Comments on: Has Anyone Gone To Dog Training At Petco/petsmart?

By: regwoman

regwoman — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 19:49:36 +0000

I brought my Lhasa to Petsmart, and we both loved it. The trainer was personable, and loved dogs. It was a rewarding experience for us.

By: iluvmyfr

iluvmyfr — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 18:00:31 +0000

I have had one of my dogs trained at Petsmart and it was horrible. I had to go to a behaviorist (who worked at Petco at the time) to have her fix what the Petsmart Trainers screwed up. The trainers that work at Petco are actual dog trainers, the ones that work at Petsmart are just people that went through Petsmart’s dog training program.

By: P/T Doctor

P/T Doctor — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 13:54:26 +0000

I took my wife to Petsmart because of her inability to retrieve. Left her there for 4 days. I was very unsatisfied with the results. When I picked her up she bit me, growled, howled & still dont retrieve.The *****! Wouldnt recomend it. Try a personal trainer.

By: opiniona

opiniona — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 07:58:33 +0000

PetSmart has a 100% satisfaction guarentee on all of it’s classes…If you aren’t happy with the training, you can get a full refund or retake the class, and then put the refund into a personal trainer. The problem with personal trainers is that the dog doesn’t get much socialization. Also, he or she might not learn as well because dogs learn from watching other dogs…its called social learning. Pet training at PetSmart takes place not only in the ring, but in the store as well. This provides a lot of distractions (strangers, new smells, toys, other animals, other dogs). If your dog can do it in the store, you can be sure he or she will do it anywhere. PetSmart also uses positive reinforcement techniques, so nothing we do will ever harm your dog. In fact, he or she will love it!
Training is definately worth the money. Classes are only $99. In Beginner and Puppy classes, your dog will learn sit, down, stay, come, walk on a leash without pulling, take it, leave it, drop it, greeting strangers without jumping, and also a couple fun tricks. They will also talk about potty training and grooming, which is extremely useful for a papillon. They are notorious for have potty training issues.You can also ask the trainer any specific questions you have, and he or she should be able to answer them for you.
Personally, I have never had anyone return a class at PetSmart, so I think I’m doing a good job

By: mandie m

mandie m — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 06:20:12 +0000

talk to the trainer, make sure you like them. petco and petsmart doesnt hire a trainer based on how they train (meaning different stores use different training methods). i would suggest finding a method you like most and then finding the trainer. the only advantage of petco and petsmart trainers is they have to be certified in order to train in the store.

By: sandy l

sandy l — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 02:22:38 +0000

i have not gone to one there. but i did train dogs for obdediance compation and i looked at the things the pet smart people were teaching and how they teach and it all is normal and i dont know of any reason why it would not be a very good place to go both you and your dog to learn all of this basic stuff.
have fun.

By: dogtrain

dogtrain — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 23:20:11 +0000

If you just want to have a well behaved companion, training at these stores offers a convenient way of offering you basic obedience lessons. The focus is on positive reinforcement (Excellent). EVEN MORE IMPORTANT your puppy or dog will get the socializing that is much needed.
If you are thinking of Showing you dog in obedience, or your dog has major problems a personal trainer may be for you.

By: bryce b

bryce b — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 23:12:25 +0000

no but i have seen them working with the dog and it was cool

By: strayd0g

strayd0g — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 16:55:51 +0000

Training at Petsmart (I’ve no personal experience with Petco) is a very good option PROVIDED you check out the trainers beforehand.
The trainer should be certified, of course, and they should be very active in obedience or other dog-related sports (such as Schutzhund, flyball, ect.). Their dogs should have the Canine Good Citizen certifications, and ideally be licensed therapy dogs (it requires EXTENSIVE training to accomplish these things).
That all said, training in a group environment is great because you socialize your dog while teaching him to be obedient in a group setting. What good is teaching your dog to be obedient by himself? The moment he’s in a group chances are he’ll be too interested in other things to pay you any mind. With a group training the trainer teaches your dog to respond only to YOU despite the other animals/people present.
Also, the training is 100% guaranteed for Petsmart…and you can purchase additional private training sessions IF you think they’re needed (some dogs require private training if they’re dog aggressive and cannot be trained with the group).
Either way, check it out…talk to the trainer at your local Petsmart and get to know them. Test their knowledge a bit and make the decisions for yourself as to whether you think they’re the best training route to take.
Good luck!

By: jungles_

jungles_ — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 14:49:07 +0000

Petco and Petsmart contract local trainers to teach their classes. Most are good but it does vary. I always recommend observing a class without your pet first to see if you’re comfortable with the training approach, location etc and you can also talk to the others taking the class to see if they are happy with it.
Most training classes are well worth the money and pretty essential for all dogs. Even if you are good at training I like the controlled group atmosphere to help socialize them as well. Particularly in teaching them that they need to obey even around other animals and distractions.
You can expect basic obedience ( sit, stay etc) some manners training like how to introduce animals and how to deal with basic issues like begging etc.
Good luck and thank you for being a responsible pet owner!