How is private training different from a group class?

A group class teaches one curriculum to everyone at once. Private is built entirely around your dog and your goals, so you move faster and get help with your specific challenges.

How long does it take?

Six weeks, one private session a week with homework through our online platform in between. Most folks see a real difference in the first couple of sessions, and the six weeks is what makes it stick.

Do you train puppies or only older dogs?

Both. The earlier you build good habits the better, and the same handler first approach works whether your dog is four months or four years.

What tools do you use?

Whatever helps your dog learn clearly and fairly. We typically start with a slip collar and 6 foot leash, then prong collars or e-collars along with toys and food, matched to your dog.

Where do sessions happen?

Out in Long Beach where your dog needs the skills. The first 3 sessions are held at Marina Vista Park.

How do I get started?

Fill out a short application. We will give you a call and if it's a fit, we book an intro session, assess your dog in person, then build your plan.

Board and Train in

Long Beach, CA

Board and train is a 4-week, done-for-you program where your dog trains daily with a BAMK9 trainer out in Long Beach, not in a kennel. It's the fastest, most complete path to a dog you can take anywhere, built for owners who are out of time, out of consistency, or ready to hand the hard part to a professional.

Apply for Training

How a board and train works

Every day follows the same structure: training sessions, crate rest, and real Long Beach outings, for 4 weeks straight. Your dog isn't drilled in a sterile room and called done. Training happens in the actual places you want to bring your dog: parks, trails, coffee shops, urban sidewalks. The van is the base of operations, and Long Beach is the classroom. That's what makes it different from board and train programs that train inside a facility and hope the skills transfer outside it. Ours don't need to transfer, because they were built outside from day one.

What's included?

Four weeks of daily training with a BAMK9 trainer, an in-person go-home transfer session, full written notes on your dog's progress and how to maintain it, two follow-up private sessions to use within the first year, lifetime access to the BAMK9 online community, and free group classes for the life of your dog.

Apply for Training

The go-home transfer and why it matters

A trained dog with an untrained handler falls apart fast. That's why we don't just hand your dog back at the end of four weeks. In the go-home transfer session, we walk through every behavior your dog has learned, you take the leash, and we coach you in real time until you can run it yourself, not just watch it done. This is the step a lot of board and train programs skip, and it's the reason their results don't hold.

Dogs trained by Body and Mind K9 in Long Beach.

ABOUT US

Board and Train vs Private Training Which is right for you?

Board and train is the done-for-you path. Your dog does the daily reps with us, and you step in at the end already caught up through the transfer session. It's the right call if your schedule can't support weekly sessions and homework, or your dog's issues need daily repetition to really stick. Private training is the hands-on path. You're in every session from week one, building the skills yourself alongside your dog. It's the right call if you want to be part of every step, or your schedule works better with once-a-week sessions. Both build toward the same outcome, a dog you can take anywhere. They just get you there on different timelines with a different level of involvement.

Who this is for?

Board and train works well for owners who are short on time or consistency at home, dogs whose issues need daily repetition, and owners whose past training hasn't held up once they left the training room. All dogs must be up to date on vaccines and over 6 months old.

Real Long Beach dogs

“Charlie & his team are some of the best around. He has been such a tremendous help with your rescue “lab mix” (FYI…Charlie was the first to point out that most likely our “lab mix” wasn’t a lab at all & he was RIGHT!)

Charlie has been so patient, calm, and understanding with our boy. It’s been a welcome relief in the world of owning a misunderstood dog (aka reactive dog). I have, and will continue, to sing Charlie & his teams praises!”

- Tricia V.

Common questions

How long is board and train?
- Four weeks, with your dog training daily with a BAMK9 trainer in thier mobile training center and home. The BAMK9 Adventure Van.
Where does the training actually happen?
- Out in Long Beach, in local parks, beaches, coffee shops, in the BAMK9 Adventure Van, trails, and more.
What's the difference between board and train and private training?
- Board and train is done-for-you, your dog trains daily with us for four weeks and you step in at the go-home transfer. Private training is done-with-you, you're in every session from the start, once a week.
Will I know how to handle my dog when the program ends?
- Yes. The go-home transfer session walks you through every behavior with your dog, coached in real time, plus written notes on where your dog is and how to keep it going.
What support do I get after the program ends?
- Lifetime access to our online community, two follow-up private sessions within the first year, and free group classes for the life of your dog.
What tools do you use during board and train?
- We use a variety of tools depending on your dog and the desired outcome for training. Tools we utilize are: Food, slip collar, flexi leash, place cot, prong collar, e-collar, and toys.
Is board and train right for a reactive or anxious dog?
- Yes! It is our preferred method ot working with these dogs as they commonly need a fresh start and strict daily reps to overcome fear and reactiveity.
How do I get started?
- Fill out a short application. We'll give you a call, and if it's a fit, we book an intro session, assess your dog, then build your plan.

Apply for Training

Your Dog Should Be Able to Go Anywhere.

If that's not where you're at yet, a board and train will help you get there. See if you're a fit, apply today and let's build the dog Long Beach life is made for.

Apply for Training