Could You Be Your Dog’s Best Teacher?

The reality is, you probably match up very well indeed for a number of reasons – we’ll look at those in a moment.

But if you suspect you aren’t good enough, smart enough, or dedicated enough to train your own dog to a high standard, you are not alone.

What about training classes?

Every year pet owners spend thousands upon thousands of dollars on dog training classes.

Some of which are fantastic value, some of which are okay, and some of which are downright harmful.

A significant number of puppy parents actually send their dogs away to boarding kennels to be educated.

Here the potential for harm is much greater, if the wrong trainer is chosen.

So are training classes bad?

Does this mean I don’t believe in puppy classes, or training classes of any kind?

Absolutely not.

There are some fantastic dog trainers out there, most of them completely unknown and underrated.

Your dog will benefit greatly from attending their classes. But you need to know where to look.

Local dog training classes

Most new puppy parents are advised to attend local training classes.

Training methods are demonstrated in these classes, and advice and support will available to you. Usually on a weekly basis.

This can be a great thing.

But it’s really important to be very fussy about who gets to choose the methods that are used on your dog, because the wrong methods can have long lasting unwanted effects.

Picking a local class

If you lack experience it can be hard to identify a quality dog training class. Always go along in person, without your dog, and observe a class before you sign your dog up.

Students should be enjoying themselves and dogs should be happy and having fun.

This is especially important with a young puppy.

Safety first

It’s really important to attend a class where other dogs (and the trainer) are not allowed to bully or intimidate your dog.

Puppies can suffer lasting trauma if overpowered by a larger, more exuberant dog, even if that dog is well intentioned.

Appropriate learning

Different dogs learn at different rates. So it’s also important that you are supported in helping your dog work at their pace.

Of course, not everyone has a great class within easy access. If you can’t find a class you feel comfortable with right now, it’s okay to take the plunge and start training your dog at home

Starting at home

Gaining some experience yourself at home while you look for a good trainer, is never time wasted.

In fact, it can actually help you get far more from a class when you find one that’s suitable.

Because you have two very special qualities.

What makes you special? #1 Your Bond

No-one else loves your dog the way you do.

No-one else cares as much about your dog’s welfare, or is as willing to step in if your dog is getting upset, or feeling stressed.

And no, you don’t need to upset your dog or show him who is boss to make him obey you.

That kind of approach was born in a time long gone. We now know better.

What makes you special? #2 Access to your dog

This is often overlooked by people who think they are not capable of training their dog to a high standard. But one of your biggest assets is that you have access to your dog 24/7.

Your trainer will be lucky to get his hands on your dog more than an hour each week.

Your dog doesn’t stop learning when you get him home. In fact 99% of your dog’s learning happens at home, or outdoors in your company.

Accidental learning

Your dog is learning when you are not training him as well as when you are.

Using some basic canine behavior modification techniques will help you manage your dog’s time better.

Which in turn will make sure your dog learns the things you want him to learn. And avoid him getting into bad habits.

Helping yourself

If you don’t learn how to modify your dog’s behavior all by yourself, you are going to have problems at some point.

A good trainer in a puppy class will help you with this, but let’s face it, they are also trying to help ten other dog parents at the same time.

So you need to help yourself too. And it isn’t as hard as you think.

Dog training involves knowledge, not talent

Here’s the thing.

Dog training involves skills and some basic knowledge of how animal behavior is modified.

All of which can be learned.

You simply need a willingness to learn and few minutes each day to practice.

Training without force

Plenty of people with no previous experience and no apparent ‘natural talent’ for dog training have succeeded.

That’s because modern dog training doesn’t involve force or physical strength, or mystical abilities.

It teaches dogs to choose, rather than forcing them to obey.

And it teaches people how to increase the behaviors they like in their dogs, and how to decrease the behaviors they don’t like to see in their dogs.

But what if I make a mistake?

Once of the greatest benefits of force free training is that the inevitable mistakes all new trainers make, do no harm.

If you make a mistake, you can simply go back a step and give it another go. No-one is scared or upset. And your puppy is still willing to play with you and interact with you, next time.

