Saugapaws Luxury Board and Train & Boarding In Saugatuck, Fennville and Douglas
At Saugapaws, we go beyond obedience — creating trust, confidence, and joy in every dog.
Why Saugapaws?
You pictured relaxed weekend mornings, easy walks to your favorite local spots, and a dog who just fit seamlessly into your life. Instead, you're getting your arm pulled out of its socket, bracing yourself every time the doorbell rings, or constantly scanning the horizon for other dogs. It’s exhausting, it’s frustrating, and it’s completely normal to feel a bit overwhelmed by it all.
We get it. And more importantly, we know how to help you breathe a sigh of relief.
The Saugapaws Way
A Real Home, Not a Kennel: Traditional boarding and training spaces can be loud, chaotic, and stressful. We do things differently on our 14-acre property. Your dog lives right in our home, cage-free, alongside us. Because we strictly limit our care to just five dogs at a time, your pup gets the quiet, focused attention they actually need to settle down and learn.
Training That Makes Sense to Your Dog: As a Karen Pryor Academy Certified Trainer, I don't use fear, force, or painful tools like prong or shock collars. Instead, we use science-based, positive reinforcement. When you teach a dog what to do instead of constantly punishing them for what not to do, their anxiety drops, their focus goes up, and they start making good choices because they actually want to.
You're Part of the Team: A dog isn't a car you drop off at a mechanic to get fixed. For the training to stick, you need to feel confident, too. We send you daily updates and step-by-step coaching while your dog is with us, so you can see exactly how the pieces fit together. When they come home, you’ll know exactly how to keep the momentum going.
We’ve Got Your Back for a Year: Behavior isn't a one-and-done deal; it’s an ongoing relationship. That’s why our programs include a full year of professional support. Whether you hit a bumpy patch a few months from now or just need a quick troubleshooting call, we are right here to walk you through it.
At Saugapaws, we aren't looking for robotic, mindless obedience. We want to help you build a calm, trust-based partnership with your dog, so you can finally have the life together you looked forward to in the first place.
Services
Saugapaws Puppy Foundation (10 - 14 Days)
$1,850 - $2,500
The early months of a puppy's life are a critical, fast-moving developmental window. What they learn right now sets the tone for the rest of their lives. Whether you have a brand-new baby pup or a growing adolescent who has suddenly found their voice (and their teeth), we handle the heavy lifting of early socialization, impulse control, and manners.
We offer this program in two tiers based on your puppy's age and specific developmental needs:
The 10-Day Jumpstart (For puppies 8 to 20 weeks old | $1,850): Focuses heavily on house-training mechanics, crate comfort, early socialization, and gentle introductions to the world.
The 14-Day Comprehensive (For puppies 4 to 6 months old | $2,500): Focuses on adolescent manners, emotional regulation, and building focus around real-world distractions (like biting, jumping, and pulling).
-
A Quiet, Cage-Free Home Environment: Traditional kennels can terrify a young puppy, creating lifelong fears. Your pup lives directly in our home alongside us, limited to just five guests at a time. This keeps their cortisol (stress) levels low and ensures they feel entirely safe.
3 to 5 Short, High-Success Training Sessions Daily: Puppies have tiny attention spans. We work in brief, positive blocks throughout the day to build focus, name recognition, and reliable basics (Sit, Down, Stay, and coming when called).
House Training & Crate Mechanics: We establish reliable potty routines and build genuine, positive associations with the crate so that your life at home becomes significantly easier.
Controlled Socialization & Decompression: For younger pups, this means safe, positive exposure to novel sights, sounds, and surfaces to build a resilient adult dog. For older pups, this includes daily structured "Sniffaris" through our private woods to drain adolescent energy and lower arousal.
Daily Video Report Cards: You won't miss a thing. We send you daily, narrated video updates showing your puppy's actual breakthroughs and progress.
