Petsmart puppy training classes - anyone try it?

[jeepgirl30]

We got a new puppy last week. He is an adorable labradoodle. So far he is a normal and very gentle puppy. He is a chewer but most are i guess.

Our kids are 9 and 6. The 9 year old is very intimidated with the puppy, she doesn't want to scold him or be at all forceful. She will go with me when i walk him but is afraid to do it herself.

I want to do training classes with the puppy so we all are doing the right thing with him and can guide him into being a very well behaved dog. I'm not looking for training all kinds of tricks or showmanship poses, just a behaved dog. I don't want him to jump on people or run when we call.

I want something we can do together but not break the bank. I've already spent a small fortune and dh is ready to shoot me! We'll have more vet bills so i need to keep the cost reasonable.

I called Petsmart and they seem afordable but I'm wondering how good they are or if it is more a way to entice you into the store to buy more products. Anyone use them?

Anyone have other recommendations?

 

[hiwaygal]

My personal opinion is that they are better than nothing at all. To me, most training classes are more for the benefit of the humans than the dogs.

It is more important that the commands be consistent (same exact words, and even tone sometimes) must be used at all times in order to not confuse the dog.

Learning good correction techniques (I prefer positive reinforcement) is another good plus.

Taking one of these basic courses can go a long way...but so can buying a good book.

 

[Hercules10]

I've taken mine mostly so they can be better socialized. The training is basic.

 

[Serena]

Yeah, it's for the humans so they know what they are doing. It did help. There are some issues that when I said the "professional trainers said to do it this way", it meant a lot more to the family than just me.

 

[jenlynn0808]

When DD was 8.5 we got a new puppy, part of the deal was that she had to take her to the puppy/obedience classes. I wanted her to be able to walk Star and didn;t want to worry about DD or DS being knocked down by Star. We did go through Petsmart. Every week DH and DD went to class with Star. DH sat and paid attention, so we would know what to do, but DD stood up there with all the adults and her puppy and did the actual work. Three years later, Star will listen to Dh and I, but she commands much better for DD . If Dh or I have her leash she will pull, but the minute DD touches the leash and makes this wierd noise they taught her at the class, Star immediately heels and quits pulling!

OT-Star didn't like the coldness of the concrete floor and wouldn't do sit or down at class unless she had a blanket to cover the floor!

 

[cherylp3]

the price for the classes was the same as a pet trainer in my area. I chose the trainer.

 

[IDoDis]

We took our Sheltie when he was a puppy for the socialization which he really needed. He did learn some things (and so did I) that I was then able to come home and teach our other Sheltie. The class is pretty basic and when we went, there was a lot of wait-time while the trainer goes around to each dog & owner in the class to work on a skill. The things we worked on that took an hour could have been done in 5 minutes with a personal trainer. The rest of the time was spent waiting for the trainer to finish with everyone.

Our dog did learn to sit, lie down, crawl, shake a paw, wait for a treat until it a signal was given, and come when called. I think that was about it for the beginner class. Again, our dog was very fearful and barked a lot at other dogs, so he really needed the socialization of being in the class. One lady in the class even offered to have us follow her to the dog park after class so that she could show me how to integrate him there. I took her up on it, and it worked out great.

 

[BCV513]

I took my Sheltie to the Petsmart classes as soon as I got her. She's my first dog, so it was as much for me as for her. She's done Puppy, Beginner, Intermediate, Individual and is now on Advanced. At the end of Advanced, she takes the Canine Good Citizen Test. I really recommend it. Our trainer is great and she's helped me with a lot of questions that I probably would have otherwise called the vet on. The vet already calls me a nervous new parent so I'm trying to avoid calling them all the time. Lucy loves her trainer and has become very social. I actually like that the training goes on in the middle of the store, because it helps her to listen to me even with distractions.

 

[m&m's mom]

We took the Lab below to Petsmart classes and feel they were very valuable.
Our Lab will do whatever you ask of her if she understands what you are asking of her.
I think the class was good and not too overwhelming and we are very glas we went there.

 

[Pigeon]

We went to Petsmart looking to save a few bucks. We were underwhelmed. They were cheaper than classes with a real trainer at a good facility, but you get what you pay for. There isn't enough room for the dogs to romp around and really get socialized, so in that regard it was no better than walking in the park. Because of all the foot traffic, it's hard for anybody to concentrate. Our trainer was OK, but not really great.

We ended up doing it all over again at a dog training facility and it was much better.

 

[Alice1386]

It is unfortunately hit or miss with the Petsmart classes. Ideally, they teach a great method, but I have also observed trainers not doing it "by the book" and not in a good way (and I had to correct someone when they had a choke chain on incorrectly-which by the way is not suppose to be permitted in a Petsmart class period). I think that if you find a Petsmart with a good trainer it is worth your time and money. Petsmart allows you to observe classes before you start, which you should most certainly do, but don't just listen to what the people say about it... actually watch the dogs. Are they doing what they have been taught? Is the trainer really correcting the owners or just teaching and ignoring when people are making mistakes? And then talk with the trainer. How long have they been training with Petsmart? Do they have any other training experience? Remember that Petsmart will take someone with no experience and train them in as little as 6 weeks, but this doesn't usually result in a good trainer for just lack of experience.