So you’ve decided it’s time to train your pup.
Good choice!
Dogs who have poor manners are NOT fun to have around.
More than 80% of dogs surrendered to shelters have never received any training.
Untrained dogs can be a hazard to take on walks, they can bother or even accidentally
harm your guests,
They can destroy your house and these behaviors can really get in the way of a good relationship
with your furry friend!
Not to mention, if they harm themselves or others, that’s probably an expensive medical
bill.
But what type of training is best?
You’ve probably seen a lot of options, no matter where you live.
How do you choose the one that is right for you?
That’s what we are going to cover today, and I think you’re going to love it.
I’ve been in the training business for over 20 years.
Over those years I have offered a lot of different types of instruction
so believe me when I say that I have some great info to share with you today.
Before we begin hit that subscribe button so you get notified when the next video goes
LIVE
Michele here with HTTADD
Let’s talk about all the different types of training options there are for you and
your dog.
Did you catch that?
I said for YOU and your dog!
That’s because training doesn’t just happen to the dog, we have to train the humans too!
Dogs and humans don’t speak the same language so through training we help both of them learn
to understand each other and communicate.
Mostly we are working with the dog to teach them how to exist in a human world, but it
has to be done in a way that dogs understand!
And we want to make sure all their needs are met, so understanding how dogs think and learn
is really important.
Often new puppy owners get really frustrated when their pup isn’t performing commands
on cue,
We even hear people call their dogs stubborn because they feel like their dog should be
doing something and they aren’t
I have a whole workshop that is a great introduction to how dogs think and learn.
If you haven’t checked it out yet, the link is in the description below.
I think it’s a really good foundation for how to train your dog.
It’s called the Better Puppy Behavior workshop and it's free!
When you think of using the services of a dog trainer, you probably first picture someone
coming to your home, working with you and your dog for an hour or so, and getting lots
of great info.
This is true.
I have done this and I still have a few clients that I visit from time to time.
But it’s not my favorite method of training.
I enjoy it because I get to meet new people and new dogs, but honestly, I don’t think
it’s the most effective.
Let me tell you why.
Have you ever noticed what happens when someone new comes to the house?
Your pup probably goes crazy!
Unless you’ve trained him not to, that is.
New people bring new smells and it changes the whole dynamic in the room.
You might be working with your dog on leash skills and maybe you’ve got him partway
there, but you need a little bit of help fine-tuning some pieces.
So you call a trainer, he or she shows up and BOOM, all those skills your dog had just
went out the window.
I don’t think I know of a single dog trainer that doesn’t own a dog of their own, so
you can imagine that the smells are also off the charts for your pup!
I also don’t like that the timing can be problematic.
If you’ve scheduled the trainer to come at 3 p.m., what happens if your pup’s schedule
gets a little bit off that day and now this is right in the middle of a nap time?
Or maybe he’s hungry?
Or maybe he just woke up from a nap with tons of energy, he certainly won't be able to focus
very well with all that pent up energy
That’s not the ideal time to be working on some new things.
You aren’t going to want to waste your hour exercising your dog while the trainer is there
trying to teach you all the important things you need to learn
You’ve probably seen this graphic in my FB group Puppy Training with Michele Lennon.
We use it a lot because it explains a lot!
You see here that the best time to work on new things with your pup is when their batteries
are right at that mid way point.
Not too full - just out of the crate after a long nap - and not too drained - after a
long play session or walk.
Getting that timing right when a new person arrives can be a challenge.
Another thing to think about with a new person coming is… the pandemic.
It’s a part of our lives right now, right?
Do you really want someone new coming into your home, working closely with you and your
pup?
Maybe, but maybe not.
So it’s just an added piece of the puzzle you have to weigh carefully.
A lot of my students in the past year have come to me because they value the online training
that they can do without leaving home and without bringing anyone into their home.
Also remember that a private trainer, just like the one you’d hire for exercise or
cooking or any other skill you’re working on, they can be expensive.
Prices range all over the country but you might have to pay $100 an hour or more.
And that’s just for one hour!
What happens when they leave and now you have to work on those skills.
Will you remember everything they said?
What happens if the puppy doesn't perform the same way for you that they did when the
trainer was present?
Time to call that trainer again and pay more money.
I’m not saying this is a bad way of training.
I do love working in this way - sometimes.
But you have to weigh the pros and cons of the most effective, and economical, way.
