Training Questions
How old should my puppy be to start training?
It’s never too soon to start! Puppies go through several important socialization periods in their first 4-5 months. The more strangers, other dogs, places, sounds, and strange things your puppy is exposed during this period, the more likely he or she will grow into a friendly and well-adjusted adult dog. If you miss socializing your puppy dog to such things, it is likely he/she will view these situations as scary or dangerous and become fearful, or worse, aggressive.
We can do private training for your puppy as soon as you bring him/her home. If you want to do group classes, we recommend you consult with your veterinarian to ensure your dog is sufficiently protected by vaccinations – although we require puppies to have at least two rounds of puppy vaccinations before starting group class.
Do you use food rewards in your training?
Yep we sure do! We recommend using high value healthy treats to reward your dog's good behavior and help him focus on you and resist distractions. Some of our favorite treats are small bits of hot dogs, cheese, and dried liver treats. It’s OK, we’re not going to only use food. We use a wide variety of motivators – like toys, play, life rewards, praise and affection – whatever your dog finds rewarding. Food tends to be very motivating to most dogs and we use it because we want the dog to really be interested in working for us.
I'd really rather use more traditional methods.
We use dog-friendly, scientifically-based training methods have been found to be more effective than punishment-based techniques. We try to keep our training fun. We are flexible in trying to figure out how to train any given dog, but we avoid techniques that are inhumane or painful to dogs. If you’ve been training your dog with such methods and are interested in a different approach, we’d love to show you.
I like the dog trainer on TV. Do you train like ____ does?
Many of the dog shows you see on TV are entertaining but not always realistic. Remember that that many TV shows are scripted and edited to fit into a one hour time slot and don’t give you an accurate idea of the challenges of dog training. If only it was that quick and easy!
That aside, we’re a little concerned when these shows start with the warning of ‘Don’t try this without first consulting a professional’. We think that’s good advice. Some of the info presented on these shows is sound but some of it could also make things worse if you don’t know what you’re doing. Before you use it, we recommend you do some research of your own (talk to trainers and vets, read books or magazines) about dog training and decide for yourself what works best.
Do you offer a guarantee on your training?
Nope. There’s several reasons for this. Dogs are living, breathing entities - not mechanical devices - and many things influence a dog's behavior (for example, genetics, breed characteristics, environment, socialization). And, of course, we people on the other end of the leash impact the effectiveness of a training program. Also, since there is so much stuff that a trainer cannot control, it wouldn’t be realistic or ethical to guarantee results. Finally, the code of ethics of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers does not permit its members to offer training guarantees.
What we offer instead is the promise to provide professional and dog-friendly training services and to do our best help you and your dog reach your goals. Oh, and we guarantee we're going to have fun doing it!
What kind of training is best?
The short answer is...it depends.
Group training is the type of training that most of us are familiar with. It's basically a small group of 4-8 dogs and their owners working with a trainer. This arrangement has several benefits: dogs get to meet other dogs and strangers in (hopefully) a positive way, owners have the benefit of learning from watching what other class participants are doing, and they tend be more economical. The drawbacks with group training are: you have to commit to attending several weeks of class (tough with busy schedules now-a-days!), some dogs have difficulty focusing in group classes, and you share the attention of the trainer with a group.
Private training is basically you and your dog working one-on-one with a trainer. This type of training offers more schedule flexibility, the convenience of training at home where you and your dog are most comfortable, and with more focused guidance from your trainer. Private training can be more costly but training can be accomplished more efficiently than in group classes because you have the direct attention of the trainer. Private training also is better for training more complex behaviors which are typically beyond the scope of a group class.
Finally, some trainers offer board-and-train or day training services. This training is where the trainer intensively works with your dog either (a) while boarded at the trainer's kennel or home, or (b) in your home. This service, while expensive, is ideal for the owner who does not have the time to be able to work consistently with their dog. It does, however, have the downside of slowing down the bonding process between dog and owner.
So what should you choose? It depends...on your training goals, on your dedication to training your dog, on your budget.
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