Group Dog Training
- Lyllian
- 1 minute ago
- 3 min read
Recently I was asked why I take Izzy to training when I can do it myself at home. Great question. Yes, I do know enough to do basic training with Izzy. I learned a lot from my past dogs, especially Emmi, but I think a good trainer and a group class is priceless. You really get so much from it, things that are difficult to give your dog on your own. It's so much more than "training".
Puppy classes give your puppy a chance to interact with other puppies in a safe environment.
As your dog progresses though classes they get experience around people and dogs they will not be directly interacting with which is also important.
You get to practice in a setting with lots of distractions.
You have a professional trainer who can confirm you are doing the training activities correctly and help you with techniques to be more effective.
You have more motivation to do your homework before the next class.
It's a supportive environment. You get to meet other dog owners going through similar challenges and you just might find friends for your dog and yourself.
Group classes combine obedience training with socialization which is not as easy to do on your own.
Your dog learns how to work around other dogs, lots of distractions, other people and most importantly, they learn to pay attention to you in these settings.
You get to see how others work with their dogs and learn from their experiences as well as your own.
Your dog gets to have exposure to different sizes and breeds of dogs as well as different behaviors.
You have set training protocol to follow as the classes advance and direction for each stage.
I feel like it really helps me foster a bond with Izzy and to learn how to work with her in what can be a challenging setting.
I scheduled Izzy's Puppy Preschool and play groups before we even brought her home. I knew it would be a critical part of her puppy program and it was. What a great experience for her. She got short amounts of training appropriate for a young puppy and then supervised play time with all kinds of other puppies and a lot of different people. We worked on really important things like handling and what a difference that makes. Izzy needed her ears washed for the first time recently. I was ready for a struggle but she did not fuss at all. I know this was partly due to the early handling of her ears. These classes also gave me much needed ideas for working with some of the more difficult puppy behaviors and also just a lot of support. We even made lasting friendships with Iylah and her people and Runa and her people. I am so thankful for these friendships.
We continued with Puppy Kindergarten, Teen Social Club and now Dog 2. I love that she gets to work on being calm and paying attention to me in a really stimulating environment. We also have had the opportunity to work with different trainers which also enriches our experience. I will continue with more advanced classes. I think it is going to help so much with working with Izzy as a therapy dog. Could we do it on our own? Probably. Would it be as effective or fun? No. For my local friends, I want to give a big shout-out to Training Spot. Great trainers who are both knowledgeable and supportive and offer a large variety of classes. So thankful for their help in our journey towards Izzy becoming a therapy dog.
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