Basic Obedience - Group or 1-on-1

[mtndan]

Hi good people, we just got our beautiful rescue dog, Oscar, this weekend, and have been working with him at home a lot on his basics (he's a 3.5 year old bundle of untrained chaos).

Next week we are going to start basic obedience classes -- should we do a group class with 5 other dogs, or work 1-on-1 with a trainer. The thing we're worried about is so far we've seen any dog or person who's new get him so excited he's nearly impossible to control. We're afraid that a class would be too much stimulation for him.

But on the other hand, we need to start socializing him some way, so is class the best way?

Thanks!
Dan

 

[JulieM]

As long as he's not extremely aggressive, I'd go with the group classes. A good instructor will know that in a beginning class, the dogs are untrained and usually need some socialization. They will keep the dogs far enough apart that everyone can concentrate (for the most part) on the lessons, and learn to pay attention to the handler even in the face of (sometimes major) distractions. 6 dogs in a class is a very workable number, you should be able to get good individual attention as needed. As the class progresses, you (and Oscar) will learn to work even if other dogs are nearby, and to "Say Hi" nicely and calmly. IMO, one-on-one training is good for extreme problem behaviors, but it does not address the issue of distractions and dog-dog interactions - group classes do.

 

[mtndan]

thanks Julie

Thanks Julie -- we'll see how it goes.

D