How important is obedience class?
Until we move back to school in late August, he is sharing a house with three other dogs of varying sizes, ages and temperaments. I work as a nanny and take him with me every day, so he watches the kids and lets them carry him around and pull his tail. I admit his recall could use a little work, but I'm just so hesitant to put a lot of money into a "beginner" class when I think he has a lot of those skills down already. As for socialization, I couldn't ask for a better pup. He does great with other dogs and never nips at kids who approach him at the park. Do I have mommy blinders on? Should I just put up the cash for class and hope we get something out of it? Any advice would be great! Thank you! |
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| All the kennel clubs around me require the beginner class to make sure that all the dogs are at a similar level of control. After going thru that class with our then 5 month old puppy, I'm very glad we did. We too had some of the basics done prior to the class but getting instructions from a real trainer certainly helped as well as confirmed some of our own training. We also went on to the next class and that built on the beginner class perfectly. Look into it and I'm sure you'll follow through. Vance |
I always stress a good basic obedience class using the praise & reward method. Even tho' you may think you have most of these basics mastered, it gives the dog a good way of using these commands in a setting where there are a lot of distractions. At 16 weeks your dog is still a puppy & very interested in being around you & will mostly listen to you because you are the most important thing in his life right now. You haven't hit the "teenage" level yet or the other times when you will swear their brains fell right out of their head thru their ears!  You mention the recall could use some work. This command, along with some of these others (stay, down) are commands they really need to have reinforced in them. They could be lifesavers at sometime in their life. They might have to "stay" a distance away from you & feel confident about it at some point. For instance if by some chance they got loose & ran across a busy street. These well run classes don't teach the dog as much as they teach you & instill a positive habit in you for years to come on what works best for your dog. I have titled several dogs in obedience & rally over the years & I still take every dog that lives with me to not only basic obedience classes but upper level training classes. You don't need to be going into competition to benefit from a good basic obedience class. |
| I feel like obedience class has made all the difference for our two dogs. Bailey, my older dog, knew how to do all the commands your puppy knows (except shake, we haven't got that down yet) but as soon as we went into the class, with all the distractions and new people and new dogs, it got a lot harder to get her to do those things. Eevee really needed it because she was very shy being in an unfamiliar place. Now she's more confident than ever. Everyone who knew our dogs before class tells us how much more well behaved they are now. |
| Definitely take advantage of attending a class! The things YOU will learn will make it worthwhile. Some training errors you don't even realize surface with someone there to point them out. It's definitely not a waste of money and as Marilyn pointed out, can be a real lifesaver for your dog! |
| make sure its a GOOD class, though. Our first class was pretty useless, and when we finally found a better trainer, the difference was significant! |
| Thanks for the response! I definitely agree that I need to find a good class. I briefly visited my local Petsmart because I like the trainer at that particular location, but I ultimately decided that I would have to just bite the bullet and pay a little more for a better class. |
| Go sit in at some of the local kennel clubs to see how they work. I took my first two classes at a local club and wished I'd shopped around for better facilities. The trainers were good, but the location and the people who ran the show were a joke. Vance |
| Talk to some dog people in your area to see if they have any suggestions. You might have a drive a bit to find a good class with good instructors but in the end it is worth it. As Vance said, ask to observe some classes before deciding. See if you like the way they interact with the dogs & people. |
| We paid a fortune for a 6 week training class,we did as we were told and "passed out" with a "first" roset but we hadn't realy learnt much!! My food suplier man told me about his class-you turn up and pay-run by 2 loverly ladies who take no nonsense rom dogs or people who attend. They give basic training and I left the first session confident that I was in charge and could do it and both Sprocket and myself enjoyed it. The class was run outside in a field-all ages and "classes" of dogs attend,in all weathers because you walk your dog in rain and shine,quiet and busy places. It all made sence. Basicly I am saying the expensive "posh" places may not be the best for you. I have a well behaved "family" dog I can take anywhere-not a show dog standard but we didn't want that.x |
| It's also a chance to be around strange dogs and learn how to behave. Living with your house mates is one thing, but seeing and being around strange people and dogs is important in his social and manners development. Yeah, bite the bullet and go have a good time. You may discover you have an obedience champ in the making. Then on to other fun and games. |
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