Quick question for all you moms - I am interested in putting my dog, a 2 year old beagle, in Petsmart Training classes. But, I have no idea how much they cost or if they are worth it. Please let me know about your past experiences with these training classes. Are they expensive? Do they work?
My dog has a problem with barking, trying to dart out the door, does not like other dogs, etc. We really like this dog, but would like him to be better trained.
Thank you! S.
I've considered their classes also but decided not to after observing one of the classes. I've heard people that have thought they were wonderful, and others not so much. It really depends on the trainer. So I would go and talk to the trainer you would be working with and maybe observe before you sign up for a class.
I looked into them - I think it was six weeks (once a week for an hour) for $109. I didn't use it because the times didn't work out for us. If you live in St. Louis, my vet recommended the Humane Society for classes. I don't know how much it costs, but they do offer classes for older dogs (older than a puppy). You may want to check that out.
I would agree it might depend on the trainer. My son and dil took one of their dogs for training and they really liked it. If nothing else, it has taught them how to teacher and react to their dog. Alot of it is teaching the human I think. Maybe you could try a class for free. You might ask or if you could observe the same type class you want to take. Good luck.
The cost is about $150 dollars for 8 Saturdays. But if your dog is not social you might want to start off with individual training. Some of this you can do yourself, by making him sit before you take him out and giving him a treat when he does. This will keep him from running out the door. I am sorry but all dogs bark and beagles howl as well that is just what they do. A dog needs to know who is in charge or Alpha and right now the beagle is in charge.
Look online and find training books or visit the petsmart to get some. They do work if you take the time and be consistent.
About me:
Working wife,mother of four 2 boys and 2 girls. And a loving dog name Cooper. Trainined to sit, stay, fetch ,roll over,come and stops barking at the raising of our right hand.
I just finished training classes at Petsmart with my German Shepherd. The classes were not cheap and I did not feel like they were helpful. They focus too much on rewarding the dog for good behavior. My suggestion would be to research a little on the internet. One trick they did use for the barking at other dogs problem was a squirt bottle filled with water. Squirt them when they bark. It doesn't hurt them, but they don't like it. A German Shepherd and a beagle really do require a different kind of training due to their difference in size, but I really didn't feel as if I gained much knowledge from the $100 class.
You might check around with some other sources. The City of Ferguson where I live does I think 6 week classes, I believe it is something like $49 for residents and $55 for non-residents. Local shelters like the City of St. Louis shelter and the Humane Society of MO are likely to have a list of different classes around the area. I would also recommend checking out the webpages of some Beagle rescues (just google "Beagle rescue"). Rescues usually have WONDERFUL breed-specific training advice on their pages to try to help people and their pets enjoy each other as much as possible and help people solve behavior problems instead of giving up their pets. It's in their best interest (and of course their goal) to help their breeds stay in loving homes so they are usually very helpful and have loads of info including training, grooming, food, breed characteristics, etc. on their websites. Good luck!
