# PetSmart training



## 1337f0x (Feb 21, 2012)

Will the Petsmart training course be a good idea for my puppy? Although Simba and Bingo have been getting along here and there, I feel that I should take the both of them so they can learn to get along better together. I'd hate for Simba to attack Bingo when he's much larger.

This morning they had a horrible confrontation. Simba took a running leap, jumped on the couch and was on top of Bingo and Bingo got so angry he growled visciously and pushed Simba off the couch (Simba is fine).

Should I avoid Petsmart training and go with another company? What are your thoughts on Petsmart training?


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## *Lisa* (Nov 20, 2011)

My personal opinion isn't a good one on the Petsmart Training. My vote is to skip the petsmart training and look for another puppy school. I just don't feel that their training is that great, and the trainers may have limited/no experience.

Taking the 2 of them together may not be allowed as usually "puppy kindergarten" here is for puppies under a certain age so that they're all at the same stages. I know ours was limited to puppies from 10-16 weeks, and absolutely no large breed dogs were allowed to start after 16 weeks of age to prevent size issues with smaller dogs.

See if you can find a training school that has experience with GSDs, it will really help if they understand the breed.


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## Chance&Reno (Feb 21, 2012)

PetSmart trainers are not dog trainers, they are obedience instructors. There is a big difference between the 2 titles. Dog trainers train dogs and are capable of behavior modification for behavioral issues. Dog obedience instructors train people to train their dogs in basic obedience. I worked as an obedience instructor for PetSmart for 10 years. Although I was "out of the norm" as an instructor, because of my experience and schooling, most of the instructors have basic knowledge of commands. As a PetSmart instructor, we were not allowed to deal with any form of aggression cases, per policy. I did, but most instructors don't have the ability to do so. Find a different company if you are experiencing any kind of behavioral issue that is "out of the norm" for puppy behaviors. If it's aggression in any form, you may be playing Russian Roulette. 
Although it is typical that you "get what you pay for", it may not be applicable to trainers in general. Some trainers will charge $400 to come out to your house for an hour and others will charge $150. Don't base your decision for a trainer on the cost. Do research first to make sure the trainer has the same methodology as you believe in.


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## 1337f0x (Feb 21, 2012)

I found another trainer in my area who charges UP TO 350 depending on the type of case you're dealing with. He does 5 sessions, with unlimited email/bbm for life on questions with every course. His sessions sound really great, he'll come home take to the dog park etcetera, each class is 1.5 hours long. and he fits it to work your schedule, meaning, day, evenings and weekend classes.

It sounds good to me. I might contact him and look into his services further.


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## Alphak9 (Mar 9, 2011)

It totally depends on what you plan for Simba. If you just want Simba to be a pet, you can consider some simple training at Petsmart. All they can teach is obedience. If you want to go further, you need to develop drives such as prey, tracking, and defense drives for future trials. Training for trials needs you to spare some time into it. Good luck and have fun!


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

I would not take two dogs to the same class. It can be very confusing trying to not only concentrate on ONE dog let alone two, and the two dogs that live together are going to 'feed' off each other.

Simba is your puppy, THAT is the dog I would be concentrating on when it comes to training. She may at this point be to young to enter dog obed class.

Look for a puppy socialization thing IF you want him/her to get more exposure to other puppies and burn off some energy.

As for Petsmart, well I don't suggest training classes from either their or Petco unless I know the trainers specifically. 

As for the 'guy' trainer? With YOUR puppy this young, I wouldn't go one on one with a trainer, I'd be looking for a CLASS situation.

It's your job, at home, to set the pace on how Simba and Bingo interact with each other. 

Simba is a very young puppy and you have to keep that in mind on how they behave/react etc.


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## 1337f0x (Feb 21, 2012)

AlphaK - I want him to be a pet, but much more than that. I want him to be an independent and strong dog, not always relying on me, and definitely not a big baby that requires attention all the time. Bingo is a bit of a big baby, he's possessive over my parents and only recently became possessive over me, which I've never seen since Simba came into the house.

Jakoda - There is a group class I'm going to be taking Simba to just to sit in and check out next week upon receiving a reply back e-mail from the training facility. It's close to my home and they offer in-class puppy introductory courses.

The classes Bingo took were amazing (7 years ago), but since moving from my old city, I didn't keep in contact with that trainer to take Simba back to (also in class situations).

The only reason I want them to work together (perhaps AFTER Simba finishes his puppy graduation in his group courses) is so that Simba doesn't kill Bingo when he's bigger. I don't see that happening, however, if I take Simba to training with other animals besides Bingo.

Any further advice on that situation? Like, if I just take Simba with other dogs but not Bingo to the class, will Simba still be able to come home and learn to play well/stop nipping Bingo?


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## Chance&Reno (Feb 21, 2012)

When you say Bingo is protective of your parents and now started with you since Simba came to the house, what exactly do you mean?
Do you mean he's resource guarding you against the puppy?


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## 1337f0x (Feb 21, 2012)

Chance&Reno said:


> When you say Bingo is protective of your parents and now started with you since Simba came to the house, what exactly do you mean?
> Do you mean he's resource guarding you against the puppy?


