[LuvMyMutt]

I am curious as to how many of you have enrolled your pups in Obedience classes? How well do they work? What is it they teach the dogs? Is it worth the money?

[opokki]

Basic obedience classes usually teach things like Eye Contact, Sit, Stay, Down, Come, Leave It, Take It, and sometimes Loose Leash walking.

I took Natalie to a level 2 obedience class, which was basically to proof things that she already knew such as Distance work, Down-Stay, Sit-Stay, Come, Loose Leash walking, ect. but with many distractions.

Obedience classes are definately worth the money. I think they are beneficial to dogs of all ages and breeds. Practicing at home and in varous locations in between classes is a must if you want to benefit fully.

[r8rpwr]

I think it's worth it, but only if you practice at home what they learn. I did not do this as well as I should and I think we would have gotten a lot more out of the classes if we had practiced better.

[phoebelee]

I found a great obedience school for phoebe. She went every day, all day, for two weeks' straight. It was kind of a doggie day-care combined with obedience lessons. My favorite part about it was that they did the training in the middle of our city's downtown, so that the dogs would all get used to the distraction of being in a city (city noise, traffic, passers-by).

But, yes, it's super important to keep up the work at home, because I didn't do that with Phoebe and she forgot a lot of stuff within a couple of months. D'oh!

[jerseyguy]

I don't think it's worth it. My brother spent thousands and the dog never behaved. You can try doing it yourself for free. I found a great site with free videos that you can use to train your new cute pup.

[luvdanes04]

I think it is worth it to an extent. I think it sets you as the owner up to how to train your dog more than anything. It all depends on how much you plan on working with your dog outside of those classes.

If you don't have the time to train them very much in between classes, I wouldn't suggest paying for one. If you have time, though, I think it is a great decision. It teaches all of the basics.

[gardengirl]

I take my dogs to obedience classes even though I know how to train them myself. I go to as many as I can. I meet lots of new friends and their dogs. I find classes that are more fun than the usual, like a tricks class. Obedience classes are a great way to get out and get exercise.

The more you train, the more you will bond more with your dog. The more you train him, the more he will understand you. And the more you work and play with your dog, the more you will understand him.

Taking your dog to classes, or teaching him yourself gives him something to do and helps build his confidence...and yours, too.

Dog training classes are not really for your dog. When you take your dog to a training class, the lessons are for you. This is a time for you to learn what commands to use, how to teach these commands to your dog, and how to praise your dog.

It is your opportunity to see an expert in action and ask any questions you might have. I would definitely sign up! I think they're a lot of fun.

[Enchanted Gypsy]

Originally Posted by LuvMyMutt

I am curious as to how many of you have enrolled your pups in Obedience classes? How well do they work? What is it they teach the dogs? Is it worth the money?

You do need to research the trainers whose classes you are considering enrolling in. If they won't let you come watch one of their classes prior to enrolling, keep looking! You need to find classes that you are comfortable with both the trainer and their methods.

The pair of English Springers I grew-up with, my brother & I took them through a Novice Obedience training course. It sparked a life-long love of training dogs! My last Springer & I went through Puppy, Basic, and 2 Advanced Obedience courses. As Gardengirl wrote, training & working with your dog creates such a great bond and is immensely rewarding!

The main benefits of enrolling in a group training class is getting your dog socialized with other dogs, other people, and a new place. They also provide real life distractions. While your dog may perform every behavior perfectly at home in your backyard or living room, your dog also needs to learn to obey out in the real world....

P.S.-Puppy class covered: socialization & stimulations; walking on-leash; sit; lie down; come. Basic class covered: heel on-leash; sit & stay (from end of 6' leash); lie down & stay (from end of 6' leash); come when called from both sit & down stays; automatically stop & sit at the heel position when the owner stops. Advanced class #1 covered: sit & stay (from end of 20' leash); lie down & stay (from end of 20' leash); come when called (from end of 20' leash); ignoring distractions such as other dogs walking by, balls rolling by, dog toys squeaking, bouncing balls. Advanced class #2 covered: walking at heel position off-leash; sit & stay off-leash (while owner walks out of view); lie down & stay off-leash (while owner walks away out of view); come when called off-leash (from 20' away) while ignoring other dogs and toys as distractions.

[PitBullLvr]

I would love to put my dogs through training classes. Does anyone know if the PetSmart training program is any good?

[nattiej1976]

puppy school since we got our pup. First time that we have taken a dog to school. We chose to do it this time as we have got a "stronger minded" and potentially "dog aggresive" breed, and we wanted to send him to school to provide regualar socialization with other dogs and people. It has been worth every penny, whilst some of the things we have "learned" are not new to us, it has still given us some new ideas. We also chose trainers that have specifically trained or own the same breed as we have.