Thanks for the input, Amy, I really appreciate it. No, we don't use clickers either. We do an excercise called tuning in...and basically it is to teach the dog to listen to your voice & different tones. A deep tone means "baaaad" and high tone is "happy". We use lavish praise for when they are good, and try to ignore bad behaviour or use a very low tone. We have seen a lot of improvement and he listens pretty well...until it is time for our daily 15-20 minutes session. I really think that this "method" would work if we kept up with it, but I am having trouble carrying on with it by myself without help from the trainer. Isn't that what he's supposed to be there for?? And the biggest thing is, I am afraid that if we do switch over to clickers or treats, there will be no going back to this method. I don't have a problem with giving treats, but it really conflicts with this method of trying to get your dog to zone in on your voice and hand signals...with a treat, he zones in on just getting the cookie and not trying to please it's master, so to speak. Another reason that is keeping me back from changing is that our vet *highly* recommends this trainer. He is pretty well-known around here and I have heard lots of good comments about him and his methods. The other trainer is one that I don't have recommendations from anybody. But the other half of me is getting more & more frustrated because having a class helps so much in keeping up with training. It gives a goal to work for, rather than trying to amble along aimlessly by ourselves.

But I may start asking around...there's no harm in asking and it's not committing to anything.