When Simba is laying next to me on my bed, Bingo will come up to Simba, provoke him to get him off the bed (because Bingo knows Simba can't hop back up on his own). So when Simba's off the bed, Bingo comes on and lays next to me to keep Simba away. 

When my dad sits Simba on his lap to play or my mom plays with Simba, Bingo does the same thing - except, Simba is able to get onto the couch now with a running jump so it's more difficult for Bingo to play him like that. 

Prior to Simba, Bingo didn't have much a care in the world for me except when I came home from work, he'd come and say hello, wag his tail and play. Now he's over the top, walks me to the door, lays on my bed when I'm home from work. He's really jealous although he does play with Simba outside a lot.


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## Chance&Reno (Feb 21, 2012)

1337f0x said:


> When Simba is laying next to me on my bed, Bingo will come up to Simba, provoke him to get him off the bed (because Bingo knows Simba can't hop back up on his own). So when Simba's off the bed, Bingo comes on and lays next to me to keep Simba away.
> 
> When my dad sits Simba on his lap to play or my mom plays with Simba, Bingo does the same thing - except, Simba is able to get onto the couch now with a running jump so it's more difficult for Bingo to play him like that.
> 
> Prior to Simba, Bingo didn't have much a care in the world for me except when I came home from work, he'd come and say hello, wag his tail and play. Now he's over the top, walks me to the door, lays on my bed when I'm home from work. He's really jealous although he does play with Simba outside a lot.


That doesn't sound like "protective of". It sounds like typical sibling rivalry. It happens in multiple dog households when you have an older dog who is used to being the center of attention. Do you allow Bingo to win and get Simba to move? If so, stop doing that. Everyone gets the same amount of attention, affection, treats, play time. Training seperately, then bring them together and train together. That way they both know they are on the same level in your pack. Humans should always be top of the chain.


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## 1337f0x (Feb 21, 2012)

Chance&Reno said:


> That doesn't sound like "protective of". It sounds like typical sibling rivalry. It happens in multiple dog households when you have an older dog who is used to being the center of attention. Do you allow Bingo to win and get Simba to move? If so, stop doing that. Everyone gets the same amount of attention, affection, treats, play time. Training seperately, then bring them together and train together. That way they both know they are on the same level in your pack. Humans should always be top of the chain.


That's the thing, I never let Bingo win. I tell Bingo "You didn't want my attention then, and now you do?!" and bring Simba back onto the bed and rub both their bellies to show they both get my love and attention. Last night this was exactly what happened and they both laid on my bed, Bingo at my feet, Simba leaning on my leg. I just hope this will help Bingo learn as an older dog that they are equals.


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## &RIGGS (Nov 30, 2011)

I did both with Riggs. We started at Petsmart because I couldn't get in with the trainer as early as I'd like and then we started with the trainer about a month later.

The Petsmart instructor was not very knowledgable but it was still nice to get Riggs in a class-style situation with other dogs and distractions. I am now continuing with the other trainer in a 2-3 puppy class and will continue and potentially move to private lessons as Riggs gets older and we want to focus on specific things. 

My two cents is that Petsmart is probably better than nothing, but if you can get that class-style environment from another provider that's your best bet.


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## 1337f0x (Feb 21, 2012)

I'm trying really hard. This one guy I found is a younger individual in University where he's studying animal psychology, and has had a training facility for 5 years and apart of the Canadian Association of Professional Dog Trainers. I contacted him on Twitter AND through his contact form and expecting some good feedback. Another trainer I found looks friendly but I'm going to have to call them later. 

The first mentioned trainer has a beginner class starting in 11 days, and Simba will have his shots by then so I can go check it out! The second mentioned is more flexible with time, and if I needed multiple dog situations he'd bring his dogs along to the training, so may be a better option.

Waiting on feedback from both, but if all else fails, I don't want to waste $ on Petsmart if there's a chance the trainers suck. At my Petsmart the trainers look to be doing fine, but I may want to go look at a class before enrolling.


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## Chance&Reno (Feb 21, 2012)

PetSmart guarantees your satisfaction or you get your money back or you can repeat your class with the other trainer at the store.

It really does sound like you need basic help so PetSmart may actually be beneficial to you. It's completely up to you. Pop by and watch a couple of class before you enroll. Look for engagement between instructor and the students, check to see if the dogs are learning. Then make your determination based on your observations. Check out both trainers, not just one and see if you like one over the other.


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## martemchik (Nov 23, 2010)

In my opinion you're expecting way too much way too fast. At my club we don't even start formal obedience training until the dogs are 6 months old and a little out of their butthead stage. Right now you just need basic obedience and training, you don't need to be paying 350 an hour for someone to come to your home and train a 3 month old puppy. Your dog doesn't have any issues, you just need to put them both in their place and make them understand that its not acceptable to act that way. Your puppy will not grow up to "kill" the other dog, just get him into a group class somewhere so he understand how to better interact with other dogs, and how to train with distractions around.


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## marshies (May 18, 2011)

Look at When Hounds Fly. It's in Toronto, and for about the same price as a Petsmart trainer.

It's where I want to take puppy when I make the move back.


