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We were wondering if anyone could suggest a trainer or way of finding a good trainer for our Pit Mix...
Our current trainer, as I have explained, has made it abundantly clear that she is not very fond of the breed...(but she thinks he's adorable...)
He has 3 more puppy classes to go (including one tonight) and then we're thinking of changing over to another trainer more open to our doggy....at least a more positive person....
Any suggestions or thoughts would be much appreciated...
Thanks!!!!
Well you could always look in the yellow pages for schools, phone around and ask questions or better yet ask if the various trainers would mind if you went and watched a class that they were teaching. That way you could see how the trainers interact with the dogs and owners and have a chance to talk to them face to face. It also gives you a chance to find out just what type of facilities they have.
I have to say I was fairly lucky when I first started looking for a trainer. I phoned almost all the schools in the book and asked various questions but only one or two of the trainers took time to ask questions about Smudge and his personality. I believe I choose the right school, after all I know go there every week to help out, and the trainer that taught our first class is now one of my best friends and she helped get me Winter and into Agility.
Crikit has great ideas. Yes, look around in directories and newspapers in your area. Ask friends, family, neighbors and local vets what trainers they reccomend. And deffinatally visit and watch 1-3 classes before enrolling. Possibly conference w/ the trainer before enrolling. Ask the trainer some questions that may be important to you. For example:
How long has he/she been training?
If he/she worked as an intern ask if you may contact the trainer.
Do they have any other animal backgroud? (did they work for a vet, shelter etc)
How did she learn to train dogs?
How many classes does he hold each year/month?
How many dogs does she allow in each class?
Does he/she have any assistant's?
What type of requirement do you have to meet? (she should only allow dogs w/ current vaccines including kennel cough & possibly heartworm prevention)
What method does he use? (humane, discipline etc..)
What type of collars, leads, treats etc.. do they reccomend?
Does she have experience w/ certain breeds? (some are more diminant than others)
Are they knowledgable w/ behavior problems &/or illnesses?
What pets do they own?
Does he/she show their dogs?
Do they also teach agility, flyball or any other sport?
Add any ?'s you feel is important.
Personally I would make sure the trainer has had quite a bit of experience w/ obedience. I find that most trainers that almost always have classes going on year round one after the other or are overcrowded &/or have many helpers do not have good results. As far as what type of training ther teach depends on how you want to train your dog. I personally like the humane method w/ the understanding that if you have a very dominant dog or one w/ behavioral problems etc.. & you have tried every other method, then possibly convert to a stricter method. You should look for one that reccomends using whatever form of praise (treats, toys, petting, clicking etc) that suits your dog. A trainer should know some basic heath issues but does not need to be a vet. You want an obedience trainer that is knowledgable w/ behavioral problems. A trainer should know about other dog sports and may compete his/her dog(s) in them and may teach a beginer class on a sport but should not teach both advanced sports & obedience classes as I think there is too much involved and takes too much time to properly teach all that is needed.
Again what I said are my personall beliefs so I do not meen to offend anyone.
I'm sorry I have been not up on why your trainer wants to discontinue training your pup. I am making an assumption and thinking that this trainer is new to training and probably doesn't train out of a large club but probably from a local dog store setting. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
However, if the issues that make the trainer want to abandon training your pup are behavior related, then you are better off finding a behaviorist to work with instead of just a trainer. Behaviorists will offer you advice on how to correct situations that trainers are not qualified to deal with. They still offer basic training issues but training on correcting behavior issues. You can then proceed with obedience work or whatever venue you choose after the behavior issues are addressed.
I have been training dogs for over 25 years and if it is just a stubborn hard to train dog without issues then it is something I would not give up on. Personally I would find it a challenge I would welcome. There are many trainers out there who will work with you but I should state up front, only if you show that you are willing to work with the dog. I get very frustrated with owners who only bring their dogs in for help once a week but don't follow through with any of my suggestions during the week. It doesn't show a commitment on their part to really wanting to help the dog.