I would often get calls after a lesson because the person I met with was trying to explain
what I said to the rest of their family and they needed some help
I had to condense an entire hour lesson into a few-minute phone call just so the rest of
the family could be on the same page.
After all, there are a lot of little things we call the mechanics of training that can
make or break the training process with your puppy.
If you don’t put your hand in the right spot, or your timing is off, or your distraction
levels are too great you aren’t going to get the results you’re looking for.
That’s why it can be so frustrating to have someone come in for an hour at a time but
then after they leave you can’t remember half of what they said you were supposed to
do for homework
Remember how I said that dog training is about training not just the dog but you too…
Well, it’s true.
If you keep making oopses and your pup learns skills the wrong way, they aren’t going
to ever perform the way you thought they would in your brain.
Besides, trainers can only cram so much into a one-hour session.
Ok let’s talk about some other training options.
Going to a training facility, like a local pet store… this is a really popular option
for some people.
You might think that you get the added bonus of socialization for your dog.
Well, I’m going to rain on your parade a little bit here.
It’s not the type of training I would recommend.
And I’ve done this type of training for most of my 20-year career so believe me when
I say…
I’d pass on this type if I were you.
You can picture the scenario - you’ve got 5, 7 or even 10 dogs in a room.
The instructor is trying to give you some good info and demonstrate with a dog from
class or maybe with their own demo dog, who is probably well trained in this skill.
Meanwhile, your dog isn’t totally trained yet - that’s why you are seeking training,
right?
So maybe he’s getting all riled up by the other dogs standing near you.
Meanwhile, someone else’s dog is barking nonstop because he’s super stressed and
doesn’t know how else to release all that anxious energy he has.
You are working hard to hear the trainer over the barking and then you look down and…
poo.
Your pup had to poo due to the stress and now you’ve got to clean it up, thus missing
some of the trainer’s explanation.
Believe me, I’ve seen this and more.
It’s really not ideal.
I've taught classes where the entire room full of dogs were barking and thought it was
playtime.
Now taking your pup somewhere also involves a car ride, which can be stressful if you
haven’t worked on it with your dog,
and now we’ve dialed up that distraction level to an all-time high by going to a place
with other dogs, tons of smells, probably bright lights, now a lot of sounds.
I cringe just thinking about it.
Most dogs under a year get some sort of car sickness too after all their equilibrium isn’t
fully developed until about a year of age
This means it’s going to feel like they are on a roller coaster the entire care ride.
This leads to lots of car sickness to clean up...ewww
Let's talk about health for a moment, this is also something you want to consider from
a health perspective, for you and your dog.
A good training class will screen dogs for their vaccination schedule before admitting
them.
And they should also group dogs by skill and size.
But many of them don’t do that and just allow open enrollment.
It’s like putting some kindergarteners in with the infants all in a room and expecting
them to learn how to do the math from one teacher.
It’s not happening!
Now, I want to differentiate a training class from a puppy socialization class.
A socialization class for puppies is a great idea for the 10- 18 week age range.
However, it has to be done safely as most puppies are still getting their full vaccinations.
Puppy socialization classes, when done right, can be a good option.
You’ll want to ask questions ahead of time to make sure it’s a good fit for your puppy.
Ideally, the class size will be small (5 puppies at the max), the time they will be together
is limited to 15-30 minutes.
You’ll want them to have very frequent rest breaks to avoid overstimulation,
and the puppies are matched in terms of temperament and size and play style to ensure there will
not be accidental injuries.
You should know going into a puppy socialization class that your pup is going to be hanging
out with similar pups, not pups that will be bossy and too dominant.
Definitely ask the trainers how they manage puppies at different stages of vaccinations
as well.
That’s right these classes should be run my professional trainers, not just someone
that loves puppies.
Not all classes will be perfect but you want to do your research ahead of time to try and
get the best fit.
These classes are not about teaching the puppy new skills, but simply exposing them to other
dogs for very short periods of time, and letting your pup explore these new scenarios.
That’s it!
No training, just exploring!
So you can see the difference and how you can’t think that a puppy socialization class
will solve your training needs.
For more info on how to socialize your puppies when they are young and likely haven’t had
their full vaccination schedule, check out this video:
Ok what about another type of training: Board and Train programs.
I’ve done this one too.
We’ve had hundreds and hundreds of dogs stay with us for training over the years.
With board and train programs, you typically spend a few thousand dollars to send the puppy
off for training and she will come back to you with foundation skills.
But unless you actually learn all the skills your puppy is learning and you learn how to
teach her, you’re not going to be able to get her to duplicate what the trainer did
with her.
