# puppy classes are they worth it?



## busterandlulu (Jun 20, 2010)

Hi all, Ive enquired about putting my 9 week old yorkshire terrier into a puppy class. The class starts in 5 weeks so he'll be 14 weeks, the classes are £12 a hour and the course lasts 6 weeks so £50 all together. Is it worth me doing it? Or do you think I can benefit just as well doing it all myself?

Any thoughts are this matter would be much appreciated.


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## tripod (Feb 14, 2010)

YES - they offer much needed socialisation opps :thumbup:


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## shazalhasa (Jul 21, 2009)

They are worth doing for the socialisation aspect but that's pretty pricey 

If it's just the socialising that's needed, could you not just take him for a walk where others take their dogs for a walk and introduce him to some of the quieter ones ?


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## kaisa624 (Mar 5, 2010)

I agree with Shaza


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## CarolineH (Aug 4, 2009)

That price does seem a bit steep but would be worth if it the class number was limited? (hence the higher price to cover costs) Smaller classes of say 6 - 8 are much better if you can find them and yes, your pup will benefit but so will you as you should be able to learn a lot too if they are well run by someone who knows their stuff.


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## ploddingon (Jun 15, 2010)

This is a question I keep asking myself too. Up till now I have been trying to train Bobs myself and he has done quite well so far, but I feel that as he gets a biit older, he may need the classes.

Only thing in my area is that most classes incorporate some agility into the lesson and I am just unable to run round a ring with him. One person who runs one of the classes did say that I could just stand at the side when the rest of the class did the agility, but I dont think that would be much of a fun lesson!


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## busterandlulu (Jun 20, 2010)

I have a 2 year old greyhound as well, I think I will take him to the lessons and maybe shop around first before I decide. Many thanks for your comments


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## welshdoglover (Aug 31, 2009)

£12 an hour seems a bit steep. Most of the socialisation my doggies got was from the local park which was, err, free.

Good luck (_ hope you save £12 and buy ur doggie some really nice treats._


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## poppydog1 (Mar 26, 2010)

Ive just started puppy training 7 weeks for £70, i felt it was essential as i have a terrier and they can tend to hate other dogs, and really felt she needed the training and to mix with other pups.


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## Horse and Hound (May 12, 2010)

I start a week today. £30 for 6 weeks... or is it 5 weeks? Either way, one or the other.

Simply because he loves other dogs and is completely and utterly deaf to a recall when he's on one. So, as he's my first pup, I want to learn what to do properly and see what I am doing wrong.


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## dexter (Nov 29, 2008)

poppydog1 said:


> Ive just started puppy training 7 weeks for £70, i felt it was essential as i have a terrier and they can tend to hate other dogs, and really felt she needed the training and to mix with other pups.


you'll enjoy it and so will the dog. its great for socialisation, training and you'll get to meet some new doggy friends. enjoy x


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## busterandlulu (Jun 20, 2010)

Thank you everyone, I think ill look around and see if I can find somewhere a little cheaper, but I definately think ill take him. Just because Id like him to be a good dog and behave well with other dogs.


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## y2klovebug (May 24, 2010)

Hiya, have you tried enquiring at your vets? Im going to my first puppy class tomoro eve at my local vets and its free. Its run by one of the vet nurses and her husband (who is a dog behavourist) and the classes are limited to 4 or 5 puppys. Maybe its worth asking? I definately think puppy classes are a good idea but it seems quite expensive.


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## busterandlulu (Jun 20, 2010)

that sounds like a brilliant idea ill definately look into it, was down the vets today too. Ill let you know what happens. Thanks for the great idea, hope it all goes well for you tommorow


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## the melster (Mar 20, 2010)

I didn't take Bo to her first training class until she was 7 months old. I trained her at home with the basic commands at first but came to realise that she needs to overcome doing as she's told with the distraction of other dogs. I would have a problem with paying £12/hour though  Our classes were £45 for 10 weeks so I would definaitely shop around for other classes.


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## GSDlover4ever (Feb 21, 2009)

I think training classes are very important for a dogs development, especially when they are puppies!

Me and my mum take her 2 westie pups to training class and that is 1.50 each pup!


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## Kinski (Apr 4, 2009)

I think it depends on the pup, I never took Ailsa my first sheltie to classes and she was one of the best behaved dogs in the park. I took Arran to classes and it was one of the worst things I could have done to him, he's a sensitive wee soul and he was terrified of all the other dogs running around and trying to play with him, he was fine if it was just him and one other dog but a pack of them playing really freaked him out.

