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Attachment, explained

Will my dog forget me during board and train?

It is the question families ask most quietly at the consult. Here is what attachment research says in plain words, what it cannot tell you yet, why a dog can trust its trainer without loosening its bond with you, and what reunions usually look like.

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Last reviewed October 10, 2026 · by the Dogtown team · reviewed by Gabriella Pope, Director of Training & Canine Behaviorist

Definition

Attachment is an enduring bond, and dogs show it most clearly when their person comes back

Attachment is the enduring emotional bond between a dog and a particular person, seen when the dog seeks that person out, uses them as a safe base in new places and reacts to their departures and returns. Researchers borrowed the test from child psychology. Ainsworth's Strange Situation, adapted for dogs by Topál and colleagues in 1998, has revealed several distinct attachment patterns in dogs, according to a 2015 review by Payne, Bennett and McGreevy.

The same review describes the secure base effect: with an attachment figure present, dogs explore new objects more freely, whether the owner encourages them or simply sits quietly. A 2013 PLOS ONE study by Rehn, McGowan and Keeling found that dogs initiated more physical contact with a familiar person than with a stranger when reunited, and concluded that behavior at reunion reveals more about attachment than behavior during the separation itself.

  • Seeks you out and stays near you somewhere new
  • Explores more freely when you are there
  • Notices your departures and your returns
  • Greets you with more contact than it offers a stranger

Why it matters

A board and train is built around giving the dog back, so the bond is part of the plan

Every board and train is designed around a return. Your dog spends one or two weeks learning with a trainer, then the go-home lesson moves each cue back into your hands, and the two-week Advanced program adds a second scheduled coaching lesson. The plan assumes your dog comes home as your dog. The harder job runs the other way: making sure the cues follow the dog home, since a skill built with a trainer does not transfer to the family on its own.

Dogs can also build trust with the people who care for them, and that helps during a stay, because a dog that trusts its trainer eats, rests and learns better. Nothing in the research suggests that a new relationship replaces an old one. In a 2012 study by Kuhne and colleagues, 24 privately owned dogs responded differently to petting from a familiar person than from an unfamiliar one, a sign that dogs keep careful track of who is who.

A small white and tan terrier running toward the camera through long green grass with yellow flowers behind it.

Reunions

Reunions are usually loud, and Dogtown plans pick-up day around the lesson that follows

Most reunions are noisy. Expect wagging, whining, jumping or a full-body wiggle, sometimes followed by a dog that seems briefly overwhelmed and wanders off to sniff. Rehn's team also recorded more lip licking when dogs greeted the familiar person, which they thought was probably a general response to anyone returning after time alone. A calm hello from you, with a few minutes before any cue is asked, helps the dog settle before the go-home lesson begins.

Pick-up happens in a window: weekdays 6:30 to 9:30 AM, 12 to 1 PM or 4 to 6:30 PM; Saturdays 8 to 10 AM, 12 to 1 PM or 4 to 6 PM; and Sundays, for overnight stays only, 8 to 10 AM or 4 to 6 PM. Confirm the lesson time when you book. Bring the leash and collar your dog normally wears, and keep the first evening quiet. A dog may be tired after days of training blocks, play and new routines, which is fatigue rather than sadness.

  1. 01

    Greet calmly and let the excitement pass before asking for anything

  2. 02

    Bring everyone who handles the dog to the go-home lesson

  3. 03

    Feed, walk and settle at the times the stay used for the first few days

  4. 04

    Practice two or three cues for a few minutes, then stop on a win

  5. 05

    Save visitors and busy outings for the second week home

  6. 06

    Message the front desk in the Dogtown app if anything worries you

The research

The research is clear that dogs bond with individuals, and silent on training stays

Attachment research in dogs is young and often small. Rehn's 2013 study used 12 laboratory beagles, and the authors caution that results may not carry over to pet dogs and that greeting intensity alone does not prove an attachment bond. Payne's review notes that the owner's own behavior during the test can shift the dog's behavior and cortisol. We found no study that follows dogs through a one- or two-week training stay and measures the bond afterward, so nobody can give you a figure.

