Question:
I’ve been reading this ng for a while and I get the impression that obedience training can only be done by a professional. Has anyone here trained their own dog? So far my wife and I have done pretty well with "puppy training" (the two dogs are 9 mo.) and we managed to housebreak them. But the male still drags us on the leash and they both bark at the neighbors (he’s about 50 pounds). I would like to hear unbiased responses from anyone with personal experience training their own dog. Thanks your dog for email reply)
Response:
: I’ve been reading this ng for a while and I get the impression that : obedience training can only be done by a professional. Has anyone here : trained their own dog? Just as there are all sorts of different kinds of training, there are various levels of competence people train to and expect from their dogs. I’ve always trained my own dogs, but have often sought the assistance of people who know more than I do. A certain amount of information can be gotten from books, but the observation from a pair of knowledgable eyes can really make a big difference beyond a basic training level. For example, I was able to teach my dogs a perfectly servicable non-competition heel with what I knew and read and got from basic group puppy obedience classes, but 10 minutes with a professional straightened out my timing and footwork on left about turns. He immediately saw what I was unaware of until I saw it myself on video tape – I was practically tripping my pup. That might not sound like something you would or should care about, but fixing it made all heeling far more comfortable for the dog. He became relaxed and confident instead of anxious and wary. Seeking help can also help prevent problems. I have a dog in training for search and rescue. Though all SAR dogs are trained by their handlers, I would be foolish not to ask the advice of more experienced handlers. Just this morning I asked for opinions about what I thought would be a logical leapfrog to a new challenge and they were able to point out problems I would be causing further down the road. The reverse of this is when we already have a problem. Chances are we already caused or contributed to the problem through our lack of experience or misreading the dog. It would be stupid to think that we suddenly know how to fix a problem that we helped cause. That is definately a case where getting experienced help is necessary. There is no one right way to train a dog. It is a matter of assembling the biggest bag of tricks you can and being observant enough to figure out which trick best fits each dog and situation. Everytime I work with a professional I learn one or two valuable things to add to that bag of tricks. Lynn K. —
Response:
>I’ve been reading this ng for a while and I get the impression that >obedience training can only be done by a professional. Has anyone here >trained their own dog?
Jim, Most people can and should be able to train their own dog. A trainer is one that can show you how and provide you the guidance needed. A trainer (books cannot) can also evaluate your handling and show you a more effective way to do it. Regarding the barking, you need to teach the dogs QUIET, be available to stop the barking when it does occur, and not put them in a set of circumstances where they bark and you cannot or don’t correct them. If you have a barking problem , do not pu tthem out when: You are gone, asleep, in shower, making love or whenever in a position you cannot stop the barking. Dogs are to bark ONLY when: 1. Someone comes to your door and stop when you tell them BEFORE door is opened. 2.Somone is peering in your window, attempting to assault you, getting verbally ugly, or attempting to enter your property in an inappropiate or illegal fashion. This of course must be from YOUR perspective and not the dogs. DO NOT ALLOW BARKING AT: Neighbors, joggers, passerbyes, animals and while on the leash. You do not own the street and neither do they. Would you permit a two legged bodyguard to violate the above guidelines by yelling and theatening no actual danger is present?? Of course not. Dog should be no different. But first both you and dogs must learn the rules. Remember, barking can lead to biting. Biting can lead to the early demise of your dog. Regarding the leash pulling, go to a class and have a trainer observe you. Then after taking into consideration the dog’s behavior history, body language, sensitivity level, age, breed and YOUR capabilities; they can then best advise you. Not all methods work with all dogs. This is why a trainer that is rather eclectic ( a must and not all are ) is by far more effective than a book or online ancedotal, one dog experienced pointers. There, you have just been advised by a dog trainer, use it well. Good luck, Bob Maida Dog training/Problem counseling since 1969 Manassas,Va
Response:
Hi… Yes, I have trained my own dog. I have a Rottweiler the first dog I have competed with and it is great… First, you should find an area obedience club and research the qualification the instructors have and the classes. Second, go and by books the best ones in my opinion are by Suzanne Clothier and Karen Pryor. They are positive motavation books. You didnt say what breed you have but I would go get some good books on your breed. Some breeds have different tempertmnts and require different training methods. i.e. Some breeds you can work on one exercise all day long they never get bored other you have to more more creative in your training. If you have any questions you may contact me God gave us Rotties as our Guardian Angels.
Response:
of course you can train your own dog, it’s just easier and more effective (the socialization and the input)when you do it in a group prices at odebience clubs are usually moderate (for one near you http://www.akc.org) for books on training call 800-776-2665 during west coast business hours for help from a real trainer) or go their website at http://www2.dogandcatbooks.com for starters you might try carol lea benjamin – mother knows best and her dog training in 10 minutes a day. g’luck
Response:
Hi Jim, >I’ve been reading this ng for a while and I get the impression that >obedience training can only be done by a professional. Has anyone here >trained their own dog?
I’m glad you brought this up, cos I’ve kinda been wondering about the same thing. When I got my first dog, I went to an obedience class which was mostly so that I could learn. The actual training of the dogs happened between classes. After the course was over I kept on training at a dog club, where the more experienced helped the unexperienced. Gradually the unexperienced became more experienced and could help out too. I have to admit though, that my mistakes with my first dog were many, and if I had had her now instead of then, I would have made a lot fewer. But she certainly did turn out fine in the end 
The next four years I got my next dogs (4) , and with them I did the training alone and with friends at the dog club. By then I had learned a lot, and the training was piece of cake! In my opinion every first-time owner needs to learn some basics about raising/training dogs and the best place to do that is at a puppy class or an obedience class later. Reading books will get you far too. I also find training at a dog club valuable, both for the socialization of the dog, and the owner to have fun and learn more. But having a professional trainer do the work is completely out of question simply because the point with obedience training is to establish a relationship between the dog and the owner. Jim, I am sure you, your wife and your two dogs will be fine even without a professional trainer! Keep up the good work Helle
Response:
>I’ve been reading this ng for a while and I get the impression that >obedience training can only be done by a professional. Has anyone here >trained their own dog?
