[greynewb]

I just wanted to get other peoples take on group obedience classes like the ones at Petsmart. If or when I get my grey I was thinking of taking him or her to these classes and just wanted someone elses opinions and experiences.

This post has been edited by greynewb: 05 February 2010 - 09:43 PM

[cleptogrey]

i always go to a school that is either well established in the community or with a club. apdt or adpt as well as the akc has info on trainers and lists of places to go.i look for an experienced teacher who has taught many different breeds of dogs. check out clicker training and all the options. you want a quiet place devoted to training only.

[Greyt_dog_lover]

Personally I would not take my hound to a "petsmart" type of training class. Mainly because the greyhound breed has such a unique background that most trainers are not familiar with the specific challenges that a greyhound faces as they are used to training dogs that have been raised in "human" environments, whereas a greyhound has been raised as a pack animal not in a "human" environment. I would ask the group that you adopt from if they recommend an obedience class. I know that here in Chicago, our group has its own trainer that does basic/advanced obedience as well as other classes. Just my opinion, not to bash any trainer at all, its just that greyhounds are not like any other "dog" people come into contact with.

Chad

[RobinM]

I agree with Chad. When you do find a group that is referred to you, I would wait at least 2 months till the dog settles in a bit. It could be very overwhelming for them.

[widowcali]

This is just me, so take it with a grain of salt.

Cali and Widow never went to a training class. The housebreaking, not jumping on people, leash training, seperation anxiety, barking/howling indoors problems were pretty much taken care of with just me following other folks advice.

However, when I adopted Brighid the Wonder Puppy, I figured I needed some professional help. Since I have never had a puppy, or trained a puppy, I figured it would be $90 well spent.

We didn't even last 5 classes. Brighid was potty trained, knew her name, knew how to sit, knew how to come when called, had socialization down, and was almost trained not to chew on stuff before we even started the training. That was just with me. So the trainer didn't like me. When people would ask me for advice on food, getting their dogs to take pills, dealing with SA, etc, the trainer really didn't like it. He was actually pretty rude about it. It's not like I was trying to steal the guys customers, I was just telling these people what worked for me.

So I will not do Petsmart professional training again. i did talk to a guy who was a professional trainer, not affiliated with one of the chains, and I might go to him to get Bri through her CGC and Delta society stuff. But Petsmart was a bust.

[MaryJane]

One major concern that you need to watch for with any "mainstream" obedience classes is that the instructors may tell you that you can train your greyhound so that it can go off-leash. As someone suggested in the thread, check with your adoption group and see who they recommend.

[FastDogsOwnMe]

I only go to classes held at obedience clubs, and if I see a bunch of dogs going in repetitive circles, I pass.

[moofie]

Ask to sit in on a class (minus dog)if possible to make sure you are happy with their training methods and style before handing your money over. The first training class we tried was very old school even though they'd told me it was reward based when i'd phoned to enquire, I actually walked out before the intro class had finished because i wasn't happy with the forceful methods i saw being used.

The next trainer i asked a lot of questions and she had some experience of dealing with sighthounds and she was happy for us to go and sit in on her classes one night before enrolling. We had a go at sit but the trainer knew that not all greys sit so never felt any pressure and we did down stays while others generally opted for sit stays and we took a mat for the dogs to use as the floors were hard. I think its important also to say when your not comfortable doing something as you know your dog best.

My partner and i enjoyed the classes and it gave us some confidence as well as motivation for training. It was an all breed class so it was good for the dogs to socialise with the same dogs for the 10 sessions as normally we only briefly meet other dogs on walks. I thought we might lag behind the others but turned out we all had our individual problem areas and we managed to pass the Kennel Club bronze test.

[longdoglady]

All I have to add is find out the maximum size of the group, the one I went to had no more than six or seven dogs max which is ideal as there is plenty of time for one to one and less time to get bored. Anna loved the classes and really blossomed, it really helped her to perfect skills in persuading humans to give her treats The rest of the class loved her and found it very funny that I often had to wake her up when it was her turn.

[zoolaine]

I first took Zali to a local class that was highly rated and HATED it. The trainers were all about your dog obeying out of fear - which did not sit well with me at all. I only went to 1 class and refused to go back. Next I took Zali to Petsmart and she loved it. They used a very positive approach, which she did really well with. Yes there may be better trainers out there but it worked well for us.

