The Royal Canine Academy
€200 off our 4-week Board and Train in September 2026! Quote 26SEP200 when booking
Residential Dog Training
Your dog lives with us. We train the dog, the lifestyle and the people who take them home.
Most owners don't contact us because they want their dog to perform a long list of obedience exercises.
They contact us because something about everyday life isn't working.
Perhaps walks have become difficult because your dog pulls, reacts to other dogs or people, or can't be trusted off lead. Perhaps it's difficult when you have visitors; the dog can't settle in the house; they're struggling with separation, resource guarding or aggression. Sometimes the problem is much less dramatic.
An owner may simply want to establish good habits and give their puppy the best possible start.
Whatever the reason, the end goal is usually the same: a dog that can live comfortably and safely as part of the family.
That's what our Residential Dog Training programme is designed to do.
What is Residential Dog Training?
Residential Dog Training, often called Board & Train, means your dog comes to live with us in our family home for a number of weeks while we work on the behaviours and skills that matter to you. Some behavioural problems are extremely stubborn. When a dog remains in the same environment and routines in which those behaviours have developed, changing them can be very difficult, even when an owner is attending regular one-to-one training. That isn't about blaming the owner. Dogs learn from their environment. If a behaviour has been repeated and reinforced for a long time, changing the environment gives us an opportunity to change the pattern. When your dog comes to us, we start from the moment they arrive. The training continues throughout their stay and includes much more than formal training sessions. We're working on how they behave in the house, around food, at doors, getting into and out of vehicles, in their crate, on walks, around other dogs and people, during play and when it's time to settle. We're also teaching them when not to do something. Learning to relax is one of the most important skills many dogs need. A dog doesn't necessarily understand that they should switch off and rest simply because nothing is happening. Some dogs are constantly looking for the next thing to chase, bark at, react to or demand from their owners. Rest is part of training. Dogs need appropriate amounts of sleep and downtime to recover from physical and mental work, and we build that into their routine. We also look at exercise. Some dogs need substantial physical exercise. Others become more difficult when they're continually overstimulated and over-exercised. We work out what is appropriate for the individual dog rather than assuming every dog needs the same routine. The aim is to teach the dog how to function successfully in a human household.
What do we actually work on?
The answer depends on the dog.
A programme may include: Loose lead walking Recall Appropriate off-lead behaviour Crate training Settling and relaxation Household manners Kitchen manners Boundaries around doors Travelling in vehicles Food manners Cooperative play Giving up toys Resource guarding Reactivity Confidence Appropriate interaction with people and dogs Separation-related problems Handling and grooming where necessary Coping with distractions Appropriate exercise and rest We don't expect every dog to need every part of this list. We assess the dog and build the programme around what they actually need. Formal training sessions are only part of that process. A dog may learn a recall during a formal session, but they also need to learn to wait at the door before going outside, settle after a walk, travel calmly in the vehicle, leave food alone while you're preparing dinner and relax in the sitting room while the family gets on with their evening. That's the difference between teaching a behaviour and teaching a dog how to live with people.
Your dog doesn't train in isolation
Where appropriate, dogs staying with us attend our social classes and pack walks before they go home. They get the opportunity to practise what they've learned around other dogs, other owners and different environments while they are still with us. We don't believe in keeping dogs in a sterile training environment and then sending them home expecting everything to transfer automatically. We also have a number of dogs of our own who act as mentor dogs, including Ruby, Tara, Ares, Titus, Varian and Bear. They give us appropriate opportunities to work on social skills and behaviour around other dogs. We don't deliberately put a dog into situations they cannot cope with. We assess the dog, manage the environment and work progressively through the problems we're there to address.
What does a typical day look like?
There is a structure to our days, but the exact routine is adjusted according to the dog. A typical day may include several formal training sessions, walks, rest periods, crate time, meals, social exposure, household training and time simply being a dog in the home. A dog doesn't need to be doing something every minute they're awake. Learning to relax is part of the programme too. We may work on a particular skill in a formal session and then spend time reinforcing it naturally throughout the day. For example, a dog learning loose lead walking isn't only practising on a training walk. They're also learning how to leave the house calmly, wait at doors, get into the vehicle, settle during the journey and return home without immediately becoming overstimulated. The same principle applies to everything we teach.
You'll see what we're doing while your dog is here.
We don't expect you to wait until collection day to find out how your dog is getting on.
Throughout the programme, you'll receive regular updates with photographs and videos showing what we're working on and the progress your dog is making.
We also provide high-quality photographs from your dog's stay, which you can keep and print if you wish.
We train the owners, too
A Residential Dog Training programme doesn't work if the dog learns everything and the owner doesn't know what to do when they come home. Before your dog leaves us, we'll explain what we've taught, why we've taught it and what needs to continue at home. You'll receive a personalised homework plan and supporting information covering the changes that may need to be made to your dog's routine. That can include things such as: Where your dog sleeps Crate placement Appropriate exercise Rest and downtime How your dog is managed while you're working Household boundaries Feeding routines Continuing the skills we've taught The intention is not for you to need us forever. The intention is for you to understand what you're doing well enough that you can continue it with your dog — and, ideally, know what you're doing with your next dog too.
WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY
4.9
(74 reviews)
With a dog as big and jumpy as Bear, at times I was brought to tears with how difficult it was at home but now I can finally enjoy my time with Bear and our baby in the same room.
When we adopted our rescue German Shepherd she was nearly 4, she was extremely reactive to other dogs, motorbikes & tractors. Our girl was in and out of the pound rescued and returned before she became part of our family. Walks were …
Would highly recommend Gemma, Celine and the team at Royal Canine Academy to anyone dealing with pet behavioural issues.Meet Pepper! She's a 6 year old Collie Cross. She looks super sweet (and she absolutely is) but she also really loves to bark at people ...
Rogue is now an absolute dream to walk and her reactivity to other dogs is gone. The continued support after Rogue returned home was second to none and I genuinely cant recommend Gemma and the team at Royal Canine Academy enough.
The support doesn't end when your dog goes home
Your programme includes free lifetime support.
You will also have access to our online training portal, which contains a video library covering some of the skills we've taught your dog and guidance on the use of some of the equipment or tools that may be going home with them. We regularly hold online video support calls where clients can ask questions, talk through problems and get help with any bumps in the road. Our free support classes and pack walks are also available to you, and your dog will already have attended appropriate sessions before going home. That means you're not starting again from scratch. You already know the people, your dog already knows the environment and you've already seen how the sessions work.
Meet Penny
Penny came to us after her owners had already tried multiple trainers. She was on medication for anxiety and everyday life had become difficult for the family.
After her Residential Dog Training programme, Penny returned to normal family life.
A year later, her owner sent us a message simply to tell us that
Penny was still doing brilliantly and to thank us.
Meet Pupusa
Papusa came to us after her family moved from America to Ireland.
The move had a significant effect on her behaviour. She became reactive towards people and dogs, and her owners were living in an apartment complex where they felt they needed help quickly.
They brought her to us for a four-week programme.Papusa is now able to enjoy walks, spend time out with her family and settle in places such as pubs.
Pepper had a bite history, and her family were preparing to move to Dubai.
They were understandably concerned about travelling internationally with a dog who had previously shown human aggression and about how she would cope with airports, staff and everything else involved in an international move.
We worked with Pepper and her family.
Meet Pepper
Meet Dougal
Dougal had been diagnosed with severe separation anxiety and had already been seen by two behaviourists.
His family had been told that behavioural euthanasia was an option.
We worked with Dougal and changed the way he and his family approached the problem.
Meet Luna
Luna had already attended another residential training facility in Ireland.
When they met her, her family were told that she needed to be euthanised and that she was unhelpable.
Her family were also preparing to move to Holland and needed a solution.
Luna completed our six-week programme.
She now lives in Holland with her family.
And then there are the dogs who come before there is a problem.
Not every dog needs Residential Dog Training because something has already gone wrong.
Some owners want to put the work in from the beginning.
Tyson came to us at nine weeks old.
His family followed the homework plan, stayed consistent and built the foundations properly.He's now over two years old. We still see him regularly when he comes back to us for boarding, and he's simply a joy to have around.
His family also successfully navigated the XL Bully regulations and obtained his exemption, having done the work required with him.
Meet Tyson
What happens when your dog goes home?
This is where Residential Dog Training becomes different from simply
leaving your dog somewhere for several weeks.
You don't collect a dog and a list of commands.
You leave with an understanding of what your dog has learned,
why we've taught it and what you need to do next.
You'll receive your personalised homework and supporting documents
before your dog comes home.
You'll also have access to the online training Discord,
our support calls, classes and pack walks, as well as lifetime support from us.
And, importantly, you'll know that you can contact us if something changes.
Frequently asked questions
Our Board & Train Pricing
3-week Board & Train - €2,400
Great for minor issues such as leash pulling, jumping on people, excessive barking, and a lack of impulse control.
4-week Board & Train - €3,000
On and off-leash obedience, dog and human reactivity, leash pulling, jumping on people, lunging at vehicles and counter surfing, excessive barking, and a lack of impulse control.
5- or 6-week board-and-train - €3,600/€4,200
On and off-leash obedience, dog- and human-directed reactivity and aggression, leash pulling, jumping on people, lunging at vehicles, counter-surfing, excessive barking, and a lack of impulse control. Also addressing separation anxiety, nervousness and re-socialisation.
Returning Board & Train clients
€600 per week for returning board and train clients - If you're heading off on holiday, need a break or your dog requires a 'tune up', this is an exclusive price just for returning clients. Perfect option for your holidays so you know training will be consistent!
How our pricing structure works :
Please be advised that you will be quoted a total price for your Board and Train program depending on how many weeks we recommend for your dog, but please be aware that the pricing structure per week is not the same. It is not uniform across the entirety of the Board and Train.
It goes as follows: The first week of the Board and Train program costs €900, the second week €800, the third week €700 and the fourth week €600 and any subsequent week after that is €600.
The reason we have this stepwise structure is that the first couple of weeks with the dog can be very difficult, especially with dogs with severe behavioural issues, and the bulk of our work with your dog will happen during these weeks. In subsequent weeks, a dog has mostly gotten used to the structure of the Board & Train; they understand how it works, they are much easier to handle, and we often have gotten past a lot of the issues that we had.
