For a lot of people, the first thing they consider when they get a new dog in the house is getting that dog trained. Whether it’s basic or advanced, training your dog will help you keep your canine buddy’s behaviors in check.
In the following article, we’ll answer one of the most frequent questions when it comes to dog training. So, is private dog training worth it, and What are the alternatives?
Private dog training is one of the most time-efficient methods to correct your dog’s behavior and prevent them from developing bad habits and attitudes at a young age. While there are other alternatives, such as group training and training the dog on your own, it’s not always the best route to take.
However, that’s just the tip of the iceberg, as both private training and classes have their pros and cons, so it all boils down to how this suits your condition and the level of training you have in mind.
Keep on reading if you want to know everything about dog training benefits, alternatives, and more!
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Is Dog Training Worth The Money
Yes!
if you look past the price, which is the biggest issue when it comes to private dog training, it’s worth the money and time.
With private dog training, your dog will be able to benefit more exclusively from the trainer’s experience. This will help the dog to make the best out of the training and correct its behavior in a short window of time.
Additionally, in some special training, private training is your only viable option, such as training your dog to be a therapy dog.
Types of Dog Training
Private dog training isn’t just one thing, as there are various types of dog training that you should decide based on what you need.
Here are the training options that you might come across while looking for private lessons for your doggie.
Puppy Training
Most experts recommend training your puppies to prevent them from developing bad habits and aggressive behaviors when they grow up. This is exactly what puppy training is all about.
Behavioral Training
Behavioral training is the most common type of training for dogs and is most probably what you’re looking for. As the name suggests, this kind of training is all about correcting the dog’s behavioral issues.
This type of training is recommended if your dog is acting up or doing unwanted habits. This includes loud barking and chewing.
It’s also the simplest type of training, which is necessary before you advance in dog training techniques. Advanced behavioral training also includes a leash and off-leash dog training.
General and Specified Obedience Training
This type of training is the logical follow-up once you’ve got the behavioral issues corrected. This type of training is all about teaching your dog to obey various commands, such as “sit”, “come”, and “roll over”.
After the basic commands, your dog will be ready to learn the advanced ones, such as jumping an obstacle and improving the athleticism of your dog.
Service or Therapy Dog Training
If you want to train your dog to show love, support, and affection, it must go through this type of training. Before training on being a therapy dog, your pooch has to master at least the minimum level of obedience training.
Hunting Dog Training
If your dog is going to join you on hunting, herding, or doing a certain job like rescue dogs, it’ll require special training that highly depends on the dog’s breed as well as the competency of the trainer.
How To Choose The Right Personal Dog Trainer
Training dogs isn’t one straightforward method that anyone can learn. In fact, each method will vary among trainers even if they follow the same technique, as each trainer has their own interpretation of the method.
Let’s have a brief overview of all the major points you should know before picking the right dog trainer for your pup.
Trainer’s Personality
Personality plays a significant role in making the training period more streamlined, which is better for you and your dog.
Look for a dog trainer with a nice personality. This will give you the comfort to ask questions and learn how to maintain the dog’s nice habits even when the training ends.
The best trainers care about the quality of the end products rather than getting the job done as quickly as possible.
Training Method
There are various methods to train a dog. A good trainer will have a good grasp of these techniques and know what’s best for each situation.
Most training techniques are classified into “do-based” and “don’t-based” methods. The do-based ones are all rewarding good behaviors with treats while using various clicks and sound to create connections that are easy to control.[Source]
Don’t-based ones are all about preventing the dog from doing undesirable behavior by correcting them.
These ones are known as negative reinforcement techniques, which are best avoided whenever the do-based techniques work.
What Are the Pros and Cons of Private Dog Training?
Now that you know more about private dog training and its technique, it’s time to find out more about its merits and drawbacks. This will help you make a final decision based on your needs and preferences.
Pros
- It maximizes the benefits taken per single session when compared to any other alternative
- Your dog will get the maximum level of attention
- The session will be tailored according to your dog’s situation rather than being a general curriculum to follow with all the dogs in class or general guides out there
- Private sessions give you ample chance to ask the trainer about anything
- You can schedule them whenever you want
- Healthier and safer for dogs (especially puppies)
Cons
- Significantly more expensive
- More challenging to find good trainers
- The dog gets less interaction and socialization with other dogs
How Much Is a Private Dog Trainer
Ideally, most dog training classes will average from $20 to $120 per session, based on various factors, such as:
- The trainer
- The type of training
- The dog’s age
- The length of the session
However, the national average for hiring a private trainer will always be a bit higher. You should expect a private dog trainer session to set you back anywhere from $120 to $160 per session.
Some dog trainers price their services per entire program, which are more price-efficient. In most cases, you should expect most of the basic programs to cost you around $300.
What Are the Alternatives to Having a Private Dog Trainer?
Now that you know more about private dog training as well as its pros and cons, things might start to clear out for you.
If you’re leaning towards not having a private dog trainer, you might want to know the alternatives and options you still have on the table. Here’s a brief insight into the most viable options that you can give a try if it suits you.
Training Your Dog Yourself
As you already know, private dog training is one of the best methods to provide your dog with as much attention while training as possible. However, if you’re on a budget but still expecting that much from your dog, training your dog yourself is your way to go.
For starters, you might need some external help to know the basics of training the dog on your own.
There’s a wide variety of methods to do so. For instance, you can try reading a dog training book, such as Zak George’s Dog Training Revolution or How to Housebreak Your Dog in 7 Days.
Additionally, some dog owners struck gold with modern smartphone dog training apps like Puppr and iClicker.You can also try watching some videos on Youtube, as there are a wide variety of channels that specify in making dog training videos in a simple and easy to understand method.
However, you should keep in mind that such an option will require you to afford a lot of time and attention to your doggie. In fact, if you’re unsure about your availability to train your dog, such a decision might make it extremely difficult to fix the damage.
Keep in mind that when you’re training the dog, you’re racing against time. If you’re among the lucky few who were dedicated enough to train their dog, it might be worth the time.
Yet, you should remember that your pup is getting older day by day, which makes the learning window fade before you know it.
That’s why it’s usually not recommended that anyone tries to train their dog themselves if it’s the first dog they ever had and they have little to no experience in training dogs and puppies.
While you’re experimenting with ideas and learning the methods, you might be missing valuable time while your dog is still young and willing to learn at full capacity.
Despite all that, you should know that training a dog is not rocket science. You’ll be able to get by in the wide majority of situations and get very satisfying results if you do have the patience and the time to give.
[Related Article: How to Restrain a Dog While Grooming Regardless of Size]Training Your Dog With Other Dogs (Training Classes)
The other option that will provide your dog with a decent level of experienced training is, of course, taking your dog to a dog training class.
While this option might still cost you some money, it’s usually much less than having a private dog trainer.
Not only that, but it also gives your dog a number of added benefits that aren’t available in a private dog training class.
For example, it’ll give your dog a nice chance to socialize with other dogs and learn from better-trained ones.
Also, it’ll encourage your dog to maintain their newly learned behaviors when they’re outdoors too.
The problem here is that such training isn’t always an option, especially if you’re doing a specific type of training, such as training your dog to be a service dog.
Wrap Up
Training your dog privately is always a good way to ensure that your dog makes the most out of the training session.
Although you might end up paying a little extra, the difference will have an impact on your dog’s behavior for years to come!
