Boarding & Training Facilities In Sydney

[jon_k86]

Hi Guys

I'm new to this forum and just wanted some advice from you guys.

I currently own a 4 month old Jack Russell x Beagle. He seems to exhibit a few problems. I took him to puppy school and he did ok there. At the moment he is too hyperactive (i know it's the Jack Russell trait in him) even when i take him out to play in the park for 30 mins. He also has separation anxiety and he seems to bite a lot. He bites my foot, my fingers and items around the house. I looked up online and how to treat the problem but he still seems to do it and want to get it under control before it gets too serious.

I'll be going on holidays for 2 weeks in March so and was going to send him to a kennel boarding as there's no one that can take care of him so i thought i might just kill two birds with one stone and go to a boarding that also does training.

A friend recommended Hanrob as they used it before and it said was good but i looked at a few reviews online and some say it's bad and some good. It's quite a pricey place so i don't want that money to go waste.

My main concern is the treatment of my dog and how successful it'll be (i know i'll need to have on going training when i get back from myself).

I have also looked at Pets Training which is a cheaper alternative but there aren't any reviews.

So my question is which one should i choose? Hanrob or Pets Training? Or is there any other alternative that people on this forum has used?

Thanks

[minimax]

He's 4 months old, of course he's hyper-active ;)

Puppy school is for you, more than the puppy. What did you learn, and are you putting the skills to use? What do you do when he bites? And 30 mins isn't really enough excercise for a 4 month old JRT/Beagle?

Also most places don't take dogs that are 4 months old for training - that's meant to be your job ;)

edited to clarify my last point: at Hanrob they have to be 6 months for training.

Edited February 26, 2012 by minimax

[WreckitWhippet]

30 minutes exercise is more than enough, it's way too much for a young, growing puppy.

rather than trying to wear him out at the park, what he needs is to exercise his brain. Learning to focus on you, obedience and tricks will see him much more relaxed

[Kavik]

I would say that 4 months is too young for a boarding and training program.

Whereabouts are you? Maybe we can recommend a good trainer in your area to help you out.

[jon_k86]

He'll be going on to 5 months when i'm gone in March.

I also meant i take him out 2 times a day each that are 30 min per session.

I live in Marsfield NSW.

[Vickie]

30 minutes exercise is more than enough, it's way too much for a young, growing puppy.

rather than trying to wear him out at the park, what he needs is to exercise his brain. Learning to focus on you, obedience and tricks will see him much more relaxed

Great advice.

Puppies are such quick learners...Try something like this:

http://www.loveyourdog.com/tricks.html

Edited February 26, 2012 by Vickie

[jon_k86]

He learnt Sit, Stay, Come, Drop.

He has semi mastered Sit only when there are rewards involved and if he's focused and by himself.

The rest not so much.

[Vickie]

The purpose of teaching tricks is not just about teaching things you might need in every day life. It's about building a relationship, teaching him that it's worth his while to try hard for you, stimulating his mind etc.

Anything you teach needs to be proofed for reliability and you can make it all fun by varying the type and number of rewards he gets.

Sit is not just sit. When you say he has learnt sit, I assume you are standing in front of him, saying the word with a hand signal.

Can he sit beside you? Behind you? Will he sit if you are 2 metres away? Will he sit on voice command only? Will he sit on hand signal only? Does he sit slowly? Can you get him to sit quickly? Will he sit if you are laying on the ground? Will he sit if there is a bowl of food on the ground next to him? Will he sit if you are jumping up & down? Will he sit in a puddle of water? Etc...

Training is fun. For both of you. You are only limited by your desire & imagination...

[RiverStar-Aura]

Lol!! Welcome to the world of the beagle x JRT!!

My boy Zeus is one and you're in for the challenge of a lifetime. Zeus is nearly 3 and he's just as hyper now as he was as a puppy and he doesn't appear to be slowing down.