Terri


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## poppydog1 (Mar 26, 2010)

Could we start a list of dog training classes we know about in each area, i was unsure of where to look when i wanted one.


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## Horse and Hound (May 12, 2010)

Could do, nice idea I suppose. Not sure how many people are from my area on here!


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## Sam1309 (May 18, 2010)

i spent ages and ages looking for one (wee lads only 12 weeks today)

thought yes that looks good they can't accept him to 16 weeks as there choca....

however in that short space my dog can now, sit, lay down, roll over, paw, come, bed and get into the car on command!

socialisation wise i live 100m from a big field with a small play park, all the locals walk dogs there so we see at least 4 dogs per walk, and he meets them all and normally he plays as i talk to the other owners.

also my local pet at home offer a free puppy party!! more socialisation


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## Horse and Hound (May 12, 2010)

For me its not just about Roo, but about me learning how to communicate with him, and tell him what I want a bit better.

We've mastered sit now, I think, but his recall is awful if he's interested in something else!


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## Piglet1 (Apr 12, 2010)

Wish I could be more enthusiastic but after paying out £35 PLUS £5 each following lesson, I am bored with them and my 15 week old whippet doesn't seem too arsed. 
He is already well socialised as stays with someone who looks after other dogs in the day. 
I think on balance that there are too many puppies in the class so lots of time is spent just watching others do the same old tasks.
Yawn!


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## Burrowzig (Feb 18, 2009)

Piglet1 said:


> Wish I could be more enthusiastic but after paying out £35 PLUS £5 each following lesson, I am bored with them and my 15 week old whippet doesn't seem too arsed.
> He is already well socialised as stays with someone who looks after other dogs in the day.
> I think on balance that there are too many puppies in the class so lots of time is spent just watching others do the same old tasks.
> Yawn!


That doesn't seem like a good training class, and the price is too high. Did you go and watch any before signing up and parting with your money? That's worth doing, see what you're going to get and make sure it's what you want and the methods you approve of.


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## kaisa624 (Mar 5, 2010)

When we went to check out Puppy classes we went and watched a couple, and decided we didn't like any of them, so we didn't bother with them, as they were very expensive.


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## pprawncurry (Mar 29, 2010)

Its always worth joing class just for the socialisation, but most of all it educates ourselves, dogs do learn very quickly watching other dogs, if one can afford it, then you should go for it.


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## merlin39 (Jun 7, 2010)

i'm going to start training with our pup next week, he will be 13 weeks, we have done lots of training with him ourselves and he i very bright so we are looking forward to taking his and learning new stuff! 
ours costs £65 for 10 week course, reasonable i thought esp as they train dogs for films etc!
good luck with the training


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## Lyceum (Sep 25, 2009)

I'm totally undecided about puppy classes if I'm honest. I do love the idea of the socialisation, and for me, it was about learning to communicate with the dog correctly. Plus I love that they learn to train whilst there's distractions around them.

I took Novak, and have to say, he's great on lead, adores everyone he meets and has never met a dog he doesn't love. He's pretty much my idea of the perfect dog.

My cousin brought her puppy, Tyson, to classes with me and Novak, so he has exactly the same experience and training, yet he still pulls like mad, hates other dogs and is hit and miss with people (doesn't seem to like men).

When I got Bailey, he wasn't exactly planned (bit of a rescue situation) so I hadn't put the money away for puppy classes, but I followed all the same training tips as I did with Novak. Still, Bailey pulls like a blooming freight train and is hit and miss with both dogs, and people (again, doesn't seem to like men - despite living with one).

That's my experience with puppy classes, one well behaved dog and one dog behaving exactly like a dog that never went to classes (if that makes sense lol), so I have to wonder if Novak's behaviour is down to the experiences he had at class, or his laid back personality.

God that was an essay lol


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## BigBearsRule (Jun 24, 2009)

I have just started my KC Good ~Citizen Bronze level course with my 3rd dog, yes Ive done it twice before, but its about being around other people as well as other dogs. Alot of places run Foundation courses for puppies, you can find their details via the KC website.
Im currently paying £40 for an 8 week course, the price is the same, no matter what level you study. This week, we did something, we hadnt covered before - seperation anxiety and how to teach your dog to be content when seperated from you. It was really interesting. Our trainers are fantastic, its all positive reinforcement stuff.
My owner of my class, is a retired Police Dog handler and he is so good with all the dogs, a gentle giant with a soft voice that can get any dog to do his bidding with a bit of garlic sausage :thumbup:


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## Blitz (Feb 12, 2009)

I think the higher charges are ok for dog training classes but ridiculous for puppy socialisation classes. £2 is plenty for that sort of thing.