Respect isn’t transferable.
The trainer will teach you what they did to get your pup to follow commands
but if you don’t actually do any of the work when your pup gets home you aren’t
going to have a good bond with your dog and your pup isn’t going to be eager to work
with you.
The most successful humans who use a board and train program are the ones that put in
the extra time to practice all the training games and routines.
This means every day they were going through the training routines that are taught to them
and given for homework.
You can expect there will still be lots of homework when that puppy gets returned to
you from the boarding program.
Think about it like this… your puppy can only learn so much in a short amount of time
so you can’t expect any to get back a service dog quality pup when they’ve really only
just begun the training
A lot of people expect their dog will come back and be a superstar but in reality, the
dog still needs a lot more training beyond the 2 or 3 weeks they stayed with the trainer.
And many facilities keep the dogs in kennels and pull them out anywhere from 1-3 times
a day for about 30-60 minutes
while the rest of the time they are either waiting for the next session, sleeping or
maybe if you pay extra they can play in playgroups with other dogs
When the dogs came to stay with me, they become a temporary member of the family and stayed
in our home with my own dogs.
This way they could get a lot more real-world practice.
Most facilities can’t duplicate that home-like atmosphere.
A board and train isn’t a magic wand to fix all the problems.
So now you’re thinking..
Michele, you don’t like any of these methods!
But how can I train my dog?
Not true there is one option that is dear to my heart.
I can tell you that my business experiences have allowed me to evolve and change my business
model
about 3 years ago I started an online course for dog training.
Now we have students in 50 countries
I decided that all those distractions of an in-person class, and the time-consuming and
expensive nature of a one on one personal trainer was just not ideal for everyone.
So I decided to take my in-person programs and put them online.
With the help of Nicole, a certified trainer I’ve worked with for many years, we filmed
over 50 videos to teach you how to teach your pup.
These skills include fun games for impulse control (like how to stop counter surfing!),
recall or how to come when called and definitely a lot of leash skills, so your walks can be
pleasant and enjoyable for both you and your pup.
This course has so much great content and we add to it every often, with new resources
you can print and hang on your fridge,
Or even more, videos explaining new skills and more cool infographics if your a visual
person
The training videos in the course are amazing to watch at home, when it’s the right time
for you and your pup to work on training,
and they can be watched over and over again!
When you enroll in our course you have unlimited access to the videos.
That’s a lot of time!
I do that because I want you to always have the information available to go back and work
with your puppy on skills.
We all need refreshers, right?
Your pup is the same!
You can also have everyone in your house watch the training videos so you are all on the
same page with training.
Remember what I said about how respect isn’t transferable?
Well, that is the same with the family too.
Each family member needs to be working on training with your pup, not just you!
You’ll all want to practice the same games with your puppy so the skills are solid regardless
of who is working with him.
But I didn’t think that the videos themselves were enough.
Because I really love working with my private clients and helping them tweak their methods
to work better for their situation.
And not all dogs respond in the same way!
You can definitely do it yourself if you’d like, and watch the videos as often and for
as long as you like.
But if you think you’d like some extra support, accountability and feedback, we offer the
pro level.
Students who enroll in the pro level of our course are able to upload videos of the behavior
or practice session for feedback from myself or another certified trainer on my team.
I love watching videos our students have submitted for feedback.
No need to be an award-winning filmmaker to do this.
Most students just prop their phone on the floor or even in a shoe, hit that record button
and do a few tries at the skill with their dog.
Even a video that is one minute or two is perfect for us to evaluate and help!
And other students in the FB group also learn from this feedback and apply it to their own
work with their dog.
For further support the pro-level students are welcome to pop onto one of the group Zoom
calls with the trainers and I, They take place 3 times a week.
The zoom calls are one of my favorite activities of all the work I do throughout the week.
We get all kinds of questions, on all topics!
Biting, getting along with other dogs, taking your pup with you on trips, crate training,
potty training..
We cover it all on those calls and in the FB group.
So you can see I’m a little biased about the course I offer.
Of course, I think it’s the best way to train - I created it after years of teaching
using other methods I talk about in this video!
It’s OK if you make a different choice, but I can tell you that for the safety, happiness
and bonding of your pet, I would strongly advise you to participate in some kind of
training.
Understanding canine communication and behavior is a really important part of dog ownership
and we owe it to our new family members to give them the best part of ourselves that
we can.
Now, which skill are you most excited to teach your puppy?