|
Things to look for in a Puppy School What are good things to look for when selecting a dog training class? What questions should I ask the places I find? |
Make sure they don't intend for you to use choke collars / slip collars for training. That probably should seem like a no-brainer, but it really surprised me when I was shopping around for trainers how many just didn't buy that yanking on a yorkie's neck with a choke collar could damage their trachea. Outside of that, I'd just look for someone who uses positive reinforcement and is open to uncovering what motivates your dog in particular. The trainer I wound up going to with Penny recognized immediately that Pen is food-oriented. There was a little terrier-mix in the same class who hardly cared for food, but loved squeaky toys. She would use food for Penny, but for the other dog, she used a squeaky toy. I thought it was a great thing that she picked up right away on what really motivated each of the dogs. |
i took milu to sirius puppy school, and i like it. Sirius Dog Training i would say find out about the trainer. talk to the trainer to find out if you feel he/she is knowledgeable. at sirius puppy school, they have a bio page for all their trainers, so you can read about their experiences and trainings that they had. also, make sure there aren't too many dogs in the same class, so you can get more attention from the instructor. you can also look into puppy socials (check online to see if any is available in your area) it's helpful and fun way to socialize your puppy. |
Choke collars Quote:
UGG! So sad to see that people try choke collars on Yorkies. my Husband has a friend that is so disturbing. She claims to "love yorkies" and be so knowledgeable. It makes me so mad! She always calls my girls "tea-cups" and I try to tell her that there is no such thing and that my girls are breed-standard (4.5 and 5 pounds). Anyways, I ran in to her one day at the pet store WHERE SHE WAS BUYING A CHOKE CHAIN FOR HER YORKIE!!!! I literally nearly choked. I tried talking to her about it--but of course you can't tell the sort of people anything!!! You would think that you would want to air on the side of caution when it comes to your baby. I mean I don't even use regular collars on my yorkies. They wear harnesses when we take them out for a walk. . . |
Make sure they like small dogs! My puppy class trainer was a BIG dog lover and used to make comments when I used to turn up with Tia in a coatand a ribbon in her hair.One time when I picked her up because a dog was out of control and heading my way aggresively she said put her down ITS a dog. Arrrrrr |
Quote:
also, other dogs teeth might get caught in the harness when they are playing, so that was the reason for taking the harness off. |
I don't wanna change the subject but what is a choke chain? Is it like a regular collar because I never knew those were bad for Yorkies? Should I use a harness? My Petsmart trainer told us that we can't use a harness during the class |
Choke collars are usually chain (not always-- I've seen cloth ones too). They hang lax until you give a jerk on the lead, and then they tighten around the dog's neck. For most dogs, the quick snap they give is fine as a reminder to pay attention-- but it really isn't something that a dog with a breed predisposition for tracheal collapse should ever have used on them. As far as regular collars go-- well, Penny has one, but never has a lead attached to it. It is just for holding her ID tags. I always walk her on a harness. Pressure on the neck is just a risk factor for yorkies. |
Quote:
if you are worried, (if your puppy likes to pull when you walk him/her) you can put the harness back on right after class. collars are ok as long as you don't use it for walking or any pulling. you don't want to pull on your yorkie AT ALL when he is wearing a collar, it's really bad for them because they are so small and delicate, you can injure them. so just make sure no pulling in class, it will be fine. :) |
I actually have snap-on cat collar for the girls. that way, if there is any pressure they pop opend. I still rarely use them because my breeder really doesn't like any collar being on them. BUT the beauty of cat collars is that they have bell on them, so sometimes I put it on them when we have company, in case they aren't use to little dogs being near their feet. |
Quote:
|
Quote:
wow, your trainer sounded like a rude person.... when i attended the puppy class, i wasn't really sure how the trainer felt about milu because she owns 3 large dogs herself and milu is a lot smaller than all the dogs in the class. (she would use the come command for other dogs, but she would just pick milu up instead of calling her to 'come') i hope you had an ok time in the puppy class. next time, try to talk to the trainer first to see how they feel about small dogs. (if you want to take your doggie to another class) i am thinking of taking milu to another class myself, but this time i want to try to find a class that has at least some small dogs. ( it is difficult though, because milu is 3 lbs. and every dog looks big compare to her) |
Quote:
|
Quote:
|
Quote:
It's funny because Jackson is actually bigger, 14lbs now at 7 months old and you'd think he would be a bit "tougher" but he's really not. His little neck is so sensitive - I always use a harness. |
| All times are GMT -8. The time now is 08:59 AM. |
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.9
Copyright ©2000 - 2025, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Copyright ©2003 - 2018 YorkieTalk.com
Privacy Policy - Terms of Use