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## archielee (Jan 30, 2009)

I'm paying £45 for one hour a week for 4 weeks


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## CarolineH (Aug 4, 2009)

I think a fiver a class is plenty to be honest but costs to the trainer have to be taken into account to be fair? Cost of the venue hire. Cost of third part liability & public indemnity insurance (which is not compulsory but very advisable!). Cost of course materials and printing costs if handouts are given out. A reasonable cost for the trainers time and trouble and also to help them cover the cost of seminars and courses attended to help them become a better trainer.


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## busterandlulu (Jun 20, 2010)

We decided to go ahead with the puppy classes and he's starting as soon as his injections have been sorted and are effective (3 weeks time).

I checked round quite a few local trainers and all were pretty much the same for puppies. £50-£60 for a 6 week course.
So I have enrolled with a school that appeared good. No idea how we'll get on but both dogs are enrolled. Buster the pup on that 6 week course and Lulu the 2 yr old greyhound in their £7.50 a week group sessions.

Don't know why I was so bothered about the cost initially really. I think the benefits will far outweight the price I'm paying.

Thanks for all the response around the subject and I'll keep you posted how they both respond.


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## hawksport (Dec 27, 2009)

Have you been to watch the classes?


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## archielee (Jan 30, 2009)

CarolineH said:


> I think a fiver a class is plenty to be honest but costs to the trainer have to be taken into account to be fair? Cost of the venue hire. Cost of third part liability & public indemnity insurance (which is not compulsory but very advisable!). Cost of course materials and printing costs if handouts are given out. A reasonable cost for the trainers time and trouble and also to help them cover the cost of seminars and courses attended to help them become a better trainer.


I don't £5 will cover all of that IMO


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## MontyA (Feb 3, 2010)

I've mixed feelings about them. On the positive side I learnt a lot about how to get Monty to understand basic commands. On the whole it was all about positive training with treats and enthusiasm.

One part that I didn't like was that although it was supposed to be about socialisation, there was no effort to introduce any of the puppies to each other until about the 4th week. They were pulling on their leads in a desperate attempt to get to each other. This led to Monty to develop a problem with barking. Instead of then giving me some advice on how to deal with it, ( and it was only because of excitement around the other puppies), I was made to feel that I had a disruptive puppy, which given the noise he made, he probably was! It then becomes a vicious circle, I was spending my time trying to quieten him down, and distract him, getting more and more embarressed, and he was getting loads of attention for barking, so wouldn't stop. One week she tried the pet corrector on him - never again. He shot under the chair, I was so upset, he was shaking. Since then I've taught him 'quiet', and it works, but it's so hard in a room full of disdainful looks, to keep calm and not overreact. 

So sorry, the point of this ramble is to say that I would definitely recommend going along first without your puppy to get a feel for it, and see how noisy or disruptive other puppies are, or not, and what advice is given. Bad habits can develop more quickly than good ones!


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## hawksport (Dec 27, 2009)

MontyA said:


> So sorry, the point of this ramble is to say that I would definitely recommend going along first without your puppy to get a feel for it, and see how noisy or disruptive other puppies are, or not, and what advice is given. Bad habits can develop more quickly than good ones!


You wouldn't buy a car or a tv or even a pair of shoes without looking at them first but when it comes to a dog training class which is going to change a big part of your life for the next ten years or so a lot of people read an ad in the paper and pay up no questions asked


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## busterandlulu (Jun 20, 2010)

hawksport said:


> You wouldn't buy a car or a tv or even a pair of shoes without looking at them first but when it comes to a dog training class which is going to change a big part of your life for the next ten years or so a lot of people read an ad in the paper and pay up no questions asked


Thankfully, the trainer I am using is known to the rescue centre we got Lulu from and the rescue centre are happy with them, thats why I'm using them.

But of course, if it turns out to be gash then i'll change providers. But i'm completely new to dog training, so as long as it is positive training which I have been assured it is, then I'm happy. I guarantee that trainer will be more experienced than I with dogs.


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