he decided to join my multiple zoom meetings by jumping on my chair and biting my hair. When he went with Kevin, I was extremely happy and relieved for a break. Dan was sad the entire three weeks but he wasn’t home with him all day so it was understandable he was sad and missed his pup.
Throughout the entire three weeks we got updates with videos and photos of his progress. As the days passed I was so happy with what I was seeing. He covered everything from walking correctly on a leash, to ‘place’ in the house, and ‘place’ with a variety of distractions outside. He even got him to walk on a dog treadmill doing about 2-4 miles a day. As we got closer to the end of training, I realized how often Kevin brought up how much energy he has. I started to think how am I going to walk this dog on average 3 miles a day, with a baby, plus training him when he gets home, and adulting. Also, living in Florida, it rains all the time, sometimes days on end, what about those days? I decided I was going to purchase a treadmill for him, this way I would know he would always get enough daily exercise, rain or shine. I timed this purchase perfectly and it arrived a week before Theodore came home. Kevin even volunteered to come over beforehand to help us set it up correctly.
The day had come for Theodore to come home. Kevin brought him over and it was now our time to have the ‘go home’ session. He provides this at the end of each training to ensure us pawrents have the necessary tools to instill the hard work Kevin has done. Afterall, Theodore is used to our house being a ‘free for all.’ I knew the first few days were crucial to success.
Puppies are like kids, they will push you to see what they can get away with (even when they know when they are misbehaving). We always know when Theodore is misbehaving because he gets really quiet and has this special and quiet walk to him.
Anyways, back to the first few days of him being home. We had low expectations as all we wanted to do was to be able to sit on the couch and watch TV in peace. Let me tell you we can do that AND so much more!
- When we walk Theodore on a leash, he does not pull or wander. When you stop walking, he sits. It’s great!
- He was already trained to walk on the treadmill I got for him (this was just a plus for our energetic pup)
- If I said “NO” guess what, he knew what that meant!
- He was kennel trained;
- He knew “place” and the special word that would release him (“free”). He could even distinguish us saying “freedom” versus “free”
- No counter surfing;
- He no longer runs around with my cell phone;
Overall, we had a very successful board and train experience. I highly recommend it if you have a pup that sounds like Theodore.
A few tips that helped me feel more comfortable with Theodore going to “sleep away” summer camp
- Find a trainer you trust – they will do a consultation typically to make sure its the right fit for them as well (that was our experience not sure if it is standard practice but it should be);
- Make sure they are close to you – we were very fortunate that he was only a few minutes away;
- Check the reviews – we have a group with very opinionated people so needless to say when the reviews were fantastic my guard immediately started to come down;
- Make sure your pup bonds with them on that initial visit and seems happy – dogs have a great sense
I hope this helps you decide if board and train is the right fit for you! Let me know about your experience.
Disclosure: This is not an ad, I was not paid or offered discounted pricing in exchange for this post. All opinions remain my own.
