How do you train your dog..

[danyp1]

Hi!
I have finally come to the decision that I will try private training for my pup(7 month old). I`m hoping to get her cgc in april and my first class will be next sunday for 4 sessions which I hope will be enough. The trainer thinks so but we will see.

So out of curiosity how do you train your dog?

Private Trainer, Group Class or in kennel training (like send the dog for training to a kennel or a trainer without you being present) or no training classes at all( you do all the training yourself at home)?

Thanks, Daniela + Sam

[Carina43]

I'm just curious, why the private sessions instead of group classes? For the CGC she has to listen & be calm around strange dogs...I'd also get into a group class. I'm assuming the trainer will be proofing her around her own dogs...? Anyhow group classes are inexpensive & fun. :)

I've done group classes plus home training is part of the daily routine. Dutch was only minimally trained when I got him (adult intact rescue) and he was very dog aggressive, so I had some private sessions before going into a group situation.

[lblax]

Originally Posted by danyp1

Hi!

So out of curiosity how do you train your dog?


Thanks, Daniela + Sam

every single day for the rest of it life!!!! i am curious that your trainer said 4 sessions will be enough?? enough for what??? your dog seriously will need ongoing training for a minimum of 3 years and ideally for life

[SABELLESMOM]

Originally Posted by danyp1

So out of curiosity how do you train your dog?

Private Trainer, Group Class or in kennel training (like send the dog for training to a kennel or a trainer without you being present) or no training classes at all( you do all the training yourself at home)?

Definately a group for us. Dogs are situational learners. If I trained mine privately, she could easliy be too distracted later when she's tested in a group.

I'm also a firm believer in having the trainer teach ME. I want to be the one benefiting from the bond we form thru training. No thank you. I don't want it to be someone else training her without me there. How would I know if I agreed with all of his/her training methods? I think not...I want to do it myself.

Yes. I do some at home. I suppose I would be capable of doing a great deal of it at home with the new pup. However, she need the exposure to other dogs and how to focus in a group setting.

[Judi W]

I start teaching the minute those little feet hit the ground. Formal training is once a week in classes with my local club and our sessions at home.

[JD102175]

Brodie goes to group classes also. I'd never send a dog away for training, who knows what they do to them. Training is a great bonding time, how can you bond with your dog if you're not even there? We also do training a few days a week at home for "practice" inbetween our weekly classes. From my experience with other group class trainers we get far more one-on-one time with our current trainer then we ever did with the other two.

Jaime

[Luvs]

We have been training with a group for over a year now. I prefer the group to private sessions because I want the distractions of other dogs and people. Right now we train every Tuesday night but starting tomorrow night we will be doing agility as well as obedience every week. on top of that we do handling classes off and on, depending on when I have time.

We do train daily at home in between classes.

[Brooke&Ryan]

We also like the group training setting. Like Carol said there are more distractions which I think are a good thing. :)

:)
Brooke

[Judi W]

The benefits to training in a group are not limited to the distractions. It is the support that is generated amongst the participants, the learning that takes place from watching others and the lifelong friendships developed that are not simply an association based on commerce.

[spidey]

Group for sure (obedience once a week, conformation once a week and soon agility once a week), plus daily work at home (I clicker train). Group is good for the reasons noted (distractions, support, seeing other examples, etc), and it also provides for some human socialization for me as well! :) I'd use private if I was working through a specific problem which would benefit from private lessons, I'd never ever use kennel training, my dog is my responsibility and I want to know exactly what's happening to him (I know we've had this discussion before, and it may well be that some people and their dogs can benefit from kennel training, but it's not right for me, and I doubt it's right for many people with dogs like Rotties, who benefit from working with their owners).

Four sessions may be enough for YOU to learn the basics of what's needed for a CGC, but it's certainly not enough for your dog to learn them, not to mention the proofing and that sort of thing. There are group classes aimed toward completing the CGC, I'd think those would be of benefit to you as well.

[danyp1]

Originally Posted by lblax

every single day for the rest of it life!!!! i am curious that your trainer said 4 sessions will be enough?? enough for what??? your dog seriously will need ongoing training for a minimum of 3 years and ideally for life

I meant enough for her to pass the CGC sorry to not be specific enough :D

[Jaegergirl]

we've always done group classes and i think private ones, at least in my situation, would be a waste of money. maverick can do everything we do at class when we are at home just fine so he's "trained" in that respect. we started group classes at 15 weeks of age, he got his cgc at 7 months old, and we continued group classes until he was a year old (last april). for several reasons (see the "what happened to my well behaved dog" thread), i stopped taking classes and just started them again this month... boy, did i learn a very valuable lesson as to how important group classes are!!! you (and i don't mean you, the OP, personally) think you have a well trained and well behaved dog, that is, until you get it around other dogs!! :)

i'd really look into group classes if i were you. you surely won't regret it. :)

[danyp1]

Originally Posted by spidey

Four sessions may be enough for YOU to learn the basics of what's needed for a CGC, but it's certainly not enough for your dog to learn them, not to mention the proofing and that sort of thing. There are group classes aimed toward completing the CGC, I'd think those would be of benefit to you as well.

That is what I thought and then the CGC group class once my schedule is a bit more predictable.

[danyp1]

Just to clarify my decision on private training. My schedule is not predictable right now so any class that would be schedule once a week would not be possible right now.
She was in a puppy group class before. She has not been in a class since november but once my schedule is better I will do group classes again. I like group classes as well. I like interacting with the people in the class.

I play/train with her every day at home. But I need help on proper heeling which has proven a bit difficult (I have never done the cgc so I need help. the trainer will be able to point out my mistakes and what I need to work on).
Anyway I thought it might be worth a try better than no class. And some one on one with a trainer for a few sessions might make me a better handler or so I hope.. :D

[Jaegergirl]

Anyway I thought it might be worth a try better than no class. And some one on one with a trainer for a few sessions might make me a better handler or so I hope..

i agree, private classes would be better than none at all. and it would be good for working on a specific problem, like in your case. the first training facility i went to... well, you could forget about getting individualized attention.. there were way too many people in the class. that's one (among many) reasons i left. ;)