~What do you need and How to Get it?~

At this point in Cider and my life together, we've likely taken more training than the average family.  We enjoy it.  When Cider first entered my life my main concern was that I'd have to live with a monster until I moved out of our apartment.  Every dog family has owned has been a terror.  You know the type..  Untrained, jump all over you, steal food off your plate, harass you at the dinner table.  I honestly thought that one had a dog to put up with these behaviours.  I was informed that if one trained their dog, this wasn't the case.  And apparently no one had bothered with the dogs in my life.

So how do you find a trainer?  We didn't know better so we went to a commercial dog establishment, where they train in the middle of the floor, and the classes are too big, but hey.. it's cheap.   The class was too big for the area, and too many people to learn effectively.  After a few weeks we dropped out.  Later we went back for a basic obedience class and were promised a nice small class size (4 including us) and it went well.  We learned, Cider learned, and our trainer was gold.  So awesome I wouldn't be surprised if she moved on up and didn't work there any longer.

We actually did call every trainer in the phone book locally.  Some never bothered to call back, some were not what we wanted.  Since then we've taken 3 levels of agility at two facilities, and started advanced obedience at a place that also wasn't right for us.

What is it you actually should look for?  We are currently searching out another class and finding it hard even though we have some experience in choosing. 

You want to know how the school teaches.  Positive methods- praise, clicker, treats, etc.. or Negative reinforcement (dog does not comply so you use a tool like a prong to help put the dog in position).  While training tools may be fine for walking if you are having difficulty, I don't see their need in a training class for a family pet. 

You want to know the trainers credentials.  Are they a member of the Canadian Association of Pet Trainers or The Association of Pet Dog trainers to name two that mean something to many people.  What education do they have?  Have they apprenticed under more knowledgeable trainers when they started out?  Do they have titles on their own dogs in what it is you would like to learn?  And have they taught varying breeds so they are well rounded in problems and how to creatively solve them.

Take into account how many weeks the class is, and see if it is an hour each week.  Some places charge the same or more for 45 minute lessons.  How many students per class and how many trainers?  Does the obedience class you want to take have 1 instructor for 8 people, or 2 for 8 people. 

You don't want the cheapest class you can find, but the most expensive is not necessarily better either.  By cheaping out the first time around we got an experience that near turned me off training.  The most expensive agility class I've taken wasn't the best either.

I'd suggest visiting the school, and making sure your questions get answered.  Email and over the phone isn't a guarantee that all your questions will get addressed, and you may find what is portrayed on a web site is not what you find if you visit yourself.

Training shouldn't be a hard decision, but try to make as educated a choice as you can.  It will be a less stressful situation for you and your dog, and hopefully will lead you down the road of good manners, or a tired sport dog who you can be proud of his or her accomplishments together.

By Laura Presely - Published by www.IHeartPaws.com - Not to be reproduced without written consent from I Heart Paws.