# Thoughts on PetsMart training



## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

I don't think there is any way of answering that without knowing the education/ability of the instructor. 

There are good Petsmart instructors and bad ones.

My instructor was aghast when somebody signed up for a very basic level class with his dog, having done two rounds with Petsmart. Both the trainer and his dog were well below the level of some of the other people as far as foundation/tools.


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## Charliethree (Jul 18, 2010)

Take the time to observe a class or two before you sign up - should do this with any training class you may want to enrol your dog in. Doing so will give you a 'feel' for how the classes are run, and an idea of the knowledge level of the trainer.


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## Webster (Feb 23, 2013)

I agree, watch the trainer in action. I watched a petsmart trainer and ....no way would I have taken my dog to him. Then I went to petco and wow the experience was totally different. the trainer was exactly what I wanted and what my sweet boy needed... she has been totally supportive in person and one line....so worth the $$$


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## nolefan (Nov 6, 2009)

You might also do a search to check out local Dog Training Clubs or contact your local AKC or breed club for referrals to good training classes. If you can go observe one of those classes and then go observe at petsmart you might have a good comparison of trainers, atmosphere etc. The prices will be about the same.

Good luck and good for you for making this a priority, you will be SO happy that you did


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## Walnut_the_Nut (Jan 25, 2012)

The local PetSmart near our old house (closed down now) used to use shock collars for training. That was enough to make us look at private training facilities.


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## Nairb (Feb 25, 2012)

Walnut_the_Nut said:


> The local PetSmart near our old house (closed down now) used to use shock collars for training. That was enough to make us look at private training facilities.


I wouldn't go anywhere that requires a specific collar. I believe our local Petco requires the use of a gentle leader nose harness. I'll decide which collar to use on my dog. 


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## Tayla's Mom (Apr 20, 2012)

I've done PetsMart for both Jesse and Cheyenne, but that was about 12 years ago. They were a lot less expensive then. At that price I'd try to find a dog training club in your area that gives classes. Better value for your money. Actually, for a few dollars more you could probably find a private facility and smaller classes.


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## Dallas Gold (Dec 22, 2007)

I did Petsmart with Toby and while we had a good instructor, he needed a different approach. I looked into Petsmart as an additional resource for Yogi, but the trainer we found through our vet offers different types of classes that will challenge him more and be more fun for both of us. The Petsmart and trainer prices are the same too.

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## SheetsSM (Jan 17, 2008)

As of others have stated, it depends on the trainer & perhaps even more so, it depends on you doing the homework with your pup.


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## Wyatt's mommy (Feb 25, 2011)

Walnut_the_Nut said:


> The local PetSmart near our old house (closed down now) used to use shock collars for training. That was enough to make us look at private training facilities.


Hard to believe a professional ecollar trainer would be working for Petsmart.


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## Allie (Nov 30, 2008)

I used Petco and loved the trainer! We had three pups in our puppy class and the trainer was great. 
He was also available when we came to Petco to answer questions. He also gave me one private lesson when we were t able to attend one week. This was a makeup class. 
He does STAR puppy and CGC classes - which I planto do once they get one more pup in the class.


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## Door (Apr 2, 2010)

My advice is the same as Nolefan's. We have a terrific dog training club here. It has lots and lots of trainers for all levels, including puppy and beginner. They have a full class schedule with various classes all week long. These trainers are all volunteers and have years of experience. They have all competed in AKC events including obedience, rally, agility, flyball, herding, free style, etc. I attend classes two or three times a week and have done so for five years now. Great people and lots of fun for my dog. Emphasis on fun.


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## dborgers (Dec 7, 2011)

I'm taking a third dog through PetSmart's training classes. They use the 'clicker' method. All three were beginner classes. I suppose the difference as to whether or not training works is how much time you spend reinforcing those lessons during the week between classes. Never having had another training course, I can't comment on how good they are or aren't. What I can say is that they all did really well in the end. Mostly, it's a good bonding experience and a way to socialize the rescues we've had with people and other dogs.


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## Tuco (Jan 3, 2013)

Beyond it being a good socialization tool if you don't have access to or have an issue with your local dog park, I don't think it's nessesarily worth the cost. My neibors have a pup they got about a month after I got tuco and they play on a daily basis, he goes to petsmart training, 1 or 2 times a week I think. He's great when they are doing training sessions but outside of it he's horrible, because they are not consistent with training. Tuco and I never went to a trainer, but I always have a clicker and some dried lung in my pockets (not as bad as you would think) and he's insanely more consistent and well behaved than him. If they were more consistent in their training I'm sure he would be as good as tuco but not better, and they would still be down a couple hundred bucks more than me. I think that if you do a little research on how to properly train and train somewhat consistently you will see the same results for less money.

In the past 4 months I've taught tuco without Cesar Milan methods

- wont jump on the couch without invitation (this was a big one for me  )

- sit
-stay even when out of sight
-props 
-gimme paw
- jump
- look at me when he hears name
- lie down 
- hug
- bark
- stop barking
-heel
-comel
- let go
- fetch


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## markhs (May 20, 2010)

If this question is whether to sign up for a training class or not, based on personal experience, I am a firm believer in at least a year of basic puppy training. For me it was easily well worth the cost. As a first time dog owner, the puppy classes ended up training me as much or more than my dog. I learned why my dog behaved the way he does, how my behavior affected his actions and the correct way to communicating my commands to my dog. I have a VERY active golden. Every trainer has proclaimed that my dog will be a puppy for life and at three years it seems they are correct. Training has given me techniques that allowed my to control unwanted behavior and promote desired behavior. 

I used Pet Smart for my golden's first puppy class. I have no complaints, they taught the basics in puppy behavior but more importantly, it was a place where my dog could socialize with the *same *dogs each week. I chose Pet Smart because my local store had good reviews and the cost were very reasonable. My Pet Smart trainer was dedicated and very helpful with basic puppy skills (leave it, drop, sit, stay etc.) and even recommended other training facilities. 

I have since taken classes at a dog training centers which were more advanced (and more expensive), and while they were worth every penny, I think for puppy training, PetSmart is fine. I didn't notice a difference between my dog and the other dogs who started with the more expensive classes. As with any dog training class, do some research into the quality of the classes by looking at online reviews. Also if you are at the dog park and see a particularly well behaved dog, you might ask the owner what classes the dog has taken.

FWIW - my PetSmart trainers were very much against shock collars. I can't imagine they would have many clients if they recommended such devices.


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