FAQ about Dog Training Lessons

When I get my dog how long should I wait before starting training?

Dont wait, start the minute you meet your dog, you don’t become a trainer to your dog, you are one, whether you intend to be or not. Training starts day one, minute one.

I am getting a pup in a month, it is our first dog, when should I come and see you?

Book to see us before you get or even pick the pup, learn something about dogs and dog behaviour and what to look for in a pup before looking. You need to prepare your home for the pup before the pup arrives, this means making intelligent well thought out choices such as what your going to feed your pup, where it will sleep, how do you plan to tackle the first week and what equipment will you need. Many people buy the pup and stop at the dog food store on the way home to buy all this stuff. Most people who have done this will tell you in 6 months it was all junk and wasn’t a smart choice.

My Breeder says don’t train my dog at all until he is a year old?

I am sure that your breeder went to school before they were twenty? We know better than to delay training now, puppies are sponges, smart and fun to train, start day one!

Do I need to take my dog to obedience school?

The answer is maybe, some dogs don’t do well in this environment just as some people don’t, if your dog isn’t doing well then the answer is no. It also depends on your goals and what the club offers, if you have no desire to compete in obedience but that is the clubs goal, then I wouldn’t think that you will get much out of it. Clubs can be a great place though to expose your dog to other dogs, this can be invaluable in a young dog if done correctly.

Do you run puppy school? If so how many puppies will be there?

Yes, one, yours. We don’t run the puppy classes in which your pup just runs riot with the other pups, some pups learning rough play others learning to be frightened of other dogs. Ours are controlled lessons with older dogs.

How many obedience lessons will it take to...

There is no one on earth who can accurately predict the answer to this question with any certainty, it depends on your dog, you, the problem you want to solve or the behaviour you want to teach, the method you use, the age of your dog, I could go on and on. The real answer is “as long as it takes”.

Do you guarantee that you can train my dog never to...

Dogs are live animals, they make choices just like you and I. Anyone that “guarantee’s” a level or result in a certain time that will last forever is using some clever marketing rather than truth. K9 Pro provide clients with dog training services, if you as the client are not happy with the information you have received in the lesson or consult, there will be no charge.

Do you use purely positive methods?

There are no such thing. We use what works to motivate your dog into learning new behaviours and stopping undesireable behaviours. Any time your dog doesnt get what he wants, your dog wont think of it as "positive", this would include running after a cat on the other side of the road.