Board & Train Courses

Program Goals

To create a confident, respectful, and emotionally balanced puppy with a strong foundation in manners, obedience, and structure. The training regime for your particular puppy may not be as presented below, as not all puppies are the same, so the training routine may vary. However, it provides you with an overview of what we focus on. Please understand, this is not a formal obedience program as we would offer for older dogs. This course helps you and your puppy build the right foundation to ensuring a well-behaved and psychologically stable dog as your pup matures. Also be aware, your pups training doesn't stop once it leaves our facility, you need to follow through with your pups training at home.

Week 1: Structure, Boundaries & Emotional Regulation

• Calm exposure to new environments, people, sounds, and surfaces
• Toilet training & crate routine (continues throughout program)
• Teaching impulse control and calmness around food, toys, and people
• Name recognition & engagement (“look at me”)
• Marker training for clear communication
• Calm feeding and handling rituals (no rushing, mouthing, or grabbing)

Week 2: Obedience Foundations & Manners

• Basic obedience: sit, down, stand
• Place/stay training for calmness and focus
• Polite lead walking (no pulling or lunging)
• Recall foundations using a long line
• Waiting politely at doors and gates
• “Leave it” / “Off” (impulse control around temptations)
• Handling for grooming & vet visits

Week 3: Confidence Building & Real-World Practice

• Structured socialisation with calm dogs and people
• Confidence-building games & mild environmental challenges
• Settling calmly around distractions
• Calm greetings – no jumping or hyper behaviour
• Proofing obedience in low-distraction public spaces (parks, cafés)

Week 4: Proofing, Handover & Owner Integration

• Practicing obedience outside training environments with more distractions
• Solidifying calmness around people, dogs, and environmental triggers
• Review & polish of all core behaviours (sit, down, stay, recall, leash manners)
• Respect for rules, space, and leadership reinforced

 Foundations Set:

• Respect for rules, space & leadership
• Ability to self-settle and regulate emotions
• Healthy independence (prevention of separation anxiety)
• Social stability & resilience
• Clear communication system between you & your puppy

Handover session:

• Full demonstration of all training
• Instruction on daily routine (toilet, crate, feeding, walking, training)
• Clear communication system (marker words, tone, body language)
• Education on structure & avoiding common mistakes
• Video of you puppy's training for your reference

• Follow-up support:
  • 4 one-on-one follow-up training sessions
  • 6 months ongoing support via WhatsApp or Zalo  

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 Throughout the 14-day stay, your dog will engage in multiple short, structured training sessions each day. These sessions are designed to build clarity, confidence, and self-control — helping your dog walk politely without pulling, and remain responsive in a range of real-world situations.

Please note: This course is not suitable for overly reactive or aggressive behaviour. If your dog is overly reactive, please consider our 3 to 4 week reactive dog course.

Your dog will be trained in:

• Loose Lead Walking: Teaching your dog to walk calmly by your side without tension on the lead.
• Free Walking: Helping our dog understand when they’re allowed to explore on a relaxed lead, while still checking in and remaining under control.
• Automatic Sit at Stops: Your dog will learn to sit automatically when you stop walking, and stay seated until given a release cue.
• Reliable Release Cues:  Whether continuing with “Heel/Walk” or transitioning to “Free,” your dog will respond with clarity and reliability.
• Not rush through gates and doors: Sit calmly whilst opening gates and doors.
• Greet people & other dogs calmly: Your dog will be taught to stay sitting beside you until released.

Our training approach promotes emotional stability, impulse control, and respectful lead manners — without fear, frustration, or excessive stimulation. Your dog will also be trained around other dogs and people, to help condition your dog to remain calm and responsive around these types of distractions.

Reactive Dogs

If your dog is overly reactive towards other dogs or people, you may need to book your dog in for our 3 to 4 week reactive dog board & train. Mark will contact you if he feels this is necessary if you are unsure. 

Handover & Support

At the end of the program, you'll receive a detailed handover lesson with our trainer. This session ensures you understand how to maintain and build on your dog's progress at home. Your dog’s training doesn’t stop once it leaves the kennels, therefore it’s important to maintain your dogs training at home.

