Anyone signed up for an online training course / package? Any reviews?

[TheBunyip]

As I spent 98% of my life googling dog stuff my social media feeds are now full of online dog courses promising to solve my dog issues for a one off payment

i’m tempted. We have a very fearful reactive rescue. We do an in person class once a week and I read every article and watch every YouTube video. But I wonder if one of these courses could be another useful resource?

I'm looking at MK9 plus, and 3d online academy in particular but any other recommendations, or not might help me decide.

It depends what your experience dog training is. I think if youre novice then its hard to put into practice properly.

I hated the mk9 guy. When i temporarily subscribed he thought everything that was "wrong" behaviourally was because you werent meeting the dogs needs. That said i taught my dog a touch target off one of his vids.

Your money would be better spent on a behaviourist. Fear reactivity isnt going to be covered in a catch all online session

Yes I can see that to an extent.

i’m not a novice dog owner, and we have used an accredited behaviorist but tbh they didn’t tell me anything I didn’t already know. The theory is all great but the reality of applying the techniques in real life and no linear progress is what I struggle with.

My girl is dead easy to teach tricks to. She’s bright but easily bored. What I really need to work on is her engagement and focus. I know this. She doesn’t 🤣

What type of in person class do you do each week? Are you progressing?
Have you tried different classes or activities?
A dogs concentration span can be developed and taught, but it takes time. Like with us, if they enjoy the activities they learn faster.

Also, whatever works in a confined and controlled space may have to be re taught in all the different situations you encounter when out and about. It will be quicker, because doggo knows the command, but you still have to teach that it's inappropriate to bark at Fido the Collie or Speed the greyhound when you see them on the other side of the road.
It can be long and tedious, especially when a behaviour is deeply ingrained. You are looking at months or even a year to undo this.

Ive just started reading control unleashed for reactive dogs. Lots of exercises in there

Thanks. I’ll take a look at that book.

she’s not dog reactive. She’s cars / bikes / people with walking sticks / hats etc. reactive. And when I say reactive she’s not aggressive. She’s shit scared. So I need to build her confidence. It’s really hard when you really can’t control distance and duration of when someone will fly past on a bike as an example.

we do two dog classes. One very controlled, with screens to separate the dogs, which concentrates on focus. She’s quite quickly bored in that one and lies down and refuses to engage after two repetitions of the task at hand 🤣 . The other is a desensitisation class in a local park which we’ve only recently started but I feel is more beneficial. So long as no bikes go past!

I have a sheepdog so have signed up to Dingbatt dog training with Sarah Hedderly which is brilliant for us Kamal Fernandez has an online academy as well.

@TheBunyip I'd drop the first class and try and find something more engaging for your dog.
Or
Stay with the class but never reach that point where the dog decides enough is enough. I have one a bit like that, loves to work things out but hates repetitive tasks. Luckily my dog trainer is able to tailor his sessions accordingly. (It's a small group class with individual attention. We just do say 3-5 minutes instead 5-10 minutes when teaching tasks. He's happy with that, so I am happy as well.)

She’s cars / bikes / people with walking sticks / hats etc. reactive

Would need to see what she does, but I would say, this will take a long time to fix.
Your dog needs reassurance that you are able to keep her safe.

On another note, I've made real progress with my nervous dog by building on that dog - handler bond. As we build on trusting each other more, I have noticed she's less jumpy and hiding in the bushes from potential threats.(I do agility, so she has to work away from me and follow body & voice commands. It's been great for her confidence!)

@TheBunyip there is a distinct difference between 'training' and 'behaviour'. Accredited behaviourists are few and far between, at least good ones. Also, the whole industry is unregulated, so there are many who call themselves trainers and behaviourists who have no qualifications whatsoever. Ditto YouTube etc. I shudder about some of the things I've seen on there.

With behaviour modification, you are looking to change the dog's emotional response to something as opposed to training to do something on cue (such as sit). Behaviour modification is a time consuming process as @Ylvamoon suggests, and requires patience and consistency. Imagine someone telling a grieving person not to grieve for example.

I have never seen a YouTube channel that comes anywhere near explaining how to go about this, and I have watched many. Most of them aren't even that good at teaching a dog to responded to a cue.

My own experience as a trainer is that 1:1 sessions are definitely the most beneficial as you get to see how the handler goes about things. There are nuances to how I go about things, and it's only when I am observing the owner that I can see whether they are actually putting into practice the things I have been showing them. This cannot be done remotely.

If you are within an hour of Winchester, I will happily give you an hour of my time for free and work out a plan of action, or at very least tell you how to find someone who is suitably qualified to help you.

Yes agree she needs to learn to trust that I’m going to look after her. She’s a complex mix of guarding instinct with innate fearfulness. She’s perfect around the house just scared of the big wide world. Poor girl 😢

That is an incredibly generous and kind offer @HappiestSleeping thank you. I’ll definitely bear it in mind. We’re not very far from Winchester

and totally understand and agree with what you’re saying around behaviour modification. Very different to learning tricks which she does easily.

Does her trainer understand her breed? I ask as a terrier slave and so many don’t understand them. I have trained agility for many years and whilst all dogs learn the same way with reinforcement and repetition that process can vary by breed. My dog LOVES learning if it’s dynamic and fun and there are many treats. She UTTERLY hates waiting. Thats her nemesis which is normal. So I keep her busy between ‘goes’ if I need to although with age and reinforcement for calm she has vastly improved.

They also need to understand behaviour as well as training. I am a qualified behaviourist and find that invaluable when I teach.

Quite honestly you need in person help. Reactivity is a delicate balance to get right and is much better with someone to guide you.

I run group walks with a variety of dogs in order to help overcome anxiety. I can PM with details if you are interested.