Professional Dog Trainers
If you find you are unable to give your dog the kind of training he should have in an effective manner, you may decide to find a private trainer to assist you. When you begin to investigate the situation, you will probably find that there are nearly as many dog trainers as there are dogs to be trained. Like dancers and athletes, there is a wide range of innate ability and talent among trainers. If you are going to go through all the effort and expense of using a professional, make sure you get a good one. Don’t get carried away with promises of things like “Three Days to a Perfect Dog,” or assurances that your pooch will push Lassie aside for the annual canine acting awards. Good trainers take as much time as each dog requires to learn his lesson. That time frame varies from dog to dog. Credentials speak louder than promises, and so do recommendations from people who have used the trainer. Ask for both. If the trainer appears insulted that you’ve asked-go elsewhere. An accomplished trainer is proud of what he or she has achieved and even prouder of the students that have successfully graduated.
Be realistic about what you hope a trainer will do for you. A good trainer knows the task at hand is to teach you how to train your dog. You can send him away to a school where the training takes place, but if you haven’t learned the proper way to deal with your own dog, all the training lessons in the world will be a waste of time and money.
Dog Training Classes
There are a few limits to what a patient, consistent owner can teach his or her dog. If you choose to go beyond the basics to advanced obedience work, you may want to consider local professional assistance. Professional trainers have had a long-standing experience in avoiding the pitfalls of obedience training and can help you from making common mistakes.
Most dog owners train their pets at home in the privacy of their backyard or garden. They are later upset to find that their well-trained dog cares not one iota about obeying when strange people and dogs are present.
All too often, beginning trainers read several books about training techniques and try to apply the principles gleaned from all of them. Sometimes this works, but more often than not, confuses both dog and owner. Staying with one trainer and following his program to its completion will reap greater rewards.
Training assistance can be obtained in many ways. Classes are particularly good for your dog’s socialization and attentiveness. Your dog will learn that he must obey-even where there are other dogs and people around to provide temptation. There are free-to-charge classes at many parks and recreation facilities, as well as very formal and sometimes very expensive individual lessons with private trainers. Your veterinarian may have lists of classes and where they take place, or your local pet emporium may hold classes, so it is wise to check these places if you are unable to find what you are looking for on your own.
