# What Makes a Great Obedience Class?



## LaurJen (Aug 10, 2006)

What should one look for in basic obedience classes?

Augie has been taking obedience classes at Petsmart. Ugh! The class he is in is for puppies 10 weeks -5 months of age. Now, there's a big difference between a 10 week-old puppy and one who is 5 months. They don't belong in the same class, in my opinion, but this was the only one I could enroll Augie in as a 4-month old. The first class we learned about using wee-wee pads. Yes, wee-wee pads. My dog is already housebroken... I don't need to teach him to pee on a pad in the house... and I don't need the free sample we got, either. Everything else has been so useless as he already knows the basic commands. I wasn't expecting him to learn great things, but the class is hardly even useful for socialization, as there are only two other puppies in it... and both weigh less than 5 pounds... Augie can't play with them the way he'd play with a bigger dog.

So... I've been looking around at other obedience classes in other places, but they all seem the same... sit, stay, down, etc. He knows all that. What should I be looking for? What makes an obedience class GREAT? 

(And because no post is complete without a video , here is Augie playing at his Petsmart class. The little dog is Ernie. I love Ernie! The other dog didn't show up, nor did the golden retriever who only came to one class.)


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## PeggyK (Apr 16, 2005)

I think I would ask your vet for a list of trainers. Then you could observe classes and decide which class would work for you. I don't think you get much, if anything, out of a class that is covering things you already know.


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## AuntCare (Aug 14, 2006)

LaurJen,

I am PM some good training places in the area.


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## Ozzie's Mama (Jul 16, 2006)

Where doyou live?

We had the same problem, that at 4 months old Ozzie knew the basic commands. We found a great class that combines games and "young pup" agility with teaching commands. Although he knew how to sit, lay down, stay, etc. when we started, he is learning the same things but with distractions and greater lengths of time.

Good luck!


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## Brandy's Mom (Oct 5, 2005)

I'm really happy to have found a facility where they teach beginner to competition-level classes in obedience, agility and tracking. The facility also has its own flyball team that competes around the Southern U.S. My instructor has been training dogs for 50 years and has titled dogs in virtually everything, and is also involved with dog rescue. 

I feel that the more experience the instructors have, and the more they are personally involved in the dog world, the better your learning experience will be. 

The only thing I wish this place offered is classes in teaching house manners.


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## marshab1 (Aug 28, 2006)

Tinkerbell and I did the Petsmart puppy class, but we had an unusual experience..we had a great trainer with lots of experience. And not Petsmart experience. She does rescue work with Dobermans and owns 5 of them.

1st class she asked if we had any trouble with house breaking most of us said no so she said if someoen was speak to her after class adn please coem to the potty class on Saturdays. And we moved on. We worked on the basics during the classes but she also always asked what we were having trouble with. We all were having trouble with the biting and mouthing so we spent quite a bit of time on that. and it helped. When she had to talk to us about nutrition she was honest and direct and even recommended several brands that Petsmart doesn't carry and told us where we should go to buy raw meat for our dogs if we are goign to give them that.

She believed that when you got a puppy life revolved aroun dthe puppy just like a baby. Some people didn't like her when she told them the puppy comes first not your convenience. 1 didn't bother to come back.

I would take a nother class from her but I would like to explore my options, that store is way across town and at this time of year until after the holidays it is a 45 minute drive then they are going to be doing construction so i need to find someplace else.

But I think your trainer can make or break the class.

Auntcare I see you're from Michigan do you know of any good places to go?


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## LaurJen (Aug 10, 2006)

I'm not surprised that the right trainer makes all the difference. I think the one we have simply took a Petsmart training course and >poof< she's a trainer. All she does is throw treats at the dogs. And she brings her own nasty, aggressive dogs to the puppy class, who have to be chained because they don't know how to behave. Last week she let her huge lab mix off-leash and he made a beeline for Augie, who was sitting quietly at my feet, and viciously attacked him. She had to pull the dog off Augie...and had the nerve to say, "He doesn't like puppies." So I of course yelled out, "THEN WHY THE HELL DO YOU BRING HIM TO PUPPY CLASS?!?" She said something stupid, like she thought he'd be ok if he was off-leash (???)... I told her "GET. THAT. DOG. OUT. OF. HERE." Really, why would you bring an aggressive dog like that to puppy class? He is not used for demonstration.. he serves no purpose at all. I was fuming! I was ready to get the manager and make a big scene. Then yesterday she brought a different dog--a husky--and he was growling and aggressive too. So this woman lives with a whole pack of nasty dogs and calls herself a trainer? Ugh. And she teaches most of the Petsmart classes.

Ozzie's Mama and Brandy's Mom, those classes sound awesome. I'd really like to find something more than the boring sit-stay classes for Augie. Aunt Care sent me a list, so I have some checking to do


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## Maggies mom (Jan 6, 2006)

Mine didnt do well in puppy class, so I put them in private lessons....... The trainer does use his dogs(hes got 8) that are trained so those things dont happen like in the classes.....


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## MoesGoldens (Apr 13, 2007)

I went through PetSmart puppy training twice, yea twice, figured the second time it would be better and it was a different dog. The trainer looked at me and asked me why I was there that I didn't need to be there. She graduated Maggie at 5th week - guess someone else needed to win the quickest sits, fastest downs etc. I wont go that route again but we don't have anything else close. I want to do agility with at least 2 of my GRs but closest trainer is 25 miles away.


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## Goldndust (Jul 30, 2005)

I haven't heard much of good out of PetSmart classes, but I am sure that depends heavily on the trainer. I pretty much trained all my dogs, but when I went looking for a trainer for a training issue I was having with Kode that I just couldn't get a handle on I personally looked for one that was certified, and in what! In Michigan one doesn't have to be certified to teach a class, so that means anyone basically can do it so once I found out that I began my search. 

I moved into Northern Academy for Kode, think that was name. Anyway she has worked under the police dogs among training cadavior dogs, one was in for training as I finished. She also was certified in "Behavioral" among other things so I felt very comfortable with my pick.

Here's what she's all certified in: 

Basic Advanced OBedience
Off Leash
Behavioral Modification
Puppy Development
Utility (Confidence Building Techniques)
Tracking
Soft Mouth Retrieval
Scent Detection (Drug Work)
Personal Protection

Also currently continuing her education in:
Learning Theories, Behavior, History and Evolution of Canines to enhance her training techniques.
*also has active memberships with :*
*The International Association of Canine Professionals, The Association of Pet Dog Trainers and The National K-9 Trainers Association *

Hopefully some of this will help you pick a good trainer for you golden baby.


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## AquaClaraCanines (Mar 5, 2006)

It really depends on the dog, the handler, and what you want. 

Personally, I want a trainer that more or less leaves me alone, lets me do things my way, with my clicker, and I use classes to socialize (myself as much as my dog) and get my dog used to working on rubber matting and in a show type setting.

That, of course, would be a horrible class for somebody wanting a lot of instruction.


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## KatzNK9 (Feb 27, 2007)

Petsmart & Petco classes in this city are pretty bad. I'd contact different all-breed clubs & ask them questions about the best obedience clubs around.

Here's a link with some Michigan Dog Obdience Classes that might help you:

OBEDIENCE CLASSES IN MICHIGAN


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