I think it depends on what you mean by the above statement "training your own dog". Do you mean are there people who train their dog, totally on their own with no help or advice from a knowlegeable dog trainer? Or are you saying that it seems that most people send their dog away to be trained by a professional? The majority of dog owners who are interested in having a well trained dog, do the actual training themselves, but attend classes or get private lessons from a professional/instructor. It’s very difficult if you’ve never trained a dog before to do it totally on your own. Enrolling in a good training class will provide you with an instructor who has experienced many training problems and knows what advice to give you in order for you to solve the problem. Without that help, training will take a lot longer with many mistakes being made along the way and group training classes also provide public socialization that all dogs need. Joyce G.
Response:
>I’ve been reading this ng for a while and I get the impression that >obedience training can only be done by a professional. Has anyone here >trained their own dog?
Actually – if you read carefully, you’ll note that most folks DON’T advocate HAVING a dog trained, we all encourage owners to seek ASSISTANCE AND INSTRUCTION in training their dogs. A trainer can help in many ways: provide a group class, so your dog gets socialization and distraction as well as teaching you to train; give a more experienced perspective on some common or difficult behavior problems; help to get a handle on some of the more dangerous behavior issues, so the owner can feel more confident dealing with them. Books are GREAT – I’ve got a million, because I enjoy reading different opinions on various problems and approaches. If everyone who owns a dog, could comprehend everything in a book, without any "real-time" demonstration, in-person training wouldn’t be necessary. My experience tells me this isn’t the case. Most of my students have read books and tried things on their own. Some have had some success, some have been disasters. Some have even taken several dogs through obedience class in the past – they KNOW the value of the distraction and socialization a class provides. Even though I teach many classes, and can obviously train my dog on my own, I ALWAYS take classes with my dogs – the atmosphere is great for them – they enjoy the one-on-one time and making friends, and I get a bit of estra motivation! Find a class in your area – you’ll have a great time! Janet Boss Best Friends Dog Obedience "Nice Manners for the Family Pet"
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->I’ve been reading this ng for a while and I get the impression that >obedience training can only be done by a professional. Has anyone here >trained their own dog? >So far my wife and I have done pretty well with "puppy training" (the >two dogs are 9 mo.) and we managed to housebreak them. But the male >still drags us on the leash and they both bark at the neighbors (he’s >about 50 pounds). >I would like to hear unbiased responses from anyone with personal >experience training their own dog. >Thanks >your dog for email reply) > hi, > I have trained my dog, and I am not a professional trainer. Most of > the people who have trained their dogs are not professional trainers > either. If you enroll in a class with your dog, the trainer will show > you how to train your dog. Try it- you will like it.
Actually, that is my experience with obedience classes too. If you think you are going to go out to a class for one hour a week for six or eight weeks, and do nothing more, and the instructor will have magically trained your dog in that time, you are going to be disappointed. The instructor gives *you* advice and recommendations on methods you may not have been aware of to help *you* train your dog. The instructor will also give you feedback on things he/she sees you doing that may be counterproductive, and that you may not even be aware you are doing. As an example, I know, from it being pointed out to me, that when my dogs get upset about something, I tend to pet them to comfort them and tell them it is okay. I know this is not the correct reaction, but did not realize I was doing it until it was pointed out to me. Now I really watch for that – a simple thing to correct on my part, but not if you don’t know you are doing it. In the end, though, with an obedience class, *you* are the one that has to put in the work and the time with your dog if you want to see any significant improvement over the course of the class. You can work on your own with your dog and it is certainly possible that you may end up with a dog that is acceptable to you in terms of its level of training. You may familiarize yourself with different techniques and approaches to training through reading and observation of others, but it is often very helpful to actually have someone show you some of these techniques, the proper timing, the proper equipment and fitting of equipment, etc. etc. in person. You are, of course, not going to get feedback on things you might be doing that may be sending the wrong signals to your dog, or on your timing etc., but depending on the dog, that may not matter that much – some dogs are more forgiving of mistakes than others. I would think, however, that if you are willing to put the work in on your dogs, you might find an obedience class helpful, especially with the pulling problem which is probably only going to get worse as your dog gets bigger and stronger. You don’t mention what kind of collar you are using on your male, but you may want to try one of the head collars such as a Halti or a Gentle Leader. This will not in and of itself stop the pulling, but it will decrease the force with which the dog can pull. You will still need training to help get the actual behaviour itself under control. The barking problem – the simple solution is to keep the dogs inside. Our dogs do not go out without supervision although we do have a fenced yard, and we do not have problems with them barking at the neighbors. When they have occasionally barked, we are right there to correct them so they understand that it is okay if the neighbors are out in their back yards. On one side of us, the neighbors often leave their little dog out in the yard when the weather is good, and it barks a lot, especially at our dogs when we take them out. This would be extremely annoying after a while, except that although they leave it out alone, they never leave it out when they are not home, and as soon as it starts barking one of them comes out and gets it and brings it inside so at least it is not barking for more than a minute or two at any particular time. Perhaps you could try doing something like this. Roxanne
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