Training Classes Teach Dogs, Owners Something New

You might say that these are the “dog days” of winter…at least at the local

On a Monday evening in early January, dogs have all but taken over the store, located at 355 Howe Avenue. Amidst the sound of cashiers ringing up food and toys, the buzz of the clippers at the groomer, and the excited voices of children in the adoption center, the bark of canines is prominent.

And while the sounds of animals in the store is nothing new, you can’t help but notice that the dogs have the floor.

On the far side of the store, several women are couched down in the aisle calling to their dogs to come. As the adult dogs obey the commands, they are showered with praise, given a treat, and bark in agreement of a job well done.

In the center of the store, puppies begin to gather. As they nervously sniff each other and bark, their human counterparts discuss age, breed and habits.

And this is pretty much the scene in the store during the first part of the New Year for one main reason: pet training.

Dog trainer Michelle Vickers said this is her busiest time of year because “tons and tons of people [give] puppies for Christmas and think it will be wonderful. Then after the New Year, they decide it’s time to sign them up for training.”

Vickers, an Animal Behavior College certified dog trainer, has been teaching pet training classes at the Cuyahoga Falls store for over two years.  She said pet training is vital for a successful owner/animal relationship.

“The biggest reason for pets being returned to shelters is bad behavior. So it’s really important that [pets] get trained, to know how to act for their owners and respond to their owners so they don’t develop bad behavior or become uncontrollable.”

According to Vickers, the most common reasons dog owners have for enrolling in classes are potty training, jumping, nipping and biting, and unruly dogs who need some direction.

“Training is important for every dog, whether it is for socialization or behavior because it lets them know what their owner is expecting of them,” she said. “And our classes address all those issues.”

PetSmart offers six classes for dog owners—potty training, puppy, beginner, intermediate, advanced, and private training.

The Potty Training class is open to all age levels and covers potty training in its entirety.

The Puppy class is for dogs aged 10 weeks to five months and covers the commands sit, down, sit/stay, down/stay, leave it, drop it, coming when called, leash walking, and potty training.

The Beginner class is for dogs aged six months and up and covers same material as Puppy class.

For the Intermediate class, dogs must have completed either the Puppy or Beginner class to enroll.  This class reviews the material covered in the earlier class, as well as distraction, distance and duration, and heeling.

The Advanced class prepares dogs for the Canine Good Citizen test, which certifies them to go into nursing homes and hospitals for therapy work. This class covers the 10 tests that make up the certification test. (Note: Certification is not included with the completion of this class.)

Private training is offered for those pet owners looking to cover or remedy specific training needs based on their dog’s behavior.

“By enrolling in private training, you have a more targeted and focused training," explained Vickers. "If you have something you really want to focus on, I would recommend private training over group.”

She also noted that the socialization dynamic of the group classes can sometimes lead to distractions during training, so dogs that are easily distracted don't always succeed in a group setting.

But Vickers stressed that dog training isn’t just about teaching the animal how to behave. Owners need to learn certain behaviors and tools and understand that a having a new puppy or dog takes time and commitment.

“The sooner that you and your dog begin training the sooner you are going to be a lot better off.”

Until then, Vickers recommends putting these tools and tricks into practice to get a jump start on good behavior.  

• Dogs repeat behavior that gets them what they want. For example, you don’t want your dog jumping up on you, but they do it for attention. “If you don’t want your dog jumping on you, don’t pay attention to him when he does,” said Vickers. “Instead, move back, let his feet fall to the floor and then talk to him. He’ll learn that jumping does not get the attention he wants.”
• Praise good behavior. Vickers said that during training, a lot of attention is paid to your pet’s bad behavior. So when your dog does something good–sits, comes on command, is quiet, etc.– praise him for that. “When good behavior happens we really need to pay attention to that and let them know that they’re doing the right thing.”
• Time equals results. Vickers recommends spending at least 15 minutes a day, if not more, with your dog on training. For dogs that have short attention spans, it may be five minutes here and there, but the repetition helps to ensure training success. And she noted that if your dog is particularly unruly, get them some exercise to help them relax and listen better.

And while it is possible to have a great relationship with your pet without training, Mary Kay Dent of Cuyahoga Falls knows that even one round of training can make a big difference.  

Dent has been the proud owner of seven dogs over her lifetime, none of which received any training, until now. Her current dog, a Cavalier/Cocker mix, is enrolled in the Intermediate class.

“We’ve had Cockers and Cockapoos [in the past]. They were wonderful dogs but we couldn’t get them to do anything. But he [the Cavalier/Cocker mix] does pretty much as you tell him to do. He’s just much easier to deal with than the other dogs," she said, adding with a laugh, "except when he’s tired.”