Hands-On Go-Home Coaching: A puppy isn’t a car you drop off for a tune-up. To make the training stick, we spend 1 to 1.5 hours with you on drop-off day, teaching you the exact mechanics, cues, and management strategies we used.
Clean and Settled Return: Every puppy receives a gentle, low-stress bath before heading home so they return to you clean, smelling fresh, and ready to cuddle.
Scope: Specifically designed for puppies 8 to 20 weeks old. This residency focuses on the critical developmental window, handling the "heavy lifting" of early socialization, house training foundations, and basic manners.
Includes: A solid developmental foundation and a clear roadmap for your puppy's first year.
Saugapaws Essential Reset (7 Days)
$1,450
This program is designed for the "mostly good" adult dog (6 months or older) who has simply slid into a few bad habits. If your dog already knows the basics but has started pulling on the leash, ignoring your cues on the first ask, or rushing the front door, this week-long stay acts as a behavioral palate cleanser. It’s also the ideal solution for owners heading on a short vacation who want their dog to enjoy a peaceful stay while brushing up on their manners.
-
A Low-Stress Home Environment: Real learning can't happen in a loud, stressful kennel. Your dog stays right in our home with a maximum of four other guests. Keeping the environment quiet ensures their stress levels stay low, allowing them to focus and retain what they learn.
Re-Engaging Focus: We do multiple short, high-success sessions throughout the day. Instead of drilling them, we play focus-based games to remind them that paying attention to humans is highly rewarding and fun.
Real-World Leash Manners: We use our 14-acre wooded trails to practice loose-leash walking. By working around the natural sights and scents of our property, we teach your dog how to stay connected to their handler even when the world gets interesting.
Threshold and Transition Manners: We work specifically on impulse control at boundaries—teaching your dog to wait politely at doors and settle calmly on their "place" mat rather than barging through or demand-barking.
Daily Video Updates: You’ll receive a daily, narrated video clip showing you exactly what we worked on, the progress your dog made, and how their body language looks.
A Detailed Go-Home Session: A one-week stay is a jumpstart, but the real magic happens when they get home. On pick-up day, we spend an hour together coaching you through the exact handling techniques and games we used, ensuring a seamless transition back into your routine.
A Fresh Return: Every dog gets a gentle, relaxing bath before heading home so they return to you clean and ready for the couch.
Scope: Specifically designed for the "mostly good" dog that has lost their edge. This intensive week is ideal for adult dogs (6 months+) who need a tune-up on leash manners, impulse control, or "listening the first time." It’s the perfect solution for owners heading on a short vacation who want their dog to return better than they left.
Seven days allows for a "Behavioral Cleanse." By removing the dog from its home environment and placing it in Saugapaws, our structured, low-cortisol 14-acre estate, we can extinguish "naughty" habits and reinforce a high level of engagement.
Saugapaws Core Companion (14 Days)
$3,000
This is our flagship two-week residency designed for adolescent and adult dogs (over 20 weeks old) who need a comprehensive real-world education. Whether your dog lacks a basic foundation entirely, or they listen beautifully inside the house but completely tune you out the moment you step onto a public sidewalk, this program bridges that gap. We focus heavily on impulse control, emotional regulation, and outdoor reliability.
-
Boutique, Low-Stress Environment: True behavior modification and learning require a calm nervous system. Your dog lives directly in our home with a maximum of four other guest dogs. This small, highly managed setting keeps adrenaline low and prevents the barrier frustration and exhaustion common in traditional commercial kennels.
The Foundation Skills: We establish or refine the core behaviors every household needs: a reliable sit/stay, down, polite greetings without jumping, a rock-solid recall (coming when called), and loose-leash walking.
Proofing Around Real-World Distractions: Once your dog understands a behavior in our quiet home setting, we step up the challenge. We take structured "Sniffaris" through our private 14-acre woods and transition to guided training walks in downtown Saugatuck or Douglas to teach your dog how to choose focus over environmental distractions.
