Leash Free Living

13/02/2025

Day Training Daycare vs Dog School -- What's the difference?

This has to be one of the most commonly asked questions about our training services!

The short answer is the amount of individual training time your dog receives throughout the day, and the cost. But let's get into the deeper reasons why you might choose one program over the other, and how each is intended to improve your relationship with your dog.

🐕‍🦺We'll start with the similarities:

Both Day Training Daycare and Dog School are full-day, drop-off daycare services that are offered at both our Annapolis and Millersville locations, Monday thru Friday from 7am-7pm. As part of the core curriculum, all dogs enjoy a structured playtime session, a group training activity, and a group training session. Each dog is assigned a personal crate for the day, where they go back to rest and nap between activities. We also make sure all dogs receive regular potty breaks throughout the day (usually upon arrival, before and after each activity, and at the end of the day).

During structured playtime, we allow your dog safe, supervised socialization with other compatible dogs (we will do solo play with toys for dogs who are dog-aggressive). During the playtime, we practice recalls and basic commands to build reliability and to control energy levels in a safe manner. We do small groups, with a very high dog-to-staff ratio (sometimes as high as 1 to 1). Dogs who are still learning might drag leashes or even have their leashes held at all times to ensure safety and consistent responses to commands.

Our group training activity changes daily, and usually involves a theme or special focus -- such as a mini obstacle course, proprioception work, recalls, position changes, heeling, greetings etc. We will take a small group of dogs, and our trainers will patiently work each dog through the activity while the others practice waiting on their Place tables. Once each dog has finished the activity, we rotate to the next group of dogs. This activity will be videoed in full and attached to your dog's report card!

So to recap, whether your dog is enrolled in Dog School or Day Training Daycare, they will receive all of the above activities during the day while they are with us.

🐩Now for the differences:

On top of the above activities, Dog School dogs take it to the next level by receiving a total of 90 minutes of one-one-one obedience training and behavior modification throughout the day -- teaching your dog the core skills of heeling, sit, down, stand, stay, recall, place and working around distractions. This also includes off-campus field trips to dog-friendly stores and public locations to practice your dog's skills in real life settings. We will also work on any additional problem areas your dog might have (muzzle training, body handling, accepting nail trims, crate training etc.)

Typically, Dog School is purchased and scheduled as a 3 week (15 day) package that includes weekly private lessons for the owner, so they can keep up to speed on what their dog is learning and how to maintain the training at home. Dog School can be continued as long as you desire, teaching your dog more advanced skills and tricks such as holding and retrieving items and off-leash work!

Dog School dogs should be scheduled a minimum of 3 days a week for good progress, at least until the core program is completed. In contrast, Day Training Daycare is extremely flexible and you can schedule it as often or as little as you like. Day Training Daycare does NOT include any private instruction for owners, so lessons or group classes must be purchased and scheduled separately if desired.

The cost of Day Training Daycare is $50/day individually, with packages that discount it to $45 or $40 per day depending on size and training qualifications. Optional addon services include 20 mins of individual training ($20), 10 mins of Treadmill ($10) and nail trimming ($15).

The cost of Dog School is $100/day individually, or $1700 if you purchase the 15 day + 5 lesson bundle.

🐶Which one should I pick?

Our Day Training Daycare program is a nice supplement to dogs enrolled in our other training programs, but is NOT intended as a stand-alone training program. It's more of a highly structured enrichment daycare that reinforces and supports your dog's basic obedience, manners and socialization skills, but does not include the all-important piece of showing *you* how to work with your dog. As a side note, if your dog has been kicked out of other daycares or otherwise is not a good candidate for large-pack play groups, our daycare program may be an awesome fit for you!

Dog School is the best option if you want *us* to train your dog, and then give you lessons on how to handle them after training is completed. Completing your weekly handling lessons, and remaining consistent after the program is completed is critical for you and your dog to succeed long-term. It's similar in intensity as a Board & Train, but you get to take your dog home every night! Additionally, Dog School or Private Lessons may be a necessary bridge to regular Day Training Daycare if a dog has significant behavior problems or aggression issues.

