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I've posted before about our 2 year old Akita mix. We adopted her from a rescue in July, and she's settled in with the family very well.
She's fully housebroken, she listens pretty well, was mostly trained from the time we got her. But she's got a few issues. We've decided it's time to look into some kind of dog training.
What's the opinion of classes through a place like PetSmart or PetCo? Private trainers? Has anyone heard of a training program called BarkBusters? Other recommendations?
I don't have personal experience with barkbusters but I know some people swear by them. It could vary with area though, and the rest is hit or miss too. There are some good trainers at Petco and Petsmart, and others that can't go much beyond sit stay etc. For serious issues they aren't usually a good choice though there are exceptions. You might call the place where you adopted your dog and ask for recommendations, and talk to other dog owners in your area. Check out private trainers websites to see their methods, and visit a class if possible. Good luck!
Petsmart and Petco training is not generally the best. The best training generally comes from trainers that have actually trained dogs and titled them in obedience, schutzhund, etc. above the beginner levels. Check out this site for training help if you want to train the dog: http://leerburg.com/ The following are excerpts from one of Ed's articles:
"There are 3 categories of dog trainers:
Three basic categories of dog trainers which I place on a sliding scale.
The first category on the left is the group of people who beg or bribe and lure their dogs to do something by offering a food or toy reward. Don’t get me wrong, I use food and toys in training, but I also use distractions and corrections. The people in this first category use neither.
All of the large pet food warehouses (i.e. Pet Smart, Petco , or the Monks of New Skeet etc) sponsor this category of ineffective training because they feel it's politically correct.
The problem with this group is that the dogs often choose to not do what’s asked because they don’t think the reward is not high enough in value to them.
At the other end of the scale, on the right side, is the second category of dog trainers. These are trainers who intimidate or force their dogs to do what they want (the William Koehler trainers). I call them the old school “yank and crank” trainers.
They put a choke collar on a dog and force it to do everything. Most professional dog trainers use these methods because for them "time is money" and they can get a dog trained much quicker by forcing the dog to perform. The bottom line is with enough force a dog can be trained to do almost anything.
The problem with yank and crank trainers is the dogs seldom like their handlers. In fact softer dogs are often afraid of their handlers. These are the dogs that tuck their tails or lay on the ground when asked to do something.
The problem with both categories of dog trainers is that their training produces inconsistent results along with dogs that don’t like or respect their owners. You will never reach consistency in training if you don’t have a good bond with your dog, or if your dog does not respect you as a pack leader.
The third category of dog trainer is the where I strive to be. Category three dog trainers want to be in the middle of the other two categories. They balance in the middle but are always prepared to move one way or the other depending on what’s going on in their dog training at a given moment or point in time."
In my opinion look for the third type trainer for your dog.
You didn't specify what you want to train for and if there is a specific problem or if your looking to further your dogs training.
My suggestion is to contact your local obedience club that puts on obedience/rally shows. They generally have very good trainers and classes or can make some recommendations. What your looking for is a positive reinforcement trainer. That doesn't mean there are no corrections but they are used very judiciously. I personally can't stand clicker training and about lost it just watching the class, the clicker noise is a real irritant to me, but others swear by it so go and watch a few classes before you decide, signing up blind or without a recommendation from somone you trust can end up making you and your dog unhappy.
By this time you should have a good idea of your dog's temperment and what will work for your dog. You also might try the local or national Akita dog club to help you decide what is going to be right for you and your dog.
There are also lots of very good books out there that can help you along the way.
I've posted before about our 2 year old Akita mix. We adopted her from a rescue in July, and she's settled in with the family very well.
She's fully housebroken, she listens pretty well, was mostly trained from the time we got her. But she's got a few issues. We've decided it's time to look into some kind of dog training.
What's the opinion of classes through a place like PetSmart or PetCo? Private trainers? Has anyone heard of a training program called BarkBusters? Other recommendations?