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## 1337f0x (Feb 21, 2012)

martemchik said:


> In my opinion you're expecting way too much way too fast. At my club we don't even start formal obedience training until the dogs are 6 months old and a little out of their butthead stage. Right now you just need basic obedience and training, you don't need to be paying 350 an hour for someone to come to your home and train a 3 month old puppy. Your dog doesn't have any issues, you just need to put them both in their place and make them understand that its not acceptable to act that way. Your puppy will not grow up to "kill" the other dog, just get him into a group class somewhere so he understand how to better interact with other dogs, and how to train with distractions around.


It's up to $350 for the 5 days 1.5hr per session course.  Not per hour.

I think the only reason Simba is so playful is because his mom/litter were the same with him. I don't expect that much, I'm looking for a beginning/puppy class! There's programs that require your dog to graduate before moving up in the ranks and just the basic puppy training is what I want, as well as him to interact with other new dogs.


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## 1337f0x (Feb 21, 2012)

marshies said:


> Look at When Hounds Fly. It's in Toronto, and for about the same price as a Petsmart trainer.
> 
> It's where I want to take puppy when I make the move back.


I just looked at it! It sounds pretty awesome. I think I might go by and visit. It's a bit of a drive from my house, but Simba can handle the drive I think.


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## martemchik (Nov 23, 2010)

I know you were looking at a SchH club earlier, did you give those guys a call? I strongly suggest a club of some kind because in general the classes are much more affordable. I pay about $200 give and take some donations during the year for classes 3 times a week for the entire year. You're right about him being playful, he's a young pup and won't grow out of it for a while (my 1.5 year old still hasn't). And yours is also mixed with a lab so he might have more of that personality which means more energy. I'd keep looking for a club, because you're going to have to keep working with your dog, and to me 350 for 5 classes is a lot of money. Plus there is no way your dog would be able to handle a 1.5 hour class right now. You need short lessons of 15-20 minutes and then socilization.


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## 1337f0x (Feb 21, 2012)

martemchik said:


> I know you were looking at a SchH club earlier, did you give those guys a call? I strongly suggest a club of some kind because in general the classes are much more affordable. I pay about $200 give and take some donations during the year for classes 3 times a week for the entire year. You're right about him being playful, he's a young pup and won't grow out of it for a while (my 1.5 year old still hasn't). And yours is also mixed with a lab so he might have more of that personality which means more energy. I'd keep looking for a club, because you're going to have to keep working with your dog, and to me 350 for 5 classes is a lot of money. Plus there is no way your dog would be able to handle a 1.5 hour class right now. You need short lessons of 15-20 minutes and then socilization.


I was looking at SchH... I didn't call them as yet, but I want to give the two near by a visit/call when Simba gets his 12 week shots. I'm avoiding pet stores and other type areas til he gets them to be on the safe side. Next Friday I'm going to call and learn a bit more about it. But I've been thinking about more puppy training, beginner training then something so IN IT right away.

He's got so much energy and good vibes. He's also very clumsy but gets back up and it's as if he just laughs about falling over and gets up and nuzzles into you. 

The 1.5hour long class is another downfall of the latter training group. The first one I can come and go as I please, and they understand the concept of "puppy" more and give shorter training lessons in the group environment. They also come home to you, and do short lessons within your home so the pup can learn in their comfort zone. 

As interested as I am in SchH, I've thought a lot about it, read a lot, but I think if I wait for Simba to get a bit bigger and take him to more basic training prior, he'll be a better fit for it.


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## Zisso (Mar 20, 2009)

I don't have a very high opinion of PetSmart training either. I took Z right after I got him and while he was good doing sits and downs, he was reactive to dogs bigger than himself and the trainer seemed to not recognize it or do anything about it. He was nervous at the class and she did nothing to help me help him relax. He did a lot of hiding under/behind my chair. There were many skills he should have learned that he didn't, but yet at the end, he still "graduated" the class-I didn't think he should have either and told her so. For the price, I was very disappointed.


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## 1337f0x (Feb 21, 2012)

Zisso said:


> I don't have a very high opinion of PetSmart training either. I took Z right after I got him and while he was good doing sits and downs, he was reactive to dogs bigger than himself and the trainer seemed to not recognize it or do anything about it. He was nervous at the class and she did nothing to help me help him relax. He did a lot of hiding under/behind my chair. There were many skills he should have learned that he didn't, but yet at the end, he still "graduated" the class-I didn't think he should have either and told her so. For the price, I was very disappointed.


Sadly, it seems to me that they give their part time student workers a book to read and expect them to be an expert trainer. But they're a big pet store, it's apart of their image to look good by providing training for pets.

A lot of the people that go to those classes are new pet owners and seem to appreciate it more. I never used Petsmart before, I had a private training course with a company called Fancy Paws who also did grooming. I'd hate to go to Petsmart and be disappointed in their tactics. I appreciate everyone's feedback.


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## martemchik (Nov 23, 2010)

In my opinion the training you're going to be doing for the first year of his life you don't need a trainer in your house and keep your dog in their "comfort zone." You want to learn outside that comfort zone adn then reinforce in the comfort zone. So overpaying for in home training is a waste in my opinion. In home training is useful when your dog has a very low threshhold or other issues in which they are just completely out of it if they are even a little stressed.


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## 1337f0x (Feb 21, 2012)

Thanks for the added opinions everyone. I think I have the information I needed to help me pick a good training program to start off.


