There likely will come a day when you aren’t getting the results you want from your pet and decide to find a dog training school. One of the first things you’ll want to consider is whether your dog socializes well with other dogs.

If your dog is aggressive, you will want to start with one-on-one training first. Perhaps your first lesson will be to resolve the socialization issues.

How to Find a Good School

Finding a good dog training school isn’t really all that difficult. There are many excellent ones around. Unfortunately, there also are some bad ones that either do not get results or use old methods that take a long time to work, if they work at all.

Look for a school that has moved out of the dark ages and into the modern world of dog training. It’s not necessary for dogs to be punished or treated harshly to get results. Quite often, the opposite works best.

Check the credentials of the trainers. Have they graduated from respectable animal training schools? If not, have they received their education from people who get results?

Trainers can tell you anything they think you want to hear, so do not rely solely on what they say. Ask to be allowed the opportunity to sit in on a few sessions without your dog first to see how the trainers work and how the other dogs respond to them.

Dogs Are Extremely Sensitive to People’s Attitudes

If the dogs seem stressed, confused or upset when being given commands by the trainer, there’s something in that person that is triggering it. Dogs are extremely sensitive to people’s attitudes and energies. If the energy they sense is unpleasant, for instance if the dog senses repressed anger or frustration, it will not respond well to that trainer’s instructions.

You can do this in a one-on-one training session or in a group session, but it’s better to evaluate both as your dog could end up in both types of situations.

Check to see how the trainers handle difficult dogs and situations. If two dogs show aggression towards each other, or a dog refuses to obey, notice how the trainers react. Does their behavior get results or does it upset the dog even more?

Are the trainers consistent in their instructions? It’s important that the dogs and the owners be given the same commands to use each time so that they become automatic. If the command changes, it can cause confusion in exactly what is expected.

Pay attention to the interaction between the trainers and the dog owners. Do you sense any tension there? Or does everyone seem relaxed and responsive to each other and to the animals? You want your trainer to be at ease in all situations. You do not want one that is quick to show frustration or anger.

Question some of the participants afterwards to get their opinions on the trainers. Ask how long they’ve been in the program and whether they have experienced any difficulties either with the trainers or with the operation as a whole.

This can include extra costs they hadn’t anticipated, additional training that was not explained when they registered, and billing mix-ups, schedule changes, and anything else you can think of that can affect your experience there.

Do your up-front investigations and you will find a dog training school that is perfect for you and your dog.