If you have any questions about our programs, please don't hesitate to reach out via text (833-590-3041) or email ([email protected]) and we'll be glad to assist.

Happy Training!

10/02/2025

The Breakfast Club: Bagel, Biscuit and Poptart 🥰

Which is your favorite breakfast food?

01/02/2025

We are taking group Valentine's Day Photos of the Day Training Daycare + Dog School dogs this Monday, Feb 4rd for Millersville students, and Tuesday, Feb 4th for Annapolis students.

Your dog must have a reservation for daycare or Dog School to participate!

We are also offering individual photos of your dog to be taken on those days for a $20 fee -- If you'd like to sign your pup up for a individual photo session, just let us know by text, email, or at morning drop-off and we'll add it to your reservation!

29/01/2025

Our canine students working hard at being basically the most adorable dogs ever!

17/01/2025

Conversations help to make relationships, and strengthen them. We feel close to people when we talk to them often. Sometimes I feel that urge to have a good conversation with someone even if we have talked frequently, but the conversations have been routine.

We are lucky, as dog trainers, that our everyday lives allow us to include our dogs for most activities. And even with dog-centered lives, training adds an element of conversation to the relationship that is hard to duplicate in other ways.

Through our training conversations, I can explain to them what to expect in any given environment (and what is expected of them), how to get comfortable with distractions, I can tell how they feel about specific triggers, gauge their energy level, spot early signs of discomfort, and work through thought problems together. Dog and handler both know what it looks like in various situations when we are thoughtful, unsure, frustrated, joyous, relaxed...... Read More on the blog!

Training conversations takes our dog interactions to a place of teamwork and help you easily navigate life with your dog using the shared vocabulary you've created.

16/01/2025

Rub-a-dub-dub, all the cuties in the tub!

08/01/2025

We’ve created the Leash Free Living Dog Trainer Certification Program to ensure that we are meeting our own standards for choosing a dog trainer. Education is one of our core values at Leash Free Living. More than just educating dogs, we put a lot of effort into educating our staff and making sure our trainers are continuously growing. The program consists of three levels.

Our loose goals for each level are…

LFL Trainer – At this level, we expect trainers to have a basic understanding of dog training and animal husbandry topics, and be proficient at all Leash Free Living basic obedience exercises so that they could perform any exercise assigned to them correctly and efficiently.

LFL Instructor – At this level, we expect trainers have learned to instruct clients on all basic obedience exercises, and are proficient at Leash Free Living advanced, elective and mild behavioral rehabilitation exercises

LFL Behaviorist – At this level, we expect trainers to be able to design training programs and plans, and are able to instruct clients on all basic obedience, advanced, elective and behavioral rehabilitation exercises.

So what does having a dog trainer certification program mean for us, and for our clients?

1) Consistency.

The same leash handling you are learning in group class is the same leash handling our Day Training staff is using with your dog at school. If you ask a training question to any of our instructors, you will get the same answer from each of them. You can switch instructors in any program seamlessly since each instructor will teach exercises in the same way.

2) Accountability

There are tests built into the program at each level to prove mastery of the previous level. The tests are objective and pass/fail for clear results. Every LFL Trainer has passed the LFL Trainer Test. Every LFL Instructor has earned the Companion Dog Title. Every LFL Behaviorist has earned a Companion Dog Excellent Title. I mentioned in the Choosing a Dog Trainer article that 90% of pet dog trainers could not train a dog to a high level. Our certification requirements ensure that 100% of Leash Free Living instructors have done that.

3) Reflection

Our Instructors and Behaviorists are required to log a minimum of 100 training hours. This isn’t just 100 hours working with dogs, but 100 hours that they kept a journal of their training plans, how it went, how it was different than they expected, how it changed their future training plans, etc. Practice doesn’t make perfect. Deliberate practice makes perfect.

