Sending your dog off to a board and train can seem scary. But I’m here to tell you it’ll be so worth it.

"Dear past self,

First things first, go give our pup a hug. He doesn't mean to terrorize the house. He's just having fun. He loves you and wants to play with you.

I just wanted to write to you to tell you it's all going to be okay. I know you're worried. He's off to school soon for a few weeks. It will be over in no time and he'll be back home playing with you before you know it.

You're worried that your bond will be hurt, that he'll feel confused and upset that you've left him with a stranger. He's been through it before after all, being a rescue. You're worried he will come home and need to warm up again. You remember those first few difficult days where he slumped around, not really trusting anyone. You're worried you'll have to go through it again and you wonder if it'll be worth it.

I'm here to tell you it ended up alright. Better than alright. Your first few days were hard. You worried and missed him. But you saw how much fun he was having and how much he was learning. You were even kind of jealous! You thought back to your days as a kid enjoying summer camp with your friends. You learned so much too! He had an absolute blast!

And then he came home. Your nerves got the best of you again but that's okay, it happens to the best of us. But it was even better than you could have imagined. He didn't miss a beat coming home and was so excited to see you! You played with him and his new skills to see what he'd learned. It was like a wall had come down! You had a good relationship before but this was unlike anything you'd experienced! It was like you spoke the same language now! It was so worth it.

It's time now, you both have so many lessons to learn and even more adventures and memories to make! The best is yet to come 🤎

- Future you"