[TomBully]

Are Petsmart classes any good? Im thinking about taking Jerry there once he reaches 5 months..

 

[yungster]

I took Heaven, and I thought it was good to refresh myself with the basics since I hadn't had a puppy in a long time when I got her. And it was nice to socialize her a bit when she was still young. But it was hard to attend each class because I couldn't predict my work schedule 6 weeks in advance, that was the only downfall.

 

[PaulaEdwina]

I'm going to use one. I've been through training with many dogs so this is much more to make practice a regular thing and to take advantage of the potential for socialization in taking Ami to petsmart.

Paula

 

[PitBullRoyalty]

Didn't petsmart ban bully breeds from it's classes?
:?

I wouldn't recommend them anyway, they don't seem trained enough to trust with training my dogs.

 

[yungster]

No, just from their "doggy daycare." And pit bulls shouldn't be allowed to roam free with other strange dogs anyway. They were doing us a favor by making that rule. Who needs another headline.

 

[PaulaEdwina]

Didn't petsmart ban bully breeds from it's classes?
:?

I wouldn't recommend them anyway, they don't seem trained enough to trust with training my dogs.

I didn't get that sense here. Like I said - I'm not looking for inspiration from the trainer. I've been through this often enough. I just think for Ami it is a good way to make sure we work on a regular basis, and there's free socialization thrown in.

Paula

 

[PitBullRoyalty]

They had a daycare?
:?
I didn't know, I thought they meant the training class.

I think it depends on the dog and the experience of the daycare, a friend has been bringing her pit to daycare
for at least 5 years now and they are very attentive of the dogs so I think a couple factors helped prevent a fight.

1) Her dog has no aggression in her
2) There are several workers and they watch and watch some more.
3) They are all the same dogs everyday, so it's more like a playdate than a dogpark.

Again, it's up to you to REALLY know your dog before you allow it to play with other dogs.
Should a pit never be allowed to play with another dog because it is a pit bull? I don't think.
Again, it's up to the owner to be responsible and caution.

They say MOST pit bulls spend their entire lives without attacking anyone or anything.

 

[attitude]

i wouldn't waste my money .

 

[angie7349]

I would take my dog to a professional and I do not consider Petsmart to be pro. trainers you may find a good one here and there but for the most part you can read dog training for dumbies and get the same affect....I don't think all trainers have to know every little detail about each breed but most petsmart trainers are seriously lacking in the basics. If you can find a good one why not but I would talk to the trainer 1st... For these breeds I don't think that most of PS trainers are knowlegdable enough to handle the dominance.

 

[PitBullRoyalty]

Agree 100%

 

[Lisa]

I think you mgiht find the odd good trainer at a Petsmart.

Would I waste my money? Heck no. I have seen the advertsiemnts Petsmart run when they want to hire "Trainers".

Basically no experience neccessary. The only requirement is that "you like to work with people". I guess they figure the 8 week crash course they put their future "trainers" through is enough. Their bar is set to low for me. The only thing I find Petsmart useful for is proofing a dog (making it work through distractions) once it has a good concept of the basic commands and for seeing how a young puppy handles being at a new place with lots of noise and commotion. I would never pay them for their services.

 

[LifeIsDaPits]

I did a puppy headstart class with Shadow, and personally I thought it was a great class. The woman I worked with had been training for about 10yrs and she had experience with bully breeds, dobermans etc. She was easy to work with, and she taught us more basic commands aside of just the basics like sit, down, and leave it.

Would I take my dogs there for more advanced training? No I wouldn't. But for puppies I think it's a good starting point, they can get out and work with different people and see other dogs.

 

[sheila]

Sheila is in the intermediate class right now, beginning class was fun. I do however have to drive a bit since the trainer I liked is not at the petsmart right by home. I am very pleased with the classes, but like mentioned before, it is a refresher since I have not had a puppy in a long time and alot of things in training have changed since my last pup. They give you and help you with the basics, you practice there a few times, and then practice at home until next class. To me it is good because I am a bit competitive, and love Sheila to death so I of course want her to be the star of the class :lol: In the end I think it all comes down to how much time YOU put into your dog regardless of what kind of trainer/training you get. Read up on different methods of training and see what works best for you, or which you think is best for your dog. And like mentioned before, it is a good place to get the basics down with distractions of people walking around, other dogs, etc......

 

[Scout-dog]

We took Scout to PetCo, and it was a huge waste of money. The trainer needed more training than Scout did. Everything she has learned, we have taught her ourselves, thanks to books and the internet.

 

[Miakoda]

I guess they figure the 8 week crash course they put their future "trainers" through is enough.

LOL. My cat owning friend just became a trainer for Petsmart by complete a 4 week rush course. Guess you can always rush training?