Adolescent Impulse Control: We address typical teenage dog behaviors—like demand barking, door dashing, and overarousal—by teaching them how to settle themselves and look to you for direction when they feel excited or unsure.
Daily Video Updates: You are a vital part of this journey. We send you daily, narrated video clips of your dog’s actual training sessions so you can watch their progress and learn the timing of the cues in real time.
Comprehensive Skill Transfer (Two Private Coaching Sessions): A two-week stay is an incredible jumpstart, but the training must transfer to you. This package includes two private, 1-hour coaching sessions—one hands-on session at pickup, and a follow-up session a few weeks later to ensure you feel entirely confident managing your dog in any environment.
A Fresh Return: Your dog will receive a gentle, stress-free bath before heading home so they return to your house clean, relaxed, and ready to show off their new skills.
Scope: Best for impulse control and outdoor reliability. This residency bridges the gap between home manners and real-world performance in public settings.
Includes: Strong, reliable obedience in distracting outdoor settings paired with total owner confidence.
Saugapaws Custom Behavioral Stay (14+ Days)
$3,800 - $4,000+
True behavior modification cannot be rushed or forced into a generic template. This premium, fully customized residency is designed for dogs who require a highly specialized approach—including those navigating adolescence, deep fear, hyper-vigilance, overarousal, or mild reactivity. Because changing an emotional response takes patience and clinical precision, this stay begins at 14 days and is tailored entirely to your dog’s specific psychological needs.
-
Clinical Behavioral Oversight: Colleen utilizes her background in behavioral psychology and force-free learning theory to map out a custom behavior plan. We focus on desensitization and counter-conditioning—helping your dog shift from fear or over-excitement to a state of calm, thoughtful neutrality.
A Controlled, Low-Arousal Sanctuary: For a sensitive or reactive dog, traditional kennels are a psychological nightmare that worsen behavior. By capping our home-stay to a maximum of five dogs, we can tightly manage the environment, eliminate triggers, and keep your dog’s nervous system relaxed enough to actually learn.
Advanced Impulse Control & Neutrality: We work intensely on teaching your dog how to self-regulate. Whether that means practicing neutrality around the wildlife on our 14-acre property or handling transitions calmly, we teach them how to process the world without boiling over.
Tailored Mental Enrichment: For complex dogs, standard exercise can cause overarousal. We use structured "Sniffaris" through our private woods, scent work, and cognitive food puzzles to drain energy mentally, lowering stress hormones naturally.
Daily Video Documentation: You are a partner in this process. You’ll receive daily, narrated video updates detailing the exact subtle shifts in your dog's body language, what triggers we worked through, and the training mechanics we used.
Comprehensive Post-Stay Coaching: Changing a dog's behavior requires changing the human's routine. This program includes two private, 1-hour coaching sessions—one intensive session on pick-up day to transfer the skills to you, and a follow-up session a few weeks later to troubleshoot real-world applications.
A Calm, Fresh Return: Your dog receives a gentle, low-stress bath before heading home, ensuring they return to you clean, relaxed, and ready for a smooth transition back into your household.
Scope: Level 2 residency for graduates of Saugapaws Polished Companion. Adds significant duration, distance, and distractions for total reliability.
Includes: Advanced focus and reliability, allowing for more freedom in public and at home.
Saugapaws Boutique Boarding (per night)
$85.00
The Environment: Quiet, cage-free home boarding designed specifically for dogs who find traditional, loud commercial kennels overwhelming. Because we strictly limit our home to just five guests, your dog gets a peaceful, highly managed routine tailored to their comfort levels.
Our Prerequisite: Before confirming any extended stay, we require a mandatory free 4-to-8-hour Vibe Stay. This gives us a chance to quietly assess your dog's comfort level in our home and ensure they feel safe, relaxed, and entirely at ease with our setup before you travel.
-
A Quiet, Cage-Free Home Setting: Traditional kennels are loud, bright, and highly stressful. Your dog stays right inside our home as one of only five guests. They sleep on premium, supportive bedding in a space designed to look, feel, and sound like a real living room—keeping their stress hormones low and their routine predictable.
