Dog Health Questions: How can i find dog training classes in my aea?

i heard petsmart wan't very good. my puppy is 6 months old. will it help with potty training at all? what kinda things will she learn?

Successful Dog Training at Home - Having the Right Mindset

Recommended Answer:
You need group obedience classes to learn to train your dog --- but it is nothing to do with potty training, for that look up "crate training".

Ask your vet or vet techs, Humane Society, Animal Services, SPCA, what trainer they recommend that gives group obedience classes. Will teach you to train your dog plus it helps socialize her with new people and other dogs -- and it's fun for both of you.

Overview of Dog Training

• YOU will learn how to teach your dog basic obedience.. sit, stay, down, heel, etc.. the trainer can also give you potty training tips.
  
  The purpose of the classes is to teach YOU how to train your dog. The dog wont learn a thing if you dont apply what is learned at the classes and work with her thru the week.
  
  Pick up your local phone book and look up trainers. Groomers, breeders and vets in the area can also refer you to some trainers. Your local dog shelter may even be able to refer you to a trainer.


• it depends on where you live. i live in texas and in my area there are a few animal defense leagues and humane societys tht have training courses


• Maybe watch on Animal Planet, It's Me or the Dog. It has a lot of good information there. I like it. Potty training. Oh, maybe after she eats, wait a few minutes, and just go outside for a walk. And when she's about to pee/poop inside the house, just lift her up (even if she's still peeing, she'll hold it in) and put her in a small cage right for her size. Then she'll learn if you keep repeating the process.


• Call your vet, perhaps they know of a good basic training class they could recommend.. Good luck with your new pup.. They usually train sit, stay, come, down and basic things like that..those are all important basic commands your dog and every dog should learn, as for house breaking..just take your pup out every couple hours, every time it wakes up right away and watch for it to potty and praise it when it does. If it doesn't go potty when you come back in the house crate it for 1/2 hour then try again..the best way to get results is to not offer the opportunity for her to potty in the house and praise her big time when she potties outside. Don't send her out alone, she will not focus on what she needs to do, she will only focus on getting back to where you are..


• Petsmart sucks. They aren't professionals at grooming or training. They sale pet supplies and try and rack in the dough on other services.
  
  Best bet is google the info or ask folks you see w/ their pets.


• You can look through the phone book, use a search engine, or ask a vet for a reccomendation. I think that a good trainer is essential in making sure your dog is a good citizen and in my opinion I would stay away from pet smart, the level of training is not good at all. Just do your research and you will find a good trainer as long as you live in a decent size area.


• I did a local search on yahoo to find one. Then I contacted a couple of them that I was interested in from those search results. I asked them about our situation specifically and made my choice. We start soon. My puppy is 6 months too.
  
  I forgot to address "what kinda things she'll learn". What they do is teach you how to train your dog. Then the possibilities are endless based on how far you take it.


• Yeah. The reason Petsmart training stinks is because they only use positive reinforcement. Basically, you ignore bad behavior and reward good behavior. This is not an effective training method. The BEST way to train a dog (as I have witnessed over and over again with my amazing trainer, Pat) is to punish bad behavior and reward good behavior. That way, the dog learns to stop behaving badly and repeat the good behaviors.
  
  There are some classes that help specifically with potty training. There are other classes that are for puppies specifically and train you and your dog in the basics - sit, down, stay, come, and walking on a loose lead usually. There might also be a time before/after class when all the dogs get to play together, but some facilities don't do that because of dog injury/liability issues.
  
  The thing about training classes is that YOU have to do your homework each week. Every day you need to practice the commands with your dog. If you don't, the training will be ineffectual, no matter how good the trainer is.
  
  Search on the Interwebs for a dog training class in your area. See if you can find testimonies from other customers that praise the class.
  
  A 6 month old puppy should be able to learn such things as sit, down, pose, stay, walk-on-a-loose-lead, heel, quiet, leave it, and finish. My 11 month old pup knows all those things. It takes patience and lots of practice though.
  
  I hope you find a good class! Best of luck to you and your dog!