Best place to buy a family fully trained dog?

[LindyLaLa]

Hi, can anyone recommend where we can buy a fully trained family dog from in the South uk? Ideally a year plus, rescue centres don't really have any suitable for a busy household with young kids. Seen a couple of sites but hard to know who you're buying from! We also need to consider the breed as one of our children have eczema, controlled asthma so would like to find someone who knows all about the breeds suitable etc. Thanks

I don't know why everyone is piling on you as if you don't deserve a dog because you would like one part trained

Actually, that's not what the OP said. He/she wants a 'fully trained' family dog, not a part trained one.

Given that training is an on-going process and needs the human and dog to bond, buying a 'fully trained' dog is not possible.

You might be able to get one that's house trained and has been trained in the basics: sit, stay etc but a dog can't be programmed like a robot and training takes times.

Anyway, given the way it's written, and the fact that the OP hasn't returned in over 3.5 hours I suspect the thread is just a wind up.

I know someone who did this, so there are breeders around claiming to offer it. I'm not saying I agree with it, before anyone bites my head off!

It doesn't work like that.

Mine is well trained and does what I ask him to, with the odd blip as he's a sentient being and not a robot. I've had him for 5 years so it's not like his skills are new found.

If I go on holiday he stays with my dad (who he adores) for a week. Dad doesn't listen to a word I say about training, reinforcing training, what words I use as commands and so on. The result is that after a week with him, DDog is becoming increasingly disobedient and frankly a bit spoiled; recall is always the first thing to go. For emphasis, this is a fully trained dog, with a human he's bonded to, and less than a week of zero training before things start to slip.

Training is a never-ending process. You have to put in more effort at the beginning, but it never ends.

Think of dog training as being like turning a bare patch of ground into a garden. Lots of effort at the beginning when you install turf, flower beds and a patio, and then less effort to just maintain it. But if you stop mowing the lawn and weeding, the whole thing will become a tangled mess before long.

@Twinstudy You could have all the time in the world and still prefer to have a part trained/fully trained dog by someone else. If you're a first time dog owner you might prefer someone else do it right.
@pigsDOfly
Board and train services will go over the training with the owner and make sure the owners know how to continue the training at home, ie giving them the tools to turn it into a fully trained dog. Board and train is effective because they'll train the dog to a caliber your average person can't, they'll drill the dog and have the timing perfect on praise which is a level of skill your average pet owner doesn't have. A dog that is partly trained at two board and trains is much more fully trained than your average pet owner's dog is (who they believe is fully trained).

I can understand these responses if posted in aibu but not here.

These dogs do exist, but they’re prestigious.

There’s a place for stupid responses- and it’s aibu. Not surprised the OP hasn’t come back - what would be the point.

From K9
“My family and I wanted a dog and while we have the time and work from home, we didn't have the capacity to train a puppy from scratch. I did a lot of research and found TOTAL K9 ® based on their reputation and feedback and approached them to discuss what we were looking for.

Rob absolutely nailed it from the very first conversation exactly the right kind of dog for our family. He suggested Rebel, a stunning 16 month old Sable German Shepherd based on the information I gave him and he couldnt have been more right on the perfect fit for us. We needed a dog that was very much a family pet, good with young children and obedient so that our young son could walk him. As we are in Scotland, in the early days Rob kept us up to date on a daily basis, sending us videos to see the progress made with Rebel's training and couldn't have been more helpful throughout the process.

The handover was excellent, Rob spent a long time with us going through the commands and giving us advice and wouldnt leave until we were 100% happy. Rebel has now been with us for 3 months and we just couldnt be without him, he is everything Rob said he would be and more and the after care and ongoing support we have had from TOTAL K9 ® has been outstanding. Rebel is the sweetest natured dog, so loving but incredibly obedient and a pleasure to have in the house. I cant recommend Rob and the team at TOTAL K9 ® enough for their professionalism and outstanding quality of service."

