How do I find a good dog training school?
For many puppies and young dogs, attending dog training school is now on the “schedule.” In addition to improving basic obedience, the focus is on socialization with other dogs. Alongside standard courses, many owners are interested in advanced training programs as well as dog sports (mantrailing, agility, lunging, scent work, etc.).
To help you in your decision-making process, here are a few tips for choosing “your” dog training school.
In addition to being easily accessible within a reasonable time frame, cost is also a decisive factor. Prices for standard courses should be within the usual range. However, these points alone should not be the deciding factors.
Instead, you should pay attention to the following:
- The training area should be fenced in and secured so that even young dogs of small breeds cannot find a hole and slip away
- Due to the potential risk of injury, the dog park should be level and free of holes or molehills
- There should be trees providing shade; these are especially popular in the summer
- A consultation and a subsequent trial session should always be available
- The atmosphere should be calm, stress-free, and relaxed
- The dog trainers are friendly and respectful in their interactions with dog owners
- They treat the dogs with the same respect, friendliness, and understanding, even if an exercise doesn’t go so well sometimes
- The trainers have proven training credentials and can specify where they completed their training
- Training is conducted using current learning methods and positive reinforcement
- Training sessions and courses take place in small groups (max. 6 dogs per trainer) and are separated by breed size and age
- Individual exercises should be explained clearly, and questions should be answered willingly
- Dogs are neither over- nor underchallenged; adapting to each dog’s individual training level should be a given
- During playtime, the dogs are closely monitored to prevent bullying
- Each training session should end on a positive note
- The dog should also be allowed to relieve itself on the premises if necessary, without making a big deal out of it. Of course, waste must be cleaned up
- The dog may quench its thirst at any time from the bowls provided
- Breaks are taken between exercises
- If your dog is “borrowed” to demonstrate an exercise, permission must be asked first
- Both dog and owner should feel comfortable. Learning and recalling what has been learned is only possible in a relaxed environment
The following points are not characteristic of a good dog training school:
- If registration fees and membership dues for the entire year are demanded right from the first visit
- The trainers get loud and upset if an exercise doesn’t work out just once
- They use pressure, coercion, and punishment (e.g., yanking on the leash and applying pressure to the hindquarters during “sit,” yelling, shoving, pushing down, etc.)
- Choke collars, chain collars, electric shock devices, prong collars, spray collars, “training harnesses” that cut into the skin, vibrating cans, throwing discs, and water spray guns or bottles are strictly prohibited (Animal Welfare Act!)
- The dog is threatened or harassed through body language
- The dog is reprimanded when it needs to relieve itself
- The dog spends most of the session in the car or in a crate and is only brought out to the training area twice for five minutes each time to do the exercises
- A loud and bossy tone is not a sign of a positive dog training school
- Fighting groups – better to avoid them! The dogs don’t learn anything there except how to pick fights with others
- You’re required to buy the dog food or treats offered by the dog training school
- You’re treated condescendingly and disrespectfully
- Please steer clear of dog trainers and dog schools that cling to outdated training methods and are followers of the “pack leader” theory
- Don’t let anyone pressure you into anything. Listen to your gut feeling and trust it when it tells you that something doesn’t feel right.
There are now also many mobile dog trainers, and owners of dogs with behavioral issues in particular are reaching out to behavior consultants. These professionals are usually very well-trained and qualified. Unfortunately, however, this isn’t always the case, even though it’s often claimed to be so.
Effective behavior training takes time and patience. Please don’t believe anyone who tries to convince you that your dog can be “treated” or “re-socialized” in three hours or over a weekend. Aside from the fact that this is implausible and unscrupulous, it’s simply not possible. Bringing about a change in behavior takes weeks to months.
