trained at the end of six sessions? It could happen… even if you're using the best trainer in the world. The reason is that there is no way we can tell how quickly you, the owner, will pick up on the techniques (since dog training is really 90% training the owner). So make sure that there is an open-ended agreement that you are paying for the dog to learn specific behaviors, rather than paying for a number of sessions with the trainer.
I get lots of calls from people who are "price shopping." The first thing I offer is a FREE consultation and demonstration. Because over the phone, talk is cheap. You need to know that a trainer can work and demonstrate with your particular dog, and not just theyre demo dog.Will they help you be able to maintain the training? After all, 90% is training the owner Not the dog.
One of the things you should ask is to see the dog trainer's dog perform off-leash, and preferably around your environment, not theirs. It's really nice to see if the dog trainer's own dog can perform reliably in strange environments. If their own dog can't do that, and they call themselves a trainer .... I'd be a little skeptical when they tell you that your dog will be able to perform reliably. Please watch videos of us in action by clicking here!
Bad mouthing other trainers is definitely a sign to look out for. They are there to show you what THEY can do, and any hesitancy to have you also check someone else out should not be tolerated. It's your dog, and your final decision.
A lot of different trainers do things a lot of different ways. It's wise to at least hear them out, and see the results of what they might perform for you in the demonstration. After all, whatever you are presently doing may not be working. You also need to know that the method they are using will work with your dog. You may want to ask if they will give you a demonstration. We have no problems giving one, but other trainers may. No harm in asking, though.
It's also good to ask the trainers if they have any sort of "follow-up" program. If they do, will there be some sort of charge for it? "Price" is usually a relative thing. It may end up costing you three times as much, if the first couple of people that you hire aren't able to get you the results that you're looking for. Results are what you are after, and the length of time the trainer has been training is irrelevant if he or she hasn't been getting results all that time.
Another good thing to do is to talk to people that you see with a trained dog. Perhaps they can recommend someone. Some people offer classes, and some people only do one-on-one. Some do both. It's just really good to see what is offered out there, and to meet the people, and to then make an educated opinion once you have done that. Smart shopping always wins in any arena.
Please contact us for your FREE consultation so we can discuss your goals, your dogs learning ability, and the estimated time of training so we can give you an accurate quote.
Call Toll Free 1-866-996-7040
E-Mail: Tony@grumpypuppytraining.com
Below are a few more tips when choosing a dog trainer:
1.) Versatility— A good dog trainer will use techniques and training styles which are compatible with your dog’s temperament. Every dog is different, and some dogs respond better to certain approaches. What works for a Rottweiler won’t necessarily work for a Poodle.
2.) Avoid Group Classes— I’ve never seen a dog that is 100% reliable come out of a group class. When professional dog trainers train their own dogs, they never do it in a group setting. It’s always one-on-one. There are just too many distractions for a new dog in a group class. This is why at Grumpy Puppy Training we provide several private lessons before joining our group classes. Group classes should be used for the distraction phase of your dog training, and not the beginning phases.
3.) Ask for a Free Consultation: You don’t need to pay a dog trainer to take a look at your dog. This should be done for free. And besides, you don’t want to pay money to meet a dog trainer, and then have to decide whether you want to work with him!
4.) Should You Send Your Dog Away To Be Trained? The idea of doing this is largely a scam predicated on kenneling the dog so that the dog training company can charge you even more money. For example, as a skilled dog trainer, I can train your dog, and get him responding in a very impressive manner, in about two days. But when I give him back to you, he’s going to say, "I’ve never had to do anything you say before! Why should I start now?" It’s just like driving. I can build you a fantastic sports car, but if you don’t learn how to drive it, it won’t get you from point A to point B. You must find a dog trainer who will teach YOU how to train YOUR DOG! This is why we only offer board & training as a package which includes private sessions and unlimited group classes so the OWNER knows how to maintain thier dogs behavior.
5.) Why You Should Avoid the big, chain PetStore dog training programs: Because in most cases, the dog trainers you’ll encounter have only 2 to 3 months experience, and have been recruited through a newspaper ad. Dog training is both an art and a science. There is no way that you can become a professional dog trainer without apprenticing with several experienced dog trainers, with varied backgrounds, over an acceptable period of time. Stay away from the large pet store dog training programs.
How To Select A Dog Trainer
How much you should expect to pay for dog training?
Because there is no licensing or regulations in the U.S. to open a dog training company, there are a lot of unqualified practitioners claiming to be professional dog trainers. The bottomline is that you want to hire someone who can really deliver the results. Hiring a dog trainer is a lot like hiring a good heart surgeon. Given the choice between hiring a heart surgeon who charges $30,000 for an operation and one who charges $395... you have to wonder.
There are some times in life when you don't want to make your selection based on price, and hiring a dog trainer is one of those times. Why not? Because, simply put, not all dog trainers are alike. And not all dog trainers can deliver the type of results you are looking for. And furthermore, you don't want to let an amateur (or worse, an idiot!) jeopardize your dog's psychological well being, simply because you wanted to save a few bucks. Those dog trainers who can actually deliver outstanding results are few and far in-between, and the ones who can deliver the goods are definitely going to be charging the absolute premium for what their services are worth. Asking your local animal shelter, veterinarian, and friends which dog trainers they recommend will help you in your search as opposed to just picking one out of the phone book.
Currently, in the valley, a comprehensive obedience dog training program can run anywhere from $500 to $1200. Anything less than approximately $500 and you are probably dealing with someone who, deep down inside, knows that they can't deliver good results. Top-notch dog trainers are going to charge top-notch rates. There is no way of getting around this fact.
Charging for results, rather than charging for the number of sessions
On the other hand, while I offer no legal guarantees for the dog's performance, the way I do structure my services is that I charge for the results, rather than for a specific number of sessions. In other words, after I've done a consultation with the owner and the dog, I can usually tell about how many sessions it should take to train the desired behaviors. But, in the event that it takes longer, I continue working with the owner for as many sessions as necessary. When you hire a dog trainer, you want to make sure that you too are paying for the results, and not for the number of sessions. Let me give you an example: If a trainer is going to charge you $500 for six sessions… what will happen if the dog is not completely
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