Has anyone taken their doodle to Petco for the basic obedience training class?

[Paul & Michele]

Ok, on my way home I stopped at Petco(I chose them over petsmart only because it's about 20 miles closer to where I live) and the trainer they have is suppose to be really good. Molly is going to start class on March 29th... I have my fingers crossed..

I was wondering if anyone has gone through the basic obedience training class at a PETCO, and how did it work out. Molly is 1 yr old and I am thinking about signing her up today. If anyone has done this class I would be interested in hearing about your experience and how your dog did. Molly seems to be pretty smart but I think maybe this class would be good for her????

[Lee Seidman]

We are in our fifth week of Lexi's second puppy training course at Petco. It is an excellent course but everything is up to the trainer. Our first experience in puppy training was at the Humane Societyand was terrible. The class was too large, the dogs were distracted and the trainer was not good.
We got lucky at Petco and have an excellent trainer this time. The class is held to six dogs maximum, three dropped out so we have a small class size. Keep in mind, she does not train your pup,she will demonstrate what to do and trains you to train your Doodle; then it is patience ,and youworking with her at home. So far we are happy with the Petco course and have had good results with sit, stay, leave it, off and come. She is far from a show dog, but doing good for an eight month old.

[Stella]

Definitely go along and watch a couple of classes at the time of day you are planning on taking your dog, that way you can see the instructors and what they are like. The most important thing is class size, and you (and your dog) have to like the instructor. Is Petco a chain like Petsmart? We know a couple of people who took their dogs there because the prices were better, but they didn't have a great experience and are still having trouble with their dogs. We went to an independent training school, and although it was a bit more money, it was so worth it. It was the instructors own business and she really cares about every dog that goes there. Taking your dog to classes is a really great idea, is will be good for both of you!

[GBK]

I agree with Stella, go and watch a class, ask the trainer if you could sit in on a class with your dog. My trainer at Petsmart encourages people to sit in to see if it is right for them. I do have an exceptionally experienced trainer for a Petsmart though. We got really lucky :) Ask if they were training before Petco, might give you some insight as to their ability. Good luck, my oldest is almost 4 and we still do advanced training, it IS good for you both and your relationship.

[2SCdoodles]

My two doodles went through training at Petsmart, and we all loved it. Capp has gone through level 3, and Joe level 1. Joe knows everything Capp has learned from our practice sessions at home. We don't have a Petco near us, so Petsmart was our best option with the variety of classes that they offered.