Dog training

Mimi_Arc_en_ciel

Ok so im a bad dog owner - my dogs never officially been trained.

3 years down the line and ive decided that i really should of had him trained by now so ive booked into dog classes

What should i expect? The trainer has pointed me to her website and is calling me back with more details- So what should i expect from my first lesson?

This is what the website states:

The beginner foundation course is a 6 week course of 'one hour and a half' lessons. Fully payable in advance. You will also receive a training booklet to take home.

This is for dogs over 6 months old at the start of training.

My training is based on a series of successive exercises and I believe that you can start training at any age and this will teach your dog how to learn and builds positive habits in the dog and handler.

The intention of the beginner courses is to get the dog used to being handled and groomed, so when they visit the vet or grooming parlours they are not so scared. (My dog is fine with groomer and vet, as well as being handled - he does get excited tho!)

They will be socialised with other people and dogs in different situations. (Not nasty with other dogs, very playful)

A dogs life may depend on a solid recall, so this is a very important exercise to teach.

We will also teach you how to play with your dog, as play will help build a solid relationship between you and your dog, it is a great confidence builder in dogs that are perhaps a little shy or unsure.

We will also teach the watch exercises which teachers the dog its name and focuses the dogs attention on to the handler.

Basic positions will be taught - sit, down and loose lead heel work will be started. (Hm he doesnt "sit" - he lays ay "down" though lol)

Attendance certificate and rosette will be presented to those completing the beginner course.

The beginner course leads on to the bronze levels.

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EDIT: The trainer has told me not to feed my dog on the day of classes, to take tit bits, to remove his toys and only let him have them when im playing with him and to buy a cage... is this standard?

thanks

Mimi

krlyr

The spiel looks pretty much standard, what I would want to know is what training methods they use. You should go for modern, positive methods that are fair, not old-fashioned physical methods. If they mention spray bottles, cans with stones in to spook a dog, choke chains etc. then walk away. A decent trainer should be happy for you to go along and watch a session (without your dog) before you pay anything.
This article could be worth a read, and they also have a nationwide list of APDT registered trainers if you decide not to go with the one you've found
http://www.apdt.co.uk/choosing_dog_trainer_uk.asp

Sagz_2

Although very useful (and my hounds use theirs daily) I'd question buying a cage - if you've managed without one for 3 years then I don't think you really need one.

Is it possible for you to go along and observe a few lessons before paying? As Krlyr says, if any harsh or unfair methods are used then just walk away. These methods may give quick results, but they are not as reliable in the long run as taking your time and letting the dog learn and understand what's required from him.

Hope all goes well for both of you - enjoy your training!

Wellyboots6

I would agree with Sagz that a cage may not be necessary if you have managed without one for so long.

Also, an hour and a half seems a long time for a class! (unless I have read that wrong?) Especially a beginners class.

Make sure you take plenty of tit bits. Small bits of cheese, chicken, sausage etc are best rather than bigger bits of biscuit. They get swallowed pretty quick so are immediate reward and the dog can focus on what they should be doing, rather than switching concentration to chewing on something larger.

Take plenty of poo bags too! My dog seems to cross his legs on training days until he gets in the middle of his class and then all hell breaks loose!!

Enjoy it, and make sure you do lots and lots of practice in different scenarios!

dizziblonde

The classes we used to go to (only stopped since the world's hardest chairs disagreed with my pregnancy back) basically started at a very very low level - we'd do greeting other dogs practice, some sits/downs/stays, lead walking, send-aways to a mat/bed and the like but would often divert to things that came up as problems as well.

One of mine is from a breed that doesn't tend to do sits at all (lots of greyhounds won't because they've got flipping legs everywhere and it tends to resemble Bambi on ice if they try to get all the legs in the right place at the right time) - initially I substituted any exercises requiring a sit for a "watch me" command which the class was fine with me doing - but eventually since mine DOES plonk her butt on the floor willingly at any opportunity, I just put the word to the action and got it onto command fairly easily. The only thing I found somewhat problematic with my class was it very much seemed geared toward more, well, shall we say anatomically obliging, dogs - and things like luring into positions are much harder for downs with treats between paws when you've got a lanky git who can just stick her head down, exploit her long neck and nom up the treat anyway - that required a bit of collective headscratching between me and the trainer to get some work-arounds going with... which depends on the trainer - ours was there quite a long time after classes to do individual advice and follow-up and things.