There are a few trainers that will offer residential training, once to one, dog boot camp etc. All are pricey, but some are pretty affordable if it’s what you really want and are happy to invest in. Mostly GSD, Rottweiler, Cane Corso and Doberman.

The above sounds very much like a promo for 'Board and train services' but unfortunately makes very little sense.

Even if the dog is trained to within an inch of its life - and that's not something that can be done in a few weeks - and then the owner is shown what to do to continue the training, the owner, who does not want to, or is unable to train their own dog, is not a qualified trainer.

So unless the owner is going to also be trained in training dogs they are going to fall short when it comes to keeping up such a rigorous training regime. And then the dog will no longer be fully trained.

As I said before, dogs cannot be programmed like robots. Training needs to be carried on throughout the dog's life to be effective.

My mother adopted from a friend who was moving to a flat and couldn't keep it. It was amazingly well trained (German Shepard). But was 10 when she got him and died a few short years later.
You would have to get lucky.

Dogs need constant training, it doesn’t sound like you have time for one right now.

I have 3 dogs... all trained as in simple commands, house trained, walking etc... but if I was too sell them to you (which I would never do to anyone) they wouldn't listen to you! They are trained to follow the people who train them... not just anyone. (With exceptions of course but I presume you don't want a security dog/guide dog etc etc)

Some of these responses are just ridiculous. I have working dogs they will work for anyone who uses the right commands. i understand their body language better but they will still perform their role with other people.

In scent detection work the trainer gets the qualification using an already trained dog.

Sheep dogs are trained and sold on

Assistant dogs will have many trainers before they end up with their owner.

A trained dog and a person shown the dog and the cues will of course work for each other.

My children used to enter my dogs into obedience and agility competitions - I trained them but the children entered YKC competitions.

Can be issues with insurance, depending on what the dog's job was in service.

There is not a chance I'd get a failed drugs dog in the op's situation. Can have

Op is deluded enough. No clue that dogs train the owner, as much as the other way around.

As PP's have said, you would need to get lucky that someone you know or friend of friend is having to rehome a loved and well behaved dog.

It actually happened to us and we got a dog from a couple who couldn't keep him but we could have searched and waited a long time if that's what our plan was.

Rescue dogs can be really well trained and have been rehomed for genuine reasons but many will have been abused, neglected and at best, poorly trained and socialized.

@ShouldIknowthisalready all the cases you mention involve trained dogs going on to be handled by motivated people, who are already knowledgeable have been or will be trained to handle those dogs to do specific tasks or sports.

Not quite the same thing as s first time owner buying a completely trained (whatever that is) dog 'off the shelf' and expecting it to fit in and be perfect amongst all the chaos of family life without at least some degree of committment to carrying on or furthering the dog's training.

Of course if you throw enough money at the situation, anything becomes available but even the best trained dogs (perhaps especially the best trained dogs) will start to come unravelled if they'r'e not given the time and input they need to stay that way.

This is just not correct.

If you are consistent with cues and reward the behaviours will stay. There is a huge difference in using the cues and training the cues.

Just because an owner has not trained the behaviour does not mean that the dog will lose the behaviour. The owner will use the cues and reward and the behaviour stays.

Assistance dog do not lose their skills when often given to non dog loving ornon dog experienced owners.

I personally love training my dogs but also have loads of evidence to disagree with the idea the the original trainer has to be the dogs owner for the dog to stay trained. That is just bollocks.

Many sheep dogs are sent off to trainers and then back to their owners to work - they stay trained when being sent back to their owners.

Our Rescue came well trained. She goes in her basket when we eat, wees on command etc but I would hate to think of her in a busy family with young DC, she simply wouldn't cope.

We waited until the DC were teens before adopting a DDog so that the house was calmer and we could devote more time to her.

@ShouldIknowthisalready I’m not saying that the original owner or trainer is the only person for whom a dog will work.

I’m saying that any new owner or handler has to be motivated - they have to want to learn how to carry on handling and training the dog as they go.

Assistance dogs have a lengthy handover period when they move to their person. A trained sheepdog moving to an experienced shepherd will be fine; a trained sheepdog moving to a first time handler, not so much.

