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I have found that the business end of a belt is a good first step in animal training. That positive reinforcement crapola spouted by all the Animal Channel talking heads can never stand up to instilling downright fear into an animal. If they fear you, they will obey you.
I have found that the business end of a belt is a good first step in animal training. That positive reinforcement crapola spouted by all the Animal Channel talking heads can never stand up to instilling downright fear into an animal. If they fear you, they will obey you.
I sent this in a PM to the OP but figured I would paste it here for all to read as it might be helpful to others:
Quote:
Originally Posted by killerz298
Honestly, you will only get out of the class what you put into it. I wasn't as hardcore with the lessons as I should have been with my puppy and he still came out following directions pretty well most of the time. Had I done it as repetitively as I should have I think I would have had better results. As I mentioned, training classes don't work miracles. It can't make an active dog have less energy. The more energy your lab has, the more trouble it will get into. My trainer was big on stressing "a tired pup is a good pup."
Did I learn anything in the class I couldn't have learned on my own with a little research, no. What the class mostly does is provide structure and lets you learn what you are doing right vs wrong and reminds you to keep up with it day after day. I have very little patience and my trainer was there to continuously remind me to keep my cool and teach me that repetition and reward (treats) was the key to training.
I debated the shock collar as well and there are at least 2 different schools of dog training I have found. There is the 1 school which trains a dog through positive reinforcement such as treats etc. to teach it what to do and the other which trains the dog through negative reinforcement such as a shock when it is doing something bad. While I don't think the collar method is terrible (I tried it on myself and while it DOES hurt it isn't excruciating,) I obviously don't prefer it over forming a special bond with my dog even if it is a little more difficult. You can ask my trainer on her views on this as I am sure she can explain it better than I. As I mentioned in the thread, after 3 years my lab started to calm down but he is still a pain in the ass, just much more manageable. He listens to me in the house and when we are out however he absolutely WILL NOT listen to me (without a serious fight at least) when there is another dog, squirrel, bird, moving leaf, etc. I could NEVER trust him off a leash. I think this wouldn't be as much of a problem if I put as much effort into the training as I should have. There is a lot of follow up you have to do once you get home. The 1 hour you spend in class will NOT be enough.
The bottom line is, if you are going to invest serious time into the training and follow the instructions no matter how difficult it might seem at times, then yes it was worth it. If you are just going to show up and go through the motions and not follow up much at home, then I say don't waste your money.
1) Labs aren't a great dog for a professional family. Yes, they are loveable and have a great temperment, but they are also puppies for a long time, very destructive, and require lots of firm repetitive training.
2) If you don't have at least 3 hours a week for training and excercise, don't get a working dog.
3) Be creative with your training. Our best stuff comes from just my wife and I hanging out with the mutts and figuring new ways to get them to do things. Differing the training a bit makes it less work for the dogs as well.
4) Get a LONG training leash, 15-20ft should do it. They are indespensible when it comes time to work on distance rules, come, sit, stay, and doing so safetly. Start with the basics like sit, then paw, lay down, then work your way up to stay, come fetch, and other advanced commands.
5) Get to dog parks at least once a week and let everyone come and play with the puppy. Temperment towards others, children, and animals is key to puppy training. The right start makes life easier, and less hassle when your walking without needing to worry if your dogs going to bolt after a squirrel, ball, or another dog. Gardeners Park in Bay Shore is my favorite, even though its an on-leash park.
1) Labs aren't a great dog for a professional family. Yes, they are loveable and have a great temperment, but they are also puppies for a long time, very destructive, and require lots of firm repetitive training.
2) If you don't have at least 3 hours a week for training and excercise, don't get a working dog.
3) Be creative with your training. Our best stuff comes from just my wife and I hanging out with the mutts and figuring new ways to get them to do things. Differing the training a bit makes it less work for the dogs as well.
4) Get a LONG training leash, 15-20ft should do it. They are indespensible when it comes time to work on distance rules, come, sit, stay, and doing so safetly. Start with the basics like sit, then paw, lay down, then work your way up to stay, come fetch, and other advanced commands.
5) Get to dog parks at least once a week and let everyone come and play with the puppy. Temperment towards others, children, and animals is key to puppy training. The right start makes life easier, and less hassle when your walking without needing to worry if your dogs going to bolt after a squirrel, ball, or another dog. Gardeners Park in Bay Shore is my favorite, even though its an on-leash park.
This is very well written. Labs are working dogs, it's true.
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