FAO Affinity Stu

Hi Stu, I wonder if you could give us a hand?

We'd like to put a thread together for people who are looking for training establishments etc, and wondered if you's be able to give us a few pointers as to what people should be looking for & what they should avoid?

That would be a fab idea I really want help with Ozz not liking other dogs.not knowing his history doesn't help but if we could just understand and be able to learn some techniques we haven't tied would be good, have had a recommendation for a behaviourist but its £400 for one session eek!

Sara n Ozzy wrote:have had a recommendation for a behaviourist but its £400 for one session eek!

Ludicrous amount!

Sure, I'll give it a go.

Classes

OK, first things first. Make a list of every local class you can find. Check your local pet shops, vets, papers, free ads etc. Check online with websites like the kennel club or governing bodies such as the APDT, ADTB and others.
You are only making a list of trainers and classes at the moment, do not take any of these peoples recommendations. Vets have deals with trainers (trading clients) pet shops advertise for a fee. There are no governing bodies for dog training, so groups like APDT, ADTB will list their members only.

They are self appointed and fee's are annual. It is not difficult to get affiliated with any body. Some are better than others but don't be fooled by accreditation meaning high standards.

Once you have your list its time to cut it down. Talk to people in the park, ask about the different classes. Dog owners chat to each other allot. Find out who has a good reputation and who has a bad. Watch how they handle their own dogs when they tell you. If they are overbearing, shouting at them, physical with them then be wary of their advise. Use your common sense
Find out what they teach. Do you want to learn basic obedience, flyball, agility? Do they have a class that will suit you? Are classes broken up into beginner, advanced? Puppy classes should be separate from adult dogs and dogs of different levels should be in grouped classes.


So you have a list of a few classes people say are good, time to pay them a visit. Arrange with the trainer to come and observe a class. Any good trainer will let you. This should be free, welcoming with no hassle to sign up or commit to anything.
When you attend the class leave your dog at home. You want to watch whats going on not what your dog is doing and there will be no temptation to join in and lose your objectivity.

Look at the size of the hall compared to the number of people, is there enough space for everyone to work? Are there enough trainers for the students? 8 dogs per trainer should be the maximum you aim for, 4 is ideal.

The actual class itself you have to use common sense.

What is the atmosphere like? Dogs and people learn best when having fun. The class should be stress free and fun. The dogs should look happy to be there, engaged and enjoying themselves. Food and toys should be used as rewards.

Dogs and people should not be shouted at. Watch out for rough treatment, grabbing/pinning dogs, leash corrections, growling at dogs, water sprayed at dogs, corrector sprays, noise makers or other forms of punishment. If you see them, leave.

Look at how the dogs are handled, and how they hold themselves. They should be engaged and waging not cowering and complying to avoid a punishment. Look how nervous dogs are treated, although a dog with serious behavioral problems should never be in a class, some nervous dogs are ok if they are given enough space to work, or a quite area to one side. Watch out for nervy dogs being forced to socialise.

Before or after the class try to speak with some students. Get their opinion on what they are learning and how it is going. Ask them about the trainers and classes and if they think they have learnt anything.

Lastly ask yourself "Will I enjoy to coming here?"

One to One/Behaviorist

Firstly watch out for anyone who will teach you to be a pack leader, anyone who calls themselves a whisperer or listener or anyone who charges £400 for a couple of hours work .

This is allot harder to write as there are only 2 routes to take. Find a qualified clinical animal behaviorist from the ASAB or the APBC but without a vet referral this will cost.

Find a good trainer who has plenty of experience with the issues you have. Without repeating most of the information from above find out what methods they would use for your situation, what qualifications they have regarding those methods. Who trained them and where?

Be wary of anyone who diagnoses over the phone, behavior must be observed to be accurate so a good trainer will ask you too record the problem so they can see it for themselves.

Word of mouth and common sense will go along way here but don't be afraid to walk away from a trainer if you feel they are forcing a situation on your dog that it is not happy with.

Thats great advise! xX

Hi sorry to butt in but I take Herbie to a flyball class on a Wednesday evening & the guy who runs it is a behaviourist & runs a rescue both specifically for staffies....I'm in Essex x

Excellent advice

Thanks Stu!

That's now a 'sticky' in training & behaviour!

Great advise, thank you