Should you enroll your pooch in dog obedience school?
Dog training isn’t easy, and if you’re like many Los Angeles pet parents, there just aren’t enough hours in the day to work with your furry friend. Obedience school can be a smart solution, as professional trainers will focus on helping your dog become a cooperative and well-behaved companion.
Whether you have a tail-wagger that regularly gets into trouble or a generally good pup that needs some guidance, a dog obedience school can make your life easier. Here’s the information you need to decide if enrolling your pooch is a good idea.
When to Enroll Your Dog in Obedience School
According to canine behavior experts, puppies that are 8 to 12 weeks in age are the best students, as any bad habits they may have developed aren’t yet deeply ingrained. However, that doesn’t mean adult dogs can’t benefit from obedience school.
While obedience training is typically easier with a puppy, older dogs understand more human language – plus, they tend to have longer attention spans. In our experience, teaching adult tail-waggers is often no more challenging than working with young dogs. Getting the job done simply requires patience, diligence and consistency.
So, when you get right down to it, there’s no right or wrong time to enroll a dog in obedience school. Whatever the age of your furry friend, they can attend and learn new skills.
What to Expect From Dog Obedience School
All dog obedience schools in the Los Angeles area are not alike, but most focus on teaching a range of essential commands and skills that help canines and their pet parents build better relationships.
Enroll your dog in an obedience training school, and the professional trainers will likely work on the following:
- Sit, stay, come and other basic commands
- Walking on the leash without pulling
- Greeting people without jumping up on them
- Potty training and housebreaking
- General manners and impulse control
In addition, socialization is an important skill for canines. Obedience training schools usually offer opportunities for dog-to-dog interactions and experiences in different environments. With proper socialization, your pooch will feel more confident and grow to become a happy and well-adjusted companion.
How to Choose the Right Dog Obedience School
Search the internet, and you’ll see that there are scores of dog obedience schools in the Los Angeles area. But while having options is a good thing, it certainly doesn’t make choosing a school any easier. And you really can’t just go with the closest location – the dog training industry is unregulated, so you’ll need to do your own research to find the best fit for your furry friend.
Our advice? Seek out recommendations, asking friends, family members, neighbors and co-workers if they know of a reputable local dog obedience training school. Checking with your veterinarian or groomer might also be worthwhile. Once you have the names of a few schools, consider these questions:
- How did the professional trainers learn their skills? Was their knowledge gained through an apprenticeship, or do they have an academic background?
- How long has the school been around? Do the professional trainers have at least a few years of hands-on experience with obedience training?
- What approach does the training school take? Are positive reinforcement and clear communication the foundation, and is the training designed to be fun?
- Will your dog be safe and comfortable at the school? Are the training and relaxation areas up to standard in terms of cleanliness and security?
- When the obedience training ends, will you know how to work with your dog at home? Do the professional trainers offer ongoing support to pet parents?
To get answers to those questions, you can check the website of each dog obedience training school. Reading online reviews may be helpful as well. However, you might want to simply give the school a call or, better yet, make arrangements to visit the facility. That way, you’ll be able to determine if you have a good rapport with the professional trainers.
Can Your Dog Benefit From Obedience School?
The truth is, just about any dog can benefit from obedience training. Some breeds tend to learn more quickly than others and, as we mentioned, puppies are often the best students. But as long as you choose the right school – one with a team of trusted, experienced and committed professional dog trainers – your furry friend can see training success.
Dog obedience training sounds grueling, but at iWorkDogs Dog Training Company, that isn’t the case. We use positive reinforcement, clear communication and a rewards-based approach to get results. And with us, going to school is a fun-filled experience.
The iWorkDogs team has extensive experience teaching canines of all ages, breeds and temperaments. Your dog is sure to love our safe, state-of-the-art facility, as it was designed for canine comfort and enjoyment. We can help your dog learn, and you can count on us to teach you how to reinforce their new skills and keep them on the right track.
Based in Playa Del Ray, iWorkDogs assists pet parents in Los Angeles and the surrounding southern California area. For more information on our team of professional trainers or our dog obedience school, contact us today.
