Obedience taining

S

Starr

Forums Enthusiast
So, since we will be getting Fiona soon, I'm trying to find us a good place for Obedience traing. I came across one that is really close by and sounded purfect, UNTIL I found out that they do all the training. You drop your dog off and it stays with them, in boarding until training is done. :eek2: What in the world? I think I can see where this may be needed, like for families that work all ther time and don't have the time to train a dog, but I really think I'll pass.
 
Yeah, I think it's better to train them yourself. We're the 3rd owners of our current dog and he was sent to Puppy Boot Camp when young. I guess the other owners didn't even try to follow through afterwards, plus they didn't make sure he new that they were alpha dog, not him. It's taking a very long time and keeping on our toes constantly to try to train him. Sounds like you know what you're doing. I'm sure you'll have no problems, if you're looking into training already. Congratulations!!
 
Puppy Boot camp! That is just what it sounds like! :lol:

Sadly I am NOT finding alot of places to take her. I have a whole one more place to call. If I scratch them, I'm not sure hat I'm going to do. :uhoh: I live in a big city, what is the deal!
 
From teaching dog classes myself (everything from puppy class, to beginner through competition rally-o and puppy through competition flyball classes) I can guarantee that 98% of the time I am training the OWNERS. The dogs are, by and large, just fine and learn very quickly. The vast majority of the time it is the owners that are completely clueless or are trying to do things correctly but are just messing up by accident. So I completely don't agree with the puppy boot camp situations. Sure, the people at the camp may be able to train the dog quite well, but if the owners don't know what to do when the dog gets home it will all fall apart. Also, training even simple tasks builds a bond between the dog and the trainer. So if that bond is formed between the dog and the trainer at the camp and not with the owner, then that could just lead to more issues once the dog goes home.

For finding a trainer, have you tried the APDT site? (http://apdt.com/po/ts/default.aspx) Also, try checking out some kennel clubs in your area, they will often offer training classes as well.

Good luck!
 
When I got Edan, I took him to behavior classes through the Humane Society and one of the local no kill animal shelters. These organizations use the fees for their training programs to help support themselves and the animals they care for. In both cases, the goal of these organizations offering training classes was to help PREVENT a dog from ending up in their shelters because it was uncontrollable.

Admittedly, it's not an obedience club with focus on competition obedience but it IS a place to start.
 
If you have a Petco or a PetSmart nearby they have training classes. It's great for socialization and learning. My local one even has a clicker class!
 
I found mine via word of mouth. I think if you contact local rescue groups, local agility groups, or even the shelter, they may be able to help you. I was searching rescue groups and came across a sheltie rescue and contacted her about rescuing a sheltie. Up here, they are very hard to find, so she directed me to her breeder and invited me to meet her shelties. I commented on how well trained they were and she gave me the information about her trainer. I don't believe my trainer advertises...other than giving us all pens with her name on them when we graduate.
 
I live in a small town too. I took our dog to a training class I saw on a flyer, and I wasn't much impressed with the trainer. Later, I called the animal shelter and I talked to my Vet. I found out that a lot of the trainers, don't necessarily advertise that well, and the Vet and the Animal shelter were able to give me their opinions of who was best. The Animal Shelter seemed to know more than my Vet. After all, they end up with some of the dogs that aren't trained well. Keep looking. Shelties are very easy to train and so smart, and Geerome is right--you'll bond even closer.
 
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