Page 2 | Dog residential training. Would you?

Original poster

NameChange245 · 01/07/2023 22:02

Grouser · 01/07/2023 21:59

Name changed as I used to work at a residential boarding. Apologies for the ramble

I would not send my dog there now. It was run by nice enough people with no abuse or any thing but it just wasn't effective for a few reasons.

There is obviously always a risk that it's abusive and doing methods they wouldn't do in front of owners. A former manager of some of the royvons ( a big name is residential training) for example has been banned from dogs due to animal cruelty of their own dogs for example.

It's so important that you have a trusting relationship with your trainer and that they use methods you believe in and feel able to continue yourself.

How much training was done vs what was promised. We would often spend really small amounts of times with the dogs. Owners would be promised large amounts of personal training with a training but often it was fairly small amounts (about 15 min a day) usually with people like myself who was simply a kennel hand. I didn't have any specific training, or accreditation etc Some dogs only met the qualified trainer for the handovers and initial meet and greet to talk about the plan. I now train using imdt techniques but certainly cringe on how we were handling people's dogs then.
it's a false environment. Lots of dogs problems behaviours exist when they are in specific environments. Often we don't train the same dog you do. Lots of residentials aren't in home environments so home based issues are unlikely to be resolved eg boisterousnes with visitors.
it's such a short burst. It's the owner that needs to do 90% of the training. Lots of modern dog trainers never even hold a dogs lead but teach the owner instead. For example it's no good be doing say 10 cracking on lead walks, if after that the owner does 2 walks a day for a few months. Dogs need constant reinforcement and every chance they get to reherse an opportunity like pulling reinforces the behaviour. We saw lots of dogs come back reptivelty for top up training because they'd left the training and gone back to the same environment they left.

There are times when it can be really beneficial to do training in a totally different environments take forexample a dog with reactivity.
Working in a residential training may mean they have access to dogs that you don't have, they may be able to take the dog out of the environment eg a new walk may be a fresh environment to practice in. Sometimes an owner might be incredibly nervous and that might be reinforcing dog anxiety. However the aim should always be to get the dog back working with the owner ASAP.

For the money it costs I would pay for 1:1 training at home where you are an active partner

Thanks

OP posts:

TheSecretaryBird · 01/07/2023 22:44

10 months is still so young. Our pup needed so much training in order to secure his recall and it took until he was at least two. I’m sure boys take longer to mature.

We have lifetime access to an online recall course with a structured program, videos and online support, as recall is a lifetime
skill.

We are going on a 5 day residential course / camp later this year with our dog for a specific sport (flyball) but we are going with him and there’s lots of seminars and sessions to support our training in the skills needed for the sport.

I would never send a dog away by themselves. Partly because I always want to be involved in every single step of my my dog’s training and partly because I could not bear to be away from my dogs for any length of time.

But I completely understand that everyone is different and has different circumstances.

Original poster

NameChange245 · 02/07/2023 08:19

Thanks all 👍🐶

OP posts:

BiteyShark · 02/07/2023 08:29

10 months is that age when they won't listen to you (I remember those days).

Spend the money on a good 1-1 trainer. In my experience I learned so much when I did 1-1 training than with any group training.

It's really about the interaction between you and your dog. BiteyDog still behaves better for me than for DH because I spent more time training him 😁

Daveismyhero · 02/07/2023 08:42

I definitely wouldn't. 90% of dog problems are actually handler problems so it's most likely that you need training on how to train the dog. I appreciate life is busy, but do you walk your dog every day? If so you can use this time for training. Dogs really work best in small chunks, my dog does 3-5 small training sessions a day, I'm talking 5 minutes or less so it's easy to fit it. Spend 3 minutes while you wait for the kettle to boil, or the bath to run or spend 5 minutes in the middle of your walk to practice recalls on a long line. You'll see a difference pretty quickly. There are also a few decent online dog training academies that have loads of videos for you to watch, with WhatsApp groups to access trainer input and advice if you send videos in

HatchlingDragon · 02/07/2023 08:46

@TheSecretaryBird that sounds like great fun. Are you happy to share details?

