If you have a dog and you need to train it but you don't have the energy, patience or time to devote to it, you aren't alone. This is an undertaking that requires a lot of all of these things, and what you want is a safe, well adjusted dog and for you to be happy with the results, too. What may help you get there is to hire a professional dog trainer.
When it comes to hiring a dog trainer, in general, the quality and cost will vary. Training philosophies, too, will also vary considerably between trainers, focused on human and animal interactions as they are. Therefore, utilize these parameters to narrow down your selection.
Take a look at your budget and what you need in terms of obedience training services. In some cases, training may even be free, supplied weekly by volunteers who work in shelters or parks. In other cases, you may pay up to $100 or more per session. A "reasonable fee" will vary, depending on where you live, the trainer's experience, how long the program is, and what goals you have for your pet.
What's your schedule? Some training programs are done on a weekly basis, while others happen more often, even daily. Do you want a training program where you have to leave the dog and pick it up later? Or will you participate directly in the training? Most programs also require that you spend some time training the dog yourself every day, whether you do so at home or on site with the program.
Is a "boot camp" training program right for you? In this case, your dog will be taken to a special facility for a length of time, up to several weeks. This type of training is long and intensive, and happens on a very regular basis. However, you shouldn't have any concerns for your dog, since dogs like this type of training. Toward the end of the training itself, you'll need to participate in the training, too, so that the dog ultimately sees you as the one to obey.
The results of these programs are truly amazing much of the time, though. For those dogs that graduate, they become disciplined and are very eager to follow your instructions. This is true even when they're not special service dogs. Seemingly contradictory, though, these dogs usually don't show any ill effects or signs of repression. Instead, they are enthusiastic and play happily.
Next, take a look at your goals. Do you want your dog to be able to enter dog shows, or do you just want him to be well behaved enough to not chase the cat or chew on your furniture? Either way, you'll need to have your dog training so that these types of misbehaviors don't happen and good behavior is the result. How you do this and what type of training program you undertake is going to differ depending on individual temperament and your dog's breed.
Some dogs tend to be fearful, either because they've been mistreated or because they're simply shy and submissive. Some dogs may be too assertive, again because they've been abused or just because it's part of their personalities. The type of training you choose will be greatly influenced by the dog's personality and temperament, your own situation, and the attributes you want to bring out or suppress.
No matter what your goals are, and no matter your budget or commitment to time, you'll want to choose a trainer who has a lot of patience and a lot of energy, in addition to a deep affection for dogs in general. Most have these characteristics in abundance, or they wouldn't be in that profession.
Beyond these foundational characteristics, you'll also want a trainer who agrees with you in philosophy and whose goals match yours. Some trainers insist that in fact, it's the owner that needs to be trained rather than the dog, and there may be some truth to that. Some trainers are friendly and lenient and seek to "connect" with the dog, while others are more military in their approach. Still other trainers use a mix of both approaches.
It's likely that you'll lean toward one training style versus another, but neither training style is entirely subjective. Even if you have disagreements with your trainer, there are likely principles that you'll agree on nonetheless. Persistence, patience and consistency, as well as the need for the human to be in the "alpha" position, are just a few of these commonly held beliefs.
When you look for your own trainer, ask for recommendations from friends and family who share similar philosophies, and shop around. You may have to change trainers at least once if you aren't happy with whom you've picked at first. Don't change on a whim, though. One of the most important parts of obedience training is that consistency is key, and a regular environment is necessary so that the dog can integrate what's being taught. - 29953
When it comes to hiring a dog trainer, in general, the quality and cost will vary. Training philosophies, too, will also vary considerably between trainers, focused on human and animal interactions as they are. Therefore, utilize these parameters to narrow down your selection.
Take a look at your budget and what you need in terms of obedience training services. In some cases, training may even be free, supplied weekly by volunteers who work in shelters or parks. In other cases, you may pay up to $100 or more per session. A "reasonable fee" will vary, depending on where you live, the trainer's experience, how long the program is, and what goals you have for your pet.
What's your schedule? Some training programs are done on a weekly basis, while others happen more often, even daily. Do you want a training program where you have to leave the dog and pick it up later? Or will you participate directly in the training? Most programs also require that you spend some time training the dog yourself every day, whether you do so at home or on site with the program.
Is a "boot camp" training program right for you? In this case, your dog will be taken to a special facility for a length of time, up to several weeks. This type of training is long and intensive, and happens on a very regular basis. However, you shouldn't have any concerns for your dog, since dogs like this type of training. Toward the end of the training itself, you'll need to participate in the training, too, so that the dog ultimately sees you as the one to obey.
The results of these programs are truly amazing much of the time, though. For those dogs that graduate, they become disciplined and are very eager to follow your instructions. This is true even when they're not special service dogs. Seemingly contradictory, though, these dogs usually don't show any ill effects or signs of repression. Instead, they are enthusiastic and play happily.
Next, take a look at your goals. Do you want your dog to be able to enter dog shows, or do you just want him to be well behaved enough to not chase the cat or chew on your furniture? Either way, you'll need to have your dog training so that these types of misbehaviors don't happen and good behavior is the result. How you do this and what type of training program you undertake is going to differ depending on individual temperament and your dog's breed.
Some dogs tend to be fearful, either because they've been mistreated or because they're simply shy and submissive. Some dogs may be too assertive, again because they've been abused or just because it's part of their personalities. The type of training you choose will be greatly influenced by the dog's personality and temperament, your own situation, and the attributes you want to bring out or suppress.
No matter what your goals are, and no matter your budget or commitment to time, you'll want to choose a trainer who has a lot of patience and a lot of energy, in addition to a deep affection for dogs in general. Most have these characteristics in abundance, or they wouldn't be in that profession.
Beyond these foundational characteristics, you'll also want a trainer who agrees with you in philosophy and whose goals match yours. Some trainers insist that in fact, it's the owner that needs to be trained rather than the dog, and there may be some truth to that. Some trainers are friendly and lenient and seek to "connect" with the dog, while others are more military in their approach. Still other trainers use a mix of both approaches.
It's likely that you'll lean toward one training style versus another, but neither training style is entirely subjective. Even if you have disagreements with your trainer, there are likely principles that you'll agree on nonetheless. Persistence, patience and consistency, as well as the need for the human to be in the "alpha" position, are just a few of these commonly held beliefs.
When you look for your own trainer, ask for recommendations from friends and family who share similar philosophies, and shop around. You may have to change trainers at least once if you aren't happy with whom you've picked at first. Don't change on a whim, though. One of the most important parts of obedience training is that consistency is key, and a regular environment is necessary so that the dog can integrate what's being taught. - 29953
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