Obedience Training

[Melanie]

Does anyone have any recommendations for puppy/novice obedience classes in Calgary? We're wanting to start some classes in a month or so and have found lots of options, but not sure which one to pick! Thanks!

[146lfrq35wykj]

Hi Melanie,
When we got our puppy we found the same thing. LOTS of choices and LOTS of conflicting and confusing info.
Just by fate we were blessed to have been recommended to Brad Pattison. That was before he had a TV show.
We say EVERY DAY how glad we are that someone crossed our path (another doodle owner my husband met at a tradeshow) who recommended him and his approach to us. You may have seen 'At the End of My Leash' on Slice?

Anyway........Brad has moved away from Calgary now that he's a big tv star but he has trained people here and I personally have attended classes with some of his CET's (certified educational trainers) and can definately recommend to you Nadine at buddahdog training. The format of the classes is 2x a week in the evenings usually 7-8:30 ish and homework is assigned on a group or individual basis. The owners are encouraged to gain obedience and loyalty thru bonding with your dog not thru bribery (treats) or cruelty (choke or pinch collars). All classes are outdoors! This is where we spend most of our time with our dogs so why go into a false setting like a gym or vet's office for classes? The focus is street smarts and safety but also all other aspects that relate to what happens within your home and family when you have a dog/pup like how to establish Alpha. It's AMAZING!

We get sooo many compliments on our dog now and I know that wouldn't have been the case if we hadn't have done this work. At 3 he's so obedient that it makes us proud. We figured if we put in a solid 1 yr of consistent effort and training we'd have a fantastic dog for 10-12 yrs...and that's what we are enjoying now.

I'm sure you've realized how smart your doodle is by now and that's the biggest reason to be 1 step ahead of him/her.
If you message me I'll give you Nadine's contact info....you can always give her a call and chat to see if it's a good fit.

[Melanie]

Thanks for the info, I messaged you :)

[Oliver and Maddi]

We went to Rowdy Dogz in NW Calgary. We took a couple of classes and found that we preferred one instructor over another. We liked CHarlotte... Small classes. Space was a bit limiited as well but we preferred this over large ones. There was a group in NE Calgary that looked really good but schedule problems. They had a vet nd vet technician on staff --- sorry can't remember the name at present but they came up when googled " dog training classes Calgary".
maddi