Ours were technically an hour long - in reality usually nearer an hour and a half.

Both of mine loved going - the grey's mind got boggled completely when she met 4 great danes though (she'd figured out dogs came in extra small by that point - extra large was a cognitive step too far!) and the other guy - well he'd sell his soul for a bit of sausage anyway so getting attention, fusses AND sausages was like doggie heaven for him!

I've never ever used a crate - we physically don't have space large enough for 2 dogs' worth of them in our house - while they work for many people - I personally just don't like 'em either (and went for large dogs so the sizes required are mahoosive).

Speaking of dogs -mine is now lying unconcious on the sofa, with her plundered loot for the afternoon beside her - one trainer, one of my work shoes and one slipper... she never goes for matching pairs the daft moo!

ameliarate

I would want to meet any trainer before I went. I had an hours assessment with mine which gave me a chance to see how she interracted with my dog, as much as anything, and also talk about what you need and expect from the training and which class is right for you and your dog.

Bubby

What is the main reason for going to "training"? Is it because your dog isn't socialised or bad behaviour etc?

Most training can be done at home without the need fro a trainer unless its something complex that you want them to learn or treat.

elsien

Sounds like the "canine good citizen" award - it is useful but you'll need to do more work in between classes to reinforce what you're doing. When I did it with mutt the class lasted an hour, which was long enough for the both of us - she was aged 1-2 at the time, and we never bothered with a cage, never needed one.
http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/item/3691


I'd also suggest taking along whatever most motivates your dog - might be food, might be a toy. I think the point of takins some toys away is that the toys you use specifically for training need to stay motivating for the dog, so if they have them all the time they start to lose interest. You might also want to rotate toys so they don't get too used to them. Mutt used to obsess over squeaky toys so that was my recall - one squeak was guaranteed to bring her back instantly.

Edit - just read Bubby's post - I took mutt to classes to socialise her but also because I wasn't confident in what I was doing and needed the reinforcement of someone telling me what I was doing right and wrong. (I used to get told off for appeasing mutt by continually stroking her, which I wasn't aware I was doing.) Sometimes you need an external viewpoint when things aren't going as well as you'd like.

pawsies

An hour and a half is a long time to train a dog in. I'm going to place a bet your dog will only concentrate for 20 minutes of that. I hope therefore there is a lot of talking meanwhile.

Does this person have a website we can look at to give our opinions?

moomin5

I agree with others about arranging to go along to watch a class (minus dog) before signing up. It gives you chance to see what methods they're using and if their teaching style will suit you & dog. Can also see how they handle dogs which are perhaps a bit nervous/noisy/excited (i went to one where they just left dog to bark & didn't offer owner any help to solve so it disrupted class most weeks) and can check with class size how much individual help are people getting and what space is available as can make dogs calmer if they've plenty of room.

Our first experience of dog training, we'd gone along with dogs to a introductory class that signed you up after and although i was told on phone it was 'reward based' in reality it was no treats and more force based from what i saw so walked out. Since i always go along to check out a class and found trainers have been welcoming of this.

Our current trainer is on that APDT list and worth baring in mind with some that they may have classes closer than their address would suggest. Our class was just an hour, which was plenty there was only 6 of us so were kept busy though dogs got plenty of short breaks during the talking bits.

I agree with Elsien, some of us just need to gain confidence in training & help when things don't go to plan, i also find it much more motivating when i need to practice for the next class and its also nice for the social side.
If you feed twice a day and class is in evening, expect you would just feed dinner after rather than not feeding the whole day. I don't see why crate is necessary, perhaps ask them to explain reasoning.