Why Training in a Home Environment is far better than a kennel.

Why Real-Life Training Matters More Than You Think

Puppy Otto learning a down stay

Most dogs can perform beautifully in a quiet training hall, until they go home and immediately return to barking at the door, stealing food off counters, and losing their mind every time someone walks by a window. Traditional obedience classes teach skills.

Home-environment training teaches real-world behaviour.

At CareyTrainsMe, dogs train inside an actual home and on a working hobby farm in Abbotsford, B.C., giving them exposure to real distractions, natural routines, and the structure they need to develop calm, reliable manners.

This is where training becomes practical, transferable, and truly life-changing.

Door Manners: Teaching Calmness When Someone Knocks

Most dogs don’t bark because they’re “bad.” They bark because knocks and doorbells are genuinely exciting or stressful.

Training in a real home means your dog practices with:

• Actual knocks and real doorbells

• Delivery drivers

• Surprise visitors

• Family members coming and going

Over time, excitement becomes predictable, and your dog learns to look to their person for direction. Calmness replaces chaos.

Kitchen Manners: Eliminating Counter Surfing for Good

Kitchen habits are formed in the kitchen, not in a classroom.

Dogs learn not to:

• Surf countertops

• Snatch food

• Help themselves to grocery bags

• Hover underfoot while cooking

Training around real food, real smells, and real movement creates reliable impulse control. Your dog learns the kitchen is not a self-serve buffet.

Settling While Humans Cook and Eat: A Skill That Changes Everything

A dog who can settle during meal prep or dinner is living a life of emotional balance, and so are their humans.

In a home environment, dogs practice:

• Relaxing on a mat

• Staying calm amidst noise and movement

• Ignoring dropped food

• Respecting human meal times

This is where dogs learn to coexist peacefully, not hover or beg.

Waiting at Doors and Gates Until Released: Safety + Manners

Waiting at doors and gates is about safety and impulse control.

On the farm and in the home, dogs learn to:

• Pause automatically

• Wait for a consistent release cue

• Stay calm even when a door opens

• Resist the urge to bolt into exciting spaces

Whether it’s the front door, a backyard gate, or an entry to an animal area, reliable threshold manners prevent accidents and reduce pushy behaviour.

Off-Leash Recall Around Real Distractions (Goats, Pigs, Chickens, Ducks & Dogs)

This is where home/farm training becomes unbeatable.

Most dogs have recall…Until something more interesting appears.

A squirrel.A jogger.Another dog.

Or… a goat.

Training on a working hobby farm means your dog safely practices recall around:

• Goats

• Chickens

• Ducks

• Pigs

• Other dogs with varying energy levels

If your dog can recall away from a chicken, they can recall anywhere.This is how we build bombproof recall, not by avoiding distractions, but by training through them.

The Home Environment Advantage: Why Dogs Learn Faster

Dogs learn best when training directly reflects their everyday life.

Home-environment training provides:

• Realistic distractions

• Predictable routines

• Calmness built through repetition

• Skills practiced where they matter most

The behaviour sticks because the training happens in the context your dog actually lives in.

Confidence and Emotional Stability Through Real-Life Repetition

Real-life practice helps dogs develop:

• Emotional control

• Predictability

• Lowered anxiety

• Higher confidence

A confident dog is a trainable dog, and that confidence is built through experiences that feel real, not staged.

Real Homes Build Real Skills

Training inside a real home and around everyday distractions is what turns obedience into reliability.

At CareyTrainsMe, your dog doesn’t just learn cues, they learn how to live well in your household. From polite door greetings to kitchen manners to recall around farm animals, your dog practices the exact skills they’ll use daily.

The goal isn’t a dog who performs in a lesson.

It’s a dog who thrives at home.