“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity…”
Charles Dickens wasn’t talking about dog ownership or training when he wrote this, but he surely describes what we are experiencing right now, in this post pandemic state of the union, in our relationship with our canine companions. It is madness out there. Everywhere you look there is an offering of dog training services. How does one choose a trainer, let alone a training method that they can trust and accomplish their goals, when the market is so crowded? What to look for when your goal is to set yourself up for success in your relationship with your dog?
The first thing is to do your research. Know that not all dog training methods are created equal. Experience matters and often times you get what you pay for. Group classes can be an inexpensive way to get the ball rolling, but you will get very little attention to specific behavior issues. Private training or one on one training can be a way to mitigate that problem. Board and Train, is, in my opinion where you will get the best results for your buck. Since the dog is immersed in an environment that will prioritize training. Now to explaining the pros and cons of each one.
Group classes are a great way to get your foot wet when you want to learn how to better communicate with your dog. Be aware that group classes that rely heavily on treats and excitement will not necessarily achieve the goals of getting your dog to rely on you for direction. Food is a great motivator. Many trainers use them to great success. However if your goal is to have a relationship with your dog that is not one sided – meaning that what is going on makes sense to you but not much sense to your dog. And you don’t want to rely on food to have the communication line open, then group classes might not be the right fit for you. Remember if your goal is to set you and your dog for success, wouldn’t learning with your dog how to better communicate be easier if you didn’t need a bag for of treats to achieve it? Wouldn’t it be great to learn how to speak dog and not need food to be the conduit?
Next up are private sessions. These are akin to personal training sessions at the gym. They are a great way to set one up for success. But without individual commitment and time, you won’t see a huge improvement if you, yourself, don’t do the work. If your commitment to the gym is that one session with the personal trainer and the rest of the week you don’t practice or apply yourself on your own, chances are things will remain as they are. Private training sessions require a lot of work when the trainer is not present. I tell my clients that with private session, they do 90% of the work. I do 10%. It is great if one has the time and the determination to do it. I have seen remarkable changes in dog x owner relationships with private sessions. Nevertheless it takes a longer time when both owner and dog are figuring their way around and learning together.
Board and Train, sometimes called Boot Camp, is, in my opinion, the most effective way to get your training legs moving while having support all around. That is true for the human and the dog alike. Board and Train means the dog stays with the trainer for a set amount of time. I prefer to use the three week marker as a starting point. Psychologists say that it takes 21 days for a new habit to become ingrained. That is the interval when the brain switches from doing something new to it becoming a habit. We can use the gym example again, to begin an exercise regiment, or a diet, you have to keep at it for 3 weeks. Then it becomes your new norm. That is also true for dogs. When a dog comes for board and train I am creating new behavior grooves that will either replace old ones (that’s why it takes longer for older dogs than puppies to learn. Puppies just create the groove, nothing needs to be replaced.) or they will learn these and simply repeat them every day. Making them second nature. The advantage I have, is that I know dogs, I do this for a living. So when things are not going as planned, I can quickly switch to something else.
Board and train is having your dog go to school versus having a tutor come in once a week. It is a way of, not only teaching a dog how to “behave in the human world”, but also how to be comfortable about making mistakes. It is a jump start to creating new bonds of trust in humans, dogs and in themselves. It allows the dog to be immersed in an environment that is advocating for them 24/7 or until they can make good decisions on their own. I once had a client say that her dog was going to “Ms. Lia’s House for Wayward Girls”, and I love that. When a dog comes for board and train I am always teaching, they are always learning. The owners come in once a week to become proficient in what their dog is learning. At the end of their stay, what has been achieved are owners that, not only trust themselves to understand their dog’s need, but dogs that trust that their owners can direct them to the right behavior. That is a win, win.
Remember to do your research before hiring any trainer; be it a tutor, personal, or dog trainer. See if what they have to offer aligns with what you need. Talk to them about your goals and then commit to whatever you have chosen. If it is private sessions then be prepared to work about 2 hours a day with your pup in between sessions. If it is board and train, make sure all the questions you have are answered before your dog comes home. Or that the trainer is going to be available to assist you if you have any questions afterwards. My relationship with board and train clients is one that I highly treasure. I am eternally grateful that they chose me to guide them through their life with their dogs. They are clients, but more importantly they are friends. Their dogs are part of my pack. These types of relationships take time and trust to develop. It takes more than just a few sessions. It takes a commitment and trust. That is the reason I am so in favor of board and train. It creates new grooves and new packs.
