Training Centres

[AUS-STAFF]

Hello,

I want to get my dog obedience trained. I only know of three centres: Sydney dog training, and Guard dog training centre and PETS training centre. Has anyone dealt with these centres before? Would you recomend one of them? Do you have another place you'd recomend?

[MonElite]

I wouldnt recomend any of them, in fact would say stay clear of them.

Why dont you join a local obedience club so that you learn how to train the dog and you do it yourself?

[Kavik]

I agree with Myszka - I would avoid the places you mentioned especially the Guard Dog Training Centre.

Hanrob is probably a good choice for training centres if you want board and train.

The most important thing is that you are able to handle the dog in the end, not just the trainer. Is there a reason you would prefer to board and train your dog instead of going to a club or trainer and training the dog yourself?

[Sarah L]

Hi keepitreal,

I whole heartedly agree to not sending your dog away for training. If you don't want to join a class which does not always work depending on what type of dog you have. You can get a trainer to come to your house this is the ultimate in training. Boarding and training only trains the dog to the trainer and none of these centers including Handrob will actually let you physiacally see your dog while it is there. It may only be behind some sort of glass partition if at all, where your dog looks to be doing well. Most often they will come home with kennel cough as the minorist of probs. Because you do not know exactly the training program from the start to the finish and how this was acheived by them, then I would give your dog three weeks at home and it would be back to doing what it did before. Unless it had a Frontal Labottomy during training.

I used to board and train dogs and saw this problem from these places very early on. I thought I would do it differantly in the fact I would get the owners to come to the kennels 3 to 4 times a week. Get the dog and owner fully involved in the training and show the owners how it was done. WRONG!!!!! Dogs learn most by assosisation so taking it out of the home to train is useless for the biggest percentage of dogs. Unless you are doing some kind of dog sport including trial obedience, then classes work very well. For what you are after one on one at home is the best and quickest solution to your problem. Please research all avenues very well before making your mind up.

[AUS-STAFF]

My dog is anti-social towards other dogs and therefore is not suited to a club and won't be accepted anyway. What are my other options? Books? Internet?

[Miranda]

My dog is anti-social towards other dogs and therefore is not suited to a club and won't be accepted anyway. What are my other options? Books? Internet?

I would engage the services of a private trainer/behaviourist, if you're in Sydney K9 Force is one of the best. I don't agree with sending dogs away for training either.

[Sarah L]

Keepitreal,

How old is your dog? and exactly what breed is he? I hope you got to read my last post.

My own dog is a BullMastif x Great Dane now 9 years old. He was origionally a pound dog and had some pretty bad issues. I got him at 9months old and worked very hard to fix his problems. Thankfully he has turned out to be the most well behaved and loving dog I could ever ask for. Also very good with other dogs where he was not in the early days. None of this was done by sending him away. It does not matter if you post a novel on what the problems are, it is far better than getting the wrong info because you think you have to keep it short.

What do you mean by anti social, with dogs or people or both. Bikes scatboards, prams, wild animals, cats etc..etc..

[Nevafollo]

i thought u were rehoming ur dog?

[Jeff Jones]

I would stay clear of all the training establishments you have mentioned.

Where abouts are you located?

[AUS-STAFF]

I am in sth western sydney. She is 24 months Amstaff cross unknown. She does not have major behavourial problems. I just want her to be a well behaved dog etc. and maybe learn some tricks, She is does not like other animals, has a high prey drive.

[Kavik]

I would recommend K9 Force, especially if your girl has high prey drive.

[Jeff Jones]

I would recommend K9 Force

Seconded....Oi K9 Force does this mean me and Kavik get to split the commission?

[Sarah L]

OK keepitreal, may I ask what you think a high prey drive is? Basically high prey drive is the dogs abillity to chase moving objects which is the best asset a wild dog can have. This is why all professioal services be it army or police or raaf look for these qualitys. However your dog is not a wild dog in the true sence. To try and build this ability in an domesticated dog can be quite dangerous. Dogs are like sponges and will absorb any info you give them. So lets really keep it real. You can have food drive which to a dog means chase or scavenge. You can have sex drive which means to a dog, I need to carry on the line. You can have play drive which to the dog means I like to play how about you. Every single one of these drives involves addrenelin. Building addrenelin in a dog must also come with knowing how to switch it off. If you have not learnt how to switch this on and off your are stuffed. I bet my life your dog would chase dogs, scateboards, prams, and anything that looked like moving given half the chance. I have to tell you that I was taught by the Royal Army Veterinary Corp in Melton Mowbrey in England in protection dog handling. Since 1993 I have been in Australia and have done a considerable amount to further my dog career. This includes 5 years veterinary nurse experience. Considerable dog training/behavioural qaulifications. Also alot of further working with people and their pet dogs on a day to day basis. I will never stop learning and never presume a problem is as clear as it first appears. I have and always will learn as much as I can about both small, medium and large breeds of dogs.

I do hope what ever course of action you choose to take will help give you what you want from your dog.

Wishing you all the best

pinnacle dts

[Nevafollo]

My dog is anti-social towards other dogs and therefore is not suited to a club and won't be accepted anyway. What are my other options? Books? Internet?

why would ur dog not be acepted at a dog obedience club, plenty of anti social dogs at the dog training i attend, and im still curious as to wether u are still rehoming this dog ?

[Staranais]

My dog is anti-social towards other dogs and therefore is not suited to a club and won't be accepted anyway. What are my other options? Books? Internet?

My dog is also very anti-social towards other dogs. We still attend class, since IMO the point of obedience training is to have a dog that obeys you even when there are other dogs around. A dog that is only obedient sometimes isn't a trained dog.

It took a while to find some classes that would both accept aggressive dogs, and that maintained a well controlled and safe atmosphere, but now we go every week, as well as training at home every day.

Take your time to find a class that is safe for your dog (where dogs are kept onleash until reliable and aren't expected or allowed to constantly "socialise"), and where the instructors are knowledgeable about a wide range of techniques and tools, and are willing to help you work with your dog using any method necessary to reduce his aggression.

High prey drive is great, since you can use that to motivate your dogs. Working my dog in prey drive is the only thing, besides corrections, that will keep my boy's attention on me around other dogs. We simply could not work offleash in class if he did not have that high prey drive, so I count it a blessing. I third the recommendation to go visit K9 Force if you want to learn to develop and use your dog's prey drive to enhance his obedience and focus.

If your dog gets very stressed around other dogs (as opposed to merely being belligerant or predatory towards other dogs), I recommend that you could get a private lesson first to help reduce his fear. When he is desensitised to the presence of other dogs, then you can attend group classes.

Edited July 11, 2007 by Amhailte

[AUS-STAFF]

My dog is anti-social towards other dogs and therefore is not suited to a club and won't be accepted anyway. What are my other options? Books? Internet?

why would ur dog not be acepted at a dog obedience club, plenty of anti social dogs at the dog training i attend, and im still curious as to wether u are still rehoming this dog ?

I don't think her anti-social behaviour is something that she can be trained out of. So all I have to do is control. I am going to hold on to her for as long as I can. If the right home comes along I may let her go.