Cat and Dog Blog

Where do I begin searching for a dog trainer? What do I need to know when I’m looking for a trainer?

I have a pug puppy I wanted to train. He yanked the leash out of my hands today and ran into the road… he’s ok. But I definitely think it’s time to find a trainer to prevent this from happening again. Do you know what I need to look for when I’m looking for a trainer? Where can I look them up? I know Petsmart offers dog training sessions…are they any good? Also, I live in Charlotte NC…so if anyone has recommendations please let me know. Thanks guys!

Some time back I observed a few Petsmart training classes and it appeared the trainer was confusing both the dogs and the owners. Don’t mean to knock them, but I just wasn’t overly impressed. Its very possible it may be different in your area and maybe they’ve revised their training practices.

You can always ask your vet for recommendations, even Pug breed clubs in your area. Search on the web, as well. Obviously you want someone that has experience. When you come across a few, ask if you can sit in on one of the lessons (without bringing your dog, of course) and see what kind of feel you get from it. There should be no harsh or overboard corrections with any dog. Dogs and owners should be all having a good time while learning and class should end on a positive note. Pups usually need a little break during the class because you’re not going to get a big attention span out of them. Usually they’ll shut down after a while otherwise. A good trainer is also going to go over diet, grooming and some basic health issues, too. And you need to be mindful there a a lot of “wannabies” out there that claim to be trainers and have minimal experience and are just looking to make a buck. They do more harm than good. Usually they do a lot of harm! Go with your gut feeling from what you observe in a class.

Hope this helped a bit and good luck!

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