If you have a dog and you need to train it but you don't have the energy, patience or time to devote to it, you aren't alone. This is an undertaking that requires a lot of all of these things, and what you want is a safe, well adjusted dog and for you to be happy with the results, too. What may help you get there is to hire a professional dog trainer.
As with any service, cost and quality are going to significantly vary. And as with any profession, especially those that involve both human and animal interactions, training philosophies are going to vary, too. There will need to be some parameters for you to select the right trainer for you.
Determine what your budget is going to be. The cost of the services you hire will vary depending on where you live and what services you use. You can sometimes use free services, often supplied weekly to parks or shelters by volunteers, or you may pay $100 or better per session. What's a reasonable fee for you? That will vary, depending on where you live, the experience of your trainer, how long the program is, and what your goals are for your dog.
What's your schedule? Some training programs are done on a weekly basis, while others happen more often, even daily. Do you want a training program where you have to leave the dog and pick it up later? Or will you participate directly in the training? Most programs also require that you spend some time training the dog yourself every day, whether you do so at home or on site with the program.
In some cases, you may want to consider so-called "boot camp" training programs. In that case, your dog will go away to a special facility for quite awhile, up to several weeks. The training the dog receives is intensive, happens over the training period of time, and it happens very regularly, too. However, don't be concerned that this is too hard on dogs. Dogs love this type of treatment. Near the end of this type of training, you, too, will usually have to participate so that the dog's obedience is "transferred" from the trainers to you.
The results of this type of training school can be amazing. Dogs who complete this type of program usually end up eager to follow instructions and very disciplined. This is true even if they're not special service dogs. Even so, these dogs usually don't show signs of frustration or repression. Their moods are bright and they play with energy and gusto.
What are your goals? Do you want your dog to be entered in shows, or do you just want a dog that doesn't chew on your favorite shoes or pick on other pets? Whatever your goals, you'll need to train your dog -- and do so on a regular basis -- to get the results you want. How much training is required will depend on your dog, his age, breed, and temperament.
Some dogs are aggressive, others fearful either because they've been mistreated or because they're simply submissive. The aggressive dogs may be that way because they've been abused or because they're simply seeing themselves as the pack leader. The type of training you choose depends on the attributes you want to shape and how you want to influence them.
No matter what your goals are, and no matter your budget or commitment to time, you'll want to choose a trainer who has a lot of patience and a lot of energy, in addition to a deep affection for dogs in general. Most have these characteristics in abundance, or they wouldn't be in that profession.
Besides these things, though, you want a trainer who agrees with you in terms of philosophy and who wants to achieve the same goals for your dog that you do. Some trainers feel that dog training is just as much or even more about training the owner than training a dog, and there may be some truth to that, sometimes. Some trainers are friendly, lenient, and seek to "connect" with the dog, while others are almost military in their bearing and expect to be able to "command" the dog. Many trainers utilize a mix of both styles.
It's likely that you'll lean toward one training style versus another, but neither training style is entirely subjective. Even if you have disagreements with your trainer, there are likely principles that you'll agree on nonetheless. Persistence, patience and consistency, as well as the need for the human to be in the "alpha" position, are just a few of these commonly held beliefs.
When you choose your trainer, ask for friends or family to recommend someone, and don't hesitate to try a few out. It may be that you'll have to change once or twice to find someone who really suits your needs. However, be careful about being too quick to change, and don't just do it casually. Dogs need regular environment and consistency in order to really absorb the training they are being given. - 31866
As with any service, cost and quality are going to significantly vary. And as with any profession, especially those that involve both human and animal interactions, training philosophies are going to vary, too. There will need to be some parameters for you to select the right trainer for you.
Determine what your budget is going to be. The cost of the services you hire will vary depending on where you live and what services you use. You can sometimes use free services, often supplied weekly to parks or shelters by volunteers, or you may pay $100 or better per session. What's a reasonable fee for you? That will vary, depending on where you live, the experience of your trainer, how long the program is, and what your goals are for your dog.
What's your schedule? Some training programs are done on a weekly basis, while others happen more often, even daily. Do you want a training program where you have to leave the dog and pick it up later? Or will you participate directly in the training? Most programs also require that you spend some time training the dog yourself every day, whether you do so at home or on site with the program.
In some cases, you may want to consider so-called "boot camp" training programs. In that case, your dog will go away to a special facility for quite awhile, up to several weeks. The training the dog receives is intensive, happens over the training period of time, and it happens very regularly, too. However, don't be concerned that this is too hard on dogs. Dogs love this type of treatment. Near the end of this type of training, you, too, will usually have to participate so that the dog's obedience is "transferred" from the trainers to you.
The results of this type of training school can be amazing. Dogs who complete this type of program usually end up eager to follow instructions and very disciplined. This is true even if they're not special service dogs. Even so, these dogs usually don't show signs of frustration or repression. Their moods are bright and they play with energy and gusto.
What are your goals? Do you want your dog to be entered in shows, or do you just want a dog that doesn't chew on your favorite shoes or pick on other pets? Whatever your goals, you'll need to train your dog -- and do so on a regular basis -- to get the results you want. How much training is required will depend on your dog, his age, breed, and temperament.
Some dogs are aggressive, others fearful either because they've been mistreated or because they're simply submissive. The aggressive dogs may be that way because they've been abused or because they're simply seeing themselves as the pack leader. The type of training you choose depends on the attributes you want to shape and how you want to influence them.
No matter what your goals are, and no matter your budget or commitment to time, you'll want to choose a trainer who has a lot of patience and a lot of energy, in addition to a deep affection for dogs in general. Most have these characteristics in abundance, or they wouldn't be in that profession.
Besides these things, though, you want a trainer who agrees with you in terms of philosophy and who wants to achieve the same goals for your dog that you do. Some trainers feel that dog training is just as much or even more about training the owner than training a dog, and there may be some truth to that, sometimes. Some trainers are friendly, lenient, and seek to "connect" with the dog, while others are almost military in their bearing and expect to be able to "command" the dog. Many trainers utilize a mix of both styles.
It's likely that you'll lean toward one training style versus another, but neither training style is entirely subjective. Even if you have disagreements with your trainer, there are likely principles that you'll agree on nonetheless. Persistence, patience and consistency, as well as the need for the human to be in the "alpha" position, are just a few of these commonly held beliefs.
When you choose your trainer, ask for friends or family to recommend someone, and don't hesitate to try a few out. It may be that you'll have to change once or twice to find someone who really suits your needs. However, be careful about being too quick to change, and don't just do it casually. Dogs need regular environment and consistency in order to really absorb the training they are being given. - 31866
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