The average, beginner pet dog owner is a very different proposition to a dedicated working or sporting dog handler.

You can buy a brand new shiny car, you can even send your existing one off to be valeted, but if you don’t clean the windscreen now and again and steer it properly you’re going to crash into something.

You’ve read my mind!
I honestly can’t believe OP is serious 🧐

We dont know the OP is not motivated to carry on with the trainer.......MNs are assuming that. It is much easier to continue the behaviours if already taught than to start from the beginning if the OP has little experience in dogs.

You have experience of this? a trained sheepdog moving to a first time handler, not so much I can think of several novice handlers who started with pretrained dogs who managed well and are now up amongst the best handlers in competitions. They learnt with the pretrained dogs and their interest grew - the were just farmers to start with.

Yep cars and dogs very similar

Dont get me wrong I do not think it is the best idea to get a "pre trained" dog but so many people do it and the dogs and owners are happy.

The arguments given on this thread are incorrect, judgemental and naive (and emotionally driven)

All the celebrities out with dogs really do not go the village hall for training lessons! They get the trainers in. Board and train in America is the common way to train dogs. Even the Queen had dog trainers to train her dogs. It is an option and it can work but as usual MN have prejudged the OP without experience or any rl experience in the situation.

Assistant dog handover is not lengthy - their training with many different people is lengthy but handover is pretty quick.

Please don't get bunnies. They are harder than dogs (and more expensive). You have to bunny proof very extensively and they will still get in and chew up all your furniture (cos they are good at outwitting humans). There is a reason why there are so many in rescues. I loved my hamster but she was nocturnal so more suited to a shift worker or insomniac rather than young children.

Get gerbils or rats (less likely to trigger allergies than cats as smaller). I love my gerbils and if you don't wish to train them, you can just put them and your children in a playpen and they will run all over their arms and legs. You do need space for a large cage/tank (for the gerbils).

This explains why my American brother in law paid 2k for his dog to be sent to residential dog boot camp. It is a biting dog and they have a new baby.

Did you order fully sleep trained babies? 😂

Dogs behaviour is related to age in part, comfort and good enlightened care, training (in context mostly) and relationships within the pack (family) routines, except use and other needs.

A trained dog will leave a puddle of no one lets it out at the right time.

But it's completely hit or miss. You may buy a "trained dog" (whatever that means) but that doesn't mean it remains trained. As others have said, training is a matter of lifelong reinforcement alongside a bonded relationship between dog and owner(s). If a dog doesn't want to obey you, or doesn't respect you, it'll let you know in no uncertain terms. And training doesn't just apply to the dog - it actually applies equally (if not more so) to every person handling and interacting with that dog.

I think this might suit the OP www.amazon.co.uk/Ageless-Innovation-Joy-Companion-Freckled/dp/B00CWY1U74/ref=asc_df_B00CWY1U74/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=500997513116&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=3050412422966886030&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9046690&hvtargid=pla-1186560123033&th=1

I think you need to do some proper research into dog ownership.

@ShouldIknowthisalready

I work for a trainer who does residential training and also one-to-one and group sessions from beginner puppies up to IGP sporting and civil protection dogs. He trains 'celebrity' and football player's
dogs and dogs for therapy and assistance work.

My experience of witnessing how much owner motivation after board-and-train is pretty wide now.

The ones who follow through with what they've been taught do well, those that 'don't have time' or ask - on seeing my boss handle their dog when they first bring it to us - if they can just leave it with us and pick it up in six months or so, don't.

An inexperienced handler who really wants to will learn whatever the dog's qualifications might be. One who doesn't or can't be bothered will swiftly be taught lessons by their dog, one way or another.

That isn't an assumption.

We could all be assuming totally wrongly that the OP isn't cut out for dog ownership at all but I think we're correct in saying that they're not ready right now, as they have unreal expectations of finding a maintenance-free machine.

That's another metaphor, sorry you didn't get the one about the car.