Husky Related Obedience School Queries

[skuzy]

Hi all

Im gearing up to send my 1y/o sibe off to obedience school for 2 - 3 wks.

My sibe, currently sits, stays, shakes hand. He LOVES to play and thats about it (dont blame him).

i wouldnt say i have FULL control over him (eg when a stranger arrives he will do anything to play with them), and there are some minor things i would like corrected (eg now and then he jumps on me to play - i ignore him, but doesnt work that great).

I dont believe i have a serious problem with 'alpha male' with my sibe, but perhaps someone could chime in with 'symptoms' of alpha role problems?

Anyways - i havent been told too much about what to expect, or what they will be doing, or even more importantly, what to do post obedience school, which has prompted me to ask here.

Given the costs involved (about $1k) i would like to know if there are specific questions i should ask the trainer/school to keep them 'honest' in what they are promising in terms of behavioural results.

Also - if there are any other husky owners who have also sent their sibe to a school, id like to know how did it work for you? can i expect similiar results for my sibe? was there any problems with the fact that we're dealing with a SIBE? (ie. fair enough he learns to be obedient at the training facility, but will he be obedient at home?).

Thanks in advance.

-s

[Cosmolo]

Where are you sending the dog?

[poodlefan]

Skuzy:

Anyways - i havent been told too much about what to expect, or what they will be doing, or even more importantly, what to do post obedience school, which has prompted me to ask here.

Alarm bells are ringing for me!

You haven't been advised what your dog will learn, the training methods utilised or how to go about handling the dog after training. That's a lot of money to spend on faith alone.

$1,000 would buy quite a few lessons with a dog trainer in your own home. I'd never allow my dog to be trained by another person unless I was right there - and then I'd want to learn how to do it myself.

[squeak]

I would also be asking yourself why you are sending him. Please do not take offense, but for $1K, perhaps that money would be better spent on a private lessons with a trainer, where you can benefit as much as the dog?

[skuzy]

Totally agree with what you folks have said. Given the fact its a sibe, my personal preference is to be present during the training session to help with alpha male role etc.

To be quiet honest, im not sure what to look out for in trying to find a good trainer? Everyone markets themselves as 'Australia's best trainer' etc. Im totally new to taking dogs to training school etc. hence some of these initial questions.

[MonElite]

IMHO YOU should be your dogs best trainer not somebody else. Its YOUR dog.

Books some lessons with K9 - he has been recomended here already, or Steve Austin - these are some of the well known reputable trainers in Sydney, join an obedience club, try educating yourself better.

Edited August 9, 2007 by myszka

[rastus_froggy]

Hopefully you havent paid the money already, I am with everyone else, spend the money on a good trainer where you can be with your dog for the lesson then you can have time at home to practice what you have been taught, then when you go back the trainer can check out how you are working with your dog, then they will give you reminders too if you have forgotten some of what they initially told you.

I know that if I teach my dog something I cannot be sure that if someone else asks my dog to do that exact thing that they will do it.

[dogdude]

To make a comparison, $1000 would be enough money to educate 3 dogs with memberships that last as long as the dogs life at our club.

[Sarah L]

Hi skuzy,

I totally agree with all the other dol's. Do not send your dog to a training centre, I will guarantee you will regret it. A private trainer would be your best bet and you can see and be there for the training so nothing is hidden for you. Put it this way kennel cough would be the mineorist of problems your dog would possibly come back with and some other problems would not become apparent for a few years down the track.

[Snoozie]

I'm with everyone else too. Having nearly completed (my assessment's this Saturday!) the basic obedience training with my lab at my club I've not only learned how to become a more effective handler to my dog, how to understand my dog better, but it has also helped create a stronger bond with my dog. We now understand each other better than ever . It's no use having someone else teach your dog, then the dog come home, only to find that his mama is using different techniques to that of his trainer and doesn't know what you want him to do...

Besides it's the small achievements that makes it all worthwhile. Such as the first time Zed ever walked calmly around the course on a loose leash for me, or when I did a recall with him and he was that happy to come to me he just bashed straight into my legs....

I would never have thought my dog could be well behaved enough to show, trial or do agility with but am now more than ever wanting to move up to the next level so I can

[Kowai]

Oh yeah there is so much that you learn as a trainer when you go through the whole training experience with your dog.

Like everyone else I reccommend either joining a club or getting a private instructor I think that 99% of the time when the dog does something wrong, or misunderstands, its our fault as handlers - we have to learn as much if not more than the dog on how to work as a team.

My dad keeps asking me about sending his puppy off to a training school like this, but I keep telling him its probably not a good idea.. I need to find him a trainer too, in the Northern NSW area.. So -impossible- finding anything dog related up there!

[Kavik]

A few years ago my parents adopted a Beagle, and had some problems with him. They sent him away for training (without asking me about the establishment), and I went with them to pick him up. It was obvious they had not used positive methods in training AT ALL as he cowered and rolled on his back, and he was a confident, quite dominant dog really.

When they continued to have problems with him and I suggested some trainers/behaviourists to see, they thought they had already spent enough money on training him (about $400 I think) and didn't want to pay more. That is several sessions with K9 Force! Well, family can be harder to persuade sometimes than people you don't know They ended up rehoming the dog as they couldn't cope with his issues.

I think you are better off either going to a club or seeing a private trainer/behaviourist depending on the dog's issues (if any) and what you want to achieve. If you still want to board and train, research the facility carefully, and remember that they train the dog, but you still need training on handling and how to get the best out of the dog at the end of the program.

I also say K9 Force is a good one to see - helped me a lot when Kaos decided to be a naughty teenaged Kelpie - he is now improving heaps, we went to watch an agility trial on the weekend and he was well behaved among all the activity. He is happier around kids (though still a little unsure if the kid is really upfront) and even went to say hi to the postie when previously he would bark and try to chase motorbikes.

[huski]

Totally agree with what you folks have said. Given the fact its a sibe, my personal preference is to be present during the training session to help with alpha male role etc.

To be quiet honest, im not sure what to look out for in trying to find a good trainer? Everyone markets themselves as 'Australia's best trainer' etc. Im totally new to taking dogs to training school etc. hence some of these initial questions.

Hi Skuzy

As you can probably tell I also have a sibey

I had some behavioural issues with him and other dogs and contacted Steve at K9 Force to recommend a trainer for here in Brisbane.

It was the best thing I've ever done

When it comes to chosing a trainer Steve has a great article on his website about what to avoid:

http://www.k9force.net/index.html?row2col2=choose.html