Located in St Charles Illinois — Serving the Fox Valley area
Board & Train That Teaches Dogs How to Live — Not Just Obey
Your dog shouldn’t come home overwhelmed or shut down.
They should come home calmer, clearer, and easier to live with.
Your dog lives with us and practices real daily life in a structured, Fear Free environment.
We build calm behavior, better choices, and clear communication — so progress works in your home, not just our building.
→ Start with a consultation
Which Dog Sounds Like Yours?
Most dogs don’t need more commands — they need help learning how to exist comfortably in daily life.
Start with what you’re experiencing at home, and we’ll guide you to the right program.
Build structure early and prevent future behavior problems
Biting hands, clothes, or furniture
Can’t settle unless confined
Zoomies turn into overwhelm
Doesn’t understand house expectations yet
If this sounds familiar, your puppy isn’t being difficult — they’re learning without guidance yet.
Our Puppy Foundation program gives them structure early so these behaviors don’t become lifelong habits.
Talk with a trainer about your puppy →
See the training plan→
Help your dog listen even when things are happening
Ignores cues outside or around distractions
Pulling on walks
Overexcited greetings
Energy escalates faster than they recover
Listens sometimes - not when it matters
If this sounds familiar, your dog isn’t stubborn — they’re struggling to use skills when life gets exciting.
Talk with a trainer about your dog →
See the training plan→
Turn understanding into everyday habits
Jumps on guests
Can’t relax when activity is happening
Pushy attention seeking
Gets wild during play
Behaviors fall apart in real life situations
If this sounds familiar, your dog understands — they just can’t use it yet when life gets exciting.
Talk with a trainer about your dog →
See the training plan→
Support emotional regulation and coping skills
Barking, lunging, or reactivity
Anxiety or constant alertness
Trouble with handling or grooming
Big reactions to normal situations
Household tension forming around the dog
If this sounds familiar, your dog isn’t trying to be difficult — they’re overwhelmed and don’t yet have the skills to cope.
Talk with a trainer about your dog →
See the training plan→
Not sure where your dog fits yet?
We’ll start by understanding what daily life looks like at home.
Tell us about your dog→
Puppy Primer - Board and Train
For puppies 8 weeks to 6 months of age
Our Puppy Primer Board and Train program focuses on your puppy’s emotional growth, socialization, and confidence-building through a customized experience. Each puppy is supported at their own pace, with positive reinforcement and gentle guidance.
Program Includes:
- 14 Days of Immersive Learning
- Personalized Training and Support
- Regular Progress Updates
- Socialization with People and Well-Matched Dogs
- Off-Site Adventures to Reinforce Real-World Skills
We prioritize emotional well-being, helping your puppy thrive through safe, engaging interactions and real-life experiences. With a focus on positive change, we create a strong foundation for a confident and well-rounded puppy.
Teenage Tails - Board and Train
For juvenile dogs aged 6 to 24 months, with no recognized behavioral challenges
Our Teenage Tails program helps guide adolescent dogs through the challenges of this developmental stage, focusing on emotional growth, impulse control, and socialization. Tailored to each dog’s unique needs, this program fosters confidence, healthy development, and positive behaviors through real-world experiences.
Program Includes:
- 30 Minute Initial Consultation
- 14, 21, or 28 Days of Immersive Learning
- Personalized Training Plans and Support
- Regular Progress Updates
- Socialization with People and Well-Matched Dogs
- Off-Site Adventures to Reinforce Real-World Skills
- 2-3 Follow Up Visits
Through positive reinforcement and real-world exposure, Teenage Tails prepares your dog for confident, well-adjusted adulthood.
Fido Finishing School - Board and Train
For adult dogs 1 year and older with no major behavioral issues
Our Fido Finishing School is a personalized board and train program designed to refine your dog’s manners, build confidence, and strengthen social skills. Focusing on positive, real-world learning experiences, we guide your dog to become a well-mannered, emotionally resilient companion.
Program Includes:
- 30 Minute Initial Consultation
- 14 or 21 Days of Immersive Learning
- Personalized Training and Support
- Regular Progress Updates
- Socialization with People and Well-Matched Dogs
- Off-Site Adventures to Reinforce Real-World Skills
- 2-3 Follow up Visits
Through a combination of tailored training and positive reinforcement, we build a cooperative relationship between you and your dog, fostering emotional growth and lasting change.
Behavior Boost Boarding School - Board and Train
For dogs of all ages facing obedience challenges, anxiety, aggression, or other behavioral hurdles
- 30 Minute Initial Consultation
- 14, 21 or 28 Day Packages
- Actionable Training Plans
- Daily Progress Reports
- Video Recorded Sessions
- 2-3 Follow up Visits
Board and Train Includes:
60+ Minutes of daily training broken into 10-30 minute segments throughout the day. Daily enrichment and playtime provided with people and appropriate dogs for socialization as well as off site adventures when appropriate to reinforce training concepts in the real world.
Training TidBits
For dogs of all ages seeking a positive start to their training journey
- 30 Minute Initial Consultation
- Flexible length based on the dog's boarding duration (e.g., weekends, 5-day trips)
- Actionable Training Plans
- Daily Progress Reports
- Video Recorded Sessions
- 2-3 Follow up Visits
Board and Train Includes:
Whether your dog is staying with us for a long weekend getaway or a 5-day trip, Training Tidbits offers a taste of the transformative experience we provide at Do Better Training. Our experienced trainers will work closely with your dog to establish positive behaviors, reinforce existing training, and provide enrichment activities to keep them happy and fulfilled during their boarding experience. While Training Tidbits won't resolve behavioral issues in a short time frame, it serves as a valuable first step on your dog's training journey.
Do Better: Nurturing Minds, Building Bonds
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LIFE Approach
The LIFE model is a modern approach to ethical animal training that prioritizes both the welfare and the effectiveness of training methods. Developed as an enhancement to the previous LIMA model, LIFE focuses on ensuring that our strategies are minimally invasive yet highly effective.
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Empowering Approach
Our training philosophy is centered around empowerment for both you and your pet. We aim to equip you with the knowledge and skills to build a strong, positive bond and create a harmonious life together.
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Punishment-Free Philosophy
We unequivocally reject the use of punishment in our training methods. Instead, we focus on positive, effective, and humane strategies that foster a trusting and positive relationship between you and your animal.
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Science-Based Techniques
Do Better trainers use only the latest, most effective peer reviewed training techniques.