Training in Houston

[Texas Doodle Mom and Molly Rose]

We are in NW Houston and have searched this site and others for recommendations on a trainer.  I would be interested in a training facility and/or someone who comes to your home for private lessons.  Anyone have someone to recommend?  I planned to use Rover Oaks Resort in Katy, but it is not the closest to my home. 

http://www.roveroaks.com/

A friend used Shelmar for her boxer and loves it: http://www.shelmarkennels.com/

I saw Houston Dog Ranch recommended here on DK: http://www.houstondogranch.com/training.html#boardingschool

Some of these are board and train facilities.  Not sure I could handle that - do you think it is okay at a certain age?  What is the minimum age to start a class (not board and train)?

Thanks in advance for any input!

[Emily, Bentley, & Maserati]

I don't have recommendations on those particular training groups as I am not in Texas, but I did want to chime in on board and train. 

We had never done it with our 7 & 6 year old dogs. We did it with our now 6 month old pup for puppy imprinting. We will also be sending him back for a week of "clean up" work to brush up on the new skills we've been working on with him. It is hard at first but it has been really rewarding. Maserati loves Josh, the trainer we are working with. It has been great for him because he gets constant reinforcement and has really excelled with his lessons. We did puppy imprinting from 10-18 weeks. He came home every weekend. He has done 1.5 weeks of board and train when he was 5.5 months for some advanced off-leash training and recall work. 

Board and training was new and difficult for us both to accept. Our trainer posts videos and pictures to FB daily as well as personal updates for each family. We had homework every weekend and at his completion we had a packet of homework that our trainer has been checking in on us and how his at-home continuation training is going. We have been 100% satisfied and will be using this training style in the future with any future pups we have! 

[Texas Doodle Mom and Molly Rose]

Thank you for sharing this! I have never done board and train before either - just training at home. I grew up on a ranch with border collies and they were so smart, and my shelties trained well without that border intensity. I want to have a well-trained doodle that can be a reading therapy dog one day. A long time ago we booked a trip to Colorado for this summer (after puppy comes home). I hate to board, but I have to, and getting training in while boarding would be a plus. Puppy will be about 18 weeks then. Is that a good age? I'm interested to know more about this puppy imprinting that you did at 10-18 weeks. My friend said it was wonderful for her boxer...but it was 6 weeks. She traveled a lot then to keep busy :)

[Emily, Bentley, & Maserati]

Typically our trainer wants puppies for imprinting from 8-16 weeks, but we were nervous and waited until 10 weeks. 

Yes, I think that is a good age. Puppies are like sponges, they will soak up the information! The really nice thing that I have enjoyed about this experience is the consistency and the fact that I can reach out to him afterwards for help. He and I talk about how M is doing regularly and we've visited to show off his new skills. It has been a fun experience to see the strides he makes each week. 

When Maserati came home he could sit, stay, lay, climb, a rockstar with his crate, fully potty trained, retrieve at long distances, great recall, and the basics of heal both on and off leash. His stays were 30+ minutes both in and out of sight. It was really awesome! We have continued building upon his skills with our "homework." These were all the foundations they implement in the imprinting course. Additionally, they socialize with other puppies and dogs of all ages, sizes, and breeds. He also introduces the puppies to a wide variety of sights and sounds and people. 

Luckily, we have our other two dogs at home plus several foster puppies within that time-frame to keep us occupied! We did miss our little one but he is well on his way for his CGC and Therapy dog certification like his big brother Bentley. :) 

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

You might want to ask this in your local TX group.

[Texas Doodle Mom and Molly Rose]

Thanks - I just discovered the Greater Houston Area group.  Will post there too.

[Texas Doodle Mom and Molly Rose]

Well, I didn't get any bites in the Greater Houston Group, but I wanted to iron out the correct ages I should be focusing on for training. 

Our puppy comes to us May 10 @ 8 weeks old.  I have to travel two weeks later, when puppy is 10 weeks old, but just for 4-5 days and someone will be here at home.  Then, when puppy is 16-18 weeks old, we all have to be gone for a couple weeks.  I am thinking that time, the only time I had planned to board, is too late to do the board and train as a first attempt, maybe okay to do it as a refresher.  I plan on enrolling in a puppy kindergarten (meets every Saturday) right away, but should I be looking into something more for that time period between 10-16 weeks?  Then, do I choose a trainer in the home, a class, or a board and train?  If we did board and train while we were actually at home, my oldest son may have a heart attack (me too!).  I was okay with it knowing I'd be going out of town, even adding a week before and after.

I won't be going with Shelmar - just don't feel comfortable with that one.  Another place, Miss Daisy's in Tomball, is owned by a trainer and sounds like a great option. http://www.missdaisys.com/.  I plan to be training at home during all of this time (reading the Dog Listener and other materials now).