You also receive an instructional video on how to maintain your dogs training.

We also encourage you to take advantage of the four private refresher lessons at our facility, included as part of the program. These follow-up sessions are designed to assist you to reinforce your dog’s training and support your success in the real world.

By the end of the 14 days, your dog will not only walk calmly on the lead but also develop a healthier mindset around social and environmental distractions — making daily walks more enjoyable for both of you.

Please Note:

The 14-day timeline is a general guide. Every dog is different and may progress at a different pace depending on temperament, previous training, or behavioural issues. If your dog is assessed as needing additional time to complete the program, we will inform you early in the process. Any required extension is typically no more than 1 week. You will have the option to either extend your dog’s stay or choose for us to reduce emphasis on less critical commands.

If using the online booking portal select Board & Train in the Boarding dropdown box.

This is an extension of the 14 Day Course, which helps reinforce all of the commands, and includes additional training and proofing. If you want more than just a better walk, then this is the course for your dog.

Your dog will learn to:

• Loose Lead Walking: Teaching your dog to walk calmly by your side without tension on the lead.
• Free Walking: Helping our dog understand when they’re allowed to explore on a relaxed lead, while still checking in and remaining under control.
• Automatic Sit at Stops: Your dog will learn to sit automatically when you stop walking, and stay seated until given a release cue.
• Sit, drop/down and stand: Your dog will learn to respond to these commands
• Reliable Release Cues:  Whether continuing with “Heel/Walk” or transitioning to “Free,” your dog will respond with clarity and reliability.
• Not rush through gates and doors: Sit calmly whilst opening gates and doors.
• Greet people & other dogs calmly: Your dog will be taught to stay sitting beside you until released.
• Stay: Reliable stay in both the sit and down while you move away up to 5mtrs, until released — developing patience and impulse control

This program is perfect for owners who need help starting their dogs training, and help ensure a respectful, well-mannered companion with better focus and responsiveness in daily life.

Handover & Ongoing Support

At the end of the program, you’ll receive a thorough handover lesson with your trainer to ensure you understand how to maintain and build on your dog’s progress at home.
You’ll also receive a video walk-through of your dog’s training, with step-by-step guidance for reinforcement and maintenance.

Included:

• 12 months support via Zalo chat
• 5 one-on-one sessions at Victoria Falls to assist with maintaining your dogs training
• 6 months free access to our weekly group class
• A personalised instructional video on how to maintain and build upon your dog’s training at home

We’re here to support you — whether you need help maintaining progress or addressing new challenges as they arise.

Please Note:

The 28-day timeline is a general guide. Every dog is different and may progress at a different pace depending on temperament, previous training, or behavioural issues. If your dog is assessed as needing additional time to complete the program, we will inform you early in the process. Any required extension is typically no more than 1 week. You will have the option to either extend your dog’s stay or choose for us to reduce emphasis on less critical commands.

If using the online booking portal select Board & Train in the Boarding dropdown box.

Why a 56-Day Program?

An extended stay allows us to deeply reinforce and proof all obedience commands through consistent repetition, structured exposure, and training in increasingly complex environments. With this added time, your dog transitions from simply understanding commands to reliably performing them in real-world scenarios — even under significant distraction or pressure. We’re able to address any resistance, work through setbacks, and build long-lasting habits that hold up even without food or prompts. The result is a dog who not only obeys but thinks clearly and calmly in any situation.

This program is ideal for owners who expect more than basic obedience — it creates a calm, respectful, and emotionally balanced companion capable of confidently handling a wide range of environments, both on-lead and off-lead.

Your dog will learn to:

• Loose Lead Walking: Teaching your dog to walk calmly by your side without tension on the lead.
• Free Walking: Helping our dog understand when they’re allowed to explore on a relaxed lead, while still checking in and remaining under control.
• Automatic Sit at Stops: Your dog will learn to sit automatically when you stop walking, and stay seated until given a release cue.
• Sit, drop/down and stand: Your dog will learn to respond to these commands
• Reliable Release Cues:  Whether continuing with “Heel/Walk” or transitioning to “Free,” your dog will respond with clarity and reliability.
• Not rush through gates and doors: Sit calmly whilst opening gates and doors.
• Greet people & other dogs calmly: Your dog will be taught to stay sitting beside you until released.
• Stay: Reliable stay in both the sit and down while you move away up to 15mtrs, until released — developing patience and impulse control
• Recall: reliable recalls
• Place command: your dog is trained to go to its bed when told too, and remain there until released.

