Petco or Petsmart dog training courses?

[hatajay]

Hi all,

I am thinking about taking my 3 months old yorkie to attend training classes. Which classes would you recommend? Also which is better, petsmart or petco?

Thanks!

[chloe n kaylee]

Originally Posted by hatajay

Hi all,

I am thinking about taking my 3 months old yorkie to attend training classes. Which classes would you recommend? Also which is better, petsmart or petco?

Thanks!

I took my pomeranian to puppy classes at petsmart when she was 4 mo about 5 yrs ago. It was ok. Its great if your a first time dog owner and great socialization for your puppy too. They just teach you the basics like sit, stay, walk on a leash, and potty training. So if u need help with the basics, then I would recommend it.

Also, the price isnt too bad either....

[Sway Says]

I took my boy to PetSmart...

They were doing this clicker training stuff... I guess I didn't like it because I'm more old-school.

Instead of the "I'll give you a treat if you do what I ask" method I was hoping I'd get the "Do what I ask, period." method. Not what I got.

I wanted like hands-on ways to prevent misbehavor. The woman who was training was to me a little bit too nice.

But if you like nice! Then it'll be good for you all.

It was great for socialization. Over the course of the weeks we went Harley completely opened up. He went from being scared and shy of other dogs to leading them around and starting all the games.

Unfortunately the only thing we learned was 'sit' and 'down'. The other commands Harley didn't really pick up--but I'm starting to work on them with him again with the help of Job Michael Evan's books and a little more resolve.

Good luck on your training!

[yorkiepuppie]

Originally Posted by Sway Says

I took my boy to PetSmart...

They were doing this clicker training stuff... I guess I didn't like it because I'm more old-school.

Instead of the "I'll give you a treat if you do what I ask" method I was hoping I'd get the "Do what I ask, period." method. Not what I got.

I wanted like hands-on ways to prevent misbehavor. The woman who was training was to me a little bit too nice.

But if you like nice! Then it'll be good for you all.

It was great for socialization. Over the course of the weeks we went Harley completely opened up. He went from being scared and shy of other dogs to leading them around and starting all the games.

Unfortunately the only thing we learned was 'sit' and 'down'. The other commands Harley didn't really pick up--but I'm starting to work on them with him again with the help of Job Michael Evan's books and a little more resolve.

Good luck on your training!

most dogs are motivated by food. so i think it's great to be nice and use the "I'll give you a treat if you do what I ask" method, instead of the "Do what I ask, period." method. if that is your approach when you are working with your dog at home, that might be the reason why you are not having as much success.

it would be like a boss telling his workers "Do what I ask, period." method. generally not very effective. no one would show up to work and do what they are told if they weren't getting paid since we are money motivated.

so telling a dog to "Do what I ask, period." is like telling you to go to work and not get paid. that's not going to work out so well.

be generous with healthy treats and be a fair leader. your puppy will do what you ask. period. (and he will be very happy doing it)

[yorkiepuppie]

Originally Posted by hatajay

Hi all,

I am thinking about taking my 3 months old yorkie to attend training classes. Which classes would you recommend? Also which is better, petsmart or petco?

Thanks!

i actually took milu to sirius puppy training. it was a lot of fun and we learned a lot. (and i would recommend them, you can check them out Sirius Dog Training)

i think the most important thing is to find out who the trainer is. you want to take a class from a knowledgeable trainer. training dogs is not rocket science but it does make a big difference depending on the trainer.

talk to the trainer and see if you feel that he/she is very knowledgeable. ask them about their experience and background. with the sirius puppy, they have a bio page for each of the trainers, so you can pick a trainer you like and sign up for that trainer's class.

good luck, you and your baby will have tons of fun!

let me know if you have any questions.

[RoxyLuv]

Originally Posted by hatajay

Hi all,

I am thinking about taking my 3 months old yorkie to attend training classes. Which classes would you recommend? Also which is better, petsmart or petco?

Thanks!

Which is better is most likely the store manager's ability of each store to get a good trainer & training program more than the chain name. Every location is not going to have the same options. Regardless of which store/trainer you use, the trainer's name & phone number should be offered to you so that you can talk to that person prior to signing up to get a feel of whether you feel he/she is qualified to your liking.

Also, find out how many dogs to fill a class... 3-6 is better, size of room you would be working in & is that practical.