HatchlingDragon · 02/07/2023 09:08

@NameChange245 10month old pups are adolescent idiots. If it is a bigger dog especially they aren't grown ups until 2years plus and even then think of that as a 21 year old navigating adulthood.

Little and often training. Everyone in the house has to do the same. And at 10 months with dodgy recall - get a long line.

Also short lead walking unless you are actually letting him off/on a long line in a safe space.

I currently have the rage about the number of stupid owners walking dogs on an extendable lead. Dog is about 3/4 meters plus away, usually on a road! Likewise number of stupid owners walking off lead dogs on the roads around our estate. Non of them are shit-hot trained working dogs and we are not a rural area. Anyway.....

Our dog is 20months. Still an idiot. But we have increasing moments of 'hurray he finally gets it'. But there have been loads of moments where if if thought sending him away to training school would work I would have done it.

Good luck - pups are hard work!

ChocolateHelps · 02/07/2023 09:25

First time dog owner, dog is nearly 4 yrs old. Every walk is a training walk. Because everything you repeatedly do IS the training. Had a trainee come to the house and give really solid tips and ideas. Have treat pots by the door and by the bed so can reward.

Also follow Southend dog trainer on instagram. I think he's brilliant. Lots of videos showing how to gently cue the dog to walk on the lead etc. And if recall if being worked on then back on a lead or trailing lead.

I've put mine back on a short ish training lead for morning walks at our local park and practice recall. I don't just let him run off because I can catch him. I have to do loads of practice.

I've used the Southend dog trainer method of 'loading the clicker' and in our off walk yesterday in the woods I managed to use the clicker to interrupt my dog from dashing off after squirrels twice and to come come back much quicker on the one time he did go off (still in sight). The whole walk was recall, click reward.'Up up' (onto a tree stump), click reward. 'Spin', click, reward. Recall, sit, click reward. Our walks have been like this for a while now but it takes time and lots and lots of practice.

But it's so fun when it does start to sink in. And practicing at home when he has his over excited hour after dinner.

FarmGirl78 · 02/07/2023 09:25

Sunrisemouse · 01/07/2023 21:40

how often do you practice what you have learned?

She said she's lazy. Going to ask the behaviour classes in the world won't help if its not being followed up in the home.

Its like people who go to physiotherapy, talk the talk but then only do their exercises for 2 days after the appointment. And moan it's not working.

StayAnonn · 02/07/2023 09:30

Definitely not.

A huge amount of general dog obedience is linked to the bond with their owner ime. I don't mean the sit/paw stuff. More general. But especially with recall, the general desire to stay close and to please is linked to their bond with you and usually far easier to embed by the owner than a stranger.

TeenageCockapoo · 02/07/2023 09:34

Going to disagree with the consensus on here- we did this with our dog and would recommend it. It was 4 weeks and v expensive but our dog came back with bomb-proof recall and understanding the work 'no' (Priceless!)

We were in a slightly different situation to yours in that our dog was displaying problem behaviours rather than normal-but-naughty puppy stuff. There was also an element of needing a break for my own sanity, I was absolutely exhausted mentally from the past two years of dog ownership with a difficult dog, and I'm not ashamed to admit that I needed a 4 week break. Our dog had a new found discipline, I had a new found energy. It was the right thing for us.

The trainer didn't use any aversive methods- no tools, negative reinforcement or similar. The dog lived like a working dog for 4 weeks- sleeping with the owners pack of dogs, spending all day in the fields. The initials of the trainer are SB, based in Kent- if that is who you are looking into.

Original poster

NameChange245 · 03/07/2023 20:50

TeenageCockapoo · 02/07/2023 09:34

Going to disagree with the consensus on here- we did this with our dog and would recommend it. It was 4 weeks and v expensive but our dog came back with bomb-proof recall and understanding the work 'no' (Priceless!)