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

1337f0x said:


> Sadly, it seems to me that they give their part time student workers a book to read and expect them to be an expert trainer. But they're a big pet store, it's apart of their image to look good by providing training for pets.
> 
> A lot of the people that go to those classes are new pet owners and seem to appreciate it more. I never used Petsmart before, I had a private training course with a company called Fancy Paws who also did grooming. I'd hate to go to Petsmart and be disappointed in their tactics. I appreciate everyone's feedback.


I disagree 100 percent. My dog is graduating from her second class at petsmart and will go there for her third. Out of curiousity I went to a class at a german shepherd club and I will take petsmart training over that any day of the week. My dogwas the youngest there and had by far the best temperament and knew just as much if not more then any of the dogs there. They shouted out what to do over dogs barking and lunging at each other.the trainer at petsmart is great, works one on one with us if needed and will go over every command until all the dogs get it. I am an experienced dog owner and so is everyone that is in my present class and we appreciate what the trainer does for us and our dogs...sadly its more then a trainer at a club.


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## JerseyGuyK9 (Feb 7, 2012)

i would personally look for a trainer that specializes in german shepherds or at least large breed dogs, look for a schutzhund trainer who also does obedience, they should be familiar with shepherds.


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## Jeven's Tyde (Feb 1, 2012)

llombardo said:


> I disagree 100 percent. My dog is graduating from her second class at petsmart and will go there for her third. Out of curiousity I went to a class at a german shepherd club and I will take petsmart training over that any day of the week. My dogwas the youngest there and had by far the best temperament and knew just as much if not more then any of the dogs there. They shouted out what to do over dogs barking and lunging at each other.the trainer at petsmart is great, works one on one with us if needed and will go over every command until all the dogs get it. I am an experienced dog owner and so is everyone that is in my present class and we appreciate what the trainer does for us and our dogs...sadly its more then a trainer at a club.


 
Lol. It was because of your post like this I saw the other day that I am taking Tyde to Petsmart puppy class. 

I think the general rule should be... If Petsmart/Petco is on a list for classes, check out the Petsmart in your area and make the informed decision yourself. What happens at one, will not necessarily be the same at another. 

I'm seriously hoping things go well at this class... if it doesn't and if the trainer isn't up to par, then I'm getting a refund and going elsewhere. Simple.

*My main concern is getting him around other dogs that are around his age, and beginner obedience.* I have no high expectations of finding a trainer at Petsmart that is the gold medalist of trainers... (Yippeee if I do!)... I just want someone who doesn't suck bad. 

When I called, she said that they class that has already met one has 2 other GSDs in it, so she said for me to come early for the 2nd class, work 1 on 1 with the trainer, then join the group at it's normal time. I'm excited to go, I hope Tyde's not WAY behind everyone else... and I really hope the other two GSD owners are cool and we can schedule puppy play dates.


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

JerseyGuyK9 said:


> i would personally look for a trainer that specializes in german shepherds or at least large breed dogs, look for a schutzhund trainer who also does obedience, they should be familiar with shepherds.


Yep I thought that too and I was WRONG


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## martemchik (Nov 23, 2010)

llombardo said:


> I disagree 100 percent. My dog is graduating from her second class at petsmart and will go there for her third. Out of curiousity I went to a class at a german shepherd club and I will take petsmart training over that any day of the week. My dogwas the youngest there and had by far the best temperament and knew just as much if not more then any of the dogs there. They shouted out what to do over dogs barking and lunging at each other.the trainer at petsmart is great, works one on one with us if needed and will go over every command until all the dogs get it. I am an experienced dog owner and so is everyone that is in my present class and we appreciate what the trainer does for us and our dogs...sadly its more then a trainer at a club.


Sorry but one experience at one club shouldn't make your mind up about all clubs. Your petsmart might have a good trainer, while the club isn't as good. While in a different area (like mine) it is completely different. How many petsmart dogs get titled? How many dogs has your trainer titled? At my club there are many titled dogs, most of our instructors have achieved a UDX with a dog or two, and we even have a few grand victrix and victors. The best advice is definately to go and look, it might be what you're looking for and it might not be, but you'll never know until you go.


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## TrickyShepherd (Aug 15, 2011)

Zira went to the classes at PetSmart. I really liked our trainer, she was actually very knowledgeable. The other ones, not so much... however, for pet obedience basics, they did just fine and the dogs & owners learned.

My opinion on it.... if you just have a pet... it's better then nothing. Make sure you meet the trainer, hear their opinions on training first, maybe watch a class or two and THEN sign up for their class. Some of them actually know more then they are expected to know, and you get more then you pay for in that case.

I do not regret bringing Zira there and she learned a lot. I didn't go there for obedience (especially just puppy stuff) since I knew how to train that. I brought her for the socialization and the experience. She is now 100% perfect around groups of dogs and people, stores and all their sites and sounds, and is excellent at keeping her focus during all of that. I think it's worth it, unless you are looking for high end sports/competition training.... at that point, you really need a certified trainer in that field.

Good luck to you and your pups!


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

martemchik said:


> Sorry but one experience at one club shouldn't make your mind up about all clubs. Your petsmart might have a good trainer, while the club isn't as good. While in a different area (like mine) it is completely different. How many petsmart dogs get titled? How many dogs has your trainer titled? At my club there are many titled dogs, most of our instructors have achieved a UDX with a dog or two, and we even have a few grand victrix and victors. The best advice is definately to go and look, it might be what you're looking for and it might not be, but you'll never know until you go.



