Professional Board & Train Specialists in Ireland
At The Dog Ranch, we don’t just look after dogs—we transform them.
Owned and operated by husband-and-wife team Keith and Rhonda Irwin, The Dog Ranch is a specialist Board & Train facility located in the beautiful countryside just outside Cavan Town, overlooking Shantemon Lake.
With over 15 years of experience in canine behaviour, psychology and professional dog training, we’ve helped hundreds of dogs and their owners build stronger relationships through structure, communication and clear, fair training.
Our passion is creating calm, confident and well-mannered family dogs. Whether you’re struggling with pulling on the lead, poor recall, jumping up, reactivity, overexcitement or simply want your dog to become easier to live with, our residential Board & Train programmes are designed to deliver real, lasting results.
Unlike many traditional training programmes, your dog learns in a real home environment. Every day is filled with structured training, socialisation, enrichment and real-life experiences, helping them develop reliable behaviour that transfers back into everyday family life.
More Than Just Training
Our unique socialised environment is one of the reasons our programmes are so successful.
Dogs enjoy carefully supervised play, structured routines, rest, enrichment and positive interactions with other suitable dogs, helping them develop confidence, social skills and emotional stability while learning essential obedience.
Training isn’t something that only happens during a lesson—it becomes part of your dog’s daily lifestyle throughout their stay.
Socialised Boarding
Alongside our Board & Train programmes, we also offer premium socialised boarding for suitable dogs.
Unlike traditional kennels, dogs become part of our daily family routine, enjoying companionship, exercise, enrichment and supervised play throughout the day before relaxing in their own comfortable sleeping area at night.
Many of our boarding guests are previous training clients who return time and time again because they already know and love The Dog Ranch environment.
Puppy & Adult Training
Great dogs don’t happen by chance—they’re built through great foundations.
Our Board & Train programmes focus on building confidence, social skills and good manners from the very beginning. We help puppies develop into calm, well-balanced companions through positive, structured learning experiences tailored to each individual dog.
Our Philosophy
We believe the best results come from combining motivation, positive reinforcement, structure and clear communication.
Every dog is different, which is why every training programme is tailored to the individual dog and family. Our aim isn’t simply to teach commands—it’s to create lasting behavioural change that allows owners to enjoy life with their dog.
When your dog’s stay comes to an end, your training journey doesn’t. Every Board & Train programme includes a comprehensive handover, ongoing guidance and continued support to help you maintain everything your dog has learned at home.
At The Dog Ranch, we’re passionate about changing lives—one dog and one family at a time.
For more information on our ‘’PROFESSIONAL BOARD & TRAINING’’ CLICK HERE