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Dogs: Finding A Good Training Class

There are reviews of several good books on dog training and behaviour in Books on Animals.

Training classes are useful for helping to socialise dogs
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Training classes can be a great help for owners who want to get the best from their dogs, especially novice owners. So how can you find a good training class? There are no hard and fast rules on this, since it depends a lot on your needs. You may also be constrained by what is available locally, your income, and the amount of free time you have. Different types of classes suit different owners. Types of classes range range from drop-in dog clubs, to one-to-one training sessions in your home.

Drop in dog clubs

These clubs usually hold classes at fixed times, in a hall or out-of-doors, and anyone can turn up. They offer flexibility, which can be useful if your work means you aren't available to go to training every week, and they tend to be cheap, because the trainers who run them don't usually get paid, but just charge a fee for hire of the hall and other costs. Many owners build up long-term relationships with dog clubs, and attend for years, doubling as volunteers, keeping the register or making the coffee. You may drop in and find the club doesn't suit you, in which case you can leave after a couple of classes, and don't have to worry about losing a fee paid in advance.

These clubs have a number of advantages, but don't suit everyone. The trainers don't know how many people will turn up from one week to the next, so can't plan classes easily. Some classes may be noisy and overcrowded, especially at the basic level. This may be noisy and stressful for owners and their dogs. Owners may have trouble hearing instructions, especially if there are spectators chatting in the background, and dogs may find it difficult to cope with being with a lot of other dogs, especially if there isn't much room and they feel crowded. Trainers may be unable to see what is happening with every dog, a particular problem if there is no assistant. Owners may also be less inclined to make the effort to attend every week, because they have not paid in advance.

Fixed schedule classes

Fixed schedule classes can, then, offer a number of advantages, such as smaller and quieter classes than drop-in classes, with more attention paid to each dog. However, you may find that drop-in classes offer quiet classes at the higher levels, since these tend to attract fewer owners, who also tend to attend more regularly. You may also want ongoing support over several years, and fixed-schedule classes may be a little expensive for this. There are also dogs which are not ready to train with other dogs, and owners of these dogs may be better off with one-to-one training.

One-to-one training

One-to-one training is helpful for older dogs which have not been socialized. Trainers are also better able to assess a dog which behaves badly at home, by seeing how the dog behaves at home, and with different members of the family. One-to-one trainers can also help with socializing dogs that react badly to other dogs, doing this more gradually than in a class setting, using hand-picked, calm, older dogs to start with. At some point, however, it is often helpful to get your dog used to being with others in a group class, especially if you can find a flexible class where is plenty of room at the venue so your dog can learn to take part at his own pace, and doesn't feel crowded.

Some dogs have such serious problems that it is better to seek advice from a qualified behaviourist. You'll need to be referred through your vet, and it's best to look for a behaviourist with experience of your dog's breed, or breed type. A behaviourist is likely to be needed if you are afraid of your dog biting you, for example, though there are experienced trainers who have studied dog behaviour and can provide help in understanding why the problem is happening and what to do about it. Do check with your vet if your dog has serious behavioural problems, since they may have a medical cause, in which case the medical condition needs to be treated to tackle the problem.

Matching your dog to a trainer

Whether you choose a drop-in class or another option, then, depends on your needs. You need to check that the trainer is aware of any 'challenges' your dog may present, and ask whether the trainer is willing and able to deal with them. Some trainers have years of experience with labs, retrievers and collies, for example, including competing at a high level in obedience, but have little experience of akitas, rotties or staffies. And if you have a dog-aggressive dog which you have trouble handling, it's a bit unfair on the trainer to turn up at a drop-in class without warning - it's better for you, the dog, and the trainer to ask the trainer first.

What to ask a trainer

Good trainers shouldn't be offended if you ask whether they have experience of your particular type of dog, nor if you ask about their qualifications, experience, interests and training methods. Qualifications don't guarantee excellence but they mean that the trainer has studied systematically, while recent qualifications tell you that the trainer has studied up-to-date methods. There are people who have a talent for training dogs without having formal qualifications, whereas some trainers qualified a long time ago, and have not updated their skills, so qualifications aren't everything. You should be able to tell from talking to the trainer whether they favour modern methods, which focus on being able to 'read' and motivate the dog, rather than old fashioned methods, which focus more on physical control, like jerking the lead, choke collars, and trying to 'dominate' the dog. A trainer who is interested in clicker training is likely to be one who favours reward-based methods.

It's important to ask about experience with your breed, or similar breeds, because breeds vary a lot in how they react in different circumstances, and in their body language. Basic training for a lab or retriever puppy is relatively easy compared with training an adolescent guard dog which has already developed problems. Most trainers can cope with the former, but of you have one of the latter, you need to ask more questions about the trainer, and about the venue, which should preferably be quiet rather than crowded and noisy.

The Association of Pet Dog Trainers' website www.apdt.co.uk offers a directory of registered trainers in Britain. You can also get help for dogs with serious behavioural problems by being referred through your vet, and from the Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors website www.apbc.org.uk .

Go to classes

The best way to see whether you like the classes or not is to go as a spectator. This is also useful for allowing your dog to get used to being in the class before he actually has to take part, and for allowing you to understand more about what training involves, so you can get more out of it when you do start. Training is as much about training owners as their dogs.

Or try DIY training

You may not be able to find a suitable trainer locally, in which case, you can start your own programme at home. Find a good training book, such as Ian Dunbar's 'How to Teach a New Dog Old Tricks' to start off with, and then read as widely as possible, so you can work out your goals, and build up a repertoire of exercises to achieve them.

You will also find it helpful to meet up with other dog owners for walks and socialising your dogs. It can be more fun walking around in the driving rain with a friend, rather than alone, and the dogs usually enjoy it more too, and you can build up a network of friends who can help each other with dog walks if one owner is in bed with 'flu. You can even set up your own classes with friends if you can find a suitable, quiet location, like a secure large garden, or a field. It can be fun to practise basic obedience with a group of friends, and this method can help your dog to learn to behave when other dogs are about. You can try a rotating leadership, with one owner taking the role of trainer for each session, and you don't need many owners for this to work - just two friends working together can achieve a lot. The drawback is that this requires some commitment and organisation, but the benefit is that you can learn a lot, and this method brings home the way that everything you do with your dog involves training!

Training should be fun

Above all, find a trainer, or a way of training your dog, that allows you to enjoy the experience. Training at its best can be demanding, but is also enjoyable for owners and their dogs. Have the confidence to question the trainer if you are asked to do something you aren't happy about, and if you and your dog aren't enjoying training, find a class where you can be happy.

See also:
Dogs: Choosing a Dog
Dogs: You and Your Dog
Dogs: Basic Training
Dogs: Bringing up your puppy
Dogs: Behavioural Problems
Dogs: Dogs and Diet

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