We don’t say that in-home dog training is best for your dog because it’s what we do; it’s what we do because it’s best for your dog.
Group training classes can be quite effective when you have a dog that is generally well-behaved and just needs a little fine-tuning. Trainers should be able to teach basic obedience commands and effective methods in a group setting.
However, if your dog has any specific behavioral problems you’d like to address, in-home training will be the most effective choice. Similarly, if your dog is very young, aggressive, anxious, or leash reactive, you’ll also need in-home training.
Some owners consider sending their dogs away for training. This method has a lot of names: board-and-train, boarding school, and residential dog training. As far as we’re concerned, sending your dog away puts your pup at a significant disadvantage because it takes you out of the training equation.
We want to share three reasons why in-home training is the superior choice for you and your dog:
- You get to bond with your dog.
K9 of Mine emphasizes the fact that effective training requires a strong bond with the trainer. With our in-home training program, you get a chance to perform the training techniques yourself. We guide you, but our goal is always for the dog to form a bond with you—not with us. Forming and protecting that connection is important to your dog’s behavioral future.
- You are involved in every part of the training process.
As The Labrador Site points out, the dog training profession is unregulated. Anyone can call themselves a dog trainer, so if you send your dog away, you can never know for sure how your dog will be treated or trained. The first step to ensuring someone is qualified is to ask about their education and experience. Our trainers are certified professionals, but we don’t just ask you to take our word for it; we encourage you to watch us in action.
- You can work on your dog’s specific behavioral needs.
The American Kennel Club confirms that customization is a game-changing factor when it comes to dog training. In-home trainers can work around your schedule and work on your pup’s behavior in the place where they most often exhibit undesirable behavior: at home. If your dog barks at cars or chews on shoes, they aren’t going to get the help they need away from those cars and shoes. They need to face their triggers to overcome them.
Pet Helpful (and countless other sources) talk about how dogs have a difficult time generalizing. This means that if they learn a skill or trick in one setting, they have difficulty applying the knowledge in another setting. It stands to reason that the most helpful place for training to occur would be in the home, where owners most often need to rely on their pups to obey commands and recognize boundaries.
To learn more about the benefits of in-home training, give us a call at 872.895.9220.