We were in a slightly different situation to yours in that our dog was displaying problem behaviours rather than normal-but-naughty puppy stuff. There was also an element of needing a break for my own sanity, I was absolutely exhausted mentally from the past two years of dog ownership with a difficult dog, and I'm not ashamed to admit that I needed a 4 week break. Our dog had a new found discipline, I had a new found energy. It was the right thing for us.

The trainer didn't use any aversive methods- no tools, negative reinforcement or similar. The dog lived like a working dog for 4 weeks- sleeping with the owners pack of dogs, spending all day in the fields. The initials of the trainer are SB, based in Kent- if that is who you are looking into.

Thank you. It sounds like the same place I looked at, but sadly it's not! Good to know it worked out for you and was helpful. Thanks

OP posts:

2bazookas · 03/07/2023 20:53

Would you send your doggy on a 4 week residential training programme?

No point . The problem is almost always the Owner.

Blossomtoes · 03/07/2023 20:55

We had enormous fun teaching recall. We stood apart with her on a long training lead and took turns to call her. Repeated every single day. Her recall is rock solid.

Original poster

NameChange245 · 03/07/2023 21:08

Blossomtoes · 03/07/2023 20:55

We had enormous fun teaching recall. We stood apart with her on a long training lead and took turns to call her. Repeated every single day. Her recall is rock solid.

👍👍🐶

OP posts:

PurpleNebula84 · 03/07/2023 21:17

I haven't read all the comments, but generally speaking, it's not best to send away your dog for someone else to train.

They are far and few between, but there are some trainers out there that do owner and dog residential training, which if you can spare 2 weeks or so, would be a bit better option as it will be you getting one on one training and will help you bond with your dog in the process too.

PurpleNebula84 · 03/07/2023 21:19

Also - Check out Ian Dunbar and Sirius Dog Training Academy - they frequently have sales on and you can get a month membership for a dollar (which is less than a quid). His methods are fabulous and all positive xx

Madamecastafiore · 03/07/2023 21:20

Hats a fucking idiotic comment as to why children are sent to boarding school OP.

But, it doesn't matter if you get a dog that is perfectly trained, if you aren't trained to give the same commands and cues at the same time and in the right tone the dog will have no idea what it's doing.

Wolfcub · 03/07/2023 21:30

Utterly pointless if you're not there to be honest.

LiesDoNotBecomeUs · 04/07/2023 09:51

NameChange245 · 01/07/2023 20:49

My doggy is wonderful, but quite hard to train. We also don't have a huge amount of time to take him for daily classes, and weekly classes don't seem to help much! We've tried v v hard with training him ourselves, but he's still rubbish with recall, and never listens to a word I say (nor do my children!!! So he fits right in with the family! But also, i know it's a me problem!!). I've seen advertised a residential, 4 week training programme. It gets great reviews with owners saying stuff like 'dog had the best time', 'dog loved it there', 'dog came home completely transformed', 'dog now well behaved'... you get the picture.

They also spend time with the owner at the end of the course, showing you how to keep up the good work so the great training doesn't get undone!

It's so tempting, but ....

I love my doggy soooo much! I'll miss him alot, and also, will he know we are coming back for him???

Would you send your doggy on a 4 week residential training programme? Or is this mean? Has anyone done it? Any regrets? Do you think dog was happy?

(My pup is currently 10 months. Would you wait til he's been neutered or do it before?)

This seems an odd way to go about things!

A trainer I know stresses that if your dog is ill or can't come to a session then you should go without him because the training is really for the owner 😁.

Don't give up OP. Get some advice and work on your dog little and often. Make training a fun time for you both. (Stop if you feel frustrated or upset and try again later.)

if you really love your dog it can be hard to be consistent . You will be tempted to 'let him off just this once'. This is confusing for the dog. Know that being well trained is good for a dog and makes it safer. You need to be strict with yourself to get the best outcome for him.