We also include

Once your dog has mastered all the training, we then transition to real life environments to further proof your dogs overall training.

• Café & Restaurant Etiquette – Your dog will be taught to remain calmly in a down-stay while you enjoy a meal or coffee at a dog-friendly café, restaurant, or bar.
• Public Environment Training – Real-world training in busy settings such as parks, cafés, sidewalks, stores, and markets to ensure your dog remains focused and responsive.
  
  

Follow-Up Support

At the end of the program, you’ll receive a detailed handover lesson with your trainer to ensure you understand how to maintain and build on your dog’s training at home. We recommend attending at least 2 to 3 follow-up lessons after your dog completes this course.

You’ll also receive:

• Unlimited Zalo chat support 
• 10 one-on-one sessions at Victoria Falls to assist with maintaining your dogs training
• 12 months access to our group class
• Follow-up sessions at your home at a 30% discounted rate (available by appointment)
• A personalised instructional video on how to maintain and build upon your dog’s training at home
  
  

Please Note:

The 56-day timeline is a general guide. Every dog is different and may progress at a different pace depending on temperament, previous training, or behavioural issues. If your dog is assessed as needing additional time to complete the program, we will inform you early in the process. Any required extension is typically no more than 1 week. You will have the option to either extend your dog’s stay or choose for us to reduce emphasis on less critical commands.

If using the online booking portal select Board & Train in the Boarding dropdown box.

The Risks Are Real – And Often Permanent

When a dog ingests poison bait or is bitten by a venomous snake, the suffering is immediate and severe. Poisoned dogs often endure violent seizures, internal bleeding, or organ failure, requiring intensive emergency veterinary care—if they survive at all. Even with prompt treatment, many suffer lasting damage to their liver, kidneys, or nervous system, resulting in long-term health issues that affect their quality of life.

Snake bites, particularly from highly venomous species, can cause excruciating pain, massive tissue damage, and systemic toxicity. Surviving dogs often require hospitalisation, antivenom, surgery, and prolonged rehabilitation. Scarring, mobility problems, and permanent organ impairment are not uncommon. These aren’t just life-threatening incidents—they are life-changing traumas that no dog should have to endure.

Victoria Falls Are The Only Training Facility In Vietnam That Offers This Life Saving Training

Our Poison Bait and Snake Avoidance Board & Train Course is designed to prepare your dog to instinctively avoid these threats. Using real poisons (safely managed) and live snakes (professionally handled), we deliver one of the most effective and realistic life-preservation training programs available today.

Course Options

• 7-Day Course – Poison Bait Avoidance - AVAILABLE
  Your dog is trained to identify and avoid food items laced with common poisons used for baiting or left out for rodent control—substances your dog could realistically encounter in the real world.
  
  
• 7-Day Course – Snake Avoidance - AVAILABLE SOON
  Teaches your dog to instinctively avoid live snakes, including realistic training around movement, scent, and appearance.
  
  
• 12-Day Combined Course - AVAILABLE SOON
  Ideal for dogs in high-risk environments, this extended training covers both poison bait and snake avoidance for complete safety.

Training With Real Poisons – Safety First

We use real poisons (safely handled and contained) to expose your dog to authentic scents and situations. Your dog is never at risk of ingestion, but learns to recognise and instinctively avoid foods contaminated with real-world toxins. This creates:

• Strong scent imprinting
• Reliable avoidance behaviour
• A response that transfers to the streets, parks, and home environments

Snake Avoidance Using Live Snakes

We use live, professionally handled snakes under strict safety conditions. This ensures:

• Realistic scent, movement, and visual recognition
• Strong, instinctual avoidance conditioning
• Behaviour that holds up in genuine snake encounters
  
  

All sessions are conducted with the highest safety standards—for your dog, the handler, and the snake.

