If you’ve got a dog and you don’t have the energy, time or patience to train him yourself, you may want to hire a trainer. This is an activity that requires a lot of all three qualities, if you want to have a safe, happy, well-adjusted dog and be happy yourself, too.

When it comes to hiring a dog trainer, in general, the quality and cost will vary. Training philosophies, too, will also vary considerably between trainers, focused on human and animal interactions as they are. Therefore, utilize these parameters to narrow down your selection.

Take a look at your budget and what you need in terms of obedience training services. In some cases, training may even be free, supplied weekly by volunteers who work in shelters or parks. In other cases, you may pay up to $100 or more per session. A “reasonable fee” will vary, depending on where you live, the trainer’s experience, how long the program is, and what goals you have for your pet.

Take a look at your schedule. Some training programs happen every week, others do so more often. You may have to leave your dog at the training facility and pick it up afterward, or you may opt to sign up for a program where the training involves you as well as your dog. Most training programs do suggest that you spend some time with your dog training him or her every day, either at the trainer facility or at home.

In some cases, you may want to consider a “boot camp” facility for your dog. In this case, your dog is going to go away to a special facility for a period lasting up to several weeks. This type of training is very intensive and regular. However, don’t be worried about your dog. Most dogs love this type of regimentation. Toward the end of the program, you’ll usually be asked to participate so that focus of obedience is transferred from the trainer to you.

The results of these programs are truly amazing much of the time, though. For those dogs that graduate, they become disciplined and are very eager to follow your instructions. This is true even when they’re not special service dogs. Seemingly contradictory, though, these dogs usually don’t show any ill effects or signs of repression. Instead, they are enthusiastic and play happily.

Next, take a look at the goals for your obedience training. Do you want a dog that you can enter into shows, or do you just want a dog that won’t chase other pets or gnaw on your furniture? In addition, you’ll need to consider the breed and temperament of your dog to determine what type of and how much training is going to be needed.

Some dogs are aggressive, others fearful either because they’ve been mistreated or because they’re simply submissive. The aggressive dogs may be that way because they’ve been abused or because they’re simply seeing themselves as the pack leader. The type of training you choose depends on the attributes you want to shape and how you want to influence them.

No matter what your goals are, and no matter your budget or commitment to time, you’ll want to choose a trainer who has a lot of patience and a lot of energy, in addition to a deep affection for dogs in general. Most have these characteristics in abundance, or they wouldn’t be in that profession.

Besides these things, though, you want a trainer who agrees with you in terms of philosophy and who wants to achieve the same goals for your dog that you do. Some trainers feel that dog training is just as much or even more about training the owner than training a dog, and there may be some truth to that, sometimes. Some trainers are friendly, lenient, and seek to “connect” with the dog, while others are almost military in their bearing and expect to be able to “command” the dog. Many trainers utilize a mix of both styles.

It’s likely that you’ll lean toward one training style versus another, but neither training style is entirely subjective. Even if you have disagreements with your trainer, there are likely principles that you’ll agree on nonetheless. Persistence, patience and consistency, as well as the need for the human to be in the “alpha” position, are just a few of these commonly held beliefs.

When you look for your own trainer, ask for recommendations from friends and family who share similar philosophies, and shop around. You may have to change trainers at least once if you aren’t happy with whom you’ve picked at first. Don’t change on a whim, though. One of the most important parts of obedience training is that consistency is key, and a regular environment is necessary so that the dog can integrate what’s being taught.

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