For my dog: group obedience of one on one?

Question

I have a 7 month old beagle who is totally unreliable off leash, and outside, or even inside when we have visitors (i don't let her off leash, she sometimes manages to get out of the house when front door open). Anyways, she's been to puppy kindy, and loves other dogs, and people. We just want her to listen to our commands more and so are going to take her to obedience school. As yet she only comes, sits, and such when she feels like it, and when she knows for sure we have treats.
What is better : group sessions (where there are distractions in the form of other dogs), or one on one lessons at a park.

At home she is not really a trouble dog, and i adhere to many dominance methods, eg. pretending to eat out of her bowl, and ignoring her.

Answer 1

i would start with one on one sessions then move to group sessions so she gets used to other dogs and people.

Answer 2

For a puppy, a group class is always best to start with. It gives the dog a chance to socialize with other dogs and people in a controlled setting.

Once she's aced puppy classes, you can get an individual one-on-one trainer to help out with any problem areas she may still have.

Answer 3

Kaska is on to the right idea.

I have a female Beagle too. They are notoriously stuborn, and a professional trainer is the best place to start. Then if you intend to try to have your beagle off leash I would really work with one on one AND group training. Beagles are scent hounds and if you read up on them you will find it stated repeatedly that you should NOT have them loose or off leash because they will follow their noses into trouble without fail.

I have found that the "Leave It" command she was taught by the trainer works the best for stopping her from running off. The command is meant to address when she finds something she wants to investigate or eat that we don't want her to. When she wants to run off, it is because she has found something she wants to check out, and I think the command reminds her that she needs to pay more attention to us than whatever scent the wind has carried to her.

Every dog is an individual though. So maybe your Beagle will stay around. I am not willing to take the chance with mine since I am less than a block from a major street and TWO HIGHWAYS...

Beagles are not supposed to be great watch dogs either, but mine is. She is quiet, not a normal beagle trait, and she pays very close attention to everything. She is also incredibly keen at telling the difference between events that are no big deal and things that she needs to alert us to. If she barks her alert bark, we ALL take notice because it means she sees something that isn't right. That's not really the norm for Beagles.

My BIGGEST advice beyond a professional trainer is to check on breed specifc Beagle information. Very little of my 30+ years of intense dog interaction prepared me for how Beagle's can be amazingly stuborn and incredibly submissive at the same time. Hounds are not bred to stick around and be companions, guards, or lap dogs. They are born trackers and hunters, it is what they live for so you have to keep that in mind too.

I had my first dog for 16 years, miss him a LOT. I am an only child, so my first dog was like my brother and best friend. I have two large breed dogs that no longer live with me now, one is 16, and the one is around 5 (pound rescue) both are still very much MY dogs. My female Beagle lives with me and she is about 4 and I have raised her from a pup.

Caution: Beagle's are cute, and they know how to use it!

Good Luck :o)

Answer 4

Either is good but only as good as the instructor-Petsmart has a good Training program which is done in the store. Do Not let a trainer act Rough with her or Use a Choke Leash-NEVER. I "m sure your dog is avery good dog and loving dog(mot dogs are-love) but seemsto be its the human who have to be educated and trained on how to teach/train their dog.Its a dogs nature to want to please so when you give her the treat do you also pet her and say good dog?Actually this is more important than the treat. The Dog Whisperer is a very Good Trainer-has a TV show on the Animal Planet and has Dvd for sale. You may want to watch his show and contact his show for goes all over the US and into peoples home to teach how to train their dogs and he does wonders in very little time The fact that she lets you eat her food out of her bowl shows she has a sweet disposition but am puzzled for does not teach nor a dominant trait-dogs share food--now where you to growl at her and not let her eat ...would not really serve a purpose for in the home not a pack surviving in the wild. Anyhow-good luck

Answer 5

Speaking as someone who has trained and taught obedience for 43 years, the one-on-one approach is much more effective for assessment of the problems in handling and teaching between you and the dog.