[jgeiger2006]

We went to a nice private school with Rainy when we first got her. Had absolutely zero behavior that we wanted to correct, but rather thought it would be fun... I asked all the right questions, went and watched a class, it was all clicker training based, the teacher knew that GH don't sit, etc. Went to the first 2 classes and hated it!

The instructor and I kept butting heads. He was a plain ass! Kept saying that Rainy was abused and that's why she would take food from me in class. We needed to teach her how to eat from our hands... We had her for 4-5 months at this point and I knew she was nervous at class and had to settle. That's the reason! He didn't even notice the stress panting puddle that she had made. Then we got into an argument about why she didn't like to sit, and then I heard him tell some lady how to correct her dog to not jump on people (after she already told him that her dog was fearful of her husband, his solution was to set the dog up and physically correct very harsh. Yeah that's not going to make the dog more nervous and fearful)

We didn't go back after the second class. My mom took one of her older normal dogs to finish my classes and he did fine. Plus it was being taught by a diff person then.

Greyhounds are just very sensitive dogs than not many trainers understand since they come from such a unique background. Doesn't mean they were abused Just means they learn and view the world differently. I am totally turned off by trainers at the moment and don't think I will ever use one again! I'm smart enough and know my dogs well enough to research and figure it out on my own. So far we have had zero issues we couldn't work through on our own and have a calm happy pack who don't molest visitors.

[Sighthounds4me]

I prefer to go to our local kennel club. There are many reasons, but I will list the highlights:

1. Cost: many kennel clubs start you out at a "trainee rate." This means that you pay a yearly fee, and are able to attend any and all classes, throughout the year, with any and all dogs in your home. For us, that was nice, because we had three dogs when we started. One was a conformation (show) dog, as well as beginner's obedience. We wanted the other two in obedience. So we got our money's worth at the start.

For us, the trainee's fee is $150 starting in January, and is pro-rated throughout the year. Once you are a trainee, you can attend two business meetings, get signatures of two members in good standing, and petition for membership. If you are accepted as a member, your fees drop dramatically, and you can still do any and all classes. This is very nice for us!

A side bonus is the camaraderie with fellow dog-lovers!

2. The trainers are usually better. In our case, a very good friend of mine is the beginner's obedience trainer. She knows us, and knows that we know sighthounds. She asks us questions if she has any, and has learned a lot from us. She allows us to try any method to accomplish our goals, as long as they are positive. And she encourages us to have fun! What good is training, if you can't have fun?

Also, she is very experienced. She has had many Keeshonden that have done VERY well in obedience and agility. Her current demo dog is her 13 year old Putter. He is hysterical, and loves to make a fool of her! He knows what she wants him to do, but regularly disobeys. He is a clown, though, and I know he does it to lighten the mood. The best part is her response. She chuckles every time. She gets a bit frustrated at times, but never shows it.

3. Most kennel clubs have VERY experienced dog people, at your disposal for questions. If you have a problem, there is probably someone who has experienced your trouble. And many of them are more than willing to share their thoughts with you!

[eaglflyt]

I started Ady Bea in basic obedience classes 5 weeks after we finalized her adoption. We had fostered-to-adopt for 2 weeks prior, so she had been in our home for 7 weeks when we started classes. We go to a training school that uses only POSITIVE training methods, had a good track record, and that had actually earned titles on their own dogs in various disciplines ... and that was a member of the dog training associations. When we talked with the owner/lead trainer we found that they had taught classes specially designed for greyhound groups and had many greyhound graduates. The trainer is also a certified evaluator for TDI (Therapy Dogs International), which was important to us as we hoped for Ady Bea to become a therapy dog, if possible. All the trainers at the obedience school attend frequent professional dog training seminars, sponsor speakers to come to our area for clinics, and keep current on the latest positive training techniques. I really love our 3 trainers and look forward to class each week. And, most importantly, Ady Bea loves each of the trainers, too!

We attend Full Circle Obedience School in Oklahoma City. It's a one hour drive for us each way for each class, but worth it!

[FastDogsOwnMe]

Well, I've never needed a trainer for behavior issues. I go to obedience class with a mind to compete, and to have someone correct me for crappy footwork and to get my dog used to working in a show'ish environment.

[simile]

I think obedience classes are a blast. Chloe absolutely loves going every week. We don't go to work on any specific behavior problems, but to get that one on one time - a whole hour every week dedicated to just me and her together without any of the other pack around. It's been invaluable.

