# Puppy Class



## katicabogar86 (Jul 4, 2012)

I want to get started in puppy class, I know Csilla is a smarty so I want to make sure she is trained. At what age can we start? She's 10 wks old now, and gets her last course of vaccinations in two weeks. I'm thinking we would start after those last shots? Oh and I'm looking into Petco/ Petsmart but am open to suggestions.


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## minihero (Jun 19, 2012)

We started Delta Blue at 10 weeks at Petco..but honestly the trainer is quite inexperienced (definitely no experience with Vizsla's). I read a couple of puppy books that I got from the library and we knew more than he did, she was already sitting, potty trained, coming when called, etc. We paid $100.00 for 6 sessions, by the 3rd session which was this week we don't want to go back. It was to be a puppy class and this past week he brought an aggressive 2 year old mix breed dog who lunged at my baby rather nastily. Then, he asked me to print out info on the Vizsla and bring it to him..I told him to go jump in a lake. We're going to see if they have a different trainer. I would ask for recommendations and check out the trainer (learn from my mistakes). 

I contacted my local Vizsla club and they recommended a private trainer. I have a consultation on Thursday and I'll let you know how it goes and how much more money I'll have to pay.


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## ryker (Apr 14, 2012)

I had about the same experience as minihero, minus the dog lunging. We did a lot of research and our pup had almost all the commands down before we went. Plus, our trainer hadn't worked with Vizsla's and really made no effort with us.

We signed up at Petsmart and started at 10 weeks. By week three, we were kind of done. Our trainer was inexperienced and wouldn't help us when we asked questions afterwards without looking annoyed. Ryker had a lot of energy, so instead of helping us by teaching us how to use it to our advantage or how to deal with it in a class situation, I feel he just ignored us. Literally, he'd just ignore Ryker completely as I struggled to control him.

It can be 'trainer' dependent but I've heard lots of people say this. 

We got SUPER lucky and ran into a private trainer on a walk one day who offered us free private lessons to help get his business going. The one on one training has made a world of difference. We work outside in a busy park so there is still distractions, as there would be in a puppy class, but Ryker's needs are met more with the private trainer, so it goes more smoothly and I am MUCH less frustrated.

I know it can be pricey, and that we got lucky so I will say that having the basic commands of sit, stay, down, come, etc made a world of difference with the private training. But you can do that on your own. We did.

Good luck! Let us know what you decide, and message me with any questions!

Katie J


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## katicabogar86 (Jul 4, 2012)

Hi guys based on your info I'm definetly going to look into who the trainers are, maybe watch a class to see how it is first. I would love a personal trainer, was it much more expensive than the group class or The private lessons at petco are 70 each ? And where would I find a good trainer? Thank you!


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## luv2laugh (Oct 6, 2011)

Ryker - I actually got a refund from Petsmart when I wasn't happy with how the trainer taught, Petco may do the same thing. 

Oso was yelping in class, like he did when he was a puppy and wanted out of the crate. He behaved very well everywhere, except puppy class. He struggled with the waiting portion, not the tricks. I believe he wasn't developmentally read to sit there among three other dogs, receiving little attention, while the teacher talked. He could do all the tricks, but it was a bad setup. At petco, the trainer did not help us and actually had me indirectly reinforce the bad behavior by giving him treats when he stopped and looked at me. 

After that, I went to a private club with not so great results. In the end, I tried our Petco and lucked out with a great trainer. She immediately stopped the class and addressed our issue when Oso started yelping and he pretty much had stopped that before the end of the next class. We did three more classes with her.

Honestly, I don't think puppy classes are imperative. You can learn just as much through youtube and your own reading. It is fun to be doing activities with your new pup and feel involved, but it certainly wasn't necessary as long as you don't have any major aggressive/fear behaviors. I think socialization and puppy playdates are much more important. Our petco had puppy playtime for free 4x a week. Oso started at 10wks after he got his second set of shots. It was really educational for me to learn how dogs play - what is appropriate, what is not. Oso learned the same thing and it also helped with his bite inhibition. We also made some friends through the classes who we continued play dates with after they grew out of the classes.

At our petco, no dogs over 6 months were allowed. We stopped bringing Oso at 4 months because he got bigger than the other dogs. Most were either small or around 12 weeks.


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## Cristina (Jul 2, 2012)

Here in the UK where I live our vet runs their own puppy classes with a fully qualified behavourist, we were able to enrol from Beau's first injections. They only allow 6 puppies per class aged from 10 to 16 weeks, remember training is also about socialisation as well as training, the early stages are so important for experiences.


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## OttosMama (Oct 27, 2011)

Hi Katicabogar86!

We also brought Otto to Petsmart when he was about 4 months old. We drove about 45 minutes to the closest Petsmart bc the local petco did not impress me and I had heard some really great things about Petsmart. I was not disappointed. The trainer was greAt with the dogs, patient, personable, and thorough. She stayed after class with us when we wanted to discuss the "nipping situation" with her.

