You do not
have to be an engineer or mechanic to drive a car. And, you don't need
to be an exceptional dog training to own or handle a well trained dog.
But, in the same way that owning a car requires some routine maintenance and
upkeep, so does a professionally trained dog require your continued support
and proper management. For folks who are willing to participate in
their dog's continued education, our Board and Train option is exceptional.
We do the hard part, and you reap the benefits.
Let Tammie
& Robert
train your dog while it comes for a visit to DarnFar
Ranch. Your dog will receive ample exercise and play breaks along with
extraordinary training, management and socialization. Upon pick-up, the complete
training methods will be explained to you. Your dog's training skills
will be demonstrated (often including some video clips we recorded during
his stay) and we will make certain that you can
handle your dog, and that he takes the commands from you, prior to your
departure. That's the most important part! Your pick-up
appointment will last approximately three - four hours and we won't send you home until
we see that your dog will take direction from you.
At the end of two weeks of professional training
with Tammie & Robert, most dogs will have the expertise of dogs that attend an 8 week
Obedience class with their owners, many will be well beyond that level of
training. But, they will also have experienced impeccable
management and comprehensive socialization which is not possible for dogs
attending a Beginner Obedience class. Follow-up training sessions are available as necessary (in your home or here
at the ranch), but are very rarely necessary. This training option requires a level of commitment on
the part of the owner to continue the training once the dog returns home,
but is highly successful if
appropriately managed.
More is
better. Although we offer a two week, basic board and train option, a
third week in our care with our training and management program can make
a huge difference in your dog's overall education. The dogs that are with us longer are
almost always superior in their skills and socialization than dogs that are
here for just two weeks. Of course, two weeks with us is much better
than no time at all (people often say things like, "it's a miracle" or "is
this really my dog?"). But,
if you are contemplating whether two weeks or three would be better for your
pet, we will always recommend the longer stay. It's really not about
the money - because we are booked out several weeks in advance and a kennel
with a dog is bringing in income, whether it's here for two or three weeks.
We can actually accommodate more clients if we circulate dogs through our
program faster. But, that's is not our goal. When we say that
"more is better", it's truly about the dog and making it easier for the
owner to take over the training and management of the dog once it goes back
to its home. Some dogs simply need longer stays, and we will let you
know our requirements for these dogs which include dogs with aggression,
fear or anti-social problems. Older dogs and toy dogs tend to require
a longer stay, as well.
Making the
commitment to become your dog's leader. If everyone had the
presence and skills to be their dog's respected leader, there would be no
need for our service. It's very important to understand that a
dog's behavior is almost always a direct reflection of how he feels about
his relationship with his humans. Our Board and Train program will
help your dog become more centered, calm and relaxed. It will also
make him much more obedient and happy to comply and follow your leadership.
However, if he goes home to the same unbalanced environment he came from, he
will not stay content very long. Choosing our Board & Train program
must come with the commitment that you will practice leadership with your
dog on a daily basis. The most critical time will be the first month
after he is home with you. Do not schedule training that will back up
to a very busy time of your life when you cannot meet the obligation you
will have to your dog's training and transformation. At the
Owner Education session (when you pick up your dog), you will
received three to four hours of personal, one-on-one instruction along with
ten to twelve pages of written materials that will support the verbal
communication. This is our best shot at convincing a dog's owner how
important it is that he transforms into his dog's revered leader. If
you are up to the commitment, then our Board & Train program is for you!
Two
Week Minimum. Dogs 6 months or older that do not have
anti-social or aggression issues.
Basic Plan
(two weeks)-
typical "lack of self control" issues and lack of general training can be accomplished in this time frame. Most exercises performed on a 6 foot lead.
Dogs receive Socialization & proper Management plus these Trained skills: Heel,
Sit, Down, Stay, Come, "Leave It". These typical problems are also
addressed: jumping up, nipping issues,
charging out doors, excessive barking. Resolving cat or other animal
chasing is initiated during this period. Dogs with aggression or other social issues
are not suited for this two week session. Minimum age: 6
months. Two weeks minimum. $300/week
Extended Plan(three
or more weeks)-
Along with the issues addressed in a two week session (above), additional
socialization is accomplished, more time is spent resolving cat and other
animal chasing, and more serious nipping / biting issues are addressed.