I don't have any experience with PetCo/Petsmart classes, but from what I understand they contract out the training so it's important to find out who the instructor will be. As mentioned above, sit in on a class if you can or ask for the name and phone number of the instructor. I've heard of really great experiences in those classes, and really bad.

As others have mentioned, if you have the option, go to a kennel club or privately run classes. The odds of getting someone with loads of experience, and good training methods are much better.

[sweetpea]

So the general consensus is pretty down on "petsmart" type classes, and I'm afraid I'll have to add to it.

My sister took our rat terrier Sebastian to a petco class, and I tagged along. The "trainer" was all of 19,
and taught the class out of a petco notebook. I have no doubt that she really likes dogs, but her only training
method was treats. And when Sebastian got treat fixated after about 3 minutes, she had no alternative. She had
no experience to draw on, we lasted two classes.

I took Sweetpea to a class offered by a local company, and that's all they do, obedience classes,
behavior consultations, agility classes, and the like. Sweetpea and I had so much fun! The instructor
was fantastic, she had 12 or 13 years of experience, and she asked us what we most wanted to get out
of the class and then proceeded to make sure we each got exactly that.

There may be some great instructors at Petco/Petsmart, but you'll have to do your research.

Good luck,
Buzzy

[EllenEveBaz]

I took my first grey, Eve, to obedience classes run by the city recreation dept. I called the trainer beforehand; she had sighthound experience with her borzoi's at home. We had a great experience. Eve really didn't need obedience training, but it gave me much more confidence as a dog handler.

Most of the other dogs in our group were exuberant puppies and their owners would let them jump and climb all over Eve; luckily she was patient with them (and taught a few of them -- and their humans -- a sharply barked lesson in manners). Just something to be aware of.

Eve was the class star in "down stay" and "come." She had the world's slowest and sloppiest "sit," but neither the trainer nor I cared two hoots. It was a wonderful experience for me to see this new creature in my life zip smilingly across the gym floor, heading straight for my arms.

Quote

The rest of the class loved her and found it very funny that I often had to wake her up when it was her turn.

Our trainer pointed out to the others in my class that a dog who settles in and goes to sleep in her "down stay" is one that is not going to get up until the command.

[NeverSayNever]

The PetsMart trainers are not always folks with real world training experience. Their dog training could be limited to the corporate training class that PetsMart requires.

I would check with your local greyhound adoption group to see if they have any recommendations. Also, I have posted on my blog how to train greyhounds to sit and down. You might familiarize yourself with the strategies outlined so you are prepared to deal with a trainer who may not have the answers and tricks to training greyhounds. I think it is still worthwhile attending a class so your greyhound gets exposure to other breeds of dogs and learns to work with distractions.

http://neversaynever...d-sits-101.html
http://neversaynever...-downs-104.html

I saw a few folks recommend a settling in period before training. I'm not really a fan of that with a normal, healthy, active greyhound. I think it is wise to start training as soon as possible. Set your expectations early.

[ShanYu]

I have had Nike about 2 months and signed up for Petsmart training after calling and being told that they are very familiar with greyhounds and that the class would be suitable. Turns out.. not so much.. the trainer hadn't got the memo and was a bit confused when I told her he doesn't sit and is easily distracted. After a couple of classes we were offered private lessons. He is a smart boy, "bows" on command, "shakes paw", "shakes other paw", does "finish" (walks around me to the other side), always comes on command, knows "out" (of the kitchen), "stay", "leave it", and "down". None of which he learned at Petsmart but at home. I will complete the classes but really only as an opportunity for him to be exposed to other dogs, people etc. It's an "outing" for him, doesn't hurt and he may get some benefit - value for money - not at all.

[Sighthounds4me]

ShanYu, on 08 February 2010 - 03:39 PM, said:

I will complete the classes but really only as an opportunity for him to be exposed to other dogs, people etc. It's an "outing" for him, doesn't hurt and he may get some benefit - value for money - not at all.

And this is another good point. Aside from the fact that eventually, I'd like to compete in obedience and rally with the kid, I do classes to socialize him. He gets to meet new dogs, of all sizes, and new people. But at this stage (we are in beginner's yet), most of what he knows is taught in "real life."

So, if one takes his/her dog to a formal class as a socialization venue, there is nothing wrong with it. It does still help, though, to have a trainer who understands what makes Greyhounds different.

This post has been edited by Sighthounds4me: 08 February 2010 - 10:21 PM