For this cross breed you're in for a LOT of training and you have to be boss. Give them an inch and they'll walk all over you.

At 4 months you really need to be working on his recall as his beagle nose is not generally scent and distraction friendly. I don't know about your pup either but Zeus is super smart and learns new tricks in about 10 minutes. He's keen to learn, has a real zest for tricks resulting in a trick list a mile long.

For the biting you'll find he's probably teething so when he bites you say "ow" or "ouch" in a high pitched yelp so he knows he's gone too far. Make sure you provide him with plenty of chew toys such as Kongs or Nylabones and when patting him and he bites have a toy to distract him so that he learns to chew the toy rather than your hand.

Enrol in some obedience classes as you'll find your boy will thrive and if possible I'd put off going on this holiday because if there's no one to look after him it won't work.

I agree that he's too young for a kennel and it's you who really needs to go to the training sessions so you can learn how to handle your dog. I'd be worried that you'll go away for two weeks then expect to come home to a perfectly trained dog. With this cross breed you'll always be training him -- at two and a half, Zeus and I still do training twice a day for 10-15 minutes each session. My problem is that I'm running out of tricks to teach him!!

Good luck and I hope things work out. I love this cross breed but never again would I own one. I'll stick with pure bred terriers!! :laugh:

[jon_k86]

Lol!! Welcome to the world of the beagle x JRT!!

My boy Zeus is one and you're in for the challenge of a lifetime. Zeus is nearly 3 and he's just as hyper now as he was as a puppy and he doesn't appear to be slowing down.

For this cross breed you're in for a LOT of training and you have to be boss. Give them an inch and they'll walk all over you.

At 4 months you really need to be working on his recall as his beagle nose is not generally scent and distraction friendly. I don't know about your pup either but Zeus is super smart and learns new tricks in about 10 minutes. He's keen to learn, has a real zest for tricks resulting in a trick list a mile long.

For the biting you'll find he's probably teething so when he bites you say "ow" or "ouch" in a high pitched yelp so he knows he's gone too far. Make sure you provide him with plenty of chew toys such as Kongs or Nylabones and when patting him and he bites have a toy to distract him so that he learns to chew the toy rather than your hand.

Enrol in some obedience classes as you'll find your boy will thrive and if possible I'd put off going on this holiday because if there's no one to look after him it won't work.

I agree that he's too young for a kennel and it's you who really needs to go to the training sessions so you can learn how to handle your dog. I'd be worried that you'll go away for two weeks then expect to come home to a perfectly trained dog. With this cross breed you'll always be training him -- at two and a half, Zeus and I still do training twice a day for 10-15 minutes each session. My problem is that I'm running out of tricks to teach him!!

Good luck and I hope things work out. I love this cross breed but never again would I own one. I'll stick with pure bred terriers!! :laugh:

Thanks for the advice RiverStar-Aura! It's good to hear some advice from someone who owns the same breed. But yeah are quite a handful aren't they?

Everytime he bites i do yell out "ouch" loudly but he just seems to get aggravated and continues biting. I'll probably try to give him a chew toy everytime he bites.

Here's a pic of the cheeky little bugger! https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/429649_10150705233995449_633990448_11555156_1809781588_n.jpg

Edited February 26, 2012 by jon_k86

[RiverStar-Aura]

Every time he bites i do yell out "ouch" loudly but he just seems to get aggravated and continues biting. I'll probably try to give him a chew toy everytime he bites.

It's not a matter of loudly yelping, it needs to be very high pitched like a squeak as that's how puppies tell each other they've gone too far.

But when interacting with him definitely make sure you have a toy in one hand do that when he nips you, shove the toy in his mouth instead!!

[Nekhbet]

if you need to board him contact Pet Resorts Australia if they are close enough to you, definitely worth the drive if not. Boarding and training as well. You can call them about the problems you're having now anyway.

Meanwhile have a little read at www.leerburg.com

[jon_k86]

Thanks a lot guys! I'll look in to it!