doggie obedience camp
 

I am considering placing my beloved 6 month old puppy in a 3 week boarding school for obedience, This is the same place we have the girls groomed. I know these people are excellent and she will be safe. What I worry about is breaking her spirit spending three weeks away from home. These people are successful and accredited and kind. Anybody have advice?
Teresa and Zoey

You just need to find a good training class and go with her to them.
Sending her to a camp does not build your relationship with the dog nor do you gain understanding or training or management skills needed.
They should know it is about the relationship you build with the dog not what they do to it that makes the difference in training and the attachment you have with the dog.
Dogs do not generalize so they can learn all you want in the class room or camp but it may not transfer over to the home and your care no matter what they say. Sit, down come , stay may well work at class but at home with out the norm of school it may just fall apart. You need to practice it with her at home out on the street and she needs to learn it from you and trust you.
Now that said... I have a client do to very bad allergies can not go to class so I go work on the skill and work on generalizing it and they work practice and reinforcement all week at home. Dog learns that sit means sit at class, at home, on the street with Mom or me or dad or the kids. Great training and great bonds.
I had a client that took one of the dogs I started it was getting out of control...owner was upset wondered why it would not listen. I asked what have you done to build a relationship and a communicative line between you two... well he is here with me and I love him and you have trained him already he should listen...ok but what other then that he looks to me as he knows I can and do respond to him we have the bond and you???? NEED to train... so off to class you go or that wee one comes home. Now in class I see them working hard the dog looks the owner and you want to see love...I am in that room and he looks to his owner cause they are talking the same language and the time in is working wonders. I see a happy dog that understand his boundaries and I see an owner with pride in his eyes cause he can ask the dog to do anything and it will try and respond and is happy. I ask the dog to sit and he looks to dad and goes is that what you want me to do too Dad??? Not great he does not listen to me but wonderful to see him look to his dad and not at me for support that is a bond.

JL

wow! thanks for your words of wisdom! you are exactly right. I will cancel tomorrow.

I dont believe in these types of places.

A good trainer, can you train with you there and teach you how to work with your dog... if they need your dog away from you especially for three weeks, I would question their methods.

Training should be fun for you and your pet... it should be a time to learn something new and create a bond between you and your pet.

When Armani and I took lessons, he was happy during the class and you could tell he was so proud of himself each time he caught on to something.

:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

To me, training is ALL about the fun and bonding experience between you and your dog. :) Jackson & I have sooo much fun together.

You are welcome and Thank you.

JL

Now wait a minute. I sent Carlo to a 3 week class after his 3 Puppy Kindergartens. The training was fun for him, he loved the place, and I visited him every 3rd day. After he completed the 3 week class, then we worked together as a team training together...We then did Distraction classes, Tracking, and when he was mentally developed, he did PP protection training. Some places are outstanding. When we travel, he stays there, and they have always used him as a Dempo Dog for new people to see how a trained dog can be.

Now my wife did not let Maxine go, and we did it together with her. I think a lot has to do with the Dog, and the parents. Either way, boarding and training, or just going to class with the dog for an hour at a time is great. Good luck. The key is to make it fun. Carlo needed to work and be kept busy. Maxine needed to be sitting on a lap looking beautiful!

While I am glad that it worked out for you. It is not something that I would suggest as the standard course of action.

Nor is it ok to think that a little dog only need to sit on a lap and look pretty or need to be kept busy. Many of these guys can do lots of work.

I work with tiny right up to an including dogs that are 120 to 140 pounds and I do it, I do not have someone do it for me and I do it on a buckle collar on pinch or choke. I take the pride in helping my dogs make it in the world not farming it out. Seems to me a lot like firing off your kids to boarding school cause it easier to hire it out than raise them ones self. May take me longer but we get it done and I get to see them grow and bloom under my watchful eye.

JL