What can my new 9 month old dog and I learn from an obedience class that we couldn't learn from a book?

Question

The dog already knows "sit" and "lay down". But doesn't always obey. He bolts out the door and we can't get him back into our house without showing him his treats. I've only had the dog two days.

Answer 1

Well, that depends on a lot of variables. Dogs naturally sit and lay down - the trick is to get them do be reliable and fluent with the behaviors when we cue it. NOt all instructors or classes are the same. The Humane Society of the United States has an outline on how to select for a good trainer.

Exposure to other stimulation, remedial socialization, low cost.

Training any animal is a mechanical skill, a craft, a science and an art. It's kinda like saying I'll just read a book on how to drive a stick-shift car. It's more helpful if you have an experienced person with you that can break down the skills so that you can work on one component at a time and as you improve to add more to it until you become more fluent with the skill to the point where you are no longer conscious of the behaviors you are doing to drive the car. We go thru learning phases as do animals.

In a private situation there would be less distractions, you would receive more instruction but then you would need to be responsible to take the dog out to help continue in socialization.

In either situation you will need to learn a little bit about how dogs learn and how best to communicate to get reliable behavior in any environment. Kay Laurence of www.learningaboutdogs.com has some very good books, magazines, video and game called GenAbacab.

Legacy Canine: www.legacycanine.com
Teaching Dogs: www.learningaboutdogs.com

www.clickertraining.tv
www.petvideo.com

Trainers:
www.sfspca.org (referrals for around the world)
www.apdt.com
www.ccpdt.com
www.iaabc.org

Good luck

Answer 2

It's true you can learn alot from books, but going to an obedience class strengthens the bond between you and your dog and helps you to understand the nuances of dog training that you just can't get from a book. It's also nice to have others there that can relate to what you are going through. You also tend to actually do the training because you always have homework, so it's an added incentive to make sure you remain consistant and actually follow through on your training. Once you have started the course, the trainer will be able to watch you in action and will be able to catch any problems or miscommunications that might be happening between you and your dog. You just can't get that from a book!

As an aside... if you do decide to go to behaviour classes, make sure you sit in on a couple of classes with different trainers to make sure you find a trainer that you feel comfortable with and one that uses methods that you are comfortable with. There are a lot of trainers out there and not everyone uses the same methods. Never do anything to your dog that you are uncomfortable with!
Good luck and happy training...I think you'll also find that it's a lot of fun!

Answer 3

An obedience class will help you keep your dog under control by telling (and actually showing) you how to do it, usually through positive reinforcement (i.e., giving your dog a treat when he obeys you/your command). A good obedience class will also show you how to train your dog so that he doesn't even leave the house without your permission.

Obedience classes might also teach other helpful things, such as how to get your dog to walk on a leash outside without him dragging you everywhere, something a book can't teach as effectively.

Answer 4

Animals listen and decide to listen based on the tone of your voice. If you sound angry when you call him he most likely won't come to you. You also have to remember that the dog is only nine months old. He's still a baby and full of energy. Patience. If this breed of dog has a reputation of being full of energy try playing ball with him. I know that a walk or a run always helps out my energetic puppy. Try this before an obedience class. They really cost a lot of $, effort, and time.

Answer 5

The main thing that you and your pup will learn is socialization. This is very important for a dog. He will also learn basic obedience commands. Check out the dog whisperer on national geographics TV station. Cesar Millan is awesome and he knows dogs inside out. He did a segment onthe very problem you describe bolting out the door. Here is his site:
http://www.dogpsychologycenter.com/
Good luck

Answer 6

Causing a dog to be obedient is a "process" not an "event", so a little patients might help. You are not going to teach a dog anything in two days.
Believe it or not, putting your dog through an O/B CLASS has very little to do with teaching the dog anything, and is ALL about teaching you how to teach a dog

Answer 7

For a start he will learn to behave better around other people and other dogs. He will always obey once you have been and you will be given alternative methods of getting him inside than giving him treats. I trained my puppy well before taking him to school but I still went as it has made him even more intelligent. Plus its good for him to take commands from other people as well.

Answer 8

One of the most important things you will learn from a class that you can't learn from a book is how to have your dog behave around other dogs and how to control him in that situation. Plus, the dog will begin to learn how to be socialized.

Answer 9

Obedience preparation classification is quite substantial. right here is another suggestion: you need to desensitize your canines to the buzz of somebody coming over. Spend some days having a chum ring the doorbell back and back back. do no longer answer the door. After a on an analogous time as, the doorbell ringing no longer ability: "somebody'S right here! i visit GREET THEM NOOOOOW!" this is desensitization, while the canines is longer excited or crushed via a knock on the door. next step, coach your canines to greet correct. Have a chum come to the door, knock, and you answer the door. in the experience that your canines rates the door, close it (do no longer enable the pal in) and placed your canines back in "take a seat" place. do this back and back and over until eventually your canines learns that she won't get to greet every person except she waits patiently. next step, the leaping. while your canines has shown that she will wait patiently on your travelers to return into the residing house, initiate from the commencing up. Have your pal knock on the door or ring the doorbell, tell your canines to "wait" and then enable your customer interior. in the experience that your canines jumps at you or your customer, your customer is going back exterior, you turn your back, and the canines has to attend. back, you will do this back and back and over, until eventually your canines has found out that if she waits patiently, your customer will come interior and reward her with loving compliment and treats. If she jumps, she would not get to declare hi. It takes greater than a number of time, yet your canines will study!

Answer 10

I agree with everyone else....socialization is the key. Classes also help your puppy to learn to obey you even with distractions around. I took my puppy to petsmart....where there were other dogs, people stopping to pet him...and of course food!! He did great....people always say how well behaved he is.