What the evidence does support is that dogs form individual, discriminating bonds and that those bonds show at reunions. Some dogs have trouble with separations from particular people; Merck's Veterinary Manual describes dogs distressed when apart from certain caregivers that cannot be comforted by others. If that sounds like your dog, tell us before booking, because a stay away from home may not be the right first step, and our page on separation anxiety and isolation distress explains the difference.

At Dogtown

Dogtown keeps you in touch during the stay and hands the routine back at the end

During a stay you hear from us every day, and the updates cover eating, resting and settling as well as skills. Whether they include video is confirmed at booking. For an overnight stay you may send your dog's food, any medications and one small comfort item such as a blanket, and a familiar smell can help in the first nights. Whether visits mid-stay fit the plan is a question to raise at the consult rather than one we answer in advance.

Back home, keep the first walks on familiar routes, your own street or a quiet path, before the bustle of downtown Gloucester or the off-season crowd at Good Harbor. If you live in Rockport, Gloucester, Essex or Manchester-by-the-Sea and later want daycare or Academy days, the Pup Van runs for $10 each way. Each starts with the free evaluation on a weekday morning between 6:30 and 9:30 AM, unless your dog has already done it.

  • Daily updates on eating, rest and settling
  • One comfort item from home, plus the usual food
  • Visits during the stay: ask at the consult
  • First walks home on familiar routes

At Dogtown

A stay that ends with a handover

Board and train runs in an overnight suite and ends with go-home lessons, so your dog comes back to your routine.

Australian shepherd sitting attentively during training Dog TrainingFrom $94 per session · Explore Golden retriever resting on a cozy bed in a Dogtown boarding suite Overnight StaysFrom $78 · Explore

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Pick-up & drop-off

The Pup Van comes to you.

Pup Van pick-up and drop-off is available for $10 each way in the Rockport, Gloucester, Essex and Manchester-by-the-Sea area. Not in the area? Ask us for pricing.

  • Rockport
  • Gloucester
  • Essex
  • Manchester-by-the-Sea
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Asked and answered

Questions people ask about this

Short, complete answers you can act on today. More in the full FAQ.

Will my dog be sad while I am away?
Some dogs miss their routine, especially in the first day or two, and others settle quickly. We cannot promise how yours will feel, but we can show you: the daily updates report eating, rest and how the dog settles. If your dog has struggled with separations before, tell us at the consult so the plan accounts for it.
Will my dog love the trainer more than me?
Research does not suggest that a new bond replaces an old one. Dogs can trust several people and still tell them apart, and the people they live with carry years of history. Your dog may sit faster for the trainer on pick-up day, which is about practice rather than affection, and the go-home lesson exists to close that gap.
Will my dog be angry with me for leaving it?
Nothing in the research describes resentment after a separation. What studies record at reunions is more contact-seeking with the familiar person, not avoidance. A dog that seems standoffish at pick-up is usually tired or overstimulated, and it tends to look like itself again once its home routine is back.
Should I send something that smells of home?
Yes, one item. For any overnight stay you may bring a small comfort item, such as the blanket or toy your dog actually sleeps with, along with its usual food and any medications. We provide bedding and enrichment, so one familiar item is better than a bag of toys.
What if my dog seems distant at pick-up?
A dog that greets you and then wanders off to sniff, or seems flat for an evening, is usually overstimulated or tired rather than estranged. Give it space, a quiet evening and its normal routine. If it still seems withdrawn after a few days, or stops eating, call your vet and tell us.

More questions? Read the full FAQ

Sources

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

Board and train at DogtownSeparation anxiety vs isolation distressIs board and train stressful for dogs?Daily updates during board and train Board and train All guides

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