Would you pay to have your dog trained?...if there was a guarantee?

Question

If you had a dog that had some behavioral problems, would you pay to have some one come to your home and train the dog? (and probably the owner) If they gave you a written guarantee, do you think it would be something you would take advantage of? The guarantee is for the life of the dog..any thoughts?

Answer 1

I sure wouldn't pay without a written guarantee.

Just make sure you read the fine print and ask plenty of questions before you sign anything. Sometime a guarantee isn't worth the paper it's written on.

Answer 2

As a professional trainer, the only thing wrong with the philosophy of guaranteeing that a dog will train is the fact that some dogs simply won't train for any number of reasons. So,,,, just how much time would you expect that trainer to give the owners dog for free????

The end result would be that the pro would give the owners dog 30 minutes. and at the first sign of a problem would say "see-ya", never giving the dog a chance.
A pro is there after all to earn a living, and over the years I have "washed out" more than one dog.

The other problem that I see in the question is that my "training grounds and equipment" are not at the owners home. So a little lite obedience training and some behavioral issues would be the full extent of what could be offered. Any advanced retriever work, herding work, etc,etc would be totally out of the question, and that is where the trainer will earn their living.
Working as a pro my schedule was broken down into training segments. Basically in the mornings i did "yard work" O/B & handling drills, etc, what we in the business call "basics". In the afternoon I did "field work" which consisted of marked and blind retrieves on both land and water.
In round numbers, 20 dogs = a 12 hour work day

Answer 3

I think dog training is worth the investment but make sure the owner of the dog is the one handling the dog. Often dog obedience is as much a matter of training the owner as much as it is the dog. Also in my experience (over 10 years of handling and training dogs) the socialization of a dog in a group training session can be very important.

It depends on what kind of behavioral issues your dog has. Also be warned that if the guarantee is for the lifetime of the dog but the lessons are only for a short time it might not be as good of a deal as you think. Talk to the dog trainer before you make and decisions and thing about taking a class with others too.

Answer 4

As others have said, guaranteeing that the behavior problems will be solved is not possible. Success is going to depend a great deal on how much work you do, as well as how well the trainer can motivate your dog. If the trainer guarantees a behavior change, run away. HOWEVER, if the trainer guarantees that you will be happy with the service he provides, including:

- answers your questions clearly
- returns phone calls or emails in a timely manner
- provides written material pertaining to your dog's behavior and the exercises you are working on
- doesn't treat you like an idiot
- does not traumatize or harm your dog,

you should be good to go.

Answer 5

If someone is offering to give you a guarantee for the life of the dog, run the other way!! No one can possibly do that. Think about it - they have no control over what happens to that dog after they leave. They don't know what kind of owner you are, they don't know if you're even capable of doing what they've taught you. Besides all that, a dog isn't trained once and that lasts a life time - the training is on-going!!

Having a behaviourist come in to work with you AND your dog is a great idea, providing he shows you how to train your dog. Before you commit to anything though, you need to check them out thoroughly, ask for references, and make sure you agree with their methods.

Answer 6

No trainer no matter how good can make a life time guarantee there are far too many variables involved.

As for paying a trainer yes it is well worth the money IF you find a good trainer that is willing & able to owrk with both the owner & the dog.

Answer 7

It would depend on the amount of the lessons. My sister paid a hefty amount for her dog, but she has a great dane, and she almost HAD to get training for her dog or else her dog would train HER lol. I have a Shih Tzu, and got him when he was 4, and by then training was pretty pointless, plus he had been abused pretty badly by the time I had gotten him so I know he wouldn't respond to training very well. Maybe next time I get a dog if I get a puppy, if the price was right I would do training, but I would ask to talk to several of their clients first and see if they are happy with the results.

Answer 8

I've been around dogs enough to know that are no 100% guarantees when it comes to modifying behavior. So I really wouldn't trust someone who says they can give you a guarantee..because they really aren't being honest with themselves.

I am NOT saying behaviors can't be modified permanently, but any good dog trainer would not give you a 100% guarantee, they know they can't help EVERY dog.

Answer 9

The things they teach you you can do on your own. I used a dog trainer with a "guarantee" and I could of used him one day and been done with it. The guarantee is pretty much a scam because when i would call him he wouldn't return my calls. They basically teach you repetition. Teaching them to sit and look into your eyes for extended periods of time. Making them come to you when they call there name. Having a certain word or phrase that you say when you bring them outside..blah, blah, blah.. Do it on your own and you will save money. Find a good book or website that gives you some insight and then just stay consistent and you will be fine.

Answer 10

Ppl would pay big bucks for a life time gaurantee. I spent a fair amount of money on dog school for my dog, but it is lifetime lessons. My dog behaves so well now, it was so worth it. I had gone to some of the cheaper dog trainning group classes before and never had much luck.