As a matter of fact I am planning on visiting two more clubs, which are not breed specific, I have no intentions on training my dog in protection and that is what the focus is on in the breed specific clubs in my area. To answer your question, my trainer has 2 Rotts and a pug at the moment...she has had several Rotts and all of her dogs were/are titled, compete, therapy, rally, the whole nine yards, not to mention she also trains at a club so she has worked with many different dogs-others and her own for over 20 years. I can guarantee that if I continue my training with her wherever that might be I can take my dog as far as I want and she will be there for me 100%. This is my second dog that I have taken to training through her and my first dog is perfect in obedience, temperament, and socialization...all the key elements I look for in any dog


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## Chicagocanine (Aug 7, 2008)

If it's for "puppy kindergarten" or basic/beginners obedience I think Petsmart is fine.
The quality of the trainers varies. I have known very good (competition type) obedience trainers who taught at an obedience club and also taught at Petsmart, so just because a trainer teachers at Petsmart does not mean they aren't any good.
I've only taken a tricks class there though, which was a lot of fun.


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## DTS (Oct 19, 2010)

i also feel like it varies depending on where you are located. when looking for training we looked at petsmart. it was 109.00 for an 8 week course. they really push the gentle leaders especially for barking dogs, which at the time, was us. they were completely against prong collars and stated their feelings, even though they carry them. they were very pushy about us getting training there, even going as far as almost bullying us being very rude and commenting about how out of control my dog was and that we need them and were already filling out the forms meanwhile we had not made a decision.
we decided to go with a well known trainer who knew the breed and charged 80.00 for an 8 week course.
i would go with what you feel most comfortable with. shop around. im sure there are good petsmart trainers and bad ones. i have just encountered a bad one.. several times, in the same store lol

ETA: everytime i go to that petsmart and do training sessions, they will come up and say that they see me doing training and if i had a trainer, and when i say i do and tell them, they get really snotty and you can tell in their face that how dare I come to their store to train and not be using their trainers.


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## chelle (Feb 1, 2009)

DTS said:


> i also feel like it varies depending on where you are located. when looking for training we looked at petsmart. it was 109.00 for an 8 week course. they really push the gentle leaders especially for barking dogs, which at the time, was us. *they were completely against prong collars and stated their feelings*, even though they carry them. they were *very pushy* about us getting training there, even going as far as almost bullying us being very rude and commenting about how out of control my dog was and that we need them and were already filling out the forms meanwhile we had not made a decision.
> we decided to go with a well known trainer who knew the breed and charged 80.00 for an 8 week course.
> *i would go with what you feel most comfortable with.* *shop around.* im sure there are *good* petsmart trainers and *bad* ones. i have just encountered a bad one.. several times, in the same store lol.....


For starting out, Petsmart/Petco probably couldn't be a "bad" thing. I don't believe they'll take you very far past that, though. I'd do puppy kindergarten there, but not beyond that most likely.

As I have discovered, you need, in many training facilities, to "pass" Level One before proceeding to Level Two. If you take "Level One" at Petco, but then wish to continue to higher levels, you'd either have to continue at Petco, or start over at the bottom at another training facility. This isn't necesarily a bad thing at all, as training methods vary so much. We repeated Obedience One when changing clubs. It was a good thing, but in a way, I wish we had just stayed with one club. We'd likely be farther along.

I'll admit, I was terminally turned off to Petco/Petsmart training by a couple of things. One, a cashier with a cool "Petco Trainer" badge who got to chatting with me and said she fed her dog cheap dog food. _"Because dogs are scavengers and will eat anything."_ That may be true, but big turn off. For me, at least.

Another time Bailey and I went to visit the PetSmart trainer I was almost ready to "hire." She'd been calling me non-stop once I'd put in an informational call, so I decided to stop by. I really did like her on the phone, and wanted to meet her. We just dropped in and she was there. I inquired about her, and the clerk said they'd call her. So Bails and I sat there... I put him in a down and he was being super good.. he held his down. He had his prong on. She came up and we began talking, but she was pretty snotty about the prong. Oh NO, we _don't_ allow prongs. All the while, Bailey held his down. Perfect picture of obedience, haha. Yet, she was being a snot about the use of a prong. It was clear she did *not* like prong collars. And dang, she was so friendly on the phone!? I have to admit, I smirked just a little when we left. Bailey could not have possibly behaved better. Just turned me off yet again.


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## Chicagocanine (Aug 7, 2008)

Personally I've never found the trainers at the Petsmart I've been to pushy. I have been to several events they had in the past when they did fun contests and things, and they never pushed training on us even if the trainers were all over the event. I've never had a trainer approach me to try to get me to take classes there either.
When I did talk to a trainer there to see what their trainer was like because I was thinking of taking a class, the trainer was very nice, non-pushy and seemed knowledgeable. Actually the reason I wanted to talk to her was I had met a few people at one of their events who had taken classes and I was impressed by their dogs. We ended up taking the Tricks class and it was a lot of fun. I don't remember them pushing any particular training devices. I can't remember if my dog was still using a prong at that point, but I think that was after I stopped using the prong so he would have been on a buckle collar.




chelle said:


> As I have discovered, you need, in many training facilities, to "pass" Level One before proceeding to Level Two. If you take "Level One" at Petco, but then wish to continue to higher levels, you'd either have to continue at Petco, or start over at the bottom at another training facility. This isn't necesarily a bad thing at all, as training methods vary so much. We repeated Obedience One when changing clubs. It was a good thing, but in a way, I wish we had just stayed with one club. We'd likely be farther along.


