Camp Lucky Board & Train — Training Reference & Resource Document
Company Overview
Camp Lucky Board and Train is a veteran-owned dog training company founded by Aaron Rustici in October 2021. Originally launched in San Antonio, Texas, the company has since expanded to multiple locations including Kansas City, the Triad Area (North Carolina), St. Louis, Omaha, and Oklahoma City. Aaron returned to his hometown of Kansas City, Missouri after transitioning out of the military and opened Camp Lucky with the explicit mission of helping families build stronger, happier connections with their dogs through obedience training.
The company’s name reflects its core identity: the flagship product has always been the board and train format. As Aaron noted in conversation, “luckily Camp Lucky board and train is kind of the name of the company — just so happens to be that way anyway.” Camp Lucky positions itself as the go-to expert in its markets, operating seven days a week (8am–8pm) and accepting dogs of any breed, age, or behavior level.
Why Board and Train (Not In-Home Lessons)
For approximately the first few years of operation, Camp Lucky offered both in-home lessons and board and train programs. Roughly three months prior to the time of this interview, Aaron made the decision to eliminate in-home lessons entirely.
Two data points drove that decision:
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Demand: After explaining both options side by side, only 1% of clients chose in-home lessons.
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Results: Clients who chose lessons were not completing their homework. When a trainer returned the following week, the dog was in the same position — effectively forcing trainers to repeat sessions. Clients spent more money and didn’t get what they came for.
The core distinction Aaron draws:
“Lessons — you’re teaching the owner to train the dogs. Board and trains — you’re doing the training for the dogs and then teaching the owner. It’s a lot easier whenever the dog already listens to you and was already where they need to be and you just now need to maintain it.”
This shift made Camp Lucky a board-and-train-exclusive operation, which aligned cleanly with the company’s brand identity.
The Training Philosophy: Balanced Dog Training
Camp Lucky describes itself as a balanced dog training company. This means the methodology intentionally draws on both positive reinforcement and correction-based tools — not exclusively one or the other.
Phase 1: Positive Reinforcement (Shaping)
In the early stages of training — typically the first week of any program — trainers rely heavily on positive reinforcement to shape positioning and introduce commands. Treats are the primary reward mechanism during this foundation phase. The goal is to build a clear association between a behavior and a reward before any correction tool is introduced.
Phase 2: Transitioning to the E-Collar
Approximately one week into the program, trainers phase out treats and transition to an e-collar (electronic collar) as the primary communication tool. Camp Lucky uses the ET300 by E-Collar Technologies (from e-collar.com).
Key principles governing e-collar use at Camp Lucky:
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Minimum effective pressure: Trainers use only as much stimulation as is necessary to obtain the desired response. Most dogs work at levels humans cannot even feel.
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Communication, not punishment: The e-collar is used to mark correct behavior and redirect incorrect behavior — not to cause pain, fear, or distress. If a dog yelps, squeals, or shows distress from collar use, the trainer is doing it wrong.
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Off-leash reliability: The e-collar is the primary mechanism by which dogs achieve reliable off-leash obedience in real-world environments.
Aaron’s framing: “It’s only supposed to be used as a communication tool, not a tool to harm your dog.”
The “Apex Predator” Perspective
A recurring theme in Aaron’s training philosophy is the idea that dogs must be communicated with in a way that makes sense to them as animals — not as humans. He points out that dogs anthropomorphized by their owners often have the worst behavior problems, because human social cues and dog social cues are fundamentally different.
His example: pushing a jumping dog away is not a correction in a dog’s language — it registers as petting and attention, which reinforces the jumping. Dogs communicate through physical pressure, body language, and hierarchical structure. A mother dog correcting a puppy grabs it by the scruff and pins it — that physical clarity is what the prong collar and e-collar simulate in a measured, controlled way.
Prong Collars
Though the e-collar is the primary tool discussed, Aaron also references the prong collar as a legitimate communication tool. Like the e-collar, the prong collar’s stimulation mimics the type of neck pressure a mother dog uses to communicate with her puppies. Camp Lucky does not treat these tools as instruments of punishment but as precision communication devices.
