Puppy Training

Jacqueline

Jacqueline

Mom to Max and Ace
Owned by
1 cocker
Our vet recommended a great puppy trainer who holds classes near us. He said they were very good, and their brochure had everything from Puppy training through Canine Good Citizenship and even Agility. The only problem is they appear to have fallen victim to the economy. The web site expired and email is being returned.

After searching further, there really isn't much else available near us. We went ahead and signed up for Puppy classes at Pet Smart. We did some searching and while there appeared to be some reservations on them as obedience trainers, the general consensus seemed to be that they were fine for a puppy class. We went ahead and signed up and Max starts on Sunday. From there, we can see how it goes with the trainer and if she's good, continue on with obedience there. If not, we will have to determine a plan B.

This will be a first for me as I haven't had a puppy since I was in kindergarten myself. Looking for any advice or helpful tips you may have for either the puppy class or on finding a good trainer here in north east florida.
 
I really think the training at Pet Smart depends on the individual trainer. My son took his dog to Pet Smart for training. He had to drive about 50 minutes to get there but there was only one trainer in his small town and she would only do private lessons, which were beyond his budget as a grad student. The Pet Smart trainer did a wonderful job with Knute. Kenneth was very happy and learned clicker training at the Pet Smart. Knute is a smart dog and the trainer really worked with him. Can't say enough good things about her.

I also know the Pet Smart trainer where we used to live has one of the top five agility cockers in the country. She teaches there to make a little extra money to go to agility trials. I think, if you get the right trainer, Pet Smart can do a good job.
 
Most puppy classes are less about the puppy learning stuff and more about socialization and education of puppy owners. I would be concerned if the trainer uses punishment . . . there's no reason for that, especially with puppies. Positive training is wonderful, and it can build such a strong relationship with your dog.

I think in terms of puppy classes, PetSmart should be fine . . . if the instructor is doing stuff that you're uncomfortable with, then don't do those particular things. If they're unhappy with that, then you have to choose whether or not you want to continue with the classes.

In terms of finding a trainer in your area, I would find out what the closest AKC club is (check the AKC website at http://www.akc.org) and get in touch with them. The other places to ask are vet clinics and specialty pet stores. Those are all places that a trainer or club would advertise at.
 
Petsmart may not be as good as other places although how much effort you put in the class will make all the difference in the world. I remember people in my obedience classes that obviously didn't practice at home and it showed.
 
Do you have any boarding faucilites near you? Some times they will know trainers or behavior specialist in your area. Some like ours actually holds classes.

Socializing is just as important at this age as behavior, once he has all his shots and is cleared by the vet, I would take him out in public to meet as often as possible. I am very picky about dog parks and might avoid them with a puppy. Having another dog run up to him off leash might trigger a fear response. He needs to meet other dogs but not be jumped on
 
Max is in petsmart puppy school and though I didn't want to put him there(my sister picked were we would take the pups) They are very good if you get the dog training for dummy's book they train the same way so I am always a week ahead of them lol. They don't use punishment and all trainers are trained the same. My trainer liked the petsmart training so much more then her old way she retrained her dog using it. They do have advance classes for agility and canine good citizen. The pet smart training is more training then social but they do have social time at the being and end in mine. I would get training for dummy's it would make it a lot easier. begin with the puppy. She said the clicker is the hardest and doesn't recommend it for beginners.
 
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I disagree with the statement that clicker training is the hardest and not recommended for beginners . . . that's not true at all! Clicker training is actually easy, once the person understands the concept and methodology. I encourage EVERY new dog owner to try clicker training, and have used it in all of the classes I've taught, right from day one (which starts with 12 week old puppies).

I do not agree with waiting for all of Max's shots to be complete before taking him out in public Jacqueline. Studies have shown that dogs are at less risk from communicable disease before the puppy series is complete than from euthanization due to behavior issues that can be traced back to early puppy days. I wouldn't take Max to the off-leash dog park, but he should be exposed to lots and lots of people (young, old, male, female, etc) and new situations and places. Puppies' brains are very elastic at this age, and they have a much easier time learning to adjust to new things. This will carry over into adulthood, if you push it now. I would ensure that the first two sets of shots are done (should be by 12 weeks) then start with the puppy classes and socialization. Have a puppy party and invite friends and their dogs over for play time (ensure the dogs are up to date on vaccinations, of course). Make everything fun and upbeat, and Max will learn to be a well-adjusted dog.
 
Wow! Thank you all so much for the advice!