However, that being said, it was not necessary. Everything she taught can be found on YouTube or in puppy books as luv2laugh mentioned. If you are interested in finding an experienced V trainer, contact your local V club and see who they recommend. Prices definitely vary. Initially, we found a hunting trainer who was highly qualified, years of formal experience, an akc judge that charged $75/session. We probably would have stuck with her, but she was over an hour and a half away. We then were referred to a hunting trainer who is much closer - relatively new to training full time but has been hunting his dogs for years, also a field trial judge - he charges 25/session and offers discounts if prepay 7 sessions. So look/ask around - you may get lucky! 

As far as YouTube - I love Kikopup. IMO, she does an excellent job with all the basic commands and offers solutions to distinguish unwanted behaviors (such as nipping, jumping, etc). Others have suggested Ian Dunbar. You might want to try looking up either of those trainers. I find doing it yourself is a lot more rewarding. Then a good puppy playtime could be something to look into for socialization. Good luck!


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## flynnandlunasmom (May 28, 2012)

I agree that you can do most of it from books and reading/watching videos on your own. But, the up-side to classes is that you can work with your dog while other dogs (aka distractions) are around, which helps in the "real world". 

I think you have the right idea about watching a class first. Any good trainer should let you do that. For obedience training we go to Pawsitive Dog in Boston and they're not cheap but really good! The first class is just an educational class where you don't even bring your puppy with you.


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## Suliko (Sep 17, 2011)

I'm with those who say no need to rush into puppy classes. It is fun though! 
My oldest V Sophie didn't do good in her first (and only) puppy class - she couldn't concentrate for more than a few minutes at a time and would become anxious after a while. We finished the class, but I didn't sign her up for any other classes until she was about 1.5 years old  We did lots of training on our own and brought her to socialize with other dogs. I also took her to few drop-in classes at a local dog training school in between. Soophie is not perfect on everything, but I can say she has become a lot more obedient now at age 2 than she was a year ago...or a little crazy puppy  With our youngest V Pacsirta (6 months), I am concentrating more on recall and "come", "stay". I also take her to bird-training classes where she learns "whoa" (which I need to learn myself  ). 
When considering a puppy class, I would suggest to think about the outcome you would like from the class. Do you live in a city or country? Will your walks consist of on-leash or off-leash walks? Will you walk your pup on streets and parks or in woods? 
For example, we do our walks mostly in woods, and they are off leash. So, it is important for me to teach the "whoa" and "come" commands when we come across a deer or coyote. Heel is another important one. 
Csilla is still so young, she'll have plenty of time to learn everything  Enjoy her and make the training fun for her! See what she likes to do. Does she want to work or does she want to just play - things like that


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## threefsh (Apr 25, 2011)

I agree with everyone who says puppy class is unnecessary, with a big IF - that is, puppy class is unnecessary IF you are 1.) socializing the pup with other dogs/people and 2.) doing rigorous training yourself at home. Everyone is always shocked at how well Riley listens to us. It has absolutely nothing to do with the training classes we went to. As a matter of fact, the classes were very difficult for us because the trainers had no clue how to deal with a Vs ADD personality and we spent most of the time having her do puppy push-ups (sit, down, sit, down) while the instructors droned on and on. We actually skipped ahead a class and she was *still* bored most of the time. 

What really helped us was doing short, 5-10 minute training sessions at home multiple times during the day and taking her to a puppy social club on the weekend for socialization (45 minutes of all different types of puppies playing together). We also participated in off-leash walks with our local V group, so she learned how to behave with adult dogs as well.


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## katicabogar86 (Jul 4, 2012)

Hi threefish
I like your point of view and I am willing to train her at home, I am just not so sure how to do. Like you said the V ADD throws me for a loop, I don't know how to get her to pay attention for more than a few minutes at a time. That being said she can sit and fetch and is starting to understand down But I really want to get her to come when called outside because our yard is only partially fenced so Im weary of letting her off the long training leash until I know she'll listen to me. Thanks!


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## threefsh (Apr 25, 2011)

You have to train in short spurts of 5-10 minutes. As soon as her attention is lost, you have to stop and take a break for play time. Recall is best taught in a long hallway or big room inside the house first. You and someone else should sit on opposite sides of the hall/room with tasty treats (hot dog bits are V crack!) and call her back and forth between you. "Csilla come!" She gets a lot of tiny hot dog pieces (cut them up really small) every time she comes to one of you. I love this method because not only is it great for training recall, it's a good way to burn off the crazy puppy energy! Once you have mastered recall inside the house, you can move outside and do the same drill in the yard. 