When you say "issues" do you mean behavior issues? If so, you don't need a trainer, you need a behaviorist. There is a difference. A trainer teaches your dog to sit, down and stay. A behaviorist works with your dog on his/her behavior and trains you on how to deal with your dog. (If they are a good behaviorist.)
You want a well mannered dog (follows your directions.)
The issues we're trying to correct are things like:
She likes the outdoors, especially when it's cold out. She flat out refuses to come inside sometimes, and we won't leave her outdoors overnight or when we are headed out to work, especially when it's near or below freezing.
She also will not come when she's called, at places like the off leash dog park. We have a huge off leash park, several acres of land, no fences, and I'm afraid to take her there, because I can't run fast enough to keep up with her, and she will not come to us when called. If you chase her, she thinks it's a game and runs faster.
She loves walks, but she pulls, she tugs, she really wants to run free. I want her to learn to WALK, not run a few steps until she chokes, then wait until I catch up to her.
Last, she's great meeting strangers outside, on walks or in the park. But NO stranger is allowed in the house. She rarely barks, but will do so continuously if we get visitors. It was VERY embarrassing when my inlaws drove 2 hours just to meet her. For some reason though, she absolutely loved my son's boy scout leader.
I'm going to look into the suggestions that were made. Thanks!
From the sounds of it, I don't think you want a petsmart type of 'trainer'.
From what I understand they are all : 'shovel as many treats as you can in your dogs mouth until he learns what to do..when you have treats...and when he doesn't have something he would rather do at the moment than eat a treat'
im sure a lot of people have had success with that, i thought i did with my last dog(not a petsmart, but a trainer who used just those clicker/treat methods) as well at first but i don't really agree with that kind of training for much anymore, especially in issues like that. i'll be getting a new puppy at the end of this month and going to try something all together different, a little more 'dominance' training, so to speak, instead of bribery.
as far as her running from you like its a game, i had a beagle who did that when he was young, friend had a far and we would let our dogs loose there. only way i could get him back when i wanted to go was get close enough that he was looking at me, then run the other way and he would run after me.
All the issues you're having are typical for an Akita or Akita mix.
They're bred to do well in cold climates, they're protective(barking at vistors), they're strong (pulling), and they have their own opinions (not coming when called).
That's not to say training can't improve your relationship and help you get control, because it certainly can. I'm just pointing out that you are working against her nature and it will be more challenging to train an Akita than it will be to train a Golden or a Border Collie.
I would stay away from petsmart or petco, anyone off the street can get hired as a dog trainer and their process for training trainers leaves a lot to be desired. Sometimes someone with prior experience will get hired, and in those cases you get lucky, but usually you're taking classes from people who don't have a clue.
You're best bet will be to call around to a couple places and ask to sit in on a class (if you're looking for classes, and not private sessions or board & train) look at how the dogs are behaving. Do they look happy? Are they obedient? Are they doing real world training that has practical uses?
You will learn a lot by watching a class at several different places, then just choose the one you feel most comfortable with.
Do you have any dog clubs such as agility, flyball etc nearby as you might want to go talk to people in the club and see who they recommend as most dogs that do dog sports are well trained and the owners know a lot of the local trainers. Some areas even have obedience clubs.
As for sleeping outside in the cold....Phoenix had a very thick dense collie coat and when it got cold or even cold rainy days/nights she wanted
to be outside and sleep out there as I think having heat on in the house just made her too hot. Since she has always had a dog door she was allowed to sleep out if she so wanted too.
There is a great book called " When Pigs Fly" that is about training the more difficult to train breeds. I read it knowing sighthounds tend to be that way as unilke the herding dogs they do not see their purpose in life to be making the owner happy. Dazzle wants to know why he has to do something before he does it and he will do something about 3 times then look at you like " Ok I did it 3 times if you did not see it that is your fault but we both know I can do it therefore I am done " and he shuts down if you try to make him do it again. For him training was done in brief fun spurts played like a game! He is really good about doing what I ask as long as I too play by his rules and don't ask him to do the same thing over and over. I am impressed at how well he has done in obedience training.
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