Obedience Classes - YorkieTalk.com Forums

Ringo · 02-07-2005, 04:25 PM

Have any of you attended any obedience classes? If so, what did they teach? Did you have to use a choke chain? (I won't use) What age was your pup when you attended?

Thanks for the input!

Bentley'sMom · 02-07-2005, 07:04 PM

We took Bentley to obedience classes right when we got him at 16 weeks. It is recommended that you start early (12 weeks is ideal) as it is easier for them to learn before they get set in their ways. The classes helped us a lot. Bentley learned to sit, lay down, stay, come, and walk on a loose leash (although we are still working on that). They also give you good tips on biting, housebreaking, and dominance issues. I highly reccommend classes as a good way to learn a lot of great information. You will be surprised at how quickly little yorkies catch on, they are very smart

One day in our class the instructor had the owners walk around and tell all of the other dogs to sit. It was funny to watch people walk up to Bentley. They all had very low expectations as most of them had labs and Bentley is so tiny. They were very shocked when Bentley would sit as soon as they told him to. It was very cute (they then had to break their huge lab-sized treat into a small piece to give to him)

You need to be very careful about the trainer you use. Anyone that would suggest using a pinch collar on a yorkie would not be a good teacher, I would leave immediately. All small dogs had regular collars at our class. You should definitely ask around (friends, vet, etc) before choosing a class. You can also go and sit in on a class before enrolling. Our class used the clicker method which I found to help make the training go faster. Definitely do your research as there are a lot of methods of teaching that aren't the best. We first started with a class where their method of training a dog to walk on a leash was to tug the leash every time the dog left your side. This is very hard on a yorkie's neck. We left that class and enrolled in another class that had better techniques. Good luck with your search! It's worth it when you find the right instructor!

yorkipower · 02-08-2005, 07:49 AM

Hello! Thanks for the great question. I think it will help others too!

Bently's Mom has given excellent advice here so my input will be limited. Please check out the string on "harnesses" that we had a month or so ago. I go into a bit of detail on training methods in that post.

http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1069

Like Bently's mom said, training classes are great, but you've got to be careful where you go. I wish there was a fail safe method by which I could refer you to a "good" trainer but in the U.S., there are no requirements that a person be "registered" to put out a shingle and train dogs (to be honest, although I've been "planning" to take the NADOI test myself, I never get around to it). Just because someone is not certified with one of these organizations does not mean, either, that they are not good trainers. Many of my dog training friends are great trainers and teachers but don't belong to any formal organization. They've learned training their own dogs and through years of competition (competition obedience, agility, Rally-O, tracking, etc.). Really, it's a combination of self-education and gut instinct. Read up on dog training and arm yourself with knowledge before you enter that first class. If things don't look "right" to you, leave. Here's a quick list of some WONDERFUL dog training books you can start out with:

Karen Pryor's Dog and Dolphin
Quick Clicks
Susan Garrett's Ruff Love
The Culture Clash
Don't Shoot the Dog
The Latchkey Dog
Little Dog Training your Pint Sized Companion
If Dog's Prayers were Answered, Bones Would Rain From the Sky
Calming Signals

Useful Magazines:
Front & Finish
Dog & Handler
Agility Action (on-line)
CleanRun – (although a generalization I’ve found that schools that teach agility tend to lean closer to positive and operant conditioning techniques and away from compulsion training – checking out the cleanrun website and going to their information links will be helpful in finding a school or training club near you that’s http://www.cleanrun.com)
Off-Lead

There are many more, I can't even think of all the great resources out there off the top of my head! I also know that if you are in the northeast, the Match Show Bulletin – http://matchshow.home.att.net/ is a great source of dog training schools from which to compare.

Lastly, although this is not a full-proof method - there are a few organizations that you can investigate which certify trainers (and in one instance behaviorists):

http://www.nadoi.org/ - NADOI - the National Association of Dog Obedience Instructors
http://www.apdt.com/ - APDT - Association of Pet Dog Trainers
http://www.cisab.indiana.edu/ABS/App..._cert9_97.html - ABS - The Animal Behavior Society (these are mostly vets or people with MS or Phds in behavior science).

yorkipower · 02-10-2005, 01:12 PM

Sorry Ringo for the cross post but in case someone is following this thread instead -

Another place to find a trainer who uses only a positive training techniques is through the clickertraining website (karen pryor) which links to a page where clicker trainers are posted by geographical location. You enter the state (or country!) you live in and the website generates a list of local clicker trainers!

Here's the link:

http://clickerteachers.net/

02-07-2005, 04:25 PM	#1
Ringo Donating Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 193	Obedience Classes Have any of you attended any obedience classes? If so, what did they teach? Did you have to use a choke chain? (I won't use) What age was your pup when you attended? Thanks for the input!

