Michigan Dog Training hears this question time and time again, “Should I do private dog training lessons at a facility or hire a dog trainer for in home dog training? And, its a good question.
Since pet dogs spend 80% or more of their time in the home, it might seem best to hire a dog trainer to train the dog and family where the problem occurs, in the home. However, most problems that occur in the home will also avail themselves at a dog training facility. For example, a dog that shows aggressive behavior toward other dogs when seeing them in the neighborhood or while peering out their front house window will probably show the same behavior at the dog training facility. A dog that is frightened by someone appearing in a hallway in the home or at the front door will probably show the same behavior at the front entrance or hallway at the dog training facility. And, at the infrequent time the dog doesn’t show the behavior at the facility, guess what? I believe the owner that the behavior happens in the home. I have seen and evaluated so many dogs that I don’t have to see the dog show its fangs to help the client teach the dog to relax and be more obedient.
So in most cases, seeing the dog at the training facility is just fine. The dog owner will receive the same amount of help and save some money by coming to the facility rather than having the trainer go to them. Plus, often times the trainer will have his/her own stable dogs available at the facility to help with the rehabbing of your dog as well as friendly strangers for your dog to meet. So don’t believe the hype if a dog trainer tells you that the dog training sessions must be done in the home. A trainer that does this is probably wanting to do the in home session because they can charge more for it or because they do not have a dog training facility.
The main reason to do in home dog training would be for the convenience of the dog owner or because they have several dogs to work with and bringing them to the facility could be problematic. And, if its for the sake of convenience, that’s ok. With busy work schedules, convenience is important. MDT provides both (in home dog training and on-site private dog training) and believes its important for dog owners to be able to compare the benefits of each. The major benefits are listed below.
BENEFITS
On-Site Private SessionsÂ
- Cheaper
- Stable dogs available for your dog to meet
- Friendly strangers for your dog to meet
In-Home Dog Training
- Convenient for busy work schedules
- Convenient for busy families with young children
- Convenient for multi-dog households so one doesn’t have to transport all the dogs to the facility