And I'll tell you that one fundamental problem was the giving of treats to get her to do things. I have always told people to praise the dog using their voice and by giving pets and tummy rubs and hugs - no treats except at the end of a practice session (not for every time doggy does it) and no gimmicks like clickers..

Your experience of she only does it when "she knows for sure we have treats" is exactly what happens. One day you forget the treat, and the next time, the dog figures hey, they broke the deal so why should I do it unless I know I'm going to get something...

There is the whole fad out there of "give doggy a treat if they do what I want and lets bribe them into good behavior." DUMB DUMBER AND DUMBEST!!

So what do you do the day they decide they would rather chase the rabbit than come when called and get the treat for comiing, eh???

You have to train a dog by positive/negative - positive = praise, pets and hugs for obeying and negative = if you don't obey, I will make you and trust me, you don't want to go there because it will cost you,so choose my dear doggy. Works on people too - how much would you obey the speed limit if there wasn't the risk of a ticket?

What is with this "dominance method of ignoring her"???? That is some book the dog never read. Get down and pretend to eat from her dish.......!!!! We already know that you are not the alpha by having to hand over food so she will decide to do something. She is the one in control and the head of the pack - not you.

The alpha dog in the pack makes the others obey even if they have to plow into them, knock them down, grab them by the side of the neck or face and pinch them, and growl. They take the food - they don't give until they are finished.

Dogs don't "ignore" a member of the pack who misbehaves. Dogs don't "time outs"

So get up off the floor with the dish and when she doesn't come or sit or whatever, march over there and MAKE her do it. When she has sat (even if you have had to put her into it) tell her okay, good girl ,give a pet and make her do it again. Doing it when she feels like it is NOT an option. MAKE HER - never ever ever give a command that you are not prepared to enforce.

As you enforce it, use your voice. Deepen it (don't let it slide upwards or sound high pitched) and say NO, BAD - NOW SIT as you make her do it.

When she does respond promptly without having to be coerced or made to do it, then it is a happy voice " Alllll righttt! YESSS! Good girl!!" and a nice big pet and stroke. When she comes when called, make a HUGE fuss over her. (Beagles run and Come is essential for her life expectancy.) Never ever call a dog to you to correct them - you go to them.

You always have your hands and your voice - use them.

DO NOT GO TO A CLASS WHERE THEY WANT TO BRIBE DOGGY WITH TREATS (look where that has gotten you) OR USE A CLICKER (that is for people too dumb to figure out how to say "good dog" in a happy voice fast enough - like when the dog obeys the command.) (And that is Petsmart in short.)

Find someone who uses verbal and physical praise - no gimmicks.

Since you are going to have to untrain her (expecting treats for everything she does and only if the mood strikes her) and start again, I most strongly recommend one-on-one until she gets the idea that if she knows the command she does it and she dos it without treats. Shouldn't take more than 3-6 weeks. Once you sort that out, you can join a group class and teach her more than the basics and polish her skills and have her work with the distraction of other dogs.

As for all those who whine "oh,never a slip collar" - well, they obviously haven't done much training or handling and read some books. A slip collar for training is a tool. You have to be taught how to use it - I always put it on the osner's arm to show them how to snap the lead and collar not pull. Works a treat - they got the message fast. (By the way, the ONLY collars allowed in the AKC obedience and agility competitions are slip collar/ chokers and flat buckle, 99% of show competitors use a slip.)

Answer 6

Group. I just finished a 6 week session with my dog. But listen to other people's advice too, because I've only done this once (same as you).

Answer 7

They both have their advantages and disadvantages. It's really based on preference. The important thing is that you realise it takes extra time on your part either way you go. So long as you work with the dog, you should see great results from either setting.

Answer 8

well i belive the distractions are a good thing the real world has distractions ...the most important thing is that you attend the classes do not use the kind where you drop her off and then in blank amount of time you come pick her up and bingo bango a trained dog you need too learn what and how she is learning/being tought. and she is trained to you not someone else..good luck and good quetion

Answer 9

The best is having a trainer train her and you pick her up in 2 weeks.

But between the two sounds like one on one is best.