Not necessarily. I have taken my GSD to multiple different trainers/facilities. Let me think...it's been at least 4 different ones, maybe more. I mostly hopped around not because I didn't like the trainer but because there are multiple good trainers in the area and different trainers/facilities offer different classes so I took whatever class I was interested in at the time (for example therapy dog class, off-leash obedience, "outward hound"(outdoor/"real life" classes that met at different locations around the city). 
I've never had to "start over" just because I didn't take that particular trainer's beginner class. I talked to the trainer before we signed up and told them what level my dog was at and what prior training we'd had, and they allowed me to join their more advanced classes with no problems. Then again these were not "obedience clubs" specifically. 
I was a member of an obedience club with my previous dog but I joined when I first got her and she had no previous training, so I am not sure the rules for that in that club. However I do think you can skip their beginners classes if you show your dog is at an appropriate skill level. I know the agility club I was a member of did allow that too.
Also as I said, one of the trainers with the obedience club we were members of did also work as a trainer at Petsmart for a time in addition, and he was a good trainer who titled his own dogs as well.




chelle said:


> I'll admit, I was terminally turned off to Petco/Petsmart training by a couple of things. One, a cashier with a cool "Petco Trainer" badge who got to chatting with me and said she fed her dog cheap dog food. _"Because dogs are scavengers and will eat anything."_ That may be true, but big turn off. For me, at least.


I'm not sure this has a lot to do with training skills? I don't think any of the trainers I have been to has said much of anything about dog food so I would have no idea what they feed their dogs, and I don't think what they feed makes them a good or bad trainer so I don't really care what they feed their dogs as long as they don't feed my dog anything (she has allergies!)



chelle said:


> She came up and we began talking, but she was pretty snotty about the prong. Oh NO, we _don't_ allow prongs. All the while, Bailey held his down. Perfect picture of obedience, haha. Yet, she was being a snot about the use of a prong. It was clear she did *not* like prong collars.


I believe the "no prongs allowed" thing is a company policy, so it may not be that specific trainer but rather what they are taught/told to do.


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## Chance&Reno (Feb 21, 2012)

When I was instructing at PetSmart, if a student came into class and had been using a prong collar in a legitimate way, I allowed them to continue to use them in the arena. If it was a puppy class, I would make them take the collar off and use a nylon during socialization. It is company policy to not use prong collars in class for safety reasons, same as extender leashes. Puppies can break teeth if they are knawing on another dog's prong collar and other safety concerns. It's not that we don't know how to use them, we were told not to encourage it.
Like I said, LEGIT reasons for using a prong. Most people come in and purchase the prongs to "make their dogs look cool/tough" and have NO idea how to use the device and will ultimately create aggression issues. I won't get into what I've witnessed with the prong collars because it makes me sick. 

The reason why people don't look highly on retail instructors is that they think if you're labeled as a "trainer", you should be able to problem solve complex behavioral issues. Truth is, there are 2 totally different classifications between trainers and obedience instructors. PetSmart ONLY allows their "trainers" to be obedience instructors. 

Trainer = training dogs
Obedience Instructor = Instructing owners to train their dogs, not physically doing the training themselves. 

Although Obedience Instructors will demo dogs, they don't actually train the dogs. There is much confusion over the specific titles of the person working with your dog. Most obedience instructors can work you through typical puppy/dog behaviors but when it comes to the more complex issues, they don't have the experience.

FWIW I've used prong collars on my dogs in the past, even if I am labeled as a positive reinforcement trainer. Some dogs need a stiffer correction and the prong can accomplish that with little discomfort but it has to be used appropriately. 

Another "trainer" came into the store to work with a client and their dog. I witnessed him lift the dog off the ground and strangle it with the prong collar. It was a JRT. The dog was gasping for air and I stepped in and kicked him out of the store after a 20 minute b**ch out session over why you don't do stuff like that, never mind on a busy Friday night with hundreds of people watching. The guy was totally clueless. When I asked him why he thought that was appropriate, he said to me "because the dog needs to learn that I am in ultimate control, even control whether or not the dog can breath. It's the ONLY way the dog will be obedient". I did some research on the guy and found that he was a "well respected trainer" in my area. It made me so sick that I had nightmares over the fact that this guy was out there doing this to dogs. I had met some of his "obedient dogs", they were robots and would just shake if you looked at them. Sick, sick, sick!

It doesn't matter where you work or what kind of schooling you have had, it doesn't make you a better instructor or trainer if you are just a plain old bully or brainwashed. The sign of a good instructor or trainer is that you learn new techniques and continue to improve your methods in a humane way. Period.