4) Collaboration

LFL Behaviorists create and oversee all training plans and programs. LFL Instructors create and oversee all Day Training activities performed by LFL Trainers. Weekly lesson planning between Behaviorist and Instructors means that every dog we train benefits from multiple trainers’ inputs. It also means we can give each other feedback, offer suggestions, and plan where to focus future staff training exercises.

5) Clear Communication

Training dogs is a different skill set than training people. Dog training requires both. Our Instructors and Behaviorists shadow over 100 teaching hours at each level, and submit teaching videos before co-teaching lessons and classes. We are not only confident that they can do the exercises that they are teaching, but that they can clearly communicate to someone else how to do it before they are working on their own with a client.

6) Pride

Our certification process is more rigorous than most, but it means that the trainers that make it through take a lot of pride in their work. When I see dogs and people training at Leash Free Living, I want to see sessions that are productive, safe, organized and humane. I’m proud of the work that our staff does, and of all the hard work that our Instructors and Behaviorists invest in themselves.

We know the dog training space can be big and overwhelming to dog owners. The Leash Free Living Dog Trainer Certification Program is one way we hope to provide you peace of mind.

Our dog trainer certification program is rigorous, but ensures that our trainers take a lot of pride in their work. They invest in themselves and their work is productive, safe, organized and humane.

08/01/2025

Trained dogs take better photos 📸

06/01/2025

Had a great time at Historic Savage Mill with some of our training friends today.

05/01/2025

❄️SNOW CLOSURE❄️

Due to the expected inclement weather, all Leash Free Living locations will be CLOSED tomorrow, Monday 1/6/25. Stay warm, safe and off the roads! ☃️

We will MISS seeing your dogs, so be sure to share any snow photos you get tomorrow in the comments below!

02/01/2025

Fun with camera setting and the Day Training dogs.

23/12/2024

Thanks to everyone who braved the cold and joined us for our Holiday Yappy Hour at Libations Tavern this weekend! 🎄

We will continue to have fun social events for your trained dogs in 2025 -- keep an eye on Facebook feed or our monthly events email for upcoming activities!

17/12/2024

Dog training is an unregulated industry. Anyone can advertise themself as a trainer and charge people money for their expertise, or lack thereof.

This creates a difficult situation for dog owners searching for training help. Professional, scientifically sound, and safe training is essential for all levels of training. It matters for puppy socialization, basic manners, advanced obedience training, specialized trick and sport training, behavioral modification and rehabilitation work, and everything in between. We hear too often from people who are still seeking help after working with two or three or four trainers. We see the results of bad advice given, safety protocols disregarded and assumptions made.

In some cases, training from unskilled trainers just means slower results, or handicapped results. It might just mean some quirky behaviors are unresolved, or begin. It could mean that costly mistakes happen, or an oversight leads to setbacks. In other cases, it can mean serious behavior problems arise or escalate. It can mean people get hurt, or dogs get hurt.
Some dogs' lives depend on training.

Things that are important to us when choosing (or employing) trainers are as follows:
1) They have trained dogs of various sizes and temperaments.
2) They have proven their training.
3) They have start-to-finish, trained a dog to a high level.
4) They have basic animal husbandry skills.
5) They don’t take unnecessary risks with client dogs.
6) They train their own dog.
7) They seek out continuing education.
..Read more on our blog!

When you are choosing a dog trainer for your dog, find out if they meet some, all or none of the recommended requirements above.

16/12/2024

Big congratulations to Leash Free Living Instructor, Jacqui, for earning 8th place (out of 128!) at the AKC Obedience Classic in Orlando! This tournament style event is a true test of a dogs reliability to perform at high levels, multiple times, over the course of two days, in a highly distracting environment.

It is a requirement for instructors at Leash Free Living to participate in the sport of Obedience to prove their training skills. Jacqui not only meets our requirements, but is competitive at a national level. We are very proud! Our students are lucky to have her!