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Training gear
What equipment do you use in board and train?
Equipment says a lot about a program's method. This page lists each piece we work with, the job it does on the skill list, what the go-home lesson covers about it, and the tools that never appear.
The kit
Every piece in the kit does one job on the program's skill list
The kit is short because force-free training does most of its work with timing and rewards rather than hardware. A flat collar carries identification and suits a dog that already walks well. A harness takes the load off the neck for a strong puller, a small dog or a dog whose vet advises against neck pressure. A standard leash handles everyday walking, and a long line gives room for recall work without giving up safety.
The rest of the kit is about settling and learning. A mat or raised cot is the target for place, one of the Foundation skills. A crate is a quiet room for rest and for crate manners, never a punishment. A marker, a click or a short word, tells the dog the exact moment it got something right, and food, play and access pay for it. The table matches each piece to its job and to what you will learn about it at the lesson.
| Equipment | Job in the stay | What the go-home lesson covers |
|---|---|---|
| Flat collar with ID and license tag | Identification; leash work for dogs that already walk well | Fit and tags |
| Harness | Leash work for pullers, small dogs and dogs with neck concerns | Fit and which clip to use |
| Standard leash | Loose-leash walking and everyday handling | How to hold it so slack, not tension, moves you forward |
| Long line | Recall practice with freedom and safety | Length, clipping it to a harness, and when it stays on |
| Mat or raised cot | Place, settling, door and meal manners | Where to put one at home |
| Crate | Rest and crate manners, as a quiet room | Setup and short stays at first |
| Marker and rewards | Timing and pay for every skill | The word, the timing and the rewards that worked |
Not in the kit
No aversive tools are used at any point, and none is sent home
Dogtown's programs are fear- and force-free, so the kit leaves out every tool built to work through discomfort: electronic, remote or shock collars, prong or pinch collars, choke chains, and leash pops on any collar. The AVSAB's 2021 position statement names choke chains, prong collars and electronic shock collars among tools that involve pain, and recommends reward-based methods for all dog training. Squirt bottles, shaker cans and alpha rolls are out as well.
If your dog arrives in one of those tools, tell us at the consult what it wears and why it started; the stay works on a flat collar or harness from day one. Retractable leashes stay at home too, not because they hurt but because they teach the wrong lesson. As the AKC puts it, a retractable leash rewards pulling: the more the dog pulls, the more leash and freedom it gets.
- No e-collars, remote collars or shock collars
- No prong or pinch collars and no choke chains
- No leash pops, squirt bottles, shaker cans or alpha rolls
- No retractable leash while leash skills are being taught
Choosing for your dog
The right collar or harness depends on the dog, and the assessment decides it
Most dogs fall into one of a few cases. A dog that already walks politely can train on its own flat collar. A dog that pulls hard, a small dog or a dog whose vet has advised against pressure on the neck usually does better in a harness. A dog with an eye or neck condition wears whatever its vet recommends, and the plan follows that advice. Bring what your dog wears every day to the assessment so the trainer can see it in use.
Long lines have their own rules. The AKC's recall guide starts a dog on a 6-foot leash and then moves to a 20- or 30-foot longline, handing over distance gradually, and it is clear that the line is there to control the situation, not to reel the dog in. A long line is best clipped to a harness so a sudden stop does not land on the neck, and it belongs in open, legal spaces rather than on crowded sidewalks.
- 01
Start from what your dog wears now, and tell us how walks go in it
- 02
If walks are already calm, keep the flat collar for leash work
- 03
If your dog pulls hard or your vet advises against neck pressure, switch to a harness
- 04
Add a long line, clipped to the harness, only for recall work in open space
- 05
Add a mat or cot for place, big enough for your dog to lie down flat
- 06
Leave tools that hurt or startle at home, and tell us if your dog has used one
At home
What the kit means for your dog: the same gear before, during and after the stay
Consistency is the point. A dog that learns loose-leash walking in one harness and goes home to a different setup has to relearn part of the skill, so arrive in the gear you plan to keep using. The go-home lesson covers how to hold the leash, when the long line stays on and where a mat earns its place in your house. If anything should change, the trainer says so there, and our page on what to buy after the stay has the short list.
Cape Ann adds its own reasons to get the gear right. Gloucester requires dogs to remain under their owner's control, Rockport asks for a leash or direct voice control, and Massachusetts law requires a licensed dog to wear a collar or harness with the license tag securely attached. A long line suits an off-season beach or an open field where the rules allow it, not the narrow sidewalks of Bearskin Neck in July.
- The same harness or collar before, during and after
- A leash held so slack moves you forward
- A long line only where open space and the rules allow
- The license tag on the collar or harness
At Dogtown
Force-free programs, one short kit
Board and train, Canine Campus and private sessions all work with the same short kit, chosen for your dog by Gabriella Pope.
Asked and answered
Questions people ask about this
Short, complete answers you can act on today. More in the full FAQ.
Can my dog wear its own harness during the stay?
Do I need to buy a clicker?
Why not use a retractable leash for recall practice?
What should my dog wear on drop-off day?
More questions? Read the full FAQ
Sources
- AVSAB position statement on humane dog training (2021)
- AKC: how to train your dog to come when called
- AKC: retractable dog leashes, when and how to use them
- Massachusetts General Laws c. 140 s. 137 (license tag)
Rules and dates change. We re-check every beach, licensing and ordinance page each spring and fall; the source above is the current word.
Keep reading
Next step
Show us your dog's everyday gear.
Send the training form and list the collar, harness and leash your dog uses now. We reply within one hour on business days.
- 01Free evaluationWeekdays 6:30 – 9:30 AM
- 02Book a dayOnline, in the app or by phone
- 03Play, rest, repeatReport card at pick-up
