Dog Obedience Schools

- how to choose the right one

Dog Obedience Schools come in all shapes and sizes, and when you're a new puppy parent it can be tricky to decide which is the best one for your precious Fido!

Just as you want the best schools for your human children, it's important to find the best dog obedience training school for your 'fur-children' too.

One of the best things you can do for your puppy is to take him to formal Puppy Classes (or Puppy Kindergarten), where he'll learn the basic dog obedience training lessons he needs in order to grow up to be a good canine citizen.

The social interaction that takes place in dog obedience schools, is also a very important part of his education. Learning to be comfortable, and to interact appropriately, with the rest of his doggy pals helps Fido mature into a confident, friendly dog.

Which School? Which Class? Which Trainer?

You should be able to find everything from Puppy Kindergarten and Basic Dog Obedience Training, all the way through to Advanced (competitive obedience) Level Classes.

There are several ways you can find out more about best dog obedience training schools in your area -

• Ask your veterinarian if they have any recommendations


• Ask other dog owners you know, what dog obedience training school their furbaby attended. Find out what they liked and disliked about the school, and make sure that it employed certified dog trainers.


• Your local petstore (such as Petsmart), may hold Puppy Training Classes. These are acceptable for kindergarten/puppy level classes, but for more advanced levels and training look for established dog obedience schools, with a good reputation. Petstore classes don't always employ professional dog trainers, so check that out before making a decision.


• Use a local directory or the Yellow Pages to find dog obedience schools close to you.

Whichever method you use to track down the schools in your area, don't make any decisions until you've checked them out personally.

Pay a visit to the dog obedience training school at the top of your short-list. Ask to 'sit in' on a puppy class, so that you can get a feel fro the overall tone of the class.

You're looking for -

• The use of positive reinforcement training methods.


• A friendly, open atmosphere.


• A clean, sanitary environment.


• Good communication between the dog training instructor and the puppies/owners.


• Classes that are not overcrowded, and where there's room for the pups and their handlers to move about.


• Preferably classes that are led by certified dog trainers, or at least by professional individuals who have considerable experience as dog trainers, and are familiar with canine behavior.


• Dog obedience schools whose instructors take the time to talk/work with each individual pup/owner when necessary.

If you feel that a particular dog obedience training school, or class, isn't for you, go onto the next one on your list.

When you're looking at dog obedience schools, don't forget how important this early formal education is, you definitely want to start out on the right food (or paw!).

If Puppy Class/Puppy Kindergarten is a positive experience for both of you, it sets the stage for a lifetime of learning, good manners and sociable behavior (of course this applies more to Fido than it does to you, but hey...it's probably been a while since you were in school so who knows?)

Obedience classes are usually about one hour long, and take place once a week. Puppies have very short attention spans, and learn best through regular repetition, so you'll need to be working with little Fido at home, for several short training sessions, every day.

There are some great books that can supplement the basic dog obedience training lessons that you learn at school. These can help you 'get it right' at home, and can be used as a 'primer' at home, before your puppy even gets to his first Puppy Kindergarten class.

Usually Puppy Classes accept puppies of approx. 10 weeks of age and older, who have started (sometimes they require completion) their series of scheduled vaccinations.

Your puppy is ready to learn as soon as you get him home, so get yourself a good dog training book and he'll be the star of Puppy Kindergarten!

Best Of Luck!

Basic Puppy Training

Puppy Training Tips

Dog Training Books

Return from Dog Obedience Schools to Homepage