Some exercises are performed off lead. Many psychological problems can be accomplished in this
period, as well. This training time is more appropriate for some older
dogs that have more ingrained bad habits and a subset of toy dogs that seem
to believe their are the rulers of the universe (as toy dogs often take time
to absorb the idea that they are not, in fact, top-dog). Minimum age:
6 months.
$300/week
NOTE:
There is a $25/week additional fee for intact males (those not neutered) that
are 12 months or older. This is because they
are typically more challenging to train and maintain. Testosterone is a
potent hormone which often causes a dog to have a quicker trigger for aggression
and stronger physical strength. Intact males can also present a challenge
during the dog/dog socialization training, requiring heightened supervision
during that training.
ANTI-SOCIAL, AGGRESSIVE, SPECIAL-NEEDS DOGS
Three
week minimum. Dogs 6 months or older with psychological
issues.
We are happy to work with dogs that have serious aggression and
severe psychological issues, or have special needs (such as
handicapped or deaf dogs). Our training, management and
socialization program lends itself well to these sorts of dogs.
We consider it our specialty. Dogs that have learned they can
and do bite humans are a serious liability and are dangerous.
We have to work more intensively with these dogs on a daily basis.
The minimal stay is three weeks and we reserve the right to assess
the dog's progress and recommend additional time if necessary.
Please be honest with us when describing your dog's behavioral
problems. If your dog believes that he can use his teeth to get
his way, we need to spend time with intensive social reprogramming
before we can begin standard training. Let us know about your
dog's aggression problems so that we can help your dog. Many
trainers will not take aggressive dogs and other canine "experts"
may even suggest euthanasia because they believe the dogs cannot be
saved. We haven't met a dog that we cannot rehabilitate.
But, it takes time, proper training, management and extensive
socialization. It may also takes a significant shift in the
owner's attitude, management or interaction with the dog, which we
will explain in detail at the Owner Education session during the
pick-up appointment. We can help your troubled dog, but
we will do that most efficiently and effectively if you inform us of
your dog's issues so that we can schedule appropriate resources
towards his care. Minimum age: 6 months.
$350/week.
NOTE: There is a $25/week additional fee for intact males (those
not neutered) that are 12 months or older. This
is because they are typically more challenging to train and maintain.
Testosterone is a potent hormone which often causes a dog to have a quicker
trigger for aggression and stronger physical strength. Intact males
can also present a challenge during the dog/dog socialization training,
requiring heightened supervision during that training.
PUPPIES UNDER 6 MONTHS OF AGE
We do not usually recommend the
Board/Train options for puppies under 6 months old. This is because
they are growing very quickly and spending much of
their nutritional energy developing their bones, muscles and especially cutting
their adult teeth. If you do not know the age of your puppy, check his
mouth. If you do not see any new, adult teeth, your puppy is probably
still under 4 months old. A puppy with most of his adult teeth is
around 5 months old. Puppies under six months are more distracted and
have a shortened attention span because, well, they are babies and need to
be managed differently. Additionally, the period during which
they are cutting their adult teeth is a stressful and sometimes painful time
for them. So, although a puppy can be taught to sit and lay down and
come as early as 7 or 8 weeks old (using positive reinforcement like foot
treats), demanding absolute compliance is more fair once the puppy has the
attention span and ability to meet high expectations of performance, and is
over the teething period.
On occasion we do take young
puppies, specifically for basic manners training (including nipping and
jumping up) and house-breaking issues. Because a puppy demands so much
additional attention, often late night (or even midnight) outings for potty
breaks, we charge more for this service. The minimum time for puppy
training for manners and socialization (dogs under 6 months old) is 2 weeks.
If housebreaking is the main reason for the training, the minimum is 3
weeks.
$350/week
Nail trimming and
bathing:
We
will be happy to trim your dog's nails and give it a bath on the day of
pick-up. Just let us know when you drop him off. Nail trim, only:
$8
Bath+Nails: $25
up depending on coat
and size
To ensure
the care of your pet while he stays at DarnFar Ranch, Tammie & Robert
are both certified in Pet First Aid and CPR by PetTech.
Tammie is also certified to
Instruct Pet First Aid and CPR classes
As members, we follow
the ABKA's Code Of Ethics
We are Professional
members of the IACP
Facilities:
Dogs in our care can be housed based on their needs:
- Our very spacious, indoor-outdoor kennelruns are
located just off our house for dogs that prefer constant access to the
outdoors. Each kennel has a radiant floor heater in winter.
