residential puppy training - anyone tried this?

[earbrow]

Hi
I have a gorgeously delightful 5 month old cocker - due to various reasons most unforseen at tine of purchasing her - her training is on the slow side - I'm finding puppy training classes so stressful that we don't get much out of them.

Someone suggested residential training where she would go off for 2 or 3 weeks live in a home setting and be trained thoroughly in all the basics to get her off to a good start.

I've looked into this and am really tempted but wonder if anyone here has done this and what the outcome was for you

[tabulahrasa]

I wouldn't advise them...the biggest thing you get from training is that you're working on you and your dog understanding each other, even with a good residential trainer - they've trained your dog to understand them.

If your training classes aren't working for you, find a better one or just stop going...training classes should be about working on what you're doing at home in a different environment and with someone there to point out if you're going wrong, if that's not helping you to train at home, don't go.

[Floralnomad]

I agree with pp , unless you are going with the dog I can't see the point besides which there have been many cases where the training methods used are not ones which you would use yourself . What problems are you having with the pup as someone on here might be able to suggest some things to try .

[smilesandsun]

i wouldn't either, its about how you are with the dog she needs to learn your commands etc. Why not get 1 to 1 training? I did that and it was pretty much the same price as going to puppy classes.

[Booboostwo]

I wouldn't recommend it either. Your puppy is likely to be stressed by the move and changes, and in any case dogs learn with specific people so it may not be as easy as you imagine to transfer the skills.

Can you get another family member to take her to classes and then teach you? What is stressing you about the classes, maybe a change of class would help? It's not ideal but you can do quite a lot on your own with books and videos.

[AnotherDame]

How about this?
A nice wee holiday for you and your dog where you work with the dog and the trainer. Perhaps the change of scenery will help you both :)

www.purechaos2calm.com/consultations-services-2/residential-dog-training-holidays/#.VhbPlGuLD2s

[SweetLathyrus]

Dame, that looks great, I wish I'd known about it when Pup was giving me trouble!

Ear, five months is still very young, and training is an on-going thing. Is yours a Show strain or a Working strain Cocker? If she is a WCS, you might want to look for a trainer who has specific gun dog experience - even if she may never go near a field trial, they will have more of an insight into the Cocker brain - but do make sure they are a positive trainer.

My only experience of residential training is second hand through people who shoot, and they tend to be old-fashioned aversive trainers.

Cockers are very loving dogs, you will get the best out of her by building up the bond training together. At five months, my boy was rejecting all of his early training, and I was despairing of ever being able to walk him off lead. Right now, he is asleep under my desk having had a lovely romp this morning.

Good luck.

[sparechange]

Buy a copy of 'The Pet Gundog' from amazon (even if she is a show cocker) and try some of her techniques. Echoing what others said that the dog won't necessarily come back 're-programmed' and you'll still have to do lots of work.
The money would be better spent on 1-to-1 training with an experienced trainer, with you still being the one in charge

[pigsDOfly]

I like the look of those residential training classes Dame. I'd love to do something like that with my dog. Unfortunately though it's not for us.

Damn my well behaved dog.

[orlakielyimnot]

I can't comment on these courses, but the idea made me think about our girls. We got them second hand/rescue. It was clear when they arrived that they'd been trained so I took classes to learn how to make use of their training. If they hadn't I would have been tempted by a residential course. I've learned that I'm not a very proficient trainer. A residential course away from you would be hard on her little cocker heart. That suggestion another dame found might be a good compromise?