Dog Training Camps: How To Choose The Best Camp For Your Pet

Dog Training Camp

Is there a canine problem in your family?  Does your pooch get on everyone’s nerves?

No doubt about it, being the owner of a poorly behaving canine  could be really nerve-racking. The continuous barking and jumping up, perhaps even nipping and other hostile and disrespectful conduct can put you in the dog house with your friends and neighbours.  What is a canine owner to do?

Well, how about taking up your little darling and dispatching him off to boot camp?  Many owners seek to do just that.  They shell out big bucks in the hope that obedience training at a boot camp for canines will provide a solution to their canine behavior problems.

Are these dog training camps effective?

The answer is a definite maybe!

As one glove doesn’t fit all, and all  dogs are not created equal, these training courses may show results in only a few dogs.  

Here are the basics:

Dog training camps have intensive training programs commonly called ‘doggie boot camps’. These programs are for dogs which are difficult to train, and many also promise to correct behavioral difficulties. Similar to any other boot camp, your dog will have to live at the school for the duration of the course. However, should you reside nearby, you might be allowed to take little Fifi  home for the night. The time frame of a boot camp might be between a week and a month, depending on the program. As you might anticipate, the costs, content and duration will differ considerably from school to school.

The majority of boot camps for dogs will start with the fundamentals: sit down, stand, stay, walk on a loose leash, and come when called. Their program is likely to include teaching of good manners such as not jumping on people, taking food/treats gently, etc. If your canine needs specific attention, many schools offer the facility of creating a program to fit your dog, at an additional cost, of course.

While there are lots of (apparently) happy clients of these dog training camps, there are also a big number of dissidents. One stated disadvantage of boot camps is that a number of facilities use punishment-based methods. When dogs are considered important members of the family, their masters won’t put up with any thing that appears to be canine mistreatment.

Nevertheless,  by most accounts the popularity of boot camps is on the rise.  This is most probably due to  the time required if owners wish to educate their own pets. A boot camp is a timesaver, and as a result provides a speedy and simple fix. Of course a huge part of  their dog’s negative behavior most likely originates from their own lack of leadership and ineffective communication. While professional obedience instruction can make a huge difference in your dog’s behavior, keep in mind that the most efficient training still comes from the canine owner.

Here are the fundamentals of canine training:

Employ the reward method.

When the dog obeys a command, you can reward him with positive affirmation (good boy), or a treat or playtime with a preferred toy. This kind of training fortifies the bond between dog and master. The primary and most essential point your dog needs to understand is that you are the leader of the pack. This understanding is really a must, or all your efforts will be ineffective. This understanding will shape the basis of all future instruction.

Establish your position.

One way to do it is to give him a command to eat after putting the food into his bowl. If you leave food out in his bowl and set it down and go away, your canine might fail to understand the source of the food. However, if you make him first sit and then place the bowl down, he’llunderstand that you simply manage the food. The reality is that in canine culture, the pack leader rules the food. It is only with his permission and consent that the next in the hierarchy eats, and so on down the ranks. As soon as he has to look for your authorization, he will understand that you are the boss. In the same way, one should first make him sit down prior to letting him go outside. Once you open up the front door, have him sit till you give him an order to go outside.

Always lead when walking your dog.

This will identify you as the pack leader. Ensure that you are the first one out the door and the first one back in. Your dog should maintain pace beside or behind you whilewalking. Manage your pet’s movement by using a short teather. Use the leash to communicate, guide, and correct your dog.

Concentrate on one order at a time.

Make sure you do this until it’s correctly grasped, or confusion might set in. While coaching your dog to obey an order, indicate to him what you expect him to do and continually repeat the phrase you want him to react to. For instance, while training him to sit down, lightly press down his rear while repeating the word ’sit’, and reward him with a treat when he does conform.

Conclusion:

Now that you have read the fundamentals of dog training, do you still wish to send your pet to a boot camp? If so, then at least you should do a little background check on the proposed camp. Find out in detail the methods being applied by the coaches for behavior changes. Furthermore, find out if the coaches are qualified to conduct the instruction. Better still, if you have the time, be on site to watch the procedure. For good measure, also request a list of verifiable veterinarian referrals. From them you are able to confirm if the methods applied by the school produce results.

This article, along with literally hundreds of videos are available here:  Dog Training Tools to help improve the life of your pet.