If you need a behaviorst you can contact your vet for suggestions or contact some of the local obedience clubs in your area. I would not contact some of the dog stores that teach obedience since these tend to be limited in their range of services. Most obedience clubs have volunteers who are committed to dogs and have a wide reference of trainers and obedience instructors at their disposal through many venues of dog activities such as class, showing, etc...
If you are not familiar with clubs in your area you can go to the AKC website and find club listings for your state and area there. These are probably the places I would start with since they have active affliations with many people showing in the various dog venues.
well...he's in a puppy kindergarten class with about 10 other dogs...Buddha is a pit mix, but she says he looks about 90% Pit...the training is taking place at Planet Pooch (our doggie daycare)...but the in house trainer works for K-9 Insight...but they're held on Planet Pooch grounds...
She said he has agressive tendencies towards other dogs and could turn out to be a dangerous dog, etc...she even told us that 'we might want to tell people that he's a Boxer mix'....
Basically...from the moment we came there...we could tell that she didn't like him...she even makes him wear a red bandana around his neck thru the whole class "be careful around THAT dog'....so much so that some of the other puppy parents recall their dog anytime he comes anywhere near them...with some kind of terror in their voice...I follow him around during the playtimes with treats...giving him little bits of treats whenever he's around the other puppies...so that he associates other dogs with something good...and now I'm recalling him when a group of puppies are around him...kind of diverting his attention from being surrounded...at home we dont let him play rough with Riely (even though Riely is usually the one enticing him)...we dont let him growl or anything or he gets a time out....he's a really good dog at home...
it seems to me that he's only really snapped at lab's so far (they're with the same family)...specifically the black one named London....there is another golden named Max....
he's not food or water posessive at all...he's not toy posessive...and now she thinks he's 'treat posessive' because he snapped at another dog when I was following him around at off leash playtime...and was giving him a treat...and puppies came all around him...(i know he was super hungry because we ran out of food that day...)...AND...he snaps at puppies without treats involved...he just stiffens up and gets overwhelmed I guess...he drinks out of the water bowl at the SAME time as other dogs with no problem...
it just seems that she was biased towards our dog from the beginning...the look on her face when she saw him was like 'Oh no...'....we've been taking him on Sunday mornings to Puppy Playtime...a socializing hour...and he's usually totally fine there...I think he's just on guard around lots of other dogs...specifically puppies...he's never growled or snapped or barked at any dog in the Pet store...mostly I think because they're adult dogs...after the first training class...she made us stay afterwards and gave us a half hour speech that almost made me cry right there...about how he might 'Kill Riely and not even give a damn'....and that in 2 years he might snap and we'd have to get rid of him..etc etc...I cried for like 2 days whenever I looked at him...whenever I looked at his picture...
theres only 2 more classes of kindergarten to go...i dread going every time...
My suggestion - forget the last two classes. Why put yourself through this trainers personal criticism and get yourself all discouraged. Don't give up on classes though. Find another trainer who will work with you. You can find one. May I also suggest before doing class work that you find a behaviorist in your area who can really diagnose your dog for tendencies of aggression. It doesn't sound like this dog is a killer by any means. He just needs the right beginning and a good behaviorist can make all the difference.
Hang in their and give that pup lots of loves and kisses. Everything will work out fine in the long run.
we can stick it out thru the last 2 classes...after all...I already payed for them...and I dont have very much money at all right now...actually i'm overdrawn in my account...i can tune Pia out...i just dread the 'off leash' time.....and we skipped out as soon as class was over...
the handouts she gives at the end of the class about training them...the things we learn in class are good...and helpful...and he DOES need access to other dogs...which is hard to find lately...because the manfolk has a hernia and cant work...thus...can't really go for walks...and I dont normally get home until semi-late...after dark...his activity level is very limited at the moment...until his surgery...and we have no idea when that will be because his workers comp/doctors are being assholes..."is December 6th okay?"....um...he's in serious pain...no...its not...
i mean...unless we go hang out for hours in the pet store...getting him around other dogs has been hard lately...
he does seem to be getting better...more adjusted to being around other puppies...as long as I have treats in my hand...heh...it'll be another month until we can take him for playdays...and i'm not so sure that he'll pass the temperment screening even...