The #1, *most important* thing about training recall is to use it _repeatedly_ during play time outside so that it never signals to the dog that fun is over and it is time to go home. Let her sniff around for 10 minutes then "Csilla come!", grab her collar when she comes to you, jackpot with treats, and release her with an "okay!" to continue playing. The biggest mistake I see dog owners in general making is that they only recall when play time is over. Vs are extremely smart and will realize that coming when called = no more fun. Everyone we meet is amazed at Riley's recall - follow the steps I gave you and you too can have a perfect recall with your pup. 8)

This is how we practice recall now:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6L4gwSUTX8o&feature=g-upl


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## SweetCaroline (Jul 26, 2011)

Hi!

I can't remember exactly how old Magnus was when we started but I think the rule was as long as he had started getting his shots and was under 17 weeks old.

I had done some research and after many recommendations, decided on a specific school in our part of town (Yay Carolark!).

I decided on classes because:


[li]I am a 1st time dog-owner (Magnus is now 2.5 yrs old) - the classes were more for me than him
We brought him home in January (in Ontario Canada - can you say cold?)
[/li][li]I wanted him to meet other friends [/li]

I do not regret my decision for one second - it helped me enormously even though I had the "bad kid" in the class. He was generally a rabble-rouser for the first few classes but settled down slightly. The instructors were kind, patient and encouraging. A good school will indeed let you observe a class (without your dog) for free so you can see what goes on.

As someone mentioned - if nothing else, it can be fun!

Hope that helps! -C.


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## Hbomb (Jan 24, 2012)

We didn't start classes with h until he was nearly 5 months old. Before that we trained him ourselves using books, Internet and advice from the forum  

Not sure if they have this in the US but our class followed the kennel clubs good citizen scheme puppy part, after that you can do bronze, silver and gold if you want. At the end you get a nice certificate and rosette  

Most of the other dogs were the same age as h. While he was good at the commands, what he needed to learn was how to sit quiet and wait his turn! He got better over the 8 week Period! I am not sure if he would have had the attention span to concentrate for the whole hour and a half had he been younger. 

I think at 10 weeks the most important thing is exposing the puppy to as many people/dogs/ environments as possible. Whether this is done formally through puppy play classes or by yourself, doesn't matter. There is a good topic on this forum with a link to 'socialisation scavenger hunt' if I wasn't on my I phone I would post the link!!


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## luv2laugh (Oct 6, 2011)

Threefsh, I agree with your recall training, 100%. I never call him by his name if we are going to do something bad still and Oso is 10 months old. I will now call him when we leave the dog park, but that is only a recent development. If he is not completely tired when it's time to go, I wait till he is near me and hook him. If I can have treats with me at the dog park, I will call him over during play, give him a treat and then release him immediately to play more.

Another important thing is to make sure EVERY time you call, she comes. Only call her during training if you know she's going to come or can reel her in (on a long leash). If you made a mistake and she doesn't come and you have no control over her, do NOT keep calling. Every time you call her name and she doesn't respond you are unpairing the response. Practicing on a daily basis will hugely improve her recall! When I'm by myself, I will sometimes sit out with the dog on the 20ft training leash and every 5-10 minutes call him in and give him a treat, then let him wander again. 

Also, for Jackpots, feeding treats one at a time, is supposedly more effective than a big handful. So instead of giving 5 treats at once, you give 5 treats one after another - with praise. 

**Some trainers recommend having a special word for when you REALLY need her to come. They say to do this, because without thinking about it we say "come here" too often. Ours is "Come Now." Oso comes when we just say his name and we don't overuse "come here," so I don't think we needed this. But, two out of the three puppy classes we did recommended this. They recommend you practice with this and give jackpots EVERY single time. They said this is the only command you will never fade away from food. This is the command to use if your dog is running into the street or just when you really need to get his/her attention.


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## Ddfred28 (Jun 26, 2012)

Hi
We had our first training session with Brian at 11 weeks. We've actually gone privately, and the man that does them is actually a police dog handler/trainer. The great thing about the private sessions is that we all go, so the boys are involved, and we go to lots of different places -- the park, around the block, in the fields etc, to sports fields -- it's also based on what you want your dog to do, and how much you want them trained!

We've now had three sessions, Brian is great off the lead and recalls even when playing with other dogs, he sits, he waits for his food(I forgot to say his command word and he just sat there! Opps), we are trying down now(this will be the 'safe' command for if we need him to stop instantly), and as our trainer thinks he is doing so well, we are trying some heal work with him too 

We don't have lessons every week, as our trainer doesn't think it's needed, and so yes they are a little more expensive but i think much better value. Plus as long as you have parks around and he's able to meet other dogs for the socialisation park of the classes, I think go private! 

Goodluck and have fun


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## katicabogar86 (Jul 4, 2012)

Hi ! I just signed her up for a small group class at Petsmart, there's only one other dog in it right now, a maltese. I met the trainer, and he got to meet Csilla. He signed her up for the beginner class ( she's skipping the puppy level- he says she's already got all of that down) she starts on the 27th. I plan to do the AKC Good citizen with her after this


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