[Irisesdad]

Iris is 12 1/2 weeks old and I'm looking for a good referral for an obedience trainer here in Orange County, California. I've looked through the yellow pages and called a few places. 6 week private classes run between 500 and 600 dollars. What I'd really like to attend, are group training classes, but these classes are not offered on Saturdays and conflict with my work schedule. Some trainers I spoke with actually want to take my dog away for 4 weeks to train, but I know I don't want to do that. I've received offers via e-mail for dog training methods such as Dean Rankin who says "These are the Doberman-Pinscher "secrets" professional dog trainers don't want you to know"! This one I believe costs 45 dollars. Any suggestions are appreciated!

 

[CoAl-s-Mom]

I'm with you. Avoid sending dog away and yes you want group classes. The place I used offered night classes for those of us that worked during the day. Can't find something like that? Do you have a Petsmart near you? Although not the greatest classes to take, they do offer night classes and it would be better than nothing at all.

 

[Kratty]

I definately agree that group classes are the way to go. At 12+ weeks, you should look at a puppy kindergarten class to start with. Its great for just working on the socialization skills, while starting the foundation for basic obedience. I can not offer any assistance from here, on the east coast, but as CoAl-s-Mom has suggested, Petsmart is better than nothing, until you find one you like.