Lancaster, OH · Serving Columbus & Central Ohio
Off-leash results in 8 days. Habits that last a lifetime.
Our Basic Obedience Camp is an intensive board & train where a dedicated trainer works 1:1 with your dog every day using our Positive E Collar method — no fear, no pain, no dominance. Then we coach you, and support you for 90 days and beyond.
Named World's Greatest Dog Trainer by Bloomberg, 2023 · Financing available
30+
Years of proven methodology
1,000+
Dogs trained by our team
8 days
To off-leash results on campus
90 days
Of trainer support after you go home
The difference
Reliable off-leash obedience under distraction, at a distance, for a duration.
Life right now
- Pulling on the leash
- Running through open doors
- Jumping on every guest
- Reacting to dogs and strangers
- Ignoring you the moment the leash is off
After board & train
- Heels on a loose leash, and holds it past distractions
- Sits at the door and waits for the release command
- Holds place when you walk away — or leave the room
- Sits calmly while you greet someone
- Comes when called off-leash, from a distraction
Our methodology
Positive E Collar training, proven for over 30 years.
Our passion is positively impacting the lives of our clients and their dogs. We take pride in ensuring that every dog that comes to campus is happy, safe, healthy and well-educated — and our method works for dogs of all ages, breeds and sizes.
Positive E Collar, not a shock collar
Our method relies on a very low level stimulus — just enough for your dog to notice — that acts as a signal for communication between owner and dog. Your dog learns the stimulus means good things, not bad. Like Pavlov's bell, paired with a treat it can have your pup's mouth watering in days.
No fear, no pain, no dominance
Canine Academy does not use fear, pain or dominance in training. More often than not, those techniques escalate the issue with a reactive dog. Confidence building is what produces consistent, reliable results.
We teach the dog — and read the owner in
We teach your dog what is expected of it, and we teach you how to predict your dog's behavior. Understanding where behavior comes from is how you reduce it for good.
Habits, not quick fixes
There's no such thing as a quick fix in dog training. It takes about 90 days for new expectations to become routine muscle memory — which is exactly how long your trainer stays with you after camp.
The program
Basic Obedience Camp — Board & Train
An intensive residence program that helps your dog master basic obedience while getting rid of unwanted behaviors like jumping, leash-pulling and running through open doors. During their stay we treat your pet like family — the Care Team showers them with walks, playtime and belly rubs when they're not in training.
What's included
- A campus stay with a dedicated trainer, 2.5–3 hours of 1:1 training daily
- A remote e-collar to take home with you
- A hands-on go-home lesson for you and your family
- A follow-up onsite lesson about a week after camp
- Access to our training and support library
- Scheduled trainer check-in calls through your 90-day period
- Lifetime group classes and office hours for graduates
The five phases
- 1Puppy Management — under 5 months? 4 weeks of puppy classes first
- 2Learn the Basics — campus stay, every command under distraction
- 3Put New Skills to Use — your go-home lesson, then a return lesson
- 4Build New Habits — 90 days of scheduled trainer support
- 5Support for Life — free group classes and office hours, always
Training options
Find the best match for your family.
Board & train is our fastest path to a go-anywhere companion — but it isn't the only way in. Every program is built around your dog's starting point and how hands-on you want to be.
Board & Train Programs
A stay and training on our campus, performance-based release, a 90-day at-home follow-up program and lifetime support.
- Basic Obedience Program — for dogs over 5 months without severe anxiety or fear-based aggression. A go-anywhere companion for life.
- Behavior Management Program — for dogs struggling with fear-based aggression or moderate to severe anxiety.
Manners Camps
A stay and training on campus, an intensive go-home lesson for your family, and a follow-up call to make sure the transition home is smooth.
- Puppy Socialization — fully vaccinated puppies working on socialization, confidence and basic manners.
- Manners 1 — social dogs who struggle with impulse control around the house.
- Manners 2 — Manners 1 graduates building reliability under distraction in new environments.
Lesson Programs
Weekly lesson-based learning with a trainer, 1:1 or in a small group, plus a follow-up call to support progress at home.
- Small Group Lessons — social but impulsive dogs and their families.
- Reactivity & Anxiety Management Lessons — 1:1 guidance to build confidence and trust.
- Puppy Foundations — puppies 10–20 weeks: socialization, crate training and housebreaking.
- Manners 1 & 2 — 1:1 house manners, then reliability under distraction.
Not sure which fits? Tell us about your dog and we'll recommend the right program.
Columbus owners, off-leash for good.
"We couldn't walk our shepherd past another dog without a meltdown. Three months later he's off-leash at the park and completely neutral. It changed our whole family's life."
"I was nervous about an e-collar. Watching how gently they actually use it — and how happy our dog was on campus — put that to rest immediately."
"The training of us was as valuable as the training of her. Six months out and everything has held."
A day on campus
Training is only part of their day.
Breakfast at 7:30am, an individual morning walk on our private nature trails, two training sessions with rest in between, play field time with friends or solo enrichment, dinner at 6:00pm, evening walk, and a final potty break at 10pm before belly rubs and lights out with our on-site manager.
- Private nature trail walks
- Supervised play groups
- Quiet kennels for real rest
- Care Team on campus daily
Questions owners ask first
Can e-collars really be used in positive experience training?
Yes — but it depends on how you use them. An intense static shock is obviously unpleasant for any dog. Our Positive E Collar method relies on a very low level stimulus that acts as a signal for communication between owner and dog. Because it's just enough for the dog to notice, there's no pain or discomfort — and we teach the dog the stimulus means good things, not bad.
What is the fastest way to a well-trained dog?
There's no such thing as a quick fix. It takes about 90 days for a dog to establish new expectations as routine muscle memory. That said, you'll see improved behavior in as little as one week, and our board and train program promises off-leash results in just 8 days — with built-in trainer support through the full 90-day adoption period.
What results should I expect?
Every dog must pass our graduation standards before completing camp: sit, down, place, off, off-leash walk, come, and waiting at the door — all under a high level of distraction, at a distance, and for a duration. Every dog leaves with a 'good' or 'excellent' result against those standards.
Is board & train right for my dog?
We recommend it for any dog who doesn't suffer from moderate to severe separation anxiety or fear-based aggression — those dogs need a more intensive program. Puppies enrolling before 5 months get our puppy foundations class first and start basic obedience at 5 months. Our staff will work with you to make sure it's the right fit, and adjust if it isn't.
How much time does my dog spend with their trainer?
About 2.5–3 hours every day, broken into two separate sessions with time to rest in between. The rest of the day is walks on our nature trails, play field time, and enrichment with our Care Team.
What happens after my dog comes home?
You'll have a hands-on go-home lesson, then return to campus about a week later with the whole pack. Over the next 90 days your trainer supports your habit development by scheduled phone calls, and they're always a call or a farm visit away. Graduates get lifetime support — free group classes and trainer office hours.
What area do you serve, and what does it cost?
Our campus is in Lancaster, Ohio, serving Columbus, Central Ohio and the Hocking Hills region. Contact us for pricing and enrollment dates; financing is available for this program.
Start training today
Ready to get started?
Tell us about your dog and a member of our team will reach out to discuss how to achieve your specific training goals. We'll go over your dog's current behavior and build a program around your areas of concern.
Prefer to talk now? Call or text (614) 706-1828