Dog Health Questions: Which dog training place is better for my jack Russell?

He is 5 years old. His former owner got him as a puppy from a breeder and kept him until about a month ago where he was with a lady. The lady gave em back to the man and he gave him to me. He is aggressive and "lungy" at my 6 cats. He does great with other dogs. I took him for an evaluation at a training school in my city. They said he is timid, has the tendency to become aggressive. Recommended their 400.00 training school. They are more aggressive with their training, also.

Enter Petsmart training. They are $109.00 and use "treat training". The other school said that doesn't work. Petsmart's trainer worked with him a little and used treats and he sat for her immediately. The guy @ the other school had to shove his behind down to make him sit. I do not know which place to take him to. Petsmart is cheaper and seems good, but he is stubborn

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I don't recommend either. The first one uses domination over your dog as the means to make him obey. This is not teaching him to obey, or why to obey... it is just teaching him to fear you. With a dog that has aggression problems, this will only compound his issues, and he will probably get WORSE later.

I also don't recommend the Petsmart trainer. While their approach is more positive, they may not have the right tools to help you with this serious problem. A $100 obedience class is great, but it will not solve the aggressive tendencies in your dog.

I would recommend going to a a veterinary behaviorist, (a veterinarian that specializes in behavior.) They may be slightly expensive, but they shouldn't be $400.

If you don't do that, I would recommend finding a Certified Pet Dog Trainer in your area. You can find one by going here: www.ccpdt.org. These are people who have studied and taken an exam to prove that they know the science and psychology behind dog training. Not all of them may be well versed in aggressive behavior, however.

Talk to a couple trainers and ask for references of clients they've worked with that had aggressive dogs. They should be about $25 to $50 an hour.

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• you ever thought about using a little bit of both and do it yourself and the rewards can be even greater and treats don't have to be treats they can be a favorite toy and i have known people who took their dogs to both petsmart and more expensive places and got nowhere. the key with the cats is to slowly introduce him to them by the way FYI you can pick up tips watching the dog whisperer


• I took my Jack to puppy classes at Petsmart. I'm so happy I did. He's one of the most well behaved dogs I've had. He seemed to have fun at classes. I liked it because they don't just teach the dog. They teach you how to teach the dog, and how to be a leader to him. I wouldn't spend my time and money at a place that made my puppy sound like something was wrong with him. Not to mention the price, and they sound a little too aggressive. Learning should be a positive experience for you and your new dog, not a forced and unhappy one.


• alright you cant stress too much about him not listening so just try being calm but assertive. the best place to go is a school where you can also be evaluated. more aggressive training is OK but treat training is too. you also need to learn how to train him and be a leader.


• Petsmart is lousy. So what if the dog sits for a treat. You could have done that yourself without the Petsmart trainer. You need functional training, not sitting for treats.


• Petsmart is just fine if you just want to work on basic commands and manners. Treat trainer works for all dogs that like treats for teaching basic skills. However if your dog has some aggression issues a more specialized trainer might be warranted. However the school you mention with aggressive trainers and a "school" does not really seem like the issue. If you want to work on his aggression towards cats in your home then I suggest finding a qualified trainer who will come to your home and work on this issues in the problem environment.. home with the cats. If he is good with other dogs and people the cat thing is really minor (o.k. not if you are living with it everyday but JRT and cats is not really a great match) and you don't need overall specialized training but just related to his "issues". My advice Petsmart (or similar) for basic manners and dog bonding training, tricks etc. and a specialized person to come to your home for the cat issues.