02-08-2005, 07:49 AM	#3
yorkipower BANNED! Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: New York Posts: 446	Some suggestions on finding a good dog training school Hello! Thanks for the great question. I think it will help others too! Bently's Mom has given excellent advice here so my input will be limited. Please check out the string on "harnesses" that we had a month or so ago. I go into a bit of detail on training methods in that post. http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1069 Like Bently's mom said, training classes are great, but you've got to be careful where you go. I wish there was a fail safe method by which I could refer you to a "good" trainer but in the U.S., there are no requirements that a person be "registered" to put out a shingle and train dogs (to be honest, although I've been "planning" to take the NADOI test myself, I never get around to it). Just because someone is not certified with one of these organizations does not mean, either, that they are not good trainers. Many of my dog training friends are great trainers and teachers but don't belong to any formal organization. They've learned training their own dogs and through years of competition (competition obedience, agility, Rally-O, tracking, etc.). Really, it's a combination of self-education and gut instinct. Read up on dog training and arm yourself with knowledge before you enter that first class. If things don't look "right" to you, leave. Here's a quick list of some WONDERFUL dog training books you can start out with: Karen Pryor's Dog and Dolphin Quick Clicks Susan Garrett's Ruff Love The Culture Clash Don't Shoot the Dog The Latchkey Dog Little Dog Training your Pint Sized Companion If Dog's Prayers were Answered, Bones Would Rain From the Sky Calming Signals Useful Magazines: Front & Finish Dog & Handler Agility Action (on-line) CleanRun – (although a generalization I’ve found that schools that teach agility tend to lean closer to positive and operant conditioning techniques and away from compulsion training – checking out the cleanrun website and going to their information links will be helpful in finding a school or training club near you that’s http://www.cleanrun.com) Off-Lead There are many more, I can't even think of all the great resources out there off the top of my head! I also know that if you are in the northeast, the Match Show Bulletin – http://matchshow.home.att.net/ is a great source of dog training schools from which to compare. Lastly, although this is not a full-proof method - there are a few organizations that you can investigate which certify trainers (and in one instance behaviorists): http://www.nadoi.org/ - NADOI - the National Association of Dog Obedience Instructors http://www.apdt.com/ - APDT - Association of Pet Dog Trainers http://www.cisab.indiana.edu/ABS/App..._cert9_97.html - ABS - The Animal Behavior Society (these are mostly vets or people with MS or Phds in behavior science). Last edited by yorkipower; 02-08-2005 at 07:52 AM.

02-10-2005, 01:12 PM	#4
yorkipower BANNED! Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: New York Posts: 446	Cross Post - where to find a clicker trainer near you! Sorry Ringo for the cross post but in case someone is following this thread instead - Another place to find a trainer who uses only a positive training techniques is through the clickertraining website (karen pryor) which links to a page where clicker trainers are posted by geographical location. You enter the state (or country!) you live in and the website generates a list of local clicker trainers! Here's the link: http://clickerteachers.net/

02-07-2005, 07:04 PM	#2
Bentley'sMom YT Addict Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Redmond, WA Posts: 299	We took Bentley to obedience classes right when we got him at 16 weeks. It is recommended that you start early (12 weeks is ideal) as it is easier for them to learn before they get set in their ways. The classes helped us a lot. Bentley learned to sit, lay down, stay, come, and walk on a loose leash (although we are still working on that). They also give you good tips on biting, housebreaking, and dominance issues. I highly reccommend classes as a good way to learn a lot of great information. You will be surprised at how quickly little yorkies catch on, they are very smart One day in our class the instructor had the owners walk around and tell all of the other dogs to sit. It was funny to watch people walk up to Bentley. They all had very low expectations as most of them had labs and Bentley is so tiny. They were very shocked when Bentley would sit as soon as they told him to. It was very cute (they then had to break their huge lab-sized treat into a small piece to give to him) You need to be very careful about the trainer you use. Anyone that would suggest using a pinch collar on a yorkie would not be a good teacher, I would leave immediately. All small dogs had regular collars at our class. You should definitely ask around (friends, vet, etc) before choosing a class. You can also go and sit in on a class before enrolling. Our class used the clicker method which I found to help make the training go faster. Definitely do your research as there are a lot of methods of teaching that aren't the best. We first started with a class where their method of training a dog to walk on a leash was to tug the leash every time the dog left your side. This is very hard on a yorkie's neck. We left that class and enrolled in another class that had better techniques. Good luck with your search! It's worth it when you find the right instructor!