When we rescued our lab/mutt puppy we had a little bit of a conundrum as to what would be the best…read moreway to train our new dog.... We researched a variety of places but continually felt that certain training methods were a bit too aggressive, inhumane, or were not sensitive to the fact some dogs are motivated differently than others (or had a rough start life and were very fearful; like our dog...).
Having heard about Dog Trainers Workshop from various people, we did a little research, then decided to sign up for their introduction puppy class.
The classes are broken into several categories based on your dogs age, skill and previous training: Puppy, Beginner, Advanced Beginner, and Competition. You can also take private classes, or leave your dog in their care for them to train them (a few years later we actually scheduled some time and dropped our dog off for a few days of boarding/brushing up on skills he was getting rusty *cough-lazy-cough* on).
Connie Cleveland, and her staff, are absolutely amazing!
The classes are taught to help you understand your doggy's psyche. And to train you to know how to interact with your dog as the "pack leader", as well as to teach you to know what motivates your dog to want to listen to you. Families are encouraged to come to class so the dog will learn to listen to a variety of people, as well as ensuring that everyone feels comfortable with the dog (as well as giving commands to the pet). There were several classes when young kids (under the age of 10) were giving direction or a command to the dog-- which was easily 40lbs larger than they were-- and the dog would listen!
There are no whistles, spray bottles, clickers, shock collars, screaming, or commands repeated 10,000 times in Connie's classes. There is, however, lots of positive reinforcement, treats, encouragement, and Connie and her staff are there to help you if you have ANY concerns or questions. They love dogs and want the best for the animals more than anyone I've ever met!
Dog Trainers Workshop was the best thing we could have ever done for our dog and for ourselves! Our dog is obedient, knows when to listen, but also knows he can be just a dog. We learned so much at Dog Trainers Workshop-- we tell anyone who is thinking about, or has a dog that needs some training, to go here!
We travel with our dog a lot and we are frequently told by others (whether it is bars, restaurants, hotels, groomers, doggy day care) how well he listens, as well as how enjoyable an animal he is.
I give Dog Trainers Workshop five stars without any trepidation! They do an excellent job in training the pet owners--as well as the pet-- to have the best relationship you can have with your four legged friend!
