Of course you adore your dog — he’s the cutest, sweetest dog imaginable. Apart from being your best friend, he has a few training issues. No big deal, right? Wrong.
If you don’t address the disobedience at a young age, your cute dog could become truly uncontrollable when he’s older. Class can be a difficult and long commitment, but it’s necessary for your pet. There are quite a few ways to find good obedience schools in your area. Follow the tips in this article and you’ll likely have little trouble finding numerous options for a training service. Selecting one among the field of options will require research and scrutiny.
Here are some tips to finding a good obedience school for your dog.
- Vet: Many veterinarians know the local obedience schools, and may have partnerships with them. Vets also talk to lots of pet owners and may have heard a good thing or two from other people. They’re a great resource as you start your search, and valuable as well for input once you’ve uncovered possibilities through your own searches as described below.
- Specialty websites: There are several websites focusing exclusively on dog obedience schools. You can find online directories and valuable training articles at these sites. A couple of my recommendations are Dog Trainer Search and BreederWeb’s Dog Services Directory.
- Phone book: Probably one of the most obvious of choices, a phone book lists all obedience schools that are near you. The yellow pages are a fast way to find all of them quickly and easily, and a few might have full-page ads that tell you more about the school. In the yellow pages, look for schools under the category “dogs,” “training,” or “pet services.”
Alternately, you can look up your local phone book company on the internet. Many areas receive more than one phone book, and most have websites. Locate the website and search the yellow pages online. All you have to do usually is enter your location and a simple keyword (I’d use “obedience”). Many of the sites will give you a map to place you choose, rendering the process even more convenient. - Search engine: Using Yahoo! or Google search engines can also be a great way to find good schooling in your area. Do a new search using keywords like “dog,” “obedience” and “training,” entering your zip code or your area code.
- Referrals: There’s always a good chance you know someone who has had a wild dog and went through this whole process already; ask around and see what you hear. If someone had great results, find out where they went and ask a lot of questions about the business to ensure that its philosophy and approach are right for you and your dog.
After you find a place that sounds great, call up the phone number and ask a few questions. Ask if they are certified and how long they have been in business, and determine the length of a standard course. After the proper training, your once-reckless pooch will be a well-behaved sweetheart.