It definitely depends on the trainer. The trainer I use now worked at Petsmart for several years; she quit and now has her own company. She was voted "best trainer in our city"! I absolutely LOVE her
!
Our other trainer, also worked at Petsmart. She recently quit and now works at a service dog training school. She is awsome as well.
Here is the thing about Petsmart.....(I
was employed by them for 7 years
as a groomer in one of the highest earning stores in the company). When I first started there everything was wonderful, they truly cared about QUALITY!!! They made sure everyone had correct credentials and what not, and had intensive training programs for there employees. I quit when all this went away; the company changed gears completely, focusing on quantity over quality. Groom as many dogs as you can, who cares what it looks like; what is the most dogs we can fit into the training ring ect.
They send people to "grooming/training school (which is a joke of a
school)" after 1 month of employment. I am not sure how long the "trainers" program is, but for grooming it is 4 weeks. If I walk in off the street and say..."I want to train dogs" they would say OKAY, lets get you signed up for the course! The more trainers/groomers they have, the more $$$ they make
.
You may get lucky, and get a trainer or groomer who really excels at their job, but it is a gamble. Most are kids (20's) who think grooming/training would be so fun..."you get to play with dogs all day". I have seen "trainers" at petsmart who's dogs are literally DRAGGING them across the store
; I would NOT want that as a trainer
. Keep in mind, the majority of people enrolled in the petsmart classes are "average" pet owners. They are content with sit, down, and a halti
.
I no longer will even step foot inside of a Petsmart b/c of their ethics and the way they treat their employees. However, good trainers (as well as groomers) CAN be found at Petsmart...like I said, its the luck of the draw
!
I would suggest one thing though...after your puppy class maybe find a new trainer. The way they conduct the classes is not very challenging. I like classes held outdoors, full of every-day distractions...people biking, dogs running w/ owners, kids screaming, cars honking, ect. My trainer changes locations EVERY week, this way the dogs are exposed to all distractions and environments.