I have a puppy who is about 5 months old now. She's a reasonably good dog, but I'm looking for some dog-training to make her even better and looking for recommendations. I could do it all myself in an ideal world, but given the demands of children, job, etc I know that won't really happen. I could drop her off for a bootcamp, or attend a class -- I just need something structured for me. I'm agnostic on using treats or punishments in training. I know there's a big debate in the dog-training world as to approach, especially when it comes to corporal punishments. I'm willing to do whichever. She is a Great Pyr, which as a breed has a reputation for being intelligent and stubborn. So I'm just looking for something effective. So, does anyone have recommendations for trainers or outfits in the Houston area?
When we lived in Houston, we used Anita Hendrix: http://www.doubledogtraining.com/ She was great. Not the cheapest, but she'd come to your house, really work with you and the dog (you are as important as the dog), etc. That was 5 years ago, though...
I used to work with Kris at Compaq. Left the IT industry to follow her real passion. I have never seen her with animals but if she is half as good with them as she is with people your dog would be in great hands. http://adogsdharma.com/about.html
Training is more about the pet parents being tentative. You yourself must continue to repeat the training beyond the class room. It's a big undertaking to properly train a dog, and you must have patience. I do not recommend any type of Alpha Dog training. Most pet parents do not know limits, and a lot of trainers are overworked and are known to harm pets with over use of punishment. I'd stick with positive reinforcement. Learning needs to be made enjoyable for the pet, especially if you wish for them to know more than the average sit and stay. Both of my dogs have been trained by my gf and I using positive reinforcement and kennel training. It's all about repetitiveness and keeping their focus on each task, but it takes a lot of effort and practice. Petsmart and Petco provide training. Thy're usually hour long classes focused on 1 task at a time, in which you go home and practice the process. They are also positive reinforcement classes. I know people who have had good results with them, and they aren't expensive. I believe if you're unhappy you can either retake a class or get a refund too.
#1 rule is like children, don't ever give a command you can't follow through on or guarantee the outcome they have to know the outcome is inevitable and not worth disobeying
positive reinforcement is way, way more effective than negative. sometimes a dog is going to need a spanking, but that is only when they really f*** up and ONLY when you catch them in the act. if you come home from work and your dog tore up a pillow four hours ago it is not going to understand that is what it is being punished for. anyway, for training purposes i would argue that negative reinforcement is actually harmful. you should absolutely use training treats...they are the best way to get compliance. great for teaching the dog to sit, lay down, stay, drop (ball, dead bird, ect), walking properly, self-control/restraint. feed them those things like a pez dispenser when you are training them...it works! you can make games out of it too... put a handful on the floor with your hands ready to cup them when you dog goes for them...if you can get the dog to sit and not go for treats give them 1 after 5 seconds or so...helps the dog with self-control issues. imo, training is most effective when its done by the owner...plus the dog will feel more bonded to you and see you more as its alpha-daddy-BFF. i would not do a drop-off training place...the classes should be more about you learning how to train your dog.
I appreciate everyone's help. I'd agree that doing it myself is best. I've done it before. And of course I'll be doing stuff with this dog too. But, I'm also recognizing that my life is more hectic than before and this dog won't have the benefit of being a 'project' like past pets have been. If I don't do something to get more structure, this training isn't going to go as well.
Crate training is something I'd recommend if you haven't already. It gives the dog a place to feel secure and allows you to contain the puppy when you don't have time for training and paying attention to stop negative behavior. Our puppy is about 9 months old and even though he doesn't "need" to go in his crate very often anymore because he's pretty good in the house... there are times at night when he just wants to mess around, play with his toys, chew his bones etc and if I put him in his crate he's happy to go to sleep in 5 mins.
Yeah, we crate-trained her. She took to it very well, and it made the housetraining very easy. She won't go in on a lark, but doesn't complain when we tell her to go in. In general, I think the basic stuff is going well. But, I want her to mind her manners better, be better on the leash, listen to commands outside and not just in the house, and so on.