Socialization is very important for Max so that he can overcome his fears rather than turn fear-aggressive. I do think he'll do fine with the training. Thanks for the tip about avoiding the dog-parks for now. We have one nearby and I was thinking it might be a good place to take him. He is smart for such a young'un and is already learning things such as sitting by a door rather than pawing and digging at it. He's also learning what is doggy appropriate to chew, although when his teeth really start bothering him he will chew anything his mouth can reach. Housetraining is almost done too. He learned very quickly to go outside.

I had no idea the dog training for dummies is what they followed at PetSmart. I'll go ahead and get it so I can be up with them on it. I do feel better hearing from Max's Mommy and Karen about the positive experiences there.

I followed Kelly's link and checked and found an AKC club in our area that does training. They are not close, but we could make it there for classes on weekends. What really surprised me was there classes are actually less expensive than PetSmart, and they also have a drop-in policy that allows for socialization at times other than the designated class times.

Kelly, The PetSmart trainer here has already mentioned clicker training, which I took as a good sign. She also said to bring plenty of treats he can chew quickly, which I'm not as sure about, but I do know that food can be a strong reward. Max only has one more round of shots to complete them, which he'll get in a week from the vet, so it sounds like he should be fine out in public. A puppy party sounds like fun too! We did take him to PetSupermarket to try out different bowls and while he definitely was afraid of both people and the big front door, he did not show any signs of aggression.

Some Mike works with wound up getting an 8 week old labradoodle puppy the same weekend we got Max. We're going to see if he can go to the training with us.
 
Oh yes, soft, small treats are a must! They are used with the clicker . . . you need something that is quickly and easily consumed, so you don't lose the flow of training. I hope you guys enjoy the classes - there's nothing I love more than training a new pup :) It contributes to a wonderful bond, and watching your dog learn new things is so fun.

I'm glad you found a club that's somewhat local that has classes too . . . hopefully they have good trainers.

Let us know how the first class goes :)
 
Zuke's is a brand that makes mini soft treats but there are others too. If you can't find mini ones make your own. Dick van Patten makes a Roll, that you can cut up into small pieces and so does Mother Hubbard. It really only needs to be a very little bite.

Hope you have the best of fun at class.
 
I made small cubes out of ham steak after cooking it. Hoshi loves it.
 
DJ's Three said:
Zuke's is a brand that makes mini soft treats but there are others too. If you can't find mini ones make your own. Dick van Patten makes a Roll, that you can cut up into small pieces and so does Mother Hubbard. It really only needs to be a very little bite.

Hope you have the best of fun at class.
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I use the rolled food as my training treat.Max was never food motivated until I started using it and now he always wants to train. He ONLY gets the rolled treat when we train. He gets other treats for a snack that way the really good treats stay really motivating for training!
 
I got dog training for dummies. It gets here Saturday, but Amazon had a deal where I could read it online, so I got that. I've learned some already. :)

I will look for those treats. His mouth is so tiny, I'm finding even tiny tid-bits of ham or chicken are chewed, dropped, sniffed, chewed some more, repeat once or twice more, then swallow. It could be he's just getting used to new food, but I don't know. I have a hot dog I'm trying out to see just how small I can cut the pieces. He still chews, but the drop sniff and chew again are gone. I will look for those rolls. Does anyone happen to have a recipe to make them?
 
Jacqueline said:
I got dog training for dummies. It gets here Saturday, but Amazon had a deal where I could read it online, so I got that. I've learned some already. :)

I will look for those treats. His mouth is so tiny, I'm finding even tiny tid-bits of ham or chicken are chewed, dropped, sniffed, chewed some more, repeat once or twice more, then swallow. It could be he's just getting used to new food, but I don't know. I have a hot dog I'm trying out to see just how small I can cut the pieces. He still chews, but the drop sniff and chew again are gone. I will look for those rolls. Does anyone happen to have a recipe to make them?
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Max did the same thing with every thing I gave him! He went for the stuff in the rolls and then he would take other things. I get mine at petsmart in the petfood lane. I do not know how to make them. Is'nt the book Awsome!! I love it and keep ahead of the training with it.
 
Thank you so much! Training went well and Max had a great time. I was very happy with the trainer too. She did well with Max and the other 3 dogs in the class. He did the best of all, but of course I am not prejudiced at all. ;)

The Zukes peanut butter training treats worked well and we wound up sharing them with someone else who didn't bring treats.
 
Sounds like you're off to a great start. Hoshi was my first experience with obedience training. It was fun and rewarding for both of us. :)
 
Glad you had fun Max was my first dog to train also and it has been very good for us.
 
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