Board and train is a stay where your dog works with a training team every day, then comes home to a handoff so you can keep the change going. At All Dogs Training Co., owner Heather Mozingo runs this as a customized 2 week or 4 week stay for dogs 6 months and up, with separate teams in Houston and Austin. Puppy Jumpstart is the foundation stay for puppies ages 8 weeks through 5 months.
Most owners ask whether it works after a walk that felt like a fight, or after a guest froze in the doorway while their dog lost it at the door. Board and train can work. It can also fall apart once your dog is back in your kitchen, if the plan does not fit how you live or no one teaches you what to do at home.
What board and train actually looks like
This is not a weekly classroom. The work happens in the same kinds of moments that trip dogs up at home: a person at the door, leash pressure on a walk, a crate, a threshold, another dog passing on the sidewalk. All Dogs builds each stay around your dog and your goals, and a program can be extended if the team needs more time for behavior work or extra reliability. You can see how the stays are structured on the training programs page.
The 2 week custom board and train is for on-leash reliability in apartment and suburb life. That includes sit, down, place, loose leash walking, interior manners, crate training, threshold work, short-distance recall, and neutrality around people and other dogs. The 4 week custom board and train is for the dog you want beside you when you leave the house. They work toward calm living, impulse control, and reliability on and off leash out in public, including coming when called at a distance.
Both custom programs include e-collar training, used for reliability, distance work, and clear communication. If you have questions about equipment, ask on the consult. The team will tell you what they would use for your dog and why.
Is a 2 week board and train enough?
A 2 week stay can be enough when the goals are on-leash manners and a reset you can maintain at home, like walking the block without being dragged or settling on a place while you cook dinner. It is a poor fit when you want off-leash reliability in public, or when the behavior needs a longer runway. Dinner, errands, a friend’s house, a weekend away take more reps in more places than a short stay can honestly cover.
If you are not sure, say what a good week with your dog would look like. The team will recommend a length, or tell you if they are not the right fit.
If a 2 week or 4 week stay sounds like the right next step, tell All Dogs about your dog.
Does board and train work for reactive dogs?
Many Houston and Austin owners reach out because their dog barks or lunges at other dogs, or a neighbor walking past the house sets off a meltdown. Board and train can help with neutrality around people and other dogs, and stays can be customized or extended for more serious behavior work.
That is not a promise that every reactive dog, or every dog with separation anxiety, will be finished in two weeks. Some dogs need more time, or a different kind of help, and All Dogs will say so if they cannot help your dog well.
Why the work sometimes falls apart at home
A dog can look sharp with a trainer and unravel in your house. The people, the smells, the doorbell, and your habits are all part of the picture. If no one teaches you how to ask, your dog is left to guess, and old patterns come back.
That is why follow-up is built into the stay. Puppy Jumpstart and the 2 week custom program include a go-home lesson and 2 follow-up lessons. The 4 week custom program includes a go-home lesson and 3 follow-up lessons, plus lifetime support. While your dog is with the team, you also get photos and video, so you are not waiting until pickup day to see what has changed. Aftercare details also live on the FAQ page.
Who is actually training your dog
Heather Mozingo is the owner and operator, and she directs training at both locations. You work with the team closest to you, not a shared staff bouncing between cities. In Houston, Matt Bourgoin is Head Trainer and Training Director. In Austin, Kaylah Tong is the trainer you will work with. Heather is also a national level IGP competitor. Her Cane Corso, Vinny, has earned a BH, FH, IGP I, IGP II, and IGP III, and placed first at the 2023 and 2024 Cane Corso IGP National Championship. See the team on the About page.
How to tell if board and train is the right fit
Board and train fits owners who want daily professional work and cannot be present for a lesson several times a week, and dogs who need a structured reset with a clear handoff back to the family.
If you want your dog home every night, Houston owners can look at Doggie Day School, day training with drop-off at the Cypress area location. It is not a fit for serious behavior issues, and it is not offered in Austin. Overnight trainer-led boarding and Adventure Days, a one-on-one alternative to daycare, are also Houston only.
If you are in Cedar Park, Round Rock, Bastrop, or elsewhere in the Austin area, board and train with Kaylah’s team is the in-house stay. If you are in Cypress, Katy, The Woodlands, Waller, or greater Houston, you will work with the Houston team.
Frequently asked questions
Does board and train actually work?
It works when the program matches your goals and you learn how to keep the work going at home. All Dogs includes a go-home lesson and follow-up lessons in every board and train program, because a stay without that handoff is where owners get disappointed.
Is a 2 week board and train worth it?
It can be, if your goals are on-leash reliability and house manners you can maintain. If you want off-leash work in public, or you are dealing with a tougher behavior case, ask about the 4 week program or an extension.
Does board and train work for reactive dogs?
It can, especially when the plan includes neutrality around people and other dogs and enough time to generalize the work. Some reactive dogs need a longer stay. Tell the team what is happening on walks and at the door, and they will tell you if this is the right starting point.
What happens after my dog comes home?
You get a go-home lesson, then scheduled follow-ups. The 4 week program also includes lifetime support. If something slips later, you are not starting over with a stranger.
Tell us what is going on with your dog.
You will get a straight recommendation for Houston or Austin, including if a different path is a better fit. The consult is free.