Obedience Classes In Melbourne's Eastern Suburbs?

[vernie]

Can anyone recommend obedience classes in Melbourne's eastern suburbs?? (around Lilydale?)

Our previous puppy was trained at Kintala in Heidelburg, but we have moved.

Edited July 21, 2010 by vernie

[Cosmolo]

I believe Croydon DOC has a very good reputation- would be worth going down and having a look.

[missmoo]

I believe Croydon DOC has a very good reputation- would be worth going down and having a look.

Yes I would agree.....Croydon is probably the better option out your way

[vernie]

thank you!! i have heard that Alpha Training in Boronia is pretty good too!

shall investigate them both

[perfect partners]

thank you!! i have heard that Alpha Training in Boronia is pretty good too!

shall investigate them both

Alpha has some good ideas but you have to use a halter and are not allowed to use food. They tell you you can't hurt a dog with a halter, like you can with a choker, which is rubbish - even the black dog web site has a warning that you need to be careful you don't damage the dog's neck. They don't tell people that at Alpha. It's probably good if you have a dominant dog or a bouncy dog that sees being released from an exercise as a reward but if you have a soft dog their methods can be detrimental. I saw quite a few shut down dogs there. I took my dog to puppy classes there and would never do that again, and trained there for over 12 months but ended up leaving because my dog was becoming less and less motivated. I now use food and have a happy enthusiastic dog that is so easy to train. Their style is very much 'factory training' - there is almost no adjustments made for differing temperaments.