The outdoor runs have a roof over head, so that even in inclement
weather they may lounge outdoors and watch the wildlife or our sheep
grazing in a nearby pasture.
- Our roomy, indoor kennel suites adjoin our house
and are air-conditionedin summer and heated
in winter. We can actually monitor the dogs from
our living room. Dogs that are used to staying indoors most of the
day and night may feel more comfortable in these accommodations.
They will be taken outdoors three times per day to exercise in a very
large, grass yard.
- Dogs that feel most comfortable in the comfort of their crates,
or puppies that are in the crate-training phase, can be managed in the
kennel suite and taken outdoors several times per day for exercise.
- We have security cameras in the kennels and exercise yards so that we
can keep an eye on the dogs at all times.
- Because all client dogs are housed within earshot of our home, we can
address training and management issues immediately.
Management:
Dogs in our care learn about proper management, which augments task
training and socialization:
-We walk dogs on lead to exercise yards, so, unlike a traditional
boarding kennel, dogs are handled several times per day when they
receive manners about moving through doors, heeling properly and walking
around cats and other dogs
-We bring dogs into our home, when necessary, to make certain they learn
important lessons in natural settings
-If requested, we take dogs in the car, through drive-through windows or into shops
that accept dogs in order to provide critical social training
-We bring client dogs to our formal Dog Training Classes where they
learn how to interact around the distractions of other people and dogs
- Unlike most training and/or boarding facilities, part of our overall
management
includes teaching dogs that barking is not acceptable. We achieve
this without the use of "no-bark" collars. The result is a
very calm dog that understands about self restraint.
Training:
Our unique approach to learning results in a highly trained, confident
dog
- Your dog will learn
traditional commands such as heeling properly on a lead (we have a zero
tolerance policy for pulling humans - your dog will not pull you). Sit and stay as well as
down-stay and come when called are critical lessons for all dogs, too.
Your dog will learn to perform these tasks quickly and willingly with
out the need for food bribery.
- We believe that a dog must learn to behave in the distractions found
in the "real world". We employ a variety of visual and auditory
distractions during training (such as cats, other dogs, noises ,
visitors, training classes)
- We build a dog's confidence by asking him to trust our
leadership, and allowing the dog to learn how it feels to have self
restraint, then getting praised for that behavior.
- Learning to obey commands
for their human leaders is accomplished in combination with sound
management and socialization.
Traditional command training
offers you a method of communicating with your dog during the
transition period when you take over the leadership role that we begin
with your dog during his time at DarnFar
Ranch.
Socialization: Social training helps your dog become
a calm, self controlling animal that is confident and happy and
centered.
- Dog exercise times provide
a "Dog Park" atmosphere, where dogs learn social skills from other, well
mannered dogs. Once your dog recognizes that there is a strong,
fair, highly communicative human leader calmly supervising the playtime,
he will quickly learn to behave appropriately with other dogs. We
believe this is a critical distinction to our training method.
Where most trainers maintain your dog in a separate kennel and work it
alone, we use social exercise time as a very important learning and
training period. We also believe that good play helps dogs relieve
stress as well as offers exercise that a dog would not probably do if
left in a yard all alone, and which would certainly not be possible for
a dog left in a small kennel run.
- Proper socialization also involves demanding appropriate behavior in
the human society. Social training includes resolution of
nipping and jumping up behaviors which are clearly not tolerated by
leaders in a canine social group, so they should not be tolerated from
humans, either. Excessive exuberance (or a general lack of self
control) is also a socially unacceptable behavior which is addressed
during a dog's stay at DarnFar. Truly, a dog cannot really be
trained until it is psychologically balanced through proper
socialization. That's why our Board & Train option is so
successful and your dog will be calm, relaxed and exhibit self-restraint
when you come to fetch him after the exceptional educational experience.
PLEASE NOTE:Drop off and Pick Up is by appointment only. We greatly appreciate
when you adhere to the time you schedule for these appointments as we run a
tight schedule for client dog training, classes and privates lessons and we may not be available 30
minutes before or 30 minutes after your scheduled arrival time. Thank
you for your cooperation in this matter - it helps insure that we can
provide each dog with our complete focus and attention during his training
time.
We very much
appreciate that you do not call on Sundays (unless it is an Emergency). If you can only be reached in the evening, please specify
and we will accommodate your needs. We teach classes most evenings.