You can be your dog’s best teacher

If you can’t get to a good local dog training class, or you don’t feel ready yet to train in a group of other dogs, that’s okay.

If your puppy is very young, you need to take them out and about in public a great deal in order to socialize them. But you don’t need to attend a training class to achieve that.

Nor do you need to test your puppy’s obedience during socialization outings.

Homeschooling works

It’s fine to homeschool your puppy in basic obedience before asking him to respond to your requests in public places or among other dogs.

In fact, dogs learn fastest at the beginning in quiet, undisturbed locations. Your kitchen or yard may well be the best place to begin.

You are probably going to need a little support, so let’s look at where you can find that.

Learning from books

There are some great books that will teach you the basics of behavioral science without boring you to death.

These books will also help you to identify good quality classes when you are ready. They include Jean Donaldson’s “The Culture Clash“ and Patricia McConnell’s “The Other End Of The Leash”

If your puppy is very young you might enjoy one of my own books, “The Happy Puppy Handbook”. Published by Penguin Random House in the UK, it has now sold hundreds of thousands of copies worldwide.

My aim after the great response to the Puppy Handbook, was to follow it up with a sequel in the form of a structured training course. More of that below.

Getting motivated

One of the problem with learning from books is that it can be hard to motivate yourself to get started. At least with a class you have to be there each week.

An online community can help with motivation, as can a structured training plan where you mark off what you have achieved each day.

And nowadays there are also a range of online training courses available.

Learning online

Just like local training classes, online courses vary in quality and value for money. But the right course can save you hundreds, even thousands of dollars.

Here at Dogsnet we have focused on taking our students on a step-by-step journey, building knowledge, and your dog’s skills, in layers.

And so the courses we run are very structured. And students are supported via our private training forum.

Training Tips

If you are not ready to join a training program, you might enjoy my training tips – these are delivered by email and cover a wide range of topics that concern all dog owners from time to time.

We also send regular course discount offers to our email readers, so it’s worth joining just for those!

The Dogsnet Training Program

If you like the idea of more support and a structured system of learning, you might enjoy joining our online training program.

We have a range of courses to take you from the very first day with your new puppy, using modern, force free training techniques.

I write the courses myself, so you’ll find the style similar to my books. In fact the training program is based on the book that was intended to follow The Happy Puppy Handbook.

Provided you are comfortable with reading and watching videos on the internet, there are many benefits to learning from an online course rather than a book.

I’ve been able to provide so much more detail and of course, to demonstrate the training techniques for you to follow and copy.

The courses

There are three entry level courses.

• Puppy Games
• Puppy Parenting
• Foundation Skills

Puppy Games is a short course that takes you through the first fifteen days with a new puppy.

You get two new games each day, and the games build your puppy’s skills in eight different areas, including listening to you, learning to be alone and more.

Puppy Parenting is a more in-depth course that focuses on caring for your new puppy.

So you’ll learn about potty training, socialization, and solving common puppy problems. There is a little overlap between the two puppy courses when it comes to games.

Foundation Skills is our entry level course for older dogs and for dog parents who want to learn about force free training and improve their own training skills.

Launched in November 2019 the courses have had great reviews – you can read them by clicking the links above. Or email the Dogsnet Team: [email protected] with any questions you may have.

You really are your dog’s best teacher

The truth is, you and you alone are almost certainly the very best person, to teach your dog.

Training your dog at home using modern force-free methods can never harm your dog. And it’s never to late to begin!

Later on, when you feel more confident you will be better equipped to find a trainer to support you if you want to take things up a notch.

You’ve got this!

Here’s the bottom line. It’s my belief that almost everyone who brings a dog into their life, is the best person to train that dog.

And good quality online training courses using video instruction, and providing support to their students, are simply the best way to get the knowledge and techniques that you need at home.

Whether you join one of my courses, or a course run by another experienced teacher that uses modern training techniques, you’ve got this.

Don’t doubt your ability to be your dog’s best teacher. I believe in you. And we haven’t even met. Isn’t it time for you to believe in yourself?