I have a puppy who's 4 months now. He's going to be a huge dog I think (Great Pyrenees/Boxer mix). He's getting too big for me to be dragging to the vet, etc. Has anyone ever had their dog trained at Petsmart or some other place, or maybe even done it yourself? Is it worth it to have the pros do it? I guess I need the pros & cons of both. I need to have him trained quick. I had to have him boarded over the weekend and had to pick him up to take him inside. He's very friendly, but getting heavy. : )
TIA
yes I took my dog to Petsmart, and we loved it. You have to make sure and do everything according to the "teacher", but our dog minds us really well and we are glad we went. Some of the things they want you to do are tricky, like putting down a treat and walking away, and expecting your dog to not go for it, that one was tough, but they do socialize your dogs too, which is VERY important. Good luck to you.
We used petsmart too when our dog (lab/beagle mix) was a puppy, and it was well worth it! It's relatively inexpensive and they were very knowledgeable and taught us great techniques. I wouldn't just wing it, especially with a big dog. Good luck!
You probably need to grab a few books (like, NOW) about dog training. There are websites you can go to for quick overviews and such, but you really need to read a few different books on the subject. The bottom line is that YOU need to be educated on how to train your dog. It doesn't matter a bit if you had a million dollars to spend on trainers to work with your dog.... if YOU can't be the "alpha" (pack leader) then it won't make any difference. And for YOU to be BE the alpha, you have to understand what it means.
Please don't take this this wrong way, it is not my intention to sound harsh at all. But if you want your dog trained properly it isn't a one time thing that you take him to go do. It is DAILY. What you and he learn must be constantly reinforced every day. Dog training begins the moment they come into your home. It isn't just a class you take with them... it is a lifestyle. Truly. It is which of you goes through the doorway first. It is how you play and praise him. It is how you respond when he jumps on you or comes up and nudges you. It is the process of feeding him. It is where he sleeps even. There is SOOO much to learn and you are going to have to invest a little time in reading to understand how to integrate your pup into your "pack" (your family). Otherwise, you will end up with a big dog that is a terror to live with (not necessarily scary, but UNRULY and rude to guests, destructive, etc).
IT is SOOO worth every minute you spend educating yourself and implementing rules and expectations for your pup.
I won't say not to go to Petsmart (or any other group training class), but there are some very different methods of training out there, and you need to educate yourself on which method you want to use (and put into practice at home throughout his life). As far as I am concerned, the most important part of group training classes is the socialization aspect. All the rest of it, the actual WORK and TRAINING is done at home in between classes.
Here is a link that has dozens of articles on different aspects of understanding your dog. There are tons and tons of opinions, so do some reading so you can make an educated decision about how to train your dog best. You will be amazed at the level you can understand your dog's behaviors (and how to shape them) with just a little reading.
By the way... sounds like a BEAUTIFUL dog!
I do not recommend PetSmart to any of my clients (I am a pet sitter) and that is from personal experience as well as watching some bad habits my clients dogs developed due to clickers and chaos. Depending on where you live I highly recommend What A Great Dog in Prosper. Maureen is excellent and the classes are small with no clickers. Her puppy training classes have been wonderful for many of my clients as well as our two puppies. Whatagreatdog.com is the website.
Debi
You do not need a professional to train your dog. Get some books or a DVD and learn yourself and then begin teaching your dog. The real key to training is being consistent with whatever style you decide to use.
Caroline
http://www.theeducateddog.com/
Aaron trained my American Bulldog when I was 3 months pregnant with my daughter. Monster, my big boy at 120 lbs., is an amazing dog and so gentle with my now 4 year old. I can't say enough about Aaron's techniques and the results we got with both of my dogs.
Do some research on clicker training. It is a great way to train positively at home.
Just so you know, Petsmart doesn't really train your dog. They train YOU to train your dog. It's a lot of work and you should start as soon as possible. I know I can't speak for all of them, but the one my daughter goes to with her dog is excellent. I guess it depends on the trainer there. Can you ask around for references for trainers in your area?
I would find a local positive trainer and take a class. Observe one before signing up to make sure it looks like a good fit. Did he not want to go in because he was nervous in a new place? You may need to make sure you get out and socialize more in new places if that is the case. Good luck to you both, sounds like a cute mix of a dog.
Hi
After reading all the response you definitely got a lot to think about. I have been training and showing dogs for over 25yrs the secret to a well trained dog is YOU. I DO NOT recommend PetSmart either. What a Great Dog with Maureen is an excellent recommendation. You there is that word again, you need to do the training, but if you have never trained a dog before can be a little intimidating. Taking a class and working at home in between classes is the key to success. Here is what I told my obedience students if the only time that you spend working your dog is in class than it is very doubtful that you will get the results that you want but if you spend that 15-20minutes a day training you will get the results that you want.
It may seem frustrating at first but don't give up. I wish you the very best with your new puppy.
Theresa Hunter
If you have an easy going dog that naturally listens well and will be easy to train then I think you can get by with Pets Mart. If you have a strong willed dog that is more active then you need a professional. The main thing I learned at dog training classes is that they are actually training you and it's your job to train the dog. It was very helpful for me to learn the right way to discipline and interact with the dog and made a huge difference for me. You can also leave your dog for a week or so with a trainer and have them train the dog but I would recommend you being there and learning too. Good Luck
I have a great big dog too and I just trained him myself...but he is the epitome of 'calm submissive', if he had been a stubborn, strong willed dog I would have hired a private trainer, that comes to your house...with the big dogs you need to be able to control them completely so nobody gets hurt, that includes you trying to get them in and out of the car/bath tub:)
~My Mom has 2 big dogs and she hired a private trainer to come to her house and both her dogs listen and follow commands like nobody's business! Totally worth the $ if you've got it!!
I've trained many dogs, (mostly AKC obedience and K-9's or Military Dogs) PetsMart will give you a good/basic overview of Dog behavior and basic obedience, and we used them with our first Dog, but each situation is only as good as their trainer, meaning if my petsmart has a great trainer with a lot of experience then it is a great experience... if the trainer at your petsmart is a beginner that just loves dogs but has no real experience then not so good, you might ask if you can sit in on an existing class to get a feel for that trainers abilities. Unfortunately the same goes for the big expensive trainers... anyone can hang up a sign and call them self a trainer, but do they have experience with large dogs, (me yes) small Dogs? (me NO!) My experience is with strong Dogs that are a bit sharp... a dog with a week nervous run and hide personality, then I couldn't help you, but if he is a bit head strong, then (in theory), I would be able to help you. look to see how many dogs they have trained, how similar or different are they, if you work with a private trainer, ask a lot of questions first.
but in the end it is really up to you, you have to do the work, it is just about how much time you want to spend doing the training. if you don't mind spending the time then go with petsmart... (if they check out) if you cant devote the time, to daily reinforce the training (depending on the dog 15-30 minutes a day for 4-6 weeks then maintain training) then nothing will work, if I took your Dog and trained him for you and you didn't reinforce the behavior when I gave him back to you, then he would go back to the behavior that he was doing before I trained him for you. both ways (training yourself or having a dog trained for you) are good, but in the end you still have to continue to be consistent about the training through out the life of the dog. hope that helps, if we lived closer I could recommend a few places. Best of luck!
personally I like to train a dog myself, but I just enjoy the process.