Has anyone taken their dog to obedience classes at PetSmart?
I want to take the 8 week class that’s like $109.
My dog is a very bad boy.
He chews EVERYTHING. He does not listen. He barks all the time. He doesn’t come to me when I call him. He has started going #2 behind my couch.
What types of things do they teach at these classes, and would it be most beneficial for my dog’s behavior to take him to these classes?
Thanks.
Oh, he’s a year old schnauzer.
October 14th, 2010 at 12:31 pm
Omg, my dog poops behind the couch too!
The trainings are different in each class. I take puppy classes. They teach you how to train them. So far, my puppy has learned:
Sit
Take it
Leave it
Loose Leash Walking
Stay
Come
October 14th, 2010 at 12:53 pm
The place doesn’t matter it’s the trainer that matters, some are good some aren’t, ask them about their experience, how long they have been training, and if they have had any other training besides Petsmart. If you don’t like their answers go somewhere else and ask the same questions.
They teach come, sit, down, stay, take it, leave it, drop it, loose leash walking, and they go over problem behaviors like jumping, nipping, biting, digging, potty training and whatever things you may be having problems with.
October 14th, 2010 at 1:01 pm
Petsmart uses positive reinforcement training.
Basically, you praise and treat the behavior you want the dog to repeat, and you ignore the behaviors you don’t like/want.
All well and good for puppies and trick training, but there comes a time in a dog’s life when you have to TELL him how to behave, not bribe him with food.
Personally, I don’t agree with this method to teach basic obedience. It’s like giving candy to hyperactive children so they learn to sit quietly during school. Pointless and counter productive.
Look up “The Monks of New Skeet”.
They have a more sensible approach to obedience training.
October 14th, 2010 at 1:07 pm
He’s not a bad boy, you’re just not communicating. He will be feeling as frustrated and confused as you are. Dogs and people think very differently. You have to understand that it is much easier for you to “think dog” than for him to “think person”.
The trick is find a harmless “punishment” to deter him from undisirable behaviour. I tend to spray cold water in my dog’s face when he does something undisirable or rattle a coin in an empty can so it makes an unpleasant noise. These “punishments” do not cause lasting harm to your dog like violence might, but are uncomfortable enough to make him think twice.
I do suggest going to these classes. They will teach you the basics which is what he needs.
I also suggest you read up on house training.
October 14th, 2010 at 2:04 pm
I took my dog there and they mostly teach you how to take controll of your dog with things like focus, sit, lay down, stay, come, walking nicely, leave it, and they will answer questions you may have after class.
I would recomment it
Good luck!
October 14th, 2010 at 2:33 pm
I took my pup to the class…it was only $80 back then. You go to orientation and tell them all of your dogs problems. They try to assist you in teaching the dog the ‘Drop It” command to drop anything he starts chewing. Its a good class. They teach your dog to come, sit, stay, lie down..and any tricks you want to learn. Also, we learned loose leash walking. The socialization with other dogs is also great. The dog has to learn to behave and follow commands with distractions all around and lots of other dogs.
Hope this helps! If you are still unsure of the class, go to the store on the night of a class—watch from a distance to see if you would like to sign up.
October 14th, 2010 at 3:27 pm
Training classes are good and may be of help to you in gaining control of your dog. But you will have to keep practicing what he learns or he will forget it. And, it’s great to go all through the higher levels of training and not just quit after the beginner stuff. Training classes usually teach heel, sit, stay, come, lay down and stand, in the beginner classes. It is regrettable that you didn’t start training him much sooner. However, he can still learn.
I would strongly suggest that you buy the book, Better Behavior in Dogs, written by William Campbell. It isn’t a training book but it could help with the barking, chewing and housesoiling. You can buy it at Dogwise Books, http://www.dogwise.com.
The combination of the help from Mr. Campbell’s book and the ongoing lifelong learning approach to training (to alleviate boredom and give him a kind of job to do) should give you “a new dog.”
October 14th, 2010 at 3:53 pm
What they do at Pet Smart can hardly be called obedience or training.
Find a local AKC Obedience club and go to classes there if you really want to train your dog.
Those are the classes that will be most beneficial to your dog.
October 14th, 2010 at 4:19 pm
Honestly I would never take my dog to a place like that becasue they just hire random people to train. my friend,(dumb as can be) was a trainer there. She didn’t even have a dog of her own. She went to a class that taught her how to train a dog….i’m telling you.. you don’t learn how to train a dog through a week long class. you learn it from experience.
Growing up on a farm and having lots dogs I may be able to help.
Im not sure how you discipline him, but usually repetitive corrections while your dog is in the act (of lets say chewing) usually works. sometimes dogs chew because they are bored. make sure taht you are keeping him entertained.no not 24/7, but I have a queensland heeler (very active) and I have found that i if I dont go outside and play ball with him or go for a walk ect he is way to wound up and gets into everything.
they wont be able to do anything about the #2 behind your couch. that is something that has to be dealt with at home. petsmart wont have couches for him to do it behind…same thing…correct him when he does it. if he does it when you arent home. put him in a crate. make sure when he does #2 outisde you reward him. positive reinforcment is sometimes more effective than negative.
Barking…ahhh…some people use bark collars. Ive only resorted to that once. punish the dog if he starts to bark when there is no reason. put him in his crate or pput him outside. make sure you do it as soon as he barks..tell him no…
it may take time, but persistance is the key
the only thing petsmart will be able to do is basic obedience.
October 14th, 2010 at 4:50 pm
My girlfriends daughter used to teach these classes.
She had no official training,other than desire.
You would get more out of a CD about training,and it is cheaper.
It also doesn’t involve you taking your dog out anywhere.
PetSmart teached you how to use phrases like,”Leave it”,”Stop”, “Good boy”, and “Outside”
and consistent use of those key words.
They do work,I use them on my Yorkie,I just had to have someone tell me the tricks.It didn’t involve me taking my dog anywhere,
The same information you can get out of a good training CD.
Save yourself some money,and its more convenient to do in your own home,on your own time.
October 14th, 2010 at 5:33 pm
ROTFLMFAO……..LORD NO!!!!!!!!!
I’m not a gullible weak imbecile!!!!!!
The absolutely worst place on the planet!
YOU need training=the dog is smarter & stronger than you are.
WHY isn’t a sane ADULT taking responsibility???