Because we are working with and caring
for dogs during the day, you will probably get an answering machine. Please
leave a message. We will call you back as soon as possible.
If you don't hear back in 24 hours, call again.
Because we have
our client's very precious dogs in our care, we are essentially "on
call" and working 24/7. But that does not mean that we are
available to clients in the evenings or on Sundays.
Please respect us, and contact us during normal business hours.
Or, send an email any time!
Drop Off Appointments
Drop off appointments are around 20 minutes long. You MUST bring
your dog's proof of vaccinations (a copy that we can retain) or we cannot
accept your dog into our facility. Please do not forget this
important information.
Drop off appointments are scheduled by appointment, only.
Pick Up Appointments
Pick up appointments are 3-4 hours long. Any family member
who will be managing the dog should attempt to attend the pick up
appointment. Final payment, in full, is due at this time.
Pick up appointments are typically scheduled in the afternoon, in order
to accommodate our schedule for kennel care and training.
Sunday Premium
We do not hold Sunday
hours of operation. However, there are times, especially when
a client is coming from a long distance, when a Sunday appointment
is requested. At our sole discretion, we may accept a
Sunday drop off appointment to which we will add a $30 premium.
A Sunday pick-up appointment /Owner Education Session will require
an additional $150 Sunday premium.
Availability
We limit the number of dogs in our facility for Board & Train and
during our peak times, we are usually booked out two to four weeks. So, call ahead to schedule your drop
off date.
Payment Methods
A $100 non-refundable deposit is required to schedule training.
50% of the total Training Fee is due at drop off (which will include
your $100 deposit). We accept cash or check.
If you prefer to pay by Credit Card, you may use PayPal even if you do
not have a PayPal account.
Use this link to find our PayPal option page.
All remaining fees are due at pick-up (cash or check)
NOTE:
If you fail to arrive
for your scheduled drop off appointment (or call to cancel under 24
hours), a non-refundable deposit of your first 50% of the
training fee must be received prior to your rescheduled drop off
appointment.
Why A Deposit?
Why do we require a
deposit to make an appointment? In order to give every dog the
attention it requires, we typically have only 6 dogs in our care at
a time. Since training is usually scheduled in 3 week blocks,
we sometimes must ask a client to delay the start of training three
or four weeks out. When a client abruptly cancels training (or
does not arrive for their scheduled appointment), we can sometimes
contact a person who has a later start date of training to see if
they want to move up their drop off date. But, mostly, folks
cannot quickly change their schedules - especially since many of our
clients come from 3 or more hours away to bring their dogs for
training.
Not
long ago, we experienced a "no-show". So, we contacted someone
who was waiting to get into training. We were told that they
had euthanized their pet because they simply could not wait the
three plus weeks that we needed to get their dog into our training
program. It was heartbreaking to know that we could have
received their dog earlier - but were holding a spot for someone who
cancelled at the last minute. It's a significant business and
scheduling challenge when we get a last minute cancellation or
worse, a "no-show". But, it is part of many businesses, and we
used to absorb the loss of our time and income as an unfortunate
part of doing business. However, we really took it personally
when we discovered a dog was killed that we could have taken in had
someone not chosen to simply not show up for their training session.
So, we now require ALL appointments to be confirmed with a $100
non-refundable deposit in order to schedule a drop-off date for
training.
Prefer
to pay by Credit Card? Go to our PayPal payment page.
1. Contact us
via email, telephone
(618) 427-3333, or via our
on-line application to set up a training
date.
2. A $100/dog
non-refundable deposit is required to hold your training slot.
It will be applied to the first 50% of your training fee, which is
required on the day of drop-off. Please use our PayPal option to
make your deposit. If you prefer, you may send a money order or
personal check, so long as it arrives prior to your drop-off
appointment. Your training start date will not be confirmed until
we receive your deposit.
or send a check payable to "DarnFar
Ranch" to:
DarnFar Ranch
RR1 Box 114
Brownstown, IL 62418
3. You
must provide proof
of your dog's rabies, distemper, parvovirus and bordetella (Kennel Cough) vaccines
(current titer results are also acceptable for Distemper/Parvo and
Bordetella).
BRING A HARD COPY THAT YOU CAN LEAVE WITH US PERMANENTLY. This
must be on your veterinarian's letterhead. WE CANNOT ACCEPT DOGS INTO OUR
FACILITY WITHOUT THIS INFORMATION
4. Please make certain your dog is free of internal and external
parasites. Infested dogs will receive a flea/tick bath at the
owner's expense.
