Looking for dog boarding kennels near Melbourne? Newcomers are always welcome! At Alpha Boarding School For Dogs, we offer complete 20-day training and rehabilitation programs based on reliable obedience and “good behaviour” shaping.
Our boarding school is based in Macclesfield, and it’s this site where we’ve trained over 10,000 dogs since 1996 through practical, realistic, and practical methods that produce genuine behaviour change.
The trainers here are working boarding school dogs within close proximity to their own dogs who are all in off lead drop stay. These boarding school dogs all began their courses with different behaviours issues & goals. Ranging from fear based aggression, anxiety around new people and dogs, aggressive behaviour towards other dogs on lead, to over excitement and uncontrollable behaviour when there was something more interesting to do than listen to their owners.
Dog Boarding Kennels Supporting Melbourne Dog Owners
Our trainers are not only passionate about what they do, but also dedicated to achieving the right outcome. This is why we often receive direct referrals from dog owners across Victoria. These often come from friends, family, workmates, vets or other satisfied owners out on walks or at the beach/park.
Throughout our 20-day program, your dog participates in on-lead and off-lead sessions using proven methods like Pattern Learning, Canine Good Behaviour Shaping. These techniques ultimately allow your dog to listen and make better behavioural and social choices in everyday situations—without relying on food-based rewards that often fail in the real world full of distraction and behavioural triggers.
From the first day of course through to the final 3-hour handover session, your dog will receive individual attention directly tailored around its own specific behaviour patterns and triggers.
In our purpose built manners room – learning to wait for an invitation though a doorway
“Every interaction with your dog is important so the methods used to teach them must be practical, positive and relevant to all real-life scenarios”.
Specialised Aggressive Dog Training Through Our Boarding Kennels
Many Melbourne dog owners come to us with concerns about their pet’s aggression or reactive behaviour. The good news? The trainers at our dog boarding school specialise in addressing these challenges safely and effectively.
We work with each dog’s individual triggers using controlled exposure, structured boundaries, and clear communication—never fear-based methods or food bribery. Whether your dog reacts to people, other animals, or specific situations, our training develops trust, respect, and calm, reliable responses.
These dogs are waiting to be invited through the gate. Once individually invited they come through on command.
Why Melbourne Dog Owners Choose Alpha Boarding School For Dogs
Here is what sets our dog boarding kennels apart for Melbourne dog owners:
Experienced Trainers: Decades of practical experience working with aggression, fear, anxiety, over-excitability and other behavioural challenges.
Tailored Training Programs: Each dog receives an individualised approach based on their history, temperament, and behavioural concerns.
Transparent Guidance: Your 3-hour handover session ensures you understand how to maintain and improve your dog’s behaviour with continued practice at home.
Realistic, Practical Methods: We use behaviour-based, cognitive learning methods—not unreliable food-reward training.
Over ten thousand Melbourne dog owners come to us through referrals from vets, trainers, previous clients, and dog owners who have seen results firsthand.
This dog is working on her off lead manners and obedience in our manners room – under the distraction of one of our resident Kitty Cats Jensen.
These dogs live in an apartment so their owner is using boundary training to assist with safely traveling in the elevator.
This dog is learning self control & overall manners around food on a coffee table.
Dogs of all ages can learn not to barge out an open gate – in this picture the Beagle is 3 months old, the Kelpie is 1 year old and the Rottweiler at 10 years old.
The trainers dogs are waiting at the gate for their turn to be invited through. They help the trainers throughout the day teach the other dogs to listen under distraction.
Enrol at Our Dog Boarding Kennels near Melbourne
Noticed a troubling pattern of behaviour? Want to establish the right habits? If you want dog boarding kennels near Melbourne that offer real results, the Alpha boarding school provides a structured environment where your dog can learn, adapt, and return home well-behaved.
Important: All Melbourne dog owners must speak to a trainer before booking.
Call (03) 8756 8900 — option 2 (Required before booking)
If you have already spoken with a trainer and want to make a booking:
Call (03) 8756 8902
For boarding-only bookings:
Call (03) 8756 8902
Office hours: Monday–Friday, 8am–4:30pm. Please leave a message outside these hours. For urgent weekend matters, call (03) 8756 8900 ext 2.
Email enquiries: enquiries@alphaboardingkennels.com.au
(Please include your contact number so a trainer can call you back.)
When you enquire, we fully explain the boarding school process, our methods, homework expectations, pricing, and how training applies to your dog’s specific behavioural issues. We want you to understand exactly what you are paying for and what results are realistically achievable.
This dog is demonstrating calm controlled behaviour and manners under high distraction of both the cat wandering past and the child having a meal nearby.
She is also demonstrating a calm wait for permission to enter the lounge area (internal house boundary) without the need for a commonly used “baby gate” room divider.
This dog is also demonstrating calm controlled behaviour inside the home whilst the baby is playing nearby.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
We have trained well over 10,000 dogs over the last 25 years – we receive so many referrals from those who have already successfully used our methods. Our services are in high demand and we are inundated with enquiries, and we take the time to discuss everything in detail with each and every dog owner needing our help.
To that end, you will probably need to leave us a message when you call as we are on the phone helping owners all day long. We will generally have spaces to get your dogs in relatively quickly once we do talk, and will call you back as soon as we can.
Proudly Serving Dog Owners Across Victoria from Our Macclesfield Location
- Dog Boarding Kennels Melbourne
Other Service Available in Melbourne
Frequently Asked Questions
These are our proven and realistic training methods that set us apart from food reward trainers . Pattern Learning establishes consistent, positive and reliable obedience responses, while Canine Good Behaviour Shaping teaches your dog real-life manners that really matter. This equates to learning to learn and learning to listen, under distraction without relying on impractical food bribes.
Yes. We have successfully trained over 10,000 dogs since 1996, including thousands with severe behavioural and aggression issues. Our methods are designed to address the root cause of problems like aggression towards people or other animals, separation anxiety, and resource guarding, not just mask the symptoms.
Yes, transparent communication is a key part of our service. We have an update process to keep you informed about your dog’s wellbeing and training progress throughout their 20-day stay at our boarding school.
This is a critical part of the course for ensuring long-term success. When you collect your dog, our trainers spend three hours with you. We demonstrate your dog’s new skills and, most importantly, transfer that knowledge to you – hands-on, making sure you feel confident maintaining the new boundaries and commands at home.
Absolutely. While we are experts at complex issues, our course is perfectly designed to solve common problems like pulling on the lead, jumping, excessive barking, and poor recall. We teach reliable impulse control and manners that apply to everyday life, giving you the methods to help your dog become the well-behaved companion you’ve always wanted.