AKC obedience class??

[brutus'mother]

I was planning on taking Brutus to PetsMart for puppy class....I've had multiple people tell me that is a BAD IDEA. I have no problem with a private trainer BUT from what I have read on the forum it sounds like most feel a class setting is best. Any advice??

[Ayoka]

I would look for an obedience club...are any of the ones listed on the ste below near you?

Ohio Dog Clubs (scroll down for obedience clubs)

[brutus'mother]

I'll check, thanks for the reply

[Marylou Mader]

Any dog training is better than NONE, if you can't find anything closer, it won't hurt to go.

[Skip]

Originally Posted by brutus'mother

I was planning on taking Brutus to PetsMart for puppy class....I've had multiple people tell me that is a BAD IDEA. I have no problem with a private trainer BUT from what I have read on the forum it sounds like most feel a class setting is best. Any advice??

How much research have you done? Look for a trainer that has trained different breeds to several levels of (verifiable) obedience titles. Most PetSmart trainees have not.

[brutus'mother]

I have done quite a bit of research, I have found a trainer in my area from the NADOI but she no longer teaches classes but rather does one on one training in the home, we start sessions with her on 3/13. My parents used the same trainer 13 years ago with their rotti with great success. I wanted to get some feedback regarding classs vs one on one training sessions from folks on this forum. I know this trainer is a good place to start but I also know training will be a long time committment. When I spoke to her she advised against PetsMart due to minmal experience of the trainers and the environment being too overwhelming for such a young pup, she also was helpful in suggesting other ways to socialize besides a class setting.

[scalewoodman]

We had a great experience at PetSmart... it was a great diversion during the long, cold winter and something that both Lola and I looked forward to! It is hard for me to see the harm, as in DON'T DO IT... honestly I recommend the experience highly-- for both of you. The best part was the Advanced class had 6 large dogs (one beagle-sized) so the challenge of dealing with the distraction of wanting to play added a valuable element that I appreciate. It was fun to socialize with other owners and everyone fell in love with our Rott-- so advancing the breed is a great side benefit.

Maybe go meet the trainer and get a feel for how they do-- there certainly are differences. The trainer we had has 2 Rotts, and one was in the class!

[JemarsSerena]

There are many trainers out there with class settings. Keep looking, they are out there. Most kennel clubs offer some form of OB classes.

[vVRotts]

I had an excellent experience with PetSmart classes led by a young woman who had dog training experience outside of the mandated PetSmart requirements, a degree in behavioral sciences and a love of dogs big and small. So of course it was not too long before she moved on to bigger and better things. But the classes we did with her were quite beneficial.

Like most others posting though, I have also seen and heard of many other PetSmart "trainers" whose classes I most certainly would avoid like the plague.

Really, no matter where you go to train, even if it's one of the sources generally endorsed by knowledgeable people, you should still observe a class and talk with the instructors to make sure it's a good fit for you and your dog.