5. Most clients prefer to bring their dog's current food
to reduce the chance of gastric upset during their stay here. We feed
Purina brand dog food if you do not bring your dog's food. There will
be a $1.00/day charge if you do not bring your dog's food. Do not
bring your food in a container that you absolutely must have back.
Our preference is that you bring the dog's food in its original bag.
We will put it into an air-tight container that fits in our storage shelving
and discard the bag. We cannot return loose dog food.
6. You may bring treats and washable toys. We prefer to use
our own blankets / bedding so that we can keep things laundered on our
own schedule. Do not bring your dog's food or water dishes.
7. 50% of the training
fee is due at drop off and the remainder is due in full at
pick-up time. Your $100 deposit will be applied towards your
training fee, unless you fail to arrive for your prescheduled
appointment.
We accept cash and checks, or you may use your credit card
via the
options. We do not accept credit cards on
site, so if you desire to use your credit card, payment in full is required
before you arrive with your dog via the PayPal on-line payment system.
If you would like any of our "extras" like grooming or a custom DVD, we can
create a PayPal money request to cover your dog's entire training fee so
that you can pay, in full using your credit card, or you can use the payment
buttons found on this page and pay for your extras in cash or check on the
pick-up date.
NOTE:
Although we will make every effort to maintain control over them, any
personal items left at the facility, such as toys, bones or blankets may be
chewed, destroyed or soiled to the point that we discard the item. Please
do not leave items that you absolutely expect to have returned.
PURCHASE A
CUSTOM VIDEO OF YOUR DOG'S TRAINING: You may request that
we record many of your dog's training sessions that we will compile onto a
CD or DVD. It will include an explanation of the
training methods that we use to train your dog as well as recordings of your
dog's training sessions. It serves as a great reminder on how to
handle different problems that are specific to your dog. Fee: $160
due at drop off.
Mary of
Oaklawn, IL who brought three dogs to us for training says about the DVD we
made for her, "You
don't give yourself enough credit for the information on the video. It may
be informational to you, but for an inexperienced person like myself, it has
alot of merit covering very basic training....... seeing how you took
command over her gave me a wealth of knowledge in leaving the emotion out of
the discipline. I know exactly what I need to do the next time she
[misbehaves]".
You may take advantage
of our exceptional training regardless of where you live.
We are
located just off Interstate 70 (90 miles from Terre Haute, IN and 75
miles from St. Louis, MO)
Many of our
clients make the easy, all-interstate drive from Chicago-land.
We have
many clients that drive up to six or more hours to bring us their dog
for board & train.
We also
have folks fly their dogs in for training.
If you
choose to fly your dog to us, we will pick up the dog at the St. Louis,
MO airport and provide it our high quality, professional training.
Then, you
have two options:
1.
You may fly / drive in to get your dog and take advantage of the
standard, 2-3 hour transfer session where we demonstrate what your
dog has learned, explain all the methods and then make certain that your
dog will work for you.
2. You may receive a DVD or CD that will show your dog's
training in progress as well as explain the training methods in lieu of
coming to get your dog in person. And, we will ship your trained
dog back to you.
Service
Fee
Airport
Pick Up
$80
Airport
Delivery
$80
Custom
Made CD or DVD Recording of your dog's training
$160
fully
explains the methods as well presents many of your dog's training
sessions
The
custom recording is required if you are not in attendance to pick up
your dog to make certain you can continue your dog's training
Note
For air shipped dogs: Airport pick up and delivery charges and
CD/DVD recording fee is due in full prior to the dog's arrival. In
addition, 50% of the total training fee must be paid in advance
prior to the shipment date and must be accompanied by the dog's
vaccination records as well as a signed contract. All outstanding fees
must be received, in full, before we ship your dog back to you. If
final payment is not received by the scheduled shipping date, the dog
will be boarded at a rate of $45/day until the payment is received.
The dog's owner is responsible for all shipping arrangements and
expenses.
options. We do not accept credit cards on
site, so if you desire to use your credit card, payment in full is required
before you arrive with your dog via the PayPal on-line payment system.
If you would like any of our "extras" like grooming or a custom DVD, we can
create a PayPal money request to cover your dog's entire training fee so
that you can pay, in full using your credit card, or you can use the payment
buttons found on this page and pay for your extras in cash or check on the
pick-up date.
