The Essentials for Dog Training Austin

Your adorable little puppy has started showing nasty dog manners — jumping on guests, biting, pulling on the leash during walks… Nothing like the life you envisioned.

It’s time to get a professional dog trainer.

We’ll tell you everything you need to know about dog training in Austin, what to avoid, and help you choose the best dog training service.

How to Identify the Best Dog Training in Austin 

The dog training business is quite unregulated, and anybody can claim to be a dog trainer. 

This means you have to sift through hundreds of trainers to find the one.

Here are some tips to help you identify the right trainer:

• Sniff around. Check for online reviews, and ask your friends, pet owners, and vet for recommendations.
• Visit and interview potential dog trainers. Remember, the dog trainer will also train you, so observe their personality and people skills.
• Ask for experience and certifications. Well-experienced expert dog trainers have encountered a wide variety of behavioral issues and will be in a better position to train even the most difficult dogs.
• Watch them in action. How do they relate to dogs in the training field? Are their training methods reward-based? Every dog owner wants a trainer who’ll teach their dog how to obey without intimidation.

In addition, certifications from bodies such as the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers add to the trainer’s credibility.

When Should You Start Dog Training?

Start training your dog immediately after you bring them home.

Dog behaviorists experts recommend socializing puppies during their first three months of life to reduce future behavioral problems like fear, avoidance, and aggression. 

Here's are some classes your dog can enroll to:

Puppy Training

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Your pup can join the class as early as 7-8 weeks. Ensure it has received the first vaccination shot and keep it up-to-date with all other shots as they come up.

Your puppy will learn;

• Socialization — how to behave and interact with other canines and humans in an unfamiliar environment.
• Bite inhibition — not to bite too hard when playing with their dog or human friends.
• Handling tolerance — to allow people to touch it gently or restrain it. This will come in handy during grooming and vet visits.

These classes make your pup a more confident, lovable, and fun playmate for other dogs and humans.

Basic Obedience Training

Next, the trainer can start teaching your pup how to obey you with basic obedience cues. 

But before diving into commands, the first step in pet obedience classes will be to teach your dog to recognize their name.

Here are some basic commands that your pup or new rescue dog will learn;

• Sit
• Stay
• Come
• Down
• Leave it

Once your pup has the hang of it, the trainer can move to more advanced commands such as ‘heel’ for polite leash walking.

Advanced Dog Training 

Here, your dog will learn more advanced skills and tricks such as avoiding separation anxiety.

Enroll in training programs such as the coveted Canine Good Citizen that test your dog’s obedience and behavior.

And if you’d like your furry best friend to offer you emotional support and unconditional love, sign them up for therapy dog training.

It doesn’t end there. From sporting to protection dogs… training can expand your dog's abilities and knowledge to fit both of your lifestyles. 

Private Sessions or Group Classes?

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This decision should be informed by your dog’s training needs, availability, and preference.

However, like everything else under the sun, whatever option you choose has its pros and cons.

What if you can’t attend your dog’s training classes, whether done at home or in school?

Consider board and train classes where you enroll your pup in a boarding training school and pick them up when they’ve learned some basic doggy manners.

What Teaching Methods will the Trainer Use? 

Although they’re so many dog training techniques, they all revolve around the theory of operant conditioning.

Simply put, each method teaches your dog that actions have consequences — bad or good, through punishment or reward.

However, some training methods may be harmful or cruel to your pet. That is what we want to avoid. You want to find out the exact training method the trainer will use on your fur baby.

Here are some common training styles:

Positive Reinforcement

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Reward your dog for good behavior using treats, toys, clickers, and praise. Your dog is more likely to obey commands in exchange for a treat.

Negative Reinforcement

Aversive methods such as shock collars, alpha rolls, yelling and hitting your dog for bad behavior.

These ineffective methods only suppress bad behavior. Even worse, your dog’s brain may not associate its actions with the punishment, so you’re left with a nervous or aggressive dog.

Pet health experts from the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior endorse reward-based training and discourage using dominance and punishment as they can be harmful to your dog’s physical and emotional wellbeing. 

How Much Does Dog Training Cost in Austin?

Dog training prices in Austin vary from trainer to trainer. However, expect private and home-schooling sessions to cost more than group classes.

See these estimated charges of basic dog obedience training classes.

How to Prepare for Class

Most trainers require you to attend the first session alone. These sessions are mostly consultation to understand your dog’s training needs and your expectations.

After this, your dog can now meet the teacher.

Here are 5 tips to help you prepare;

• Prepare your vaccination documents. The trainer may require that all dogs are current on their vaccinations, especially for group classes,.
• Pack a variety of treats and toys. Pea-sized training treats are the best as your dog can chew on them quickly without getting too full. Also, get yourself a treat bag as stuffing treats in your pockets is messy.
• Get the right collar and a non-retractable leash. Retractable leashes can cause injuries to both the dog and handler. 

The collar should be comfortable enough for the dog and properly tagged.

• Don’t overfeed your dog before class. A little hunger will help your dog concentrate more on class and avoid distractions. The dog will also appreciate treats and be on their best to get another.

Practice, Practice, Practice

You can achieve your dream of a well-behaved dog, but you’ll need to put in the work by practicing and reinforcing the lessons until your dog gets it. 

Pet parenting is rewarding, but we also understand that it can overwhelm, sometimes. That’s why we have lots of resources for you at our Tomlinson’s blog, to help you be the best pet parent.

Featured Image: Pixabay by Wileydoc