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[hostpath.com]

We rescued a puppy that is just under 1 year old. He needs some serious training. We looked into some local companies, and they want close to $1,000 for six hours of training (one hour sessions, once per week for six weeks, at our house).

That seems a lot, considering that we ourselves will really be doing the training, since the trainer will only be spending an hour per week with him.

Any suggestions? Anyone have any experience with great training solutions that we can do ourselves? Any internet resources?

Thanks in advance!

[Xshare]

Dont they have cheap seminars at petsmart?

[hostpath.com]

Xshare:

We asked locally, and several folks we know who did the Petsmart thing were not happy with the results.

[vito]

Is the dog already potty trained? "Crate training" is extremely effective. When we first got our dog, for the first few days we kept him in his "crate" (cage). Very comfortable, soft bed, toys, NO WATER OR FOOD BOWL. Three times a day, take the dog out of the cage, give him food and water for 10 minutes. Then take him outside. Until he goes to the bathroom. DO NOT come back in until he goes to the bathroom. Once he's done, praise him to death. Then give him a few hours of play time outside the crate. Then put him back in.

Next meal time, repeat the process.

Your dog should be potty trained within 3-4 days tops. Our dog got it down cold within 2 days.

Vito

[banner]

Where are you located? My father in law paid something like $1500/per dog to have 2 of his dogs trained. Of course, this trainer boarded the dogs at her farm and worked with them constantly and once a week would work with my father in law on what the dogs had learned. This went on for about a month per dog. If you're in western Washington, I would highly recommend www.puppymanners.com. Otherwise I would definitely look for another trainer. I think that you should be able to do much better than $1000. Good luck!

[Webdude]

Basic obedience should run around $25 per hour max. If you happen to be in the Houston area, I can recommend a trainer who charges $99 for a 6 week session at her place (two hours per week).

http://riverranchdogs.com/

She doesnt train your dog, she trains YOU on how to train your dog. She has some of the best trained dogs I have seen. Completely trained using both either/or verbal and silent hand siignals.

[JTY]

That's a ton. My dad paid $80 for 6 weeks of lessons.

[Odd Fact]

What training are you looking for. Some training is very easy to accomplish at home. Also try contacting several PetSmarts. Each one has a different training staff. You can also contact you vet and local rescue groups for leads on alternative training. Some rescue groupd will offer training at a reduced rate. A trained dog makes a better pet and there is less chance the dog will end up homeless.

[Webdude]

I could never recommend any Petsmart. Every one I have been in was a joke. I dont do public training, but I do train my own. It's funny when I walk into a Petsmart with my Great Dane, have her work circles around their best. I could make a lot of money doing that because I always have people asking if I will train their dogs.

I walk in, Tara (my great dane) is not leashed. She stays on my left on every isle, on every turn. When I stop, she sits. I can put a steak on the floor, and she will leave it until I give her the go-ahead. I can have her lay there with it between her front legs, and she still doesnt touch it, (but she makes it known she wants it..LOL). She can say "please", "I love you", and "thankyou". Ok, she's not a parrot, but you can understand it somewhat. She has her own twin sized bed, and a place at the table (no she doesnt sit in a chair, heh)

http://jasher-relyn.com/danes/images/teras1.jpg

It's not hard to train a dog as long as you have the time, and are willing to spend that time training them. As for crate training, dogs over a few months old wont potty where they have to eat and sleep. Feed them in the crate, wait two hours, take them outside to go potty. You accomplish two things...crate training and potty training. One of the most important thing I tell people to train their dogs on.......make them bark like crazy when someone tells them "Shhhh" to try and get them quiet. Always mess with them, pet them, play with their nose, etc while they are eating. It teaches them to not be aggressive with their food. It's all those little things that add up to make a great dog.

...And never Never NEVER let the dog bite a child. If the dog ever even so much as snaps at a child, jack that dog across the skull. That's for it's own safety, and yours too. Even if the child was picking on the dog, if that dog bites the child, the parents may attempt to sue you, and the law may try to put your dog down. A few painful knocks across it's skull is well worth the benefits of preventing that ever happening.

[kris1351]

There is a place here in Dallas called Pet Perfect which is where I had my IGs trained. They take you through different levels of training from beginner to advance. The places where you just drop your dog off and pay a ton are of no use if you want a really well trained pet. There is as much training for the human as there is for the pet.

We are part of the IG rescue here in Dallas so it is especially important that you be there for their training as it helps the abused dogs learn to trust you more. All of mine go through the Green Paw training which was less than $150 for 8 weeks of training. I highly recommend finding something similar.

[The Prohacker]

If its special training for assistance dogs thats normal but common training is fairly cheap...

[coight]

Originally posted by vito
Is the dog already potty trained? "Crate training" is extremely effective. When we first got our dog, for the first few days we kept him in his "crate" (cage). Very comfortable, soft bed, toys, NO WATER OR FOOD BOWL. Three times a day, take the dog out of the cage, give him food and water for 10 minutes. Then take him outside. Until he goes to the bathroom. DO NOT come back in until he goes to the bathroom. Once he's done, praise him to death. Then give him a few hours of play time outside the crate. Then put him back in.

Next meal time, repeat the process.

Vito would this work for children

[vito]

Hehe, the collar 'n' leash may look a little odd to your neighbors, but I say give it a shot.

Vito

[hostpath.com]

He goes outside for potty, but when he's loose in the house he piddles on the carpet, which is pissing me off. That's one thing that needs to change ASAP.

Regarding the professional trainers and what they charge, these are people who have been doing it for 30 years. They have a gigantic book of photos and letters praising their training, quite a few from celebrities and well-knowns like sports figures and local bigwigs.

The training they provide is just basic training. Further, advanced training (like perimeter training and such), would require an additional $1,000.

I'm tempted to download a training program I read about online:

http://www.dogproblems.com/

In reading his stuff, he talks about exactly the same things the local pro trainer talked about when he came to our house to meet the dog for the first time.

Any further thoughts?

[eSology]

In 1994 I thought about this same question for our "new" addition to the family. I ended up paying about $350 for a guy to teach me the basics. It worked and from what I can tell about that website it looks very similiar to what I learned.