**First, I need to mention that Civil Obedience Dog Training teaches at two locations, one is in…read moreClintonville at the Beechwold Veterinary Hospital, the other is in Dublin. Depending on which class and time of year it is, they will teach at either location.**
It wasn't too long ago that I decided to finally take the plunge and buy a puppy like I've been dying to do for a while now. It took one weekend to realize that I needed to do some basic training ASAP or I was going to have a mental breakdown. When he reached the appropriate age, I took him to puppy kindergarten at a local training club and learned some very basic training techniques. The problem though, was I felt the instructors didn't really seem as knowledgeable about training a dog as I had hoped. Also, their solutions to some of his annoying behaviors such as mouthing seemed detrimental and rough. When the pup graduated, I wanted to continue his training, but this time I wanted to try a more professional trainer and see how he reacted.
This is where Civil Obedience training came into play. It was recommended to me by my vet and they teach using only a positive reinforcement approach to training, first utilizing "clickers" to help the dogs recognize they did something correctly. I could tell after our first class with Amy (the trainer) that she worked very well with my dog and he responded beautifully. She also gives off a very approachable but professional vibe and gladly answers email questions in between classes. As with most dog training classes, most of the time is dedicated to showing you, as an owner, how to conduct training at home, and this class is no different from those. The big differentiating factor, is that they keep the classes small (6-7 dogs), which allows Amy to spend time with each owner and their furry child. She normally demonstrates how to do something correctly, incorrectly, and then has everyone try it, while she walks around the room making sure everyone performs correctly and has time to ask questions. I liked the basic obedience class so much that I recently started the advanced obedience training to further my skills.
There are a couple things I find disappointing with the basic obedience class, but not enough to knock my rating down to a 4:
1) Some of my dog's problem behaviors were not covered in the basic obedience class. Looking back, there really aren't that many skills covered, but I think it is because Amy spends a lot of time building a base to work from. The first couple weeks focus on sitting calmly, giving you their attention, and using healthy food/treats. I will say though, when training dogs, slow and steady tends to be much more effective.
2) There are a few occasions, especially when dealing with problem behaviors, that I feel like the "all positive" approach is too lenient. Just like when a human child gets out of line, an occasional spanking gets the message clear to them that they did something wrong. I'm certainly not advocating hitting your dog, but I feel a certain amount of firmness needs to be applied when appropriate. Overall though, most of the suggestions given to me have worked.
Ok, I know this review is getting long, but one last thing. $$Price$$ If you browse their website, you'll see that it is one of the more expensive classes in Columbus, but I've learned that you get what you pay for when it comes to dog training classes.
