The Board and Train Myth
Changing behavior takes time!
For many – the idea of a board and train is so appealing, and I can totally see why! Send your dog to an experienced trainer for a couple (2, 3, 4 weeks) and see instant changes. All those behaviors you could do without? Gone! Just like that. And sure, the thought of not having your dog by your side for weeks on end is so frightening, but to know that there is such a bright light at the end of the tunnel makes it all seem worth it.
Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. And, although a few weeks without your constant companion can seem like an eternity, it is a small dent in the time it actually takes to shape and change behavior.
The truth is, a board and train will never fix all your problems. We really wish it could! But in order to understand why it can’t, you first need to look at this through a wider lens. First of all – behavior is shaped over the long term. Did you fall into the routine of waking up at a certain time, making your way to the kitchen for your first cup of coffee, reading the paper, getting dressed right foot first, having breakfast, brushing your teeth, and so on and so forth, - did you one day decide that’s how you were going to start your day, or was it slowly pieced together until it became practiced over and over and over again? Taking it one step further, have you ever tried to change your morning routine? Get up earlier to go for a walk? Maybe some stretching or yoga, or just to have some alone time without chaos? Did you change in an instant with ease, or was it difficult? Maybe you even fell back to your normal ways only a few days in.
The point is – the brain likes things that are familiar. It likes the path of least resistance. Changing behavior is never easy, it’s never fast, and it’s never done in a matter of a couple weeks.
The only thing that a board and train will do is set a new foundation upon which new behaviors can be built. And, if you think about it, foundations are arguably the most important part of a structure, are they not? Without a solid foundation, nothing can be built without crumbling in the long term.
The first few weeks of changing behavior are when consistency and repetition are THE MOST IMPORTANT! If you want behavior to change quickly (keeping that word in perspective), you have to be persistent, consistent, reliable and you have to do it over and over again. The thing is, you won’t see any noticeable improvements right away, which could make you feel like it’s not working. And if you’re putting in all this work and not seeing any changes….your brain will want to go back to what’s familiar, right?! Because changing both your behavior and your dog’s is hard work.
We now live in a microwave society, which has changed our perspectives on what we once thought was possible. We can order something and get it delivered the next day, whereas only a matter of years ago we could only dream of that! We used to need to talk to an expert or read encyclopedias to learn new things, now we have more information than we could ever know what to do with right at our fingertips. If we don’t know how to do something, just a quick search on YouTube will bring up a free video and solve our problem. It’s a wonderful age, don’t get me wrong, but I think it has warped some expectations for us all.
Changing behavior is one of those things that we have to do the old fashioned way! Board and trains can be a fantastic option – as long as it’s understood that the time your dog will spend at training will be akin to turning the ship around. That takes time, especially considering how fast the ship was traveling to begin with. It needs to slow down, safely turn, then pick up some momentum once it’s going in the right direction. The momentum will start happening once your dog is back home with you and you’re maintaining your new lifestyle there. That’s where the magic happens! And it’s an awesome feeling when it does! However, if nothing changes at home once your dog is back, all those old behaviors will come rushing back in no time.
That being said – board and trains have helped lots of dogs and are very valuable in some circumstances! Remember to manage your expectations, know that you’ll be putting in a good amount of work after it’s done, and that your dog will not be the only one who needs to change.
But, all in all, it can be a great reset for you both and set you up for much success in the future!
