Petsmart Training Classes

[Frank and Pippa]

We just brought in our beautiful little girl Pippa on July 3rd and want to jumpstart on some training. I was thinking about taking her to the 6 week program that Petsmart offers and want to get any opinions about them if there are any. Thanks in advance!!!!

[Jess]

I enjoyed it because this is my first dog so i learned simple things other dog owners may already know.

Some of it was them trying to "sell" product in the first class but after that it was good!

He got to see other puppies and the booklet they give you is pretty much how the trainers do all the training so I read it, attended each class and he passed! We also did the intermediate class! 

Just make sure you do everything at home that you do in class! 

They also have 50% coupons on training a lot of the time, so try to get that before singing up! Or buy the $20 coupon booklet that will have % off training as well 

[Beth & Cheddar]

Where did you find the 50% coupon in the past?

[Jess]

The trainer

[Judith and Addie]

Talk with the trainers and get an idea of how they run the program. I assume that there are differences between facilities. You want to make certain that it is a "positive only" training program. I went to one in NC that was not. Here is a blurb from the Humane Society about what positive training is:  http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/dogs/tips/dog_training_positiv...

Here is some more from Victoria Stillwell:

The Four Pillars of Positive Training:

1. The use of positive reinforcement
2. Avoiding the use of intimidation, physical punishment or fear
3. A comprehension of the often misunderstood concept of dominance
4. A commitment to understanding the canine experience from the dog's point of view

Congrats on your new puppy! And congrats on getting her started.

[Diane D]

I find that it's a difficult line to walk on. Some of the "Cesar Milan" techniques work very well, such as walking with the dog and claiming space. We were advised to use a prong collar on Roxy but declined. It seemed like a torture device. We went to a milder device, a Halti, head collar and it works very well without jerking her. Some of the suggestions like poking and kicking seem cruel. Our thought was that we loved her "happy-go-lucky" personality and did not want to make her fearful of us hurting her. She's spunky and playful and we wanted to keep her that way, but at the same time, we had to control her jumping on people. Time, consistency, love and patience are the real keys to training. 

[Judith and Addie]

I am a very strong opponent of any Cesar Millan training because his method is based on theory that was proven false, and admitted to be wrong by the person who initially did the study comparing dog and wolf behavior. I would throw out any book or reference that cites Mr. Millan.  Please read this:

http://www.livescience.com/5846-critics-challenge-dog-whisperer-met...

Then there is this statement: 

A fall 2006 New York Times piece headlined “Pack of Lies” lambasted Millan’s methods as “laughable” and “outdated.” The writer concluded:

“Mr. Millan’s quick fix might make for good television…. But it flies in the face of what professional animal behaviorists…have learned.”

Two years later, the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior issued a policy statement on dominance theory, which didn’t mention Millan by name, but denounced his methods, saying they lead to “an antagonistic relationship between owners and their pets.”

from http://www.petful.com/news/cesar-millan-critics/

Because I love my dog, I would steer clear of anything Cesar Millan, because, although there may be a thing or two that might be correct, how will you know it from the really bad stuff, especially when the basis for his training method has been proven to be false and injurious to our dogs?

[Barbie]

I highly recommend PetSmart’s training classes. Just be choosy on selecting a trainer. Zeus was a regular day camper at PetSmart and when I went to pick him up, I’d have to walk past the in-session training classes. So, one day, I decided to sign Zeus up for the Puppy Training course.

On my 1^st class, I was shocked at the trainer’s aggressiveness, callous demeanor, and hostility toward dogs. He treated the dogs and us like he was our master drill sergeant. His loud, overbearing, and harsh voice frightened Zeus so much that he kept trying to hide behind me for protection. The trainer even told me that all dogs are the same and you have to make them fear you. At the end of the class, he kept trying to force me to buy a choker-chain prong collar, feeding me gibberish that it’s the only way to make a dog stop pulling on the leash. I was appalled and furious!

So, the next day, I went back to PetSmart to complain to the manager and get a refund. When I entered the store, I was greeted by an employee who had always been very friendly, gentle with Zeus, and very generous in helping me locate items in the store. I explained to him my issues with the trainer. He told me that Zeus should be in the Intermediate Training course anyway and that he’d be happy to be Zeus’ new trainer. I didn't even know he was a trainer. So, he switched my contract right then.

After Zeus’ 2^nd class with the new trainer, he no longer pulled on the leash. And because I’d already taught him the intermediate level skills, the new trainer asked me what else I wanted to teach Zeus, then he conducted our future classes as a one-on-one, with just him, Zeus, and me. It was a wonderful experience.

Instead of making the same mistake I did, you might want to watch a few puppy training sessions and determine for yourself whether you like the trainer, and if not, ask whether there’s other trainers that you could interview and audit their training classes before you sign a training contract.

[Haley, Yeti, and Phin]

Did you use a regular collar with Zeus?

[Barbie]

Yes, a big, fat, black nylon collar with a big, fat, bright pink nylon leash (since I'm the one who has to wear the leash). :O)

[Haley, Yeti, and Phin]

hahahaha i love that :) were hoping to get Yeti to stop pulling a lot. we have a harness and a gentle leader (which he absolutely despises). We haven't been able to make it to any puppy classes (boo work schedules) but i'm SO looking forward to being able to get Yeti in some classes. Pulling on the leash and "down" are our two things we need to tackle. :)

[Lori, Winnie, Bob and Indie]

I've had a lot of experience training dogs, but my husband had none. So, we decided that it would be good for him to take Winnie to some classes at Petsmart. The first set of puppy classes were very good- my husband said the instructor was very knowledgeable and gave them a lot of one-on-one attention. The next level of classes was taught by a gal that was very new to training, and it was basically a waste of time. There were way too many distractions when they tried to learn loose-leash walking by walking up and down the aisles.I worked with Winnie a lot a home, and then took her to some advanced classes at a local facility that has a very large room. The larger facility was a great place to do more intensive work with extended stays, off leash walking by my side, recalls from across the room, etc.

So, like other's have said, a lot depends on the instructor at Petsmart. But, for socializing,  basic training and puppy care, I think that have something to offer.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

I have taken several dogs to the PetSmart classes. I found that the PetSmart trainers were not that experienced. They were okay but in reality you didn't learn much over the course and it cost more than finding training classes sponsored by the city, by a shelter, etc.  Look around to see if you can find something better.