How much is PetSmart's "Puppy Training" course? Is it an okay service?

Question

My sister got a German Shepard puppy last week. At this point in her life, she has NO BUSINESS adopting/taking care of a puppy.

Her and her husband crate the poor guy all the time and yell at him when he whines, they refuse to leave him uncrated and unattended for any length of time because they have absolutely no idea how to keep him from going potty in the house. All they can think to do is take him out once an hour and yell, hit him and grind his nose into the mess every time he goes in the house. No one really plays with him either, because sister and husband are too busy with an infant son. The puppy is only eight weeks old.

So this year, all my sister and her husband are getting from me for Christmas is puppy training classes. I give pretty awesome gifts, they'll be upset to get something so plain, practical and intangible from me but maybe it'll send them a message about how I feel about the way they treat their puppy.

Is the PetSmart training course inexpensive? I spend between $100 - $150 on Christmas gifts for the two of them usually. Will PetSmart teach housetraining? Whose service do I buy for my sister and her husband that will be most effective at teaching both DOG and OWNER the correct way to interact with each other (with a reasonable cost?)

Or does puppy training simply cost more than my Christmas budget for them? Should I just default to puppy training books and videos that they probably won't use?

Answer 1

They sound like they should not have a puppy at all. This is the making for a scared aggressive dog.



I am guessing all PetSmart training courses will depend on who is doing the training. I used the course with my first puppy many years ago and loved it. I went to different PetSmart with another dog and the trainer was terrible and had no idea what she was doing.



I can't remember whether or not they taught housebreaking. The course is something like $100 (where I am anyway) but the dog has to have proof of vaccinations. The training classes are for both dog and owner.



Depending on where you live there are probably better places than PetSmart for the same cost.

Answer 2

I love the PetSmart program and recommend it all the time.

When I took the classes they were $109 for a series of 6 classes. Another great thing is that when you're in the class you'll typically get a $10 off coupon for the next series of classes that makes your next class only $99! Then in that second series of classes I got a $20 coupon so our advanced series of classes was only $89!!!



PetSmart is all positive training and being national, has plenty of money to spend on a training program that uses only the most current dog training philosophy, which is positive and again, because they are a National chain and figure you'll be spending your pet dollars there when you're in for classes their price for training is very low.



Sounds like PetSmart would be just the trick for this pup.



Yikes, now I just read your entire question again...I'd say the best gift you could give them would be to take this poor puppy off their hands before the RUIN him. Yes, PetSmart has puppy classes that will teach you to potty train, but they can't get him into the class til he's had all his shots at about 4 month. I agree that with an infant, they have NO BUSINESS bringing home a puppy. Can they take it back?

Answer 3

I don't know of ANY denomination, or sect that forbids 'sit-ins'. On the contrary, most welcome visitors in the hope that they may be persuaded to follow the fold. I don't know if making a big deal about being 'atheist' would color their decision....But I don't think you are going to show up wearing a big badge saying: "I Don't Believe". LOL Even during my most convinced atheist period, I did not stop attending services at churches, synagogues, mosques, and even kingdom halls. I, indeed, found it essential to my study of comparative religions. Even in those venues where they KNEW my situation, I was never made to feel like an outsider. The most I ever felt was discomfort over the violent hell fire sermons in some Southern Baptist churches. Start with the Univeralist Unitarians....they are probably the most accepting and non judgemental denomination I have ever encountered. A marvelous mix of believers and non conformists. Edit: Mack N makes an interesting point. Although 98% of the Mosques In Egypt permit non Muslim visitors, the two main SHIITE, (the minority, heretical sect) mosques of el Hussain, and Sayeda Zeneb, will not permit non-Muslims to enter at ANY TIME, without the offical sanction of the Goverment or highest Shiite authorities. I was told I could get permission to visit el Hussain, but NOT during the Friday prayer. And, of course, the holy city of Mecca is OFF LIMITS to non-Muslims at all times.

Answer 4

It should be in the $100-150 range. As for being "okay" or not, it really depends on the trainer at the store. I'd say for most dogs that don't already have behavioral problems it's "okay," but it's not likely to be great. We took the basic obedience class at our local store because it was literally the only dog trining option within an hour. I can tell you that I know more about dog training than the trainer that taught our class did. She wasn't terrible, but she wasn't great either. she brought her dog to each class (not really a problem, many trainers bring a dog of their own to help demonstrate things etc) but then didn't properly supervise him, allowing him to get in our dog's space and stick his nose in our treat pouches/pockets. She also had us introducing dogs in a manner that non of the expreienced dog trainers I know would consider safe...having them greet head on, nose to nose, over a treat.

Answer 5

Petsmart and other big-box chain pet store training classes are hit-or-miss - many of the "trainers" are college kids who passed a short online course and have more training in selling you things like treats and training devices than in dealing with actual behavioral problems. Yes, sometimes you get a decent trainer, but I have heard and had more bad experiences than good, particularly if you are looking for anything more than bare bones socialization and maybe a "sit" that is semi-reliable. I would avoid them like the plague if you ever plan to go on to competition or advanced training as that is not their focus and you will probably have to undo half of what they teach in order to do/get anything reliable.



The only training group I recommend are AKC affiliated training clubs (you can find them here: https://www.apps.akc.org/apps/events/obedience/training_clubs/index.cfm) they are non-profit and most of the trainers are folks who have been breeding, training, and titling many dogs in many sports at high levels longer than you have been alive. If they are not close enough to your sister and her husband or are not offering puppy classes right now, then they will know whose head is on straight that can deal with a clueless owner and a working/herding breed puppy in your area.

Answer 6

The dog always needs to be supervised when indoors. Every time the dog goes to the toilet in the house, and he is not caught and corrected, the behaviour is reinforced and he will think it is acceptable behaviour.

Learn here https://tr.im/uwPmA



• Take your dog on lead to the area where you would like him to relieve himself

• Use the word “toilet” when the dog is going to the toilet so he learns to associate the word with the action

• Reward with high praise and a treat reward so this behaviour is keenly repeated by the dog

• If the dog tries to jump and play with you ignore this behaviour until the dog focuses on sniffing the ground and starting to cue for the signs of relieving himself

• Remember to be patient – as this may take time

• If consistent, in weeks to a couple of months you should be able to do without the lead and your dog should be able to relieve himself on cue when hearing the command “toilet”





As prevention is better than cure; get in the habit of closing doors and not allowing your dog free access to areas that are unsupervised. NB: Baby dividers between rooms and hallways can be very effective to keep dog out. It is interesting to note that carpeted rooms are attractive to puppies as they hold the scent particularly well.



Make sure your cleaning the urine up completely! There are a number of excellent cleaning products that you can now purchase from pet stores that eliminate the smell of urine or feces. If the pup can smell any urine or feces, remembering it has a much stronger sense of smell than us; it will encourage him to go again on the same spot.



If you are to catch your dog in the act simply give the “a-ah” command. Pick the dog up and place outdoors or on paper so that he can finish his deed there. Remember that if you do not catch the dog within 3 seconds of an undesirable act he will have no comprehension of what you are correcting him for. This may worsen his toileting habits as the dog will learn to be deceptive as he will now want to hide away.

Answer 7

Personally I would report them to animal control for cruelty, abuse and negligence. They shouldn't be allowed to have a pet if they won't care for it properly. All you gift ideas will be a waste of money as they will just ignore it anyway.

Answer 8

If they dont have time to take care of the dog, they probably wont have time to go to the classes or they just dont care enough to go. You will be wasting your money, convince them to give up the dog