The Home-Based Training Environment
One of the most important differentiators Camp Lucky emphasizes is that dogs live inside a trainer’s personal home for the duration of their stay — not in a kennel facility.
Aaron’s reasoning:
“It allows the most realistic scenario — people walking around, the dog in their kennel at night, obedience around breakfast, lunch and dinner. They’re on a place cot or working through those routines.”
He contrasts this directly with facility-based board and train programs: a trainer arrives for six to eight hours, works the dog for four or five of those hours, then goes home — leaving the dog alone in a kennel surrounded by barking dogs for the rest of the day and night. That environment is neither realistic nor conducive to the kind of deep behavioral change Camp Lucky aims to produce.
Training within a home means dogs are:
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Practicing door manners every time someone enters or exits
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Learning counter/table manners during actual mealtimes
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Experiencing real foot traffic and household activity throughout the day
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Working on crate training in an actual domestic setting
The Four-Program Curriculum
Overview
Camp Lucky offers four tiers of board and train programs — one through four weeks — with the option to add additional weeks as needed. The programs are sequential and build on one another, but dogs can be enrolled in the appropriate tier based on their baseline behavior and the owner’s goals. Each tier represents a distinct training focus.
A summary of all four programs:
One Week Board and Train
Focus: Home Manners and Basic Obedience
The one-week program is designed for dogs who need foundational obedience and proper house manners. Training remains within “the confines of the home” — all skills taught are relevant to the domestic environment.
Commands introduced:
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Sit
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Down
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Heel
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Place
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Off
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Load (getting into/out of a vehicle)
Manners addressed:
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No jumping on people
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No barking
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No counter surfing
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No busting through doors — the dog learns to sit before going outside
Ideal for: Puppies, newly adopted dogs, or any dog that needs a strong behavioral foundation regardless of age. Also appropriate for owners who simply want a well-mannered companion at home.
Post-program support: Two refresher sessions included after the program concludes.
Two Week Board and Train
Focus: Distraction Desensitization and Off-Leash Work
Week two takes everything learned in week one and tests it against the real world. Dogs move out of the home environment and begin training in public settings.
What’s added:
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Off-leash walking and reliable recall around distractions
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Training in public locations: Home Depot, Lowe’s, parks, basketball courts, restaurants
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Learning to remain neutral and calm around environmental distractions — other people, noises, animals, unpredictable stimuli
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Door manners, car etiquette, and proper public greetings
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Advanced socialization in real-world settings
This is typically the stage where the off-leash “leash flick” milestone is achieved — the ability to cue a dog with the briefest physical signal and have them respond reliably.
Important caveat: If significant behavioral issues (fear, aggression, reactivity, anxiety) are identified during this phase, the distraction work takes a back seat. The trainer must first address those root issues before off-leash reliability can be developed meaningfully.
Post-program support: Lifetime working support for two-week graduates and above — ongoing guidance as long as the support request aligns with what was covered in the program.
Three Week Board and Train
Focus: Minor Behavioral Issues and Higher-Level Obedience
The three-week program serves two distinct populations:
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Performance-focused owners who want a dog that works at a high level of precision — sometimes described as dogs that “robotically work for you.” This tier produces the next level of responsiveness beyond standard obedience.
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Dogs with minor behavioral issues that require dedicated attention: mild fear responses, low-level reactivity, leash pulling, or situational anxiety. By week three, trainers have a clear picture of what each dog’s specific struggles are (identified during week two’s public exposure) and can design targeted work around those challenges.
What’s addressed:
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Advanced obedience commands at a distance
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Helping dogs stay calm and confident in varied situations
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Beginning to overcome fears, bad habits, and moderate behavioral patterns
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Leash pulling, dog-to-dog aggression, overreaction to people or stimuli
Post-program support: Lifetime working support.
Four Week Board and Train
Focus: Significant Behavioral Issues and Complete Behavioral Transformation
The four-week program is reserved for dogs with high-level behavioral challenges — and it is the program Aaron specifically recommends for certain breeds and bite histories.
By the time a dog enters week four work, trainers have spent weeks three building a foundation specifically around the dog’s individual struggles. Week four is about immersion and repetition — placing the dog in the triggering scenario over and over in a structured way until the new response becomes the dog’s default.
