Let’s get right to it today.
You probably stumbled across me somewhere on the internet and signed up to get some good dog training info.
Some of you will decide to buy some of my products which is great and some of you will take your dog to a dog training class. Which is also a good idea as long as…..
…..you choose the right class.
There are pitfalls you need to avoid and I want to share them with you.
FIRST: Avoid any class that issues a choke or prong collar and let me tell you why. Your dog on a prong or choke collar in a group class with other dogs is NOT a good idea. A dog constantly getting “corrected” around other dogs can lead to dog aggression.
Also – when you first start training a dog, corrections should NOT happen right away. Putting on a prong or choke collar will result in the handler yanking on the leash, giving the dog a correction when they don’t even understand the command yet.
Not good. It is much better to use a non-reward marker like “Wrong” and withhold reward when you first start teaching your dog obedience.
SECOND: Most obedience classes don’t really help the dog owner. The class completely focuses on teaching behaviors like sit, down, stay, come etc. These behaviors are good to learn but most dog owners come to class to STOP behaviors.
The dog owner wants their dog to STOP jumping, stealing, biting or barking at other dogs on leash. The majority of dog training classes do NOT focus on the real needs of the dog owner and while some good information may be learned, the dog owner still has problems to deal with.
THIRD: The trainer may not be very nice. This may seem like it is trivial but I disagree. I had a lady come into my class the other night and she was very nervous. She was nervous about her dog, being around strange people and dogs and was not sure if she’d be able to handle her dog.
I helped her relax through my incredibly charming and humorous personality.
The trainer has to be able to make his clients comfortable and not berate or embarrass them. You’d be surprised how many trainers have a “holier than thou” attitude about themselves and make their clients uncomfortable – unacceptable!
So if you check out an obedience class and the trainer is rude or belittles his clients, move on. You don’t need a chump like that.
And if you can’t find a good dog training class, head on to The Dog Training Inner Circle. This is a virtual class with me as the instructor. A friendly, easy going guy that will help you along the dog training path you find yourself on.
It’s easy to get started. Just go here NEXT:
Best,
Eric