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Happy doodle relaxing during Dogology University in-home dog training in Grand Haven Michigan

Board & Train in 
Grand Haven, MI
A Personalized “Boarding School” Experience for Your Dog

Not a kennel. Not a volume-based program.
 Your dog lives, learns, and trains in a real home environment—with hands-on, daily guidance and real-world exposure.

If your dog struggles with listening, has behavior issues, or just needs a serious jumpstart, our Board & Train program delivers focused, structured progress in the kind of real-world setting where behavior actually has to hold up.

Because we keep your dog in our home — not a facility — we only take one or two dogs at a time. That means your dog gets genuine, individualized attention every single day.

Schedule Your Training Call 

When Training at Home Isn’t Enough

Some dogs need more than a weekly lesson. They need full immersion — consistent structure, daily repetition, and a trainer guiding every interaction.

If you’re dealing with:

  • Constant pulling, barking, or ignoring commands
  • Reactivity to people, dogs, or environments
  • A schedule that makes daily training consistency impossible
  • Or a dog that just isn’t “getting it” with other approaches
…it can feel frustrating fast.
That’s where a more immersive approach can help.

This Isn’t a Typical Board & Train

Most board & train programs place dogs in kennels, rotate them through trainers, and focus on volume.
That’s not what we do. Your dog stays in Matthew's home — not a facility — learning how to behave in a real, living environment, not just a controlled one. We intentionally limit the program to one or two dogs at a time.
So your dog gets:
  • Consistent, focused training from the same trainer every day
  • Real-world exposure on daily outings across Grand Haven
  • Individualized attention built into everyday life, not just scheduled sessions

How the Boarding School Program Works

Live + Learn in a Real Home

Your dog stays in a structured home environment — not a kennel. Training is built into everyday life: mealtimes, doorways, walks, downtime, and everything in between. This is how dogs learn to actually live well, not just perform commands.

Daily Hands-On Training &
Real-World Outings

Every day, your dog works through obedience, behavior modification, focus, and reliability training. When they're ready, they join our mobile day school dogs on real-world outings — training at parks, trails, downtown Grand Haven, and other real environments alongside other dogs. This is exposure you simply can't replicate in a kennel.

Weekend at Home — Real Integration

Here's what makes our program different: your dog comes home to you every weekend. This isn't a break — it's a critical part of the process. Your dog practices their new skills in their own environment, with their own family, so the training integrates into real life instead of staying stuck "at the trainer's." And you get to practice too.

Friday Private Lessons

Every Friday before your dog heads home for the weekend, you get a private lesson. We walk you through everything we worked on that week, show you how your dog is progressing, and teach you the what, the how, and the why — so you can confidently handle your dog over the weekend and beyond.

Monday Follow-Up

When you drop your dog back off Monday morning, we follow up on how the weekend went. We adjust the plan based on what came up at home, then keep building. Every week stacks on the last.

Video Progress Updates

Throughout the week, you'll receive video updates so you can see your dog's progress, understand what's being worked on, and stay connected while they're with us.

Is Board & Train the Right Fit?

Board & Train is our most intensive program — and because your dog lives with us, our availability is genuinely limited.

This program works best for:

  • dogs with more advanced behavior challenges
  • owners who need a strong, fast jumpstart
  • Families whose schedules make daily training difficult
  • Dogs who need consistent structure and immersive exposure

But here’s the honest truth:

For most families, our Mobile Day Training (Dog Day School) or In-Home Training are actually the better long-term solution — and they’re more readily available.

Day school gives your dog the same real-world outings and daily training, with the same weekly private lessons and weekend integration, but your dog comes home every night. For most dogs, that’s the sweet spot.

We’ll always point you toward what’s genuinely best for your dog — not just what’s available. We’ll help you decide during your first conversation.

Real-World Results That Actually Last

We don’t train dogs to behave in a facility.

We train them to behave:

  • in your home
  • on walks
  • around distractions
  • in everyday life

Because that’s what actually matters. And because your dog spends weekends back in your home throughout the program, the training is integrated into real life from the start — not bolted on at the end.

Board & Train in Grand Haven & 
West Michigan

We work with families throughout Grand Haven, Spring Lake, Holland, Muskegon, and the surrounding West Michigan area — helping dogs build calm, reliable behavior in real environments.

Because training shouldn’t fall apart the moment life happens.

See What Real Training Looks Like

We document real progress—not staged results.
Watch how dogs go from
  • distracted → focused
  • reactive → calm
  • inconsistent → reliable
If you’re ready for results like this, the first step is a simple conversation.
talk to a trainer

Start With a Personalized Evaluation

Every dog is different—and the right approach depends on what’s actually going on.
Dogology University trainer and owner working together during in-home dog training in Grand Haven Michigan

We start with a one-on-one evaluation where we:

  • assess your dog
  • understand your goals
  • identify the root of the behavio
  • map out a clear training plan

This is a $125 session, but, if you decide to move forward, we credit you $250 toward your training program

If we’re not the right fit, we’ll point you in the right direction. No pressure.

Board & Train FAQs

Only one or two. Because your dog lives in Matthew’s home during the program — not a kennel — we intentionally keep the program small. This guarantees your dog gets consistent, individualized attention every single day from the same trainer.

In Matthew’s home, in a real living environment — not a kennel or facility. Your dog learns how to behave in everyday situations: around the house, at doorways, during meals, on walks, and during downtime. This is what makes the training transfer to your home.

Yes — every weekend. This is a key part of how we do board & train. Your dog comes home Friday through Monday so they can practice their new skills in their own environment with their own family. It gradually integrates the training into real life and gives you a chance to practice too. You drop them back off Monday morning and we follow up on how the weekend went.

Absolutely. Every Friday, you get a private lesson where we go over everything we worked on that week, show you how your dog is progressing, and teach you the what, how, and why behind the training. You’ll also get video updates throughout the week. Board & train isn’t about handing your dog off — it’s about training your dog and teaching you to maintain it.

Daily hands-on training plus real-world outings. When they’re ready, your dog joins our mobile day school dogs on outings to real locations across Grand Haven — parks, trails, downtown, and more. They get obedience work, behavior modification, focus training, and genuine real-world exposure every day.

With day training, your dog comes home every night. With board & train, your dog lives with us during the week and comes home on weekends. Both include daily real-world outings and weekly private lessons. For most families, day training is actually the better and more available option — we’ll help you decide what fits your dog best.

Because your dog lives with us, we can only take one or two dogs at a time without sacrificing quality. We’d rather give a couple of dogs exceptional, individualized attention than pack a kennel full of dogs and rotate them through. If board & train isn’t available, our day school program delivers similar results with more flexibility.

No. We use reward-based, focus-driven methods that build trust and clear communication. Our founder, Matthew Lamarand, is an Air Force veteran and former military K9 handler — and he trains without e-collars because relationship-based training produces stronger, longer-lasting results.

 Let’s Figure Out the Best Plan for Your Dog

Not sure if Board & Train is the right fit?

That’s exactly what we help you figure out.
You can explore our dog training services, or skip the guesswork and talk to us directly.
We’ll help you choose the best path for your dog and your life.

Schedule Your Training Call 
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