Ideal for:
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Dogs with a significant bite history or high-level aggression
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Highly stubborn breeds (Aaron specifically names Huskies as an example of dogs that “should all be in a four-week program”)
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Dogs combining stubbornness with serious behavioral concerns
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Owners who want the highest level of off-leash reliability and behavioral transformation
Aaron also notes that five- and six-week programs exist for exceptional cases — dogs who have both extreme stubbornness and documented bite history may require even more time.
Post-program support: Lifetime working support.
Program Week-by-Week Summary (Aaron’s Framework)
Aaron summarized the four-week structure simply:
This is the internal logic Camp Lucky uses to triage dogs into programs. The goal at intake is to identify which “week” best describes where the dog currently is and where the owner wants to go.
Post-Program Support Structure
Camp Lucky has a tiered support system based on program length:
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One-week graduates: Two post-program refresher sessions included
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Two-, three-, and four-week graduates: Lifetime working support
The “lifetime” designation comes with a meaningful condition: support is provided only for issues that fall within the scope of the completed program. If a two-week graduate presents with severe aggression months later, the trainer is likely to recommend additional board and train time rather than attempt to address a behavior that wasn’t covered in the original program.
Key Differentiators (Competitive Positioning)
Aaron advises prospective clients to ask any boarding train provider two specific questions:
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“Where will my dog be staying?” — At Camp Lucky, dogs live inside a trainer’s personal home. Many competitors house dogs in kennels at commercial facilities.
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“What tools and methods do you use?” — Camp Lucky is transparent about its balanced approach, including e-collar use, and explains why each tool is appropriate and humane.
Additional differentiators:
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Military pedigree: Aaron’s eight years as an Air Force K9 handler informs Camp Lucky’s approach to structure, discipline, and reading dog body language
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Customized programs: Unlike the “one program fits all” approach Aaron witnessed and rejected at a prior employer, Camp Lucky designs training around each individual dog’s needs and challenges
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Real-world training environments: Dogs train at actual public locations (stores, parks, restaurants) rather than controlled indoor arenas only
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Report cards: Trainers document daily progress with photos and videos for owners, creating transparency and allowing owners to begin understanding the training methodology before pickup (referenced in client testimonials)
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Veteran-owned: Positions the company’s values around discipline, dedication, and mission-focus
Who Camp Lucky Works With
Camp Lucky accepts dogs of any breed, any age, and any behavior level. This includes:
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Puppies (starting as young as eight weeks old)
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Adult and senior dogs
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Dogs with aggression histories, including documented bite cases
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Highly reactive or fearful dogs
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Breeds known for stubbornness (Huskies, etc.)
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Dogs previously failed by other training programs
The trainer page and client testimonials highlight that Camp Lucky doesn’t just work with manageable cases — the team treats aggression rehabilitation as a core specialty alongside standard obedience.
Key Terminology Reference
The following terms appear frequently in Camp Lucky’s training communications and are useful for article writing:
About Aaron Rustici
Aaron Rustici was born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri. He joined the Air Force at a young age and served twelve years in total — eight of those years as a military working dog (K9) handler. His path into dog handling wasn’t planned from the start: in his first year of service he was working as a military police officer, watching K9 handlers beside him and recognizing it as the job he wanted. After an initial denial on a deployment application, he told his chief his goal. His chief offered him a deal: dog training school in exchange for three more years in Guam. Aaron accepted, and ultimately spent six years there.
During his K9 career, Aaron had opportunities to serve on deployments and provide security for the Secretary of State, implementing detection and patrol capabilities. At year twelve, he was promoted to E6, a rank that disqualified him from continuing as a dog handler — the role shifted him to working with troops. When re-enlistment came up, he was told E6s couldn’t be dog handlers. He chose to leave the military rather than continue without dogs.
After separation, Aaron worked briefly for a large dog training company (approximately eight months) before being let go. The experience reinforced what he did not want to replicate: every dog was forced into the same program regardless of individual needs. He then opened Camp Lucky and brought on trainers he trusted, prioritizing customized, dog-specific training from the start.
Locations and Contact
All locations operate Sunday–Saturday, 8am–8pm. New clients can begin with a free in-home consultation.