Daily Guided Woods Walks: Every day includes an individualized "Sniffari" through our private 14-acre woods. Letting a dog explore natural trails at their own pace allows them to decompress, lower their heart rate, and drain energy in a calm, structured way.
One-on-One Bedtime Cuddles: We don’t just turn off the lights and walk away. Every evening ends with dedicated one-on-one time for ear scratches, quiet snuggling, and a gentle bedtime tuck-in right alongside us so your dog feels entirely secure before falling asleep.
A Naturally Calming Atmosphere: We actively manage the sensory environment in our home to prevent anxiety. We use quiet, dog-specific classical melodies to mask outside noises, alongside subtle, natural pheromone diffusers that signal safety to a dog’s nervous system.
24/7 Security and Presence: Your dog is never left unmonitored. With integrated security systems and our team on-site 24 hours a day, your best friend is constantly supervised, safe, and cared for.
Daily Video Updates: You'll never have to wonder how your dog is doing. We send you a daily, narrated video update showing you exactly how they are settling in, exploring the property, and relaxing.
A Fresh, Relaxed Return: Before heading home, your dog receives a gentle, low-stress bath so they return to you clean, smelling fresh, and ready to jump right back onto your couch.
Scope: Exclusive, limited-availability cage-free home-style boarding for dogs (no more than 5 dogs) who enjoy a quiet, high-end environment without the stress of a traditional kennel.
Prerequisite: A mandatory One Day Vibe Stay is a prerequisite for all extended bookings. This ensures your dog is comfortable in our quiet, high-end environment and confirms they are a suitable fit for our exclusive, limited-occupancy sanctuary.
Includes: A stress-free, luxury vacation for your dog while you are away.
The Saugapaws Standard: Guest Requirements.
Our commitment to a peaceful, low-stress environment requires clear boundaries. Because our guests live directly in our home, we maintain strict health and behavioral standards to ensure every dog in our care remains safe, healthy, and relaxed.
1. The Mandatory Vibe Stay (4 to 8 Hours)
Every new dog must complete a free 4- to 8-hour Vibe Stay before we can book an extended stay or a training package. This is not an "obedience test." It is a chance for us to quietly assess your dog's stress levels in our environment, ensure they can settle comfortably in a home setting, and confirm that our setup is the right emotional fit for them.
2. Health & Vaccination Protocols
To protect our small community, we require formal veterinary records confirming your dog is up-to-date on all core vaccinations. To ensure your dog has full immunity, all vaccines must be administered at least 7 days prior to arrival.
Rabies: Required by state law.
DHPP / DHLPP: (Distemper, Hepatitis, Parvovirus, Parainfluenza).
Bordetella: Protects against kennel cough.
Canine Influenza: Required for the collective safety of all dogs in our care.
3. Social & Behavior Standards
Spay/Neuter Policy: To maintain a calm, low-arousal environment, we prefer that dogs over 9 months old be spayed or neutered. However, we welcome intact dogs on a case-by-case basis following a successful Vibe Stay, provided they can be safely managed in our individualized care routines.
Behavioral Continuity & Support: Because our guests live directly in our home, we work closely with you to ensure our cage-free environment is a comfortable fit for your dog's current habits. If your dog is navigating everyday challenges—like high energy, mild fear, leash reactivity, or minor house manners—we tailor our daily routines to support them. If your dog has a complex behavioral history, severe anxiety, or unique safety needs, please let us know when you reach out so we can discuss a customized care plan or explore our specialized Signature Custom Stay.
4. Custom Nutrition & Medication
Diet: To prevent digestive upset, please bring your dog's regular food in a labeled, airtight container. We strictly follow your home feeding schedule and routine.
Medications: For safety and legal compliance, all medications must arrive in their original prescription bottles with clear, professional dosing instructions printed on the label.