need a dog trainer

[Heather Duwaji]

Can anyone recommend a good dog trainer for my 9 week old puppy that would come home in Beverly Hills, CA. or at least tell me how i would go about finding one. I've gone on line but i'm not sure its the safest way to do this. 

[Adina P]

I recommend searching on these two sites:  http://apdt.com/ and http://www.dogpro.org/ -- search for a dog trainer in your zip code and that will give you a list of places to look up.  Check out their websites, their philosophy, their expertise, etc.  I would choose someone who has accomplished a lot with their dogs and actually competes in obedience and has won obedience titles with their dogs.  That is proof that they know how to train specific things and can demonstrate their dogs skills in front of others.  

If you've never trained a dog before, please know that with a puppy teaching stuff is easy! They learn simple things like "sit" and "down" very quickly.  So they will fool you into thinking they are trained.  But the 'real training' comes as they hit about 6 months---that's when you WILL have to go outside of your house to really teach them how to behave in all circumstances.  If you only train your dog in your house, you will only have an obedient dog in the house.  You have to take them to parks, downtown, everywhere you want them to obey and have little training sessions there for practice before you will have a dog that listens and obeys.  Training classes, whether at home or at a training school are for YOU and only you.  It teaches you how to do the training but you will have to be the main trainer for your dog through daily practice sessions.

[Heather Duwaji]

thanks Adina i will check out these two web sights. i have to say he is learning fast but is was just thinking of starting early so he doesn't develop bad habits later. But you are right teaching him at home is not the best idea cause he needs to learn social skills and how to obey even with distractions. So I will do some more exploring.

[Adina P]

At 9 weeks the most important things, in my not-so-humble opinion ;-), are the following:

-- accepting handling of entire body, grooming, gentle manipulation of paws, ears, being restrained.

-- socialization in the great world, meeting people, being around other dogs (not just for play time), going places

-- potty training

-- keeping mouth and teeth off humans

-- accepting leash time and confinement (crate)

-- not jumping on people

Those things, I think, are more important than "sit" and "down" and other commands. Others may disagree, but it's like trying to put a toddler through kindergarten if you spend too much time on obedience commands vs. general life/socialization/getting along/manners.  Because as good as they might be at learning commands...it all goes out the window when they reach the point where they realize they can choose to do something other than obey.  THAT's when serious obedience training matters.  Before that...meh.  I didn't teach a thing to Boca till she was about 5 months.  Didn't hurt her at all...she did GREAT after that and it wouldn't have mattered if I'd started before or not.

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

I think this is a great list.  I would add one more.  When Guinness was a puppy a trainer told me that at this age you could start to teach them that when you call and they come to you, good things happen.  She said "make it a party" so they develop the idea that coming to Mom is a great thing.....and don't call them for things that they may consider "negative"....just to get them for those things.  I'm not talking about an actual recall....just giving them the idea that coming when called means reward of some kind.

[Heather Duwaji]

Thank you Adina and Jane I will work on that list. Louie seems to hate his leash and taking him out on it is sometimes stressful. Anyway i will start working on that list that was great advise.