Should You Go To Obedience Even If You Find It Boring?

[Her Majesty Dogmad]

If only everyone was responsible and had a well trained dog, we would all be better off I'm sure!

Training is not a lifetime commitment, I went for 2 months and my dog did very well but because he wouldn't sit for the required amount of time, he couldn't pass through to the next level. I knew he never would so left it there and that was OK for me.

Just about to start with a new dog!

[The Ark]

I think all dogs need some type of structured training, but if the owner is knowledgeable and confident that could be achieved well without attending classes. If a dog is "trained" at home though, it obviously needs to have socialisation through other avenues.

Definitely don't plug on through a class if it is boring to you - there's no way you're going to be sending any good vibes down the lead to your poor dog.

We've found that the sessions at club training can be a bit too long, especially for pups, so you need to be comfortable enough to take your dog out for a rest when it needs one. That's one inconsistency we've come across - our instructors tell us that dogs only need 5-10 minutes of formal training a day and to keep it short, sharp and interesting ............ and then we do 45 minute sessions on a Sunday.

[Perry's Mum]

I went with Amber when I first got her because I needed to know this stuff - she already knew it being an old dog. Perry hated it with a passion and so did I. I don't know whether I would do it again.

[Niques]

I'm only a first-time dog owner, but I considered it a must. Puppy preschool was immensely boring but we plugged on for James' sake - learning to sit nicely around other dogs before being allowed to play.

I am, however, seriously considering giving up on Obedience, for the moment, at least. James and Obedience classes really don't mesh well together and I think we'd have much better progress (instead of going backwards, like we are now!) working away on our own. And it's much more enjoyable outside of the class environment.

I still think a few classes should be attended by all first-time dog owners for the owner's benefit - learning how to go about certain things and what is polite around other dogs.