What Your Dog Will Learn

• To recognise and avoid poisoned food and/or snakes
• To resist eating food found on the ground, even when hungry
• To control natural impulses such as prey drive and curiosity
• To respond reliably in distracting or off-leash environments

Why Choose Board & Train?

Avoidance training with real poisons and live snakes is not something most owners can safely or effectively do at home. Our Board & Train model ensures:

• Proper exposure and repetition
• Safe handling of dangerous stimuli
• A reliable, long-term response

Who Should Consider This Course?

• Dogs in snake-prone or bait-risk environments
• Dogs on farms, near bushland, or in urban areas with frequent rodent bait use
• Dogs walked in known baited areas, or left unattended in backyards, or allowed to roam around parks
• Any owner who wants peace of mind knowing their dog has been trained to avoid life-threatening situations

Aftercare and Ongoing Support

All clients receive:

• A detailed handover and live demonstration
• Tips for maintaining the avoidance response
• Optional refresher training as needed
  • We recommend that owners bring their dog out to Victoria Falls at least every 3 to 6 months for a 1 to 2-hour reinforcement session to ensure the training remains deeply ingrained and reliable in real-world settings. If your dog is boarding with us, we can include refresher training whilst your dog is staying at the kennels (additional fee).

Professional. Proven. Life-Saving

With over 40 years of professional dog training experience—including military, working dog, and behavioural rehabilitation work—we provide realistic, ethical, and highly effective solutions to modern threats faced by dogs today.

If using the online booking portal select Board & Train in the Boarding dropdown box.

Our Reactive Dog Board & Train program at Victoria Falls is designed specifically for dogs struggling with dog-dog reactivity, fear-based behaviours, or uncontrollable arousal in social environments. Whether the behaviour stems from anxiety, learned responses, frustration, or a lack of proper early socialisation, this immersive program provides a clear pathway to behavioural stability and control.

We offer a 3-week to 4-week stay, with the length of the program determined by the intensity of the reactivity, how deeply ingrained the behaviour patterns are, and your dog's overall psychological state. During their stay, your dog will be under the expert care and guidance of internationally respected dog trainer and behaviour specialist Mark, who will assess, plan, and guide your dog through the process of behavioural change.

Initial Assessment

Before booking your dog in, Mark will need to carry out an in-depth behavioural assessment, with you in attendance. When you bring your dog to Victoria Falls for the initial assessment, Mark will conduct a thorough evaluation of your dog’s behaviour and offer a tailored training plan for your consideration, based on your dog’s specific behavioural needs. This behavioural assessment is at Victoria Falls Ranch for around 1 hour. This fee is deducted from the Board & Train fee if you choose to go ahead with your dogs training.

Board & Train Fee

This is dependant on how severe your dogs behaviour is, and how long your dog is required to stay for training.  On average most dogs stay for around 3 to 4 weeks. Mark will give a full quote after he has assessed your dogs behaviour.

What the program involves:

• Thorough behavioural assessment and tailored plan of approach
• Daily structured training sessions focused on reducing reactivity and aggressive behaviour, and teaching emotional control
• Safe, gradual exposure to other dogs and distractions in a controlled environment
• Development of reliable obedience commands to help redirect your dog in high-stress situations
• Work on your dog’s psychological state—not just obedience—so they can learn to remain calm and in control
• Real-world proofing in a variety of environments to ensure reliability outside the training centre
  
  

Throughout the program, your dog will be gradually introduced to correct socialisation protocols, helping them become more confident, emotionally balanced, and socially appropriate when around other dogs and distractions. This isn’t just behaviour management—this is genuine behaviour change.

Support

At the end of the stay, you'll receive:

• A detailed handover session with clear, practical guidance
• A take-home management and training plan
• Ongoing support via Zalo to assist with post-training integration at home
• 12 months access to our fortnightly weekend group sessions

If you're ready to see real, lasting change in your dog’s behaviour, contact us for a no-obligation chat to see if this program is the right fit for your dog.

Please contact Victoria Falls Ranch on Zalo on +84 97 778 40 46