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

chelle said:


> For starting out, Petsmart/Petco probably couldn't be a "bad" thing. I don't believe they'll take you very far past that, though. I'd do puppy kindergarten there, but not beyond that most likely.
> 
> As I have discovered, you need, in many training facilities, to "pass" Level One before proceeding to Level Two. If you take "Level One" at Petco, but then wish to continue to higher levels, you'd either have to continue at Petco, or start over at the bottom at another training facility. This isn't necesarily a bad thing at all, as training methods vary so much. We repeated Obedience One when changing clubs. It was a good thing, but in a way, I wish we had just stayed with one club. We'd likely be farther along.
> 
> ...



Every club I have visited is willing to evaluate my dog and what she knows in order to place her where she belongs because they don't want her to be bored. On Sunday when I told the trainer(at Petsmart) that I would be trying out the German Shepherd Club, she told me she knew someone that went there for protection training and they had a good dog, she also doesn't use prongs, but she and two of the other people that work there at Petsmart(they know me well, I'm always there) helped me fit my dog for her prong....now on the other side, when I was asked where my dog got her training at when we visited the German Shepherd Club I told them Petsmart, they smirked and said some not so good stuff and were surprised when I told them my trainer encouraged me to try it out.....that was a major turn off Now the other two clubs I've called know my trainer well--she is known by lots of clubs because of her training and didn't have a bad thing to say...that I can deal with


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## 1337f0x (Feb 21, 2012)

llombardo said:


> I disagree 100 percent. My dog is graduating from her second class at petsmart and will go there for her third. Out of curiousity I went to a class at a german shepherd club and I will take petsmart training over that any day of the week. My dogwas the youngest there and had by far the best temperament and knew just as much if not more then any of the dogs there. They shouted out what to do over dogs barking and lunging at each other.the trainer at petsmart is great, works one on one with us if needed and will go over every command until all the dogs get it. I am an experienced dog owner and so is everyone that is in my present class and we appreciate what the trainer does for us and our dogs...sadly its more then a trainer at a club.


Correct me if I'm wrong, but it may just be your Petsmart location with a good trainer. Not only from some people here, but even my dog owner friends have went to Petsmart and ended up having a bad experience because the trainer wasn't all that great or knew what they were doing. But then again I've also heard of locations with experienced trainers who knew what they were doing and had great outcomes.


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## BlackPuppy (Mar 29, 2007)

Sorry I didn't read past page 2. I think part of the problem is you are letting the puppy be the dominant dog. You are letting the puppy on the bed and sofa, which are higher off the ground and places of importance. And the older dog is thinking that this is not a fair situation, especially for a young puppy who hasn't learned or earned his position. 

Maybe in the future you want the puppy to be the dominant dog. That's fine, but at 3 months old, I would not let him start yet. 

I am probably in the minority, but with multiple dogs, they need to know where they stand. My puppies are not allowed on the sofa or bed. My youngest is 2 years old and he is still not allowed except in rare situations. 

I also feed my dogs in order of importance, and the puppy always gets his bowl last. 

When I train or play with my dogs, the older dogs always get my time first. 

So, it's not so much as sibling rivalry, as position in the pack. And youngsters are not allowed to run my house.


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## Alphak9 (Mar 9, 2011)

1337f0x said:


> AlphaK - I want him to be a pet, but much more than that. I want him to be an independent and strong dog, not always relying on me, and definitely not a big baby that requires attention all the time. Bingo is a bit of a big baby, he's possessive over my parents and only recently became possessive over me, which I've never seen since Simba came into the house.


Sounds like you need some customized training program. Maybe obedience training and some protection work to gain confidence. Give your pup some time and he will grow up strong and independent. Remember not to over-correct him.


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## OriginalWacky (Dec 21, 2011)

1337f0x said:


> Correct me if I'm wrong, but it may just be your Petsmart location with a good trainer. Not only from some people here, but even my dog owner friends have went to Petsmart and ended up having a bad experience because the trainer wasn't all that great or knew what they were doing. But then again I've also heard of locations with experienced trainers who knew what they were doing and had great outcomes.


This is very true. You may find that one location has a really awesome instructor who knows dogs, is very involved with learning, and a great attitude. Then the next store over night have somebody who just skimmed over the basics and knows just enough to give somebody a headstart, and nothing more. Much like any trainers (or groomers, or vets), there are good ones and bad ones and middle ones and great ones. I really think you have to look at each case by case. 

I know our PetsMart has some fairly knowledgeable instructors, but I've chosen to drive an hour for our puppy socialization class because I love the trainer and her methods. She's almost completely positive, but isn't afraid to bring up punishment and negative methods, while warning that they must be used carefully and correctly. I don't know if her huskies are titled, but they are very well-behaved, and she is an excellent teacher for people as well. 

I'm also going to be checking out some trainers here in town, and may even take Koshka through two different classes, just for the extra social aspects. Plus, I'd like to take our Krissie through a class and have The Mate work Koshka in the same class, and I still need to have separate training times for Koshka as well. Ahh, the fun of having two young dogs. 

By the way, I wanted to commend you on being so proactive in getting Simba trained and socialized. It's always nice to see somebody work hard at making their dogs great pets.


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

that's why it's a good thing to go observe classes 'before' you plunk down your money


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## marshies (May 18, 2011)

Since we're sharing Petsmart stories, and you're in the Toronto area, there's a Petsmart trainer that I didn't have a good experience with.

