Small dogs, real rules
Board and train for small dogs in Houston: Frenchies, doodles and terriers
Small dogs get away with things a shepherd never could, and that is how a Frenchie ends up ruling a Montrose townhome. Nobody trains the ten-pound dog because he is easy to pick up. Then he bites a guest's ankle or screams at every dog on the sidewalk, and picking him up stops working. Board and train for small dogs takes them seriously.
Last reviewed September 11, 2026 · by the Best Dog University Team
Who brings a small dog
Small-dog board and train fits the dog who has been managed instead of trained.
The French bulldog who owns the couch. Growling when moved, guarding a lap, snapping at kids who reach for him. Frenchies are stubborn, affectionate and physical, and because they are small the growl gets laughed off until it becomes a bite. Platinum gives three weeks to reset the rules and the unlimited lessons afterward to keep them reset in your living room.
The mini doodle or cavapoo who cannot settle. Small poodle mixes are often bright, sound-sensitive and wound tight, barking at every hallway noise in a West University townhome and losing their minds when a guest arrives. Gold's place command and impulse control work are what these dogs are missing, and two weeks is usually enough.
The terrier who thinks he is 80 pounds. Jack Russells, Yorkies and rat terriers lunge at big dogs, chase cats across the street and bark for an hour at the mail carrier. That is reactivity in a small package, and it needs the same behavior modification a big reactive dog gets, delivered in Platinum with field trips sized to the dog.
- Frenchies and pugs who growl, guard or snap
- Mini doodles and cavaliers who bark and cannot settle
- Terriers who lunge at large dogs on leash
- Small dogs who have never been asked to hold a command because carrying them was easier
A small dog's stay
The curriculum is the same; the sessions, the equipment and the heat rules are scaled to the dog.
Drop-off at the training home in Cypress, or a $250 pick-up from your door. Small dogs are crated in the house like every other dog, on their own routine, and they are never lumped in with the large dogs for play. Leash work starts on a lightweight slip lead or a properly fitted small harness, with no tool chosen until our trainers have seen how the individual dog responds.
Sessions are shorter and more frequent, because a small dog's body and attention run hot. Place, sit/stay and door boundaries are taught at floor level with the handler kneeling less and expecting more; a small dog learns quickly that a command from standing height still counts. Platinum dogs go on field trips to stores and patios, in a heel, on the ground, not in a bag or a cart. Videos go out Monday, Wednesday and Friday like every program.
Days 1 to 2: crate routine, meals for a sit, a short walk on quiet streets to find out what the dog does on a leash when nobody picks him up.
Days 3 to 5: sit/stay, place/stay and door boundaries in the house; barking at windows and hallway noise is addressed with place and a calm boundary.
Days 6 to 8: loose leash walking past fence dogs and joggers; impulse control at the bowl and the front door; no jumping on legs or laps without an invitation.
Days 9 to 11: for Platinum dogs, behavior modification with big dogs at a distance, guarding work with hands near the bowl and the bed, and handling drills.
Days 12 to 14: proofing indoors and out, then the go-home session; Gold dogs finish here.
Days 15 to 21 (Platinum): field trips to stores along 290, a patio down/stay and a sidewalk pass by large dogs, then the comprehensive handover.
Price and inclusions
Small dogs pay the same $2,500 or $3,750, because they get the same program.
There is no small-dog discount and no small-dog shortcut. Gold at $2,500 covers sit/stay, place/stay, loose leash, door boundaries, jumping, pulling and impulse control, plus a go-home session, an additional lesson and lifelong support. Platinum at $3,750 adds down/stay, structured heel, behavior modification for reactivity and aggression, field trips, a comprehensive handover and unlimited private lessons for the life of the dog.
The $250 reservation deposit. After the free consultation, a $250 deposit through Reserve Your Spot holds the dates and is applied to the program. Small-dog families sometimes ask whether a one-week Silver would do; for a dog with a growl or a bark problem it will not, and our team says so rather than take the smaller booking.
- Same price as a large dog, same personal training by our team
- Tools sized to the dog: light leads, fitted harnesses, nothing borrowed from a shepherd
- $250 transport with a lesson at your home on the return
- $250 deposit, credited to the program total
| Small-dog problem | Program | Price | Key inclusions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barking, jumping, no settle, pulling | Gold Board & Train, 2 weeks | $2,500 | Sit/stay, place/stay, loose leash, door boundaries, impulse control, go-home session, additional lesson, lifelong support |
| Growling, guarding, snapping, lunging at dogs | Platinum Board & Train, 3 weeks | $3,750 | Gold plus down/stay, structured heel, behavior modification, field trips, comprehensive handover, unlimited private lessons |
| A basic refresher on leash and doors only | Silver Foundation, 1 week | $1,500 | Loose leash walking, door boundaries, basic structure, go-home session |
Houston specifics
Flat faces and short legs make Houston heat the first rule of a small-dog stay.
French bulldogs, pugs and Boston terriers cannot cool themselves the way a long-nosed dog can, and Houston from May to September is where that becomes dangerous. Their sessions run in the early morning and evening only, outdoor work is minutes rather than half hours, and midday training happens in the air-conditioned house or a store aisle. The AVMA's heat guidance for pets is what our trainers follow, and flat-faced dogs get the most conservative version of it.
Small dogs also live close to the ground, where Houston has fire ants on every esplanade and standing water in every ditch after rain. Leash work teaches the dog to walk where the handler walks, which keeps him off mounds. Heartworm prevention should be current before drop-off, because mosquito season here does not really end, and a ten-pound dog has less margin.
- Flat-faced breeds train outdoors only at the cool ends of the day in summer
- Short sessions, indoor work and water breaks written into the daily plan
- Fire ant and ditch awareness built into the leash work
- Townhome and patio families in Montrose, the Heights and Rice Village are 30 to 45 minutes away
The programs
The programs small dogs go into.
Gold for manners and barking, Platinum for teeth and reactivity. Size never changes the program; behavior does.
Asked and answered
Questions people ask about this.
Is board and train worth it for a small dog?
If the dog growls, bites, screams at other dogs or cannot settle, yes, and it is often the first time anyone has expected him to hold a rule. A small dog with a bite history is still a dog with a bite history. The Gold or Platinum stay gives him structure, and the go-home session gives you a way to keep it without picking him up.
Will my small dog be around big dogs during the stay?
He will be in a house where other dogs live, each crated and trained separately, and he is never put into open play with large dogs. If he is reactive to big dogs, Platinum uses them deliberately, at a distance he can handle, on leash, with a trainer managing both ends. That is training, not exposure for its own sake.
What tools do you use on a ten-pound dog?
Light ones, chosen after our trainers see the dog. Most small dogs work on a lightweight slip lead or a fitted harness, with rewards doing most of the teaching. Balanced training means fair boundaries as well, but the tool is picked for the dog in front of us, and the go-home session shows you exactly how it was used.
Can a French bulldog do board and train in the Houston summer?
Yes, with the heat rules that flat-faced breeds require. Outdoor sessions are short and happen at dawn and after sunset from May through September, with the rest of the day's training done indoors. Our trainers watch breathing and pace closely and would rather cut a session short than push a Frenchie in the heat.
How much is board and train for a small dog in Houston?
The same as for any dog: $2,500 for the two-week Gold or $3,750 for the three-week Platinum, with a one-week Silver at $1,500 for a simple leash and door refresher. Transport is $250 and includes a lesson at your home. A $250 reservation deposit holds your dates.
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Tell our team what your small dog gets away with.
The free phone consultation is a direct call with our trainers, no cost and no obligation. If a stay fits, a $250 reservation deposit holds the dates and is applied toward the program.