Dog Health Questions: Has anyone here taken a homestudy dog training course?

My granddaughter is interested in something called Animal Behavior College (or something like that). I have my doubts about homestudy anything, particularly something hands-on like training. BUT I'm trying to keep an open mind.

Dog Training Advice - How To Do Obedience Training For Your Dog

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I am a current student of ABC, and it is the best school I have ever been. While I do agree that an animal needs to be present to train, ABC does ask you work with your own dog or a friends to train. At step 10 you a required to do an externship at a local shelter with specific types of dogs altering their behavior. Also in step 10 requires a certified trainer to grade you in a group class setting, for me it is at a shelter with the staff. There the mentor grades and corrects what you are doing. Stages 1-9 are book work, but ABC does ask you have a practice dog to apply the knowledge you just learned.
I do get a lot of grief from people who say that this school is a spam and just want your money. People, especially old school dominate theory trainers, tell me I am way too young to have that much understanding in Canine Behavior. The truth is that this school is dedicated to practicing positive methods of dog training(scientifically proven methods btw), and teaches people in a step by step manor. Very simple, however people who are stuck in the dominate theory of dog training will find it a challenge. The key to passing and being a good dog trainer is to be open minded with the up to date training methods. In the past 5 years alone Canine Comprehension has sky rocketed, new improve teachings are out there.
In short here are facts about this school: Victoria Stillwell( animal planet's It's me or the dog) graduated from there, you have a program manager who grades and answers any questions you have,most up to date training technics, wonderful alumni program, and most success rate of people passing.
It is true you don't need education to be a dog trainer. However the best dog trainers do.
Also the have a vet assistant program that I will be enrolling in if you are interested.
* I am in no way a program manager for this school, I am a student and that is all.
please if you want to ask me more questions please e-mail me at dare2howl@yahoo.com, I would be happy to talk to you and answer any of your concerns about home studying. I tell you I was skeptical too. But this is the best choice I have ever made for myself.

Dog Training Methods

• Tell your granddaughter to volunteer at PAWS, Humane Society, SPCA, city and county pounds. Most will take her if she is at least 14 and will train her and of course only allow her to have hands on with select dogs. This is an excellent way for a young person to learn the reality of dog behavior and training. She will handle dogs (and cats) appropriate for her as determined by staff, witness all kinds of canine behavior in kenneled dogs and learn so much.
  
  She probably just wants a certificate to state she knows this but honestly the paper it's printed on is worth more than the course.


• I wouldn't trust any kind of animal behavior course that is online- there is too much that requires you be present with an animal in order to figure it out. Granted- some things ARE purely theory/intellectual- but there is a LOT of experience required in order to figure out how to put ALL that "theory" and "book learning" to the test.
  
  I wouldn't be surprised to find that your granddaughter learns that
  a) it requires finding a place to do on-site internships
  or
  b) that most places don't trust the "knowledge" she's got without some hands-on experience.
  
  That doesn't mean she can't learn from it or that its useless- but I don't know that I would pay a lot of money for it OR trust it without a really good recommendation that I trust.


• I also looked into that. Half of the reviews I researched said it was a huge scam and they basically got a bunch of scrap paper and had to observe petsmart trainers- basically they got nothing out of the school. Others enjoyed it and said it was a good experience.
  
  I decided not to go... for how much it cost, the risk was too high to be conned out of that amount of money. Instead, I'm going to an actual physical school. Besides, I did online high school for a year and it was HARD!
  
  But, y'know, do loads of background research on it and decide for yourself if it's something she would have a good experience with.