I brought puppy in to fit her with a prong before I could get a good one, and because my trainers weren't there with me, I asked a few employees before one of the petsmart trainers came to help me fit it. He GRILLED me on why I was buying a prong, and called my training all "songs and dance". At this point, it was only natural to ask, well, what do you suggest. He said, "well I can't help you unless you sign up for class." When he was trying to fit puppy, and puppy lifted her paws to bat his hand, he said, "this is just too much", and walked away.

I know he's under no obligation to help me whatsoever, and it was nice for him to come in the first place. But why come, diss me and my dog, and then leave abruptly like that. Dogs fitting for prongs aren't going to be the best behaved dogs, that much is obvious. 

But like others have said, I'm sure a good trainer can be found at some locations. You just have to be vigilant.

Though I have found it very helpful to go with a trainer knowledgeable about the breed.

One of my trainers said puppy biting me was a form of aggression...in another breed maybe, but in GSD puppies??


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## Gracie's My Girl (May 27, 2011)

My best advice is to learn what a good class and trainer look like and then search until you find it! Do not settle!

The only trainer I worked with was at Petco. She was fairly good on the basics and did title her dogs. At first, due to my lack of education, I thought she was perfect. However...the more I learned, the less I liked her. She put 16 week puppies on prong collars because they were "misbehaving". Her solution for dogs that barked at each other was to force them to meet. I once heard her dog scream in pain due to an electric collar. I began to avoid situations like this for the sake of my dog. I got to the point that I could not trust her handling my dog. I was so glad when I came to my senses and left.

I wish I had invested in better classes farther away. I sometimes wonder if some of the issues I have with Gracie began in those classes when I was too dumb and trusting to know any better. Hindsight is always 20/20.

Pick your trainer wisely!


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## Syaoransbear (Sep 25, 2008)

I wouldn't go to petsmart. It's really pricey for what you get, and you'd be lucky if you found a trainer that could actually help you with puppy related problems and not just teach you how to get your dog to sit.

Petsmart only requires a two week training course for the trainers to be certified as petsmart trainers. I know at the location that I worked at, they had some trainers teaching classes before they were even certified. The only experience they had was sitting in on other trainers classes. One trainer had never even owned a dog, he just liked dogs! If you find a knowledgeable trainer, that knowledge came from a different source, not the petsmart training courses they learned. So you'll have better luck finding a good trainer somewhere else than trying to find a petsmart trainer that is educated by something other than petsmart.

Also, petsmart only allows one method of training(positive only). Positive training is great, but it's not effective for every dog. For the price that petsmart charges and for the lack of expertise they require their trainers to have, I'd look for a more knowledgeable trainer. For me, it would be one with flexible training methods who is knowledgeable about all of them. I don't believe in any "____ only" training. That's too restrictive considering how different dogs are.

Since I worked there, I got a free training class. I brought Chrono in when he was about 4 and a half months old. The trainer there said that my puppy was dog aggressive when he tried to play with a golden retriever puppy(apparently using your mouth at all is aggression ). She wouldn't let any dogs close to him, and he ended up dog reactive by the time the classes were over. I fixed that on my own, and now he isn't even reactive to other reactive dogs. 

She would also never bring her dogs into the store, because she said that they are so misbehaved that no one would take classes from her if they met them.

So from my experience, it created issues in my puppy and was of no use to me for socialization since the trainer was afraid of my puppy. And the certificate you get if your dog passes is worthless since they have to pass you no matter how poorly you do.


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

I am going to consider myself truly lucky that I found a good and well known trainer at Petsmart With that I did visit another training facility near my home and I'm very pleased with it. All trainers have titled dogs and base training on where the dog is in obedience, so I won't be wasting money. They took the time to talk to me for about an hour after the training was over The only problem I have now is trying to decide in what order to take my dogs to get that training, so they all get some one on one time with me and get to work their brains. I see a second, maybe third job in my future to afford this


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## 1337f0x (Feb 21, 2012)

Hey hey hey omg. So!!! I got a reply from this local dog training (basics) facility. It's $135 (taxes included) for 6 classes, 1 hour long per class, once a week with homework. They have a puppy course started next week. The guy who runs it is a former GSD owner and current Rottweiler owner. For now, I think I'm going to give that a try, my boyfriend is 100% for the training and excited to start with Simba and I in 2 weeks. 

After the puppy classes *if simba graduates,* there's a second course, also $135 taxes in for 6 weeks for the graduates and previous puppy graduates. We might do a second course through this facility if it's good enough and we enjoy it. 

Thereafter, my boyfriend is really wanting to take Simba to SchH to get assessed and enrolled into their club. That should be around his 7 month old mark. Unless we decide to do a 3rd course before hand, which is for working class dogs where hey have agility training.

That's cheaper than Petsmart.


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## Angelina03 (Jan 9, 2012)

That sounds good to me! I'm in the process of looking for Rocco second training course. We did PetSmart for the basic puppy course and it was alright; but the trainer was an amatuer. I'm looking for someone experienced as he is getting pretty stubborn and "strong"; but I can't seem to find a price that I can afford. I may end up going back to PetSmart (another store perhaps)....
That price sounds good to me, especially if the trainer is experienced with GSDs.


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