How to look for a trainer/training class?
Just wondering what everyone looks for when signing their pups up for obedience classes and such. Where did you find yours? What would you say is a bit overpriced? Would more money mean better? What questions should I ask to see if the class is right for me and my pup? How much classes would you suggest for an average dog? How bout a Japanese breed?
Comments
I just asked for referrals from people I knew. We went with Sirius puppy training because 1) they use all positive training methods, 2) they had a location that was 5 minutes from our house and 3) it was a referral from a co-worker. Overall, I enjoyed the class and it really helped in certain areas (like making Ryu focus on us) but I think it was overpriced. We paid $261 for a 6-week class (1 hour a week). I would have gladly spent $99 or so but I think $260 was a little too much since the first 3 weeks covered sit/down/come and housebreaking which Ryu was already ahead of the game on.... but again, overall, I enjoyed the experience. We're still deciding whether we should go for Puppy II which focuses on recall... and with Shiba's reputation on recall, I'm not sure if it would be worth another $250......
Anyway, I think Sirius is based out of CA so you could look it up....I would ask about their correction methods and whether they use positive motivation techniques. I would go with as many classes as you can get but again, we're in the same boat....
Sadly Pam, Sirius has locations in northern California but nowhere near me. I heard with Petsmart classes, it all depends on the trainer. I've heard nothing but great things about the trainer who works at the Costa Mesa Petsmart.
One I was looking at is this :
http://www.falcok9academy.com
Positive reinforcements are used. $225 for 8 weeks.
I signed up for a class that seemed a little pricey but referred to me by a co-worker and the school was given high praise. The trainers had high credentials. One of the female trainers was definitely alpha and Jake watched her with an intensity I had not seen before. She had 5 large unneutered male shepards in a small confined area during the training session. She was definitely in charge.
As it turned out, the class size was too large, the space too small. There wasn't enough space for me to turn around. And, they insisted Jake wear a gentle lead. Heck, I couldn't keep up with all that was being introduced in such a short period of time, much less my 6 month old Shiba. Jake's first concern was getting that lead off his snout. His next concern was what dog was in his space. I got a full refund after that evening.
Definitely ask about class size. Find out the type and size of space used for the training and look for the training credentials. I might even ask to observe a class before spending the money.
One thing I will always ask before taking a class from now on is how the trainer feels about shibas/shikokus/japanese breeds. I took Tojo to a puppy socialization and obedience class and the trainer had an obvious dislike for shibas. She kept going on about how shibas were untrainable and when Tojo outperformed her poodles (she bred poodles and offered free classes to anyone who bought her puppies) she just made excuses about me being "lucky". On the other hand, you want them to understand that shibas are different from other dogs. By no means untrainable, but certainly different.
Another thing you want to consider is what methods/tools you're comfortable with. For instance, some trainers will never use a prong collar while others consider them standard training equipment for all dogs, (not that there's any conceivable need for a prong collar on a puppy), some trainers don't believe in any amount of correction or punishment, some will always recommend a halti/gentle leader for pulling and don't really have any other techniques or tricks up their sleeves... for me, it's important to know their methods and what they're willing or unwilling to use. It should coincide with your personal values. If you would never ever ever use a prong collar, then make sure you don't go to a trainer that uses prong collars. I would do some research on training methods to familiarize yourself with the different philosophies, then you'll know where you stand and who you agree with when you ask those questions.
Personally, I would like a trainer who doesn't try to use the same solution for all dogs. That's what I got from the first trainer I went to. She had one way of doing things and any dog her methods didn't work on were "untrainable". Of course, if it's just basic puppy socialization stuff, then this is all much less important because you shouldn't really be using any tools or methods besides basic, universal stuff and your dog shouldn't have developed any difficult problems that require much skill. In fact, I'd say that puppy classes are a nice way to scope out trainers for if you go on to do more advanced stuff.