[yorkiepuppie]

Originally Posted by RoxyLuv

Which is better is most likely the store manager's ability of each store to get a good trainer & training program more than the chain name. Every location is not going to have the same options. Regardless of which store/trainer you use, the trainer's name & phone number should be offered to you so that you can talk to that person prior to signing up to get a feel of whether you feel he/she is qualified to your liking.

Also, find out how many dogs to fill a class... 3-6 is better, size of room you would be working in & is that practical.

that is a very good point. i forgot to mention that. there were too many dogs in my class. while it was good for the socialization part, it's not very good for training.

smaller classes are better, you can always bring your dog to puppy socials for socialization (which i highly recommend)

[babybuddy]

I took Buddy to the classes at Petsmart, but that was only after I met and talked with the trainer that was going to teach the class. You can always stop in and talk to them....see if you like them and then decide from there. Each trainer is different in terms of the methods they use to teach. Buddy just graduated from the class at Petsmart...and did really well. What I got out of the whole thing was just the proper way to teach different commands....nothing more. The rest really is up to you.

[kcarey13]

We just started a class at Petsmart for Small Breed Dogs and its been great. Just learning the basic commands, they gave us the choice of using the clicker or not. Some trainers only allow a few dogs in the class but others like to fill them up. It makes it hard with too many dogs. We only have 7 in the class and its perfect. I guess it depends on how good the trainer is , with any luck the puppies get at least the basics out of it plus a little socialization.

[drabinowitz43]

Originally Posted by kcarey13

We just started a class at Petsmart for Small Breed Dogs and its been great. Just learning the basic commands, they gave us the choice of using the clicker or not. Some trainers only allow a few dogs in the class but others like to fill them up. It makes it hard with too many dogs. We only have 7 in the class and its perfect. I guess it depends on how good the trainer is , with any luck the puppies get at least the basics out of it plus a little socialization.

I know this is off-topic, but you have the cutest avatar I have ever seen! On topic, I took Sadie to Petsmart and it does really depend on the trainer. I got lucky and had a good one and she learned the basic commands, but she was overly social and really just wanted to play with the other dogs. What I liked was how they took her around the store and I had to call her name and she would lead the trainer to where I was. Then, of course, she got lots of treats.

[kalina82]

I took Morgan to Petsmarts training class. it was great but we dropped out after only a few weeks. I had already taught morgan all the things we were doing and there wasn't much time to socialize. so we went to teh park instead.

[kcarey13]

Originally Posted by drabinowitz43

I know this is off-topic, but you have the cutest avatar I have ever seen! On topic, I took Sadie to Petsmart and it does really depend on the trainer. I got lucky and had a good one and she learned the basic commands, but she was overly social and really just wanted to play with the other dogs. What I liked was how they took her around the store and I had to call her name and she would lead the trainer to where I was. Then, of course, she got lots of treats.

Thank you, I just made it! I can't wait till we get further into the classes and start going around the store. Layla gets board with sitting in class listening to the trainer talk, She usually starts trouble with the other dog cause she is bored.

[BenjiBoo]

Originally Posted by hatajay

Hi all,

I am thinking about taking my 3 months old yorkie to attend training classes. Which classes would you recommend? Also which is better, petsmart or petco?

Thanks!

Hey all, this is my first post! I have a 4 month old Yorkie and he is in his 2nd week of Petsmart training. I would like to say that it does not matter where you go, I believe it depends on the trainer. Benji's trainer has over 15 years of experience and is recognized all over the area. Some trainers are more experienced than others; some may also fit your training "style". At first I wasn't going to put Benji in training because I have already taught him sit, stay, down, and come. However, Benji has began the "small dog barking" and he barks at random strangers and dogs (I believe out of fear or curiosity). This is where the class becomes most helpful because it helps with socialization. In his training class he is able to interact with both puppies and humans. So far, they have learned SIT, LEAVE IT (sooo important!), and STAY. He is doing really well and LOVES going to class to see his friends! Also, besides learning simple commands, the trainer also gives you tons of tips and answers any and all of your questions. The trainer also tells you how you are at handling your dog. For example, she told one couple that their tiny poodle was "in control of them". They were really surprised and she gave them tips on how to be be assertive and dominant with their dog.

I think you should go to the local vet and ask them which trainers in the area they recommend (that's what my vet did, and even recommended great breeders in the area).