Professional Dog Training

[kazP]

Having never owned a dog before, I have no experience on what to expect from dog trainers. Apart from attending puppy classes in the early days, I have more recently used the services of 2 dog trainers on a one-to-one basis and don’t feel that any real progress has been made.

The reason I’m perplexed is because the one-to-one training is very expensive, but appears to hold little value for money… to put this into context, for example, the sessions I’ve had are double the price of driving lessons which have a clear structure, objectives and desired outcome.

When the last trainer came, I was pleased with her no nonsense, hands on approach… she introduced the use of the Halti collar and took us both ‘walkies’. However, when I asked the trainer for a loose outline on how ‘we’ could address Abi’s issues and book a package of one-to-one sessions, everything went vague (she actually appeared disinterested). She said she would send me a copy of the next month’s classes (which she never did), but I don’t even feel that Abi or I are quite ready for classes yet. Maybe wrongly, I felt that as the professional, she should have been giving me confident guidance and support to help overcome the problems I'd originally asked for help with.

Maybe what I was expecting was something like: the first 2 sessions we will concentrate on her walking and focus, and the last 10 minutes we will practice recall in the garden (this would also provide me with a good observation for homework). Then depending on Abi’s progress, we will start to walk Abi in busier places to work on her reaction to people and cars. And so on… including the introduction to other dogs with a final objective for this particular training plan; to be able to walk Abi with a group of other dogs and to have improved her recall to a point she can be let off the lead.

Then a new plan can be constructed… maybe attend agility and obedience classes, etc.

Any thoughts on this (have I just had a bad experience)?

[Caryll]

To be honest, I wouldn't bother with one to one - I'd just take her to training classes. That way she'll get training and socialisation at one go.

Maybe you've just been unlucky, but I'm often quite suspicious about 'personal trainers'. It often seems to me that they're either not really interested, or they deliberately go slow so that you have to pay for more lessons! Or maybe I'm just a cynic.

[LOVEGSD]

I think a good class with about 6 dogs is what you want, you want the socialisation as well as the obedience.

[kelpiemad]

Maybe what I was expecting was something like: the first 2 sessions we will concentrate on her walking and focus, and the last 10 minutes we will practice recall in the garden (this would also provide me with a good observation for homework). Then depending on Abi’s progress, we will start to walk Abi in busier places to work on her reaction to people and cars. And so on… including the introduction to other dogs with a final objective for this particular training plan; to be able to walk Abi with a group of other dogs and to have improved her recall to a point she can be let off the lead.

Then a new plan can be constructed… maybe attend agility and obedience classes, etc.

Any thoughts on this (have I just had a bad experience)?[/QUOTE]
If I was training you I would teach you how to to get the dog to focus on you sat in front and in the heel work position you would have been given lots of easy to understand home work with the option of phoning me at any time you might have got mixed up it is allot to take in on a one to one with a dog trainer so I tend to go over and over what I want you to do I would sooner talk to people everyday and them get it right than them practice it wrong I also teach the handler lots of different things to do with there dog so the dog doesn't get bored I is best to give the handler lots of small exercises to do and give free backup by phone some trainers are only for the money always ask what experience they have and what they have done with there dogs there is so many people jumping on the bandwagon and perhaps done a behavior course but there is nothing like years of working dogs to realy understend how to train people and thats what you are realy doing

[kazP]

Interesting opinions... I know I need help, but just can't seem to find anything. I don't know how I can take madam to classes when she'll lunge and bark at anything that moves!

[Stuart]

Originally Posted by kazP

Interesting opinions... I know I need help, but just can't seem to find anything. I don't know how I can take madam to classes when she'll lunge and bark at anything that moves!

Talk to the person who runs the class well before you take the dog, dont hold back, tell her just what the dog does, many of these people have seen it all before, and may well tell you to bring her on a different night.

When I first took Kee, my sable, she gave me a red face for weeks, she was completly unsocialised, but she got better

You may well find that the trainer `doesnt want to disruped the others` and refuses to enrole her,..if thats the case then look elsewhere, but talk first and find out

....and let us know all about how it went

[Jude]

Originally Posted by kazP

Interesting opinions... I know I need help, but just can't seem to find anything. I don't know how I can take madam to classes when she'll lunge and bark at anything that moves!

The club in Sedlescombe that I mentioned to you are used to GSDs that have issues and seem to be able to help overcome them. I plan to take Kira there so there would be at least two of us!

I would also be happy to come over and see what she does and give you some help if you want - will PM you my contact numbers.

[kazP]

Thanks for the tip Stuart... did you actually manage to participate in any of the activities whilst at classes or did you spend most of your time trying to control Kee?

Jude... you are a treasure... I will ring you tomorrow.