Dog Training Support That Works for Your Dog And You
Thu ,12/11/2009If you have a dog and you need to train it but you don’t have the energy, patience or time to devote to it, you aren’t alone. This is an undertaking that requires a lot of all of these things, and what you want is a safe, well adjusted dog and for you to be happy with the results, too. What may help you get there is to hire a professional dog trainer.
As with any service, cost and quality are going to significantly vary. And as with any profession, especially those that involve both human and animal interactions, training philosophies are going to vary, too. There will need to be some parameters for you to select the right trainer for you.
What’s your budget? It can depend on where you live, but in some cases, you may be able to get training services for free, often done weekly by volunteers in shelters or parks. Or, you may pay for pricier service, up to $100 or even more per training session. What’s a reasonable fee? That will vary, depending on the trainer’s experience, where you live, the length of the program itself and the goals you have for your dog.
Take a look at your schedule. Some training programs happen every week, others do so more often. You may have to leave your dog at the training facility and pick it up afterward, or you may opt to sign up for a program where the training involves you as well as your dog. Most training programs do suggest that you spend some time with your dog training him or her every day, either at the trainer facility or at home.
In some cases, you may want to consider so-called “boot camp” training programs. In that case, your dog will go away to a special facility for quite awhile, up to several weeks. The training the dog receives is intensive, happens over the training period of time, and it happens very regularly, too. However, don’t be concerned that this is too hard on dogs. Dogs love this type of treatment. Near the end of this type of training, you, too, will usually have to participate so that the dog’s obedience is “transferred” from the trainers to you.
The results of these programs are often amazing, though. For those dogs who graduate, even if they’re not involved in “special service” types of functions, they are actually eager to follow instructions, and are very disciplined besides. Paradoxically, though, these dogs show no signs of repression and in fact are usually very playful and happy.
Next, take a look at the goals for your obedience training. Do you want a dog that you can enter into shows, or do you just want a dog that won’t chase other pets or gnaw on your furniture? In addition, you’ll need to consider the breed and temperament of your dog to determine what type of and how much training is going to be needed.
Some dogs are aggressive, others fearful either because they’ve been mistreated or because they’re simply submissive. The aggressive dogs may be that way because they’ve been abused or because they’re simply seeing themselves as the pack leader. The type of training you choose depends on the attributes you want to shape and how you want to influence them.
No matter what your goals are, and no matter your budget or commitment to time, you’ll want to choose a trainer who has a lot of patience and a lot of energy, in addition to a deep affection for dogs in general. Most have these characteristics in abundance, or they wouldn’t be in that profession.
Besides these things, though, you want a trainer who agrees with you in terms of philosophy and who wants to achieve the same goals for your dog that you do. Some trainers feel that dog training is just as much or even more about training the owner than training a dog, and there may be some truth to that, sometimes. Some trainers are friendly, lenient, and seek to “connect” with the dog, while others are almost military in their bearing and expect to be able to “command” the dog. Many trainers utilize a mix of both styles.
Your training style preferences will vary, but regardless, training style is not usually entirely subjective. Even if you have disagreements with your trainer, you’ll usually have some areas of agreement, too. Consistency, persistence and patience, as well as your need (as the pack leader) to lead are just a few of these commonly held principles.
When it comes to choosing your trainer, ask for recommendations from those you share similar values with and don’t be afraid to shop around. You may have to change trainers over the course of things in order to find one that meets your needs. However, be careful that you don’t change things without careful thought. Something dogs need most is consistency, as well as a steady environment so that they can learn well.
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