Category: dog training school

dog obedience school

Hardly a week goes by without a well-meaning dog owner reaches out, asking: “Is my dog too old for dog obedience school?” If you’re asking this question, allow us to put your mind at ease; if your dog is young enough to see you, enjoy food, and get around, it’s not at all too late!

You may have recently adopted an older dog, or you may have training goals for a pet you’ve had since his puppyhood. Either way, there’s no reason to avoid enrolling a dog of any age at All Dogs Unleashed obedience school.

In fact, we’ve noticed that there can be a few perks to training an older dog. Your dog probably has at least some understanding of a few basic commands, has an attention span longer than when he was younger, and has had ample time to pick up at a minimum the basics of common human language.

Additionally, older dogs are often praised for their sweet, gentle temperaments. Once the wild impulses of puppyhood have faded, dogs can be somewhat easier to work with. In their older years, even dogs like labs and terriers—both breeds noted for their energetic dispositions—settle down once they’re closer to five years of age.

If you wish to enroll a dog that’s truly a senior pup (an age that varies by breed, so ask your vet!), make sure your dog is healthy enough for the activities and skills you’d like him to learn. If your aging dog has arthritis or mild cognitive decline, let us know. We can devise an adaptive training approach that will allow you to work with your dog – even with his limitations.

The biggest challenge we face when working with older dogs emerges when it’s necessary to undo bad habits or improper training approaches. Usually this involves retraining you, the owner.

If this turns out to be the case for you and your dog, please don’t feel badly. Many people make slight errors when teaching their dogs at home. You’re not a professional dog trainer, so it’s understandable that you don’t have perfect technique.

When you enroll your older dog with us at All Dogs Unleashed, consider the “owner” training portion a bonus. In fact, it’s a great opportunity for you to learn the tips and tricks that have helped make our dog training programs incredibly successful year after year.

Of course, there are vital socialization windows that close by the time a dog is 14 weeks of age. By the time your dog is one year old, more opportunities for some of the so-called “easy” training have passed. If your dog has flown by these milestones without experiencing proper training, don’t give up.

Training a dog is like planting a tree. It may have been best to get started years ago, but the next-best time to begin is today.

Luckily, it’s beneficial to start working with your older dog as long as he is able to physically handle training classes. Training an older dog can enhance your pet/owner relationship by:

  • Reinforcing your dog’s respect for you
  • Creating a number of opportunities for you and your doggo to bond – this is especially helpful if you’ve recently adopted an older canine
  • Reminding your aging dog of his purpose, thus staving off depression
  • Allowing you to enjoy being around your dog more
  • Expanding your dog’s world by making him easier to bring along with you wherever you go!

If you’re ready to begin working with your older dog, contact us today. All Dogs Unleashed is standing by to help with potty training, obedience training, off-leash recall, socialization, and agility training, no matter your dog’s age or existing level of formal training.

dog training school

Even before you chose your furry friend, you were no doubt already thinking about the training process ahead of you. It’s true that family pets simply must be well-behaved to maximize everyone’s domestic bliss. It’s crucial that working dogs are able to follow specific commands without fail, and therapy dogs must adore attention yet never ask for it. No matter the role your new dog will fill in your life, you can be sure of one thing: consistent training will be fundamental to her success. If you’re here, you’re likely weighing the pros and cons of a dog training school vs. in-home training. Today, we’re sharing the key factors you can weigh to help make the right choice.

In-Home Training

Our in-home training services are ideal if you want to be involved with each step of your dog’s training. In two sessions—separated by the perfect amount of time for the two of you to practice—our licensed trainers will teach your dog to follow commands while coaching you so that you’re a consistent, kind, confident leader.

In partnership with our trainer, you will establish your dog’s obedience to an extensive list of commands, including down, stay, come, and leave it. Equally important, you’ll spend time learning how to teach proper on-leash manners. You’ll define the boundaries within your home (Is your dog permitted on the furniture? The bed? All of these questions will be up to you to answer), and we’ll ensure that your dog understands and adheres to them.

If you’re working on potty training your puppy, our trainers will show you the most effective, up-to-date training methods to make this stage exponentially easier!

We’ll also help you extinguish your dog’s unwanted behaviors, including mouthing, jumping, excessive vocalization, and food stealing. All dogs come with certain quirks, but the sooner these behaviors are eliminated, the less difficult the training process will be.

We believe in-home training is also ideal for dogs with certain special needs, not just for puppies who may be too young to attend group lessons. If you have rescued a dog who has been through trauma, are working with a dog who displays fear-related behavioral issues, or have an aging pet coping with new health concerns, home training will almost certainly be a better starting place than our (equally awesome) dog training school’s active environment.

Whatever your dog’s needs may be, our in-home training will be customized to achieve your behavior goals!

Dog Training School

Our two-week intensive training program is perfect for puppies who have had their shots, especially if you will have a busy schedule during these crucial training months. While many people realize that they will have to take some time off work when their puppy is first settling in, they may still be unprepared for the effort involved in creating proper training boundaries.

All Dogs Unleashed uses a proprietary training method that uses only the best evidence-based, positive techniques. Our practices are appropriate for dogs of any age, stage, or breed, but we highly recommend them for puppies. While we can definitely teach an old dog new tricks, the benefits of puppies making these connections at the right age, in the right environment, with the right trainers, can make a huge impact on your puppy’s behavior.

At our state-of-the-art expanded training facility, your dog will have the opportunity to have positive interactions with other well-trained dogs under the watchful eye of our expert trainers.

Socialization is key in ensuring that a dog interacts appropriately with other dogs. To receive the full benefits, your puppy’s socialization should be fully explored before the age of 16 weeks.

For this reason, we suggest contacting us to book your training sessions as soon as you know you’ll be bringing home a new pup. We often fill our facility to capacity, and it’s important to work with puppies when their little canine brains are eager sponges; booking ahead of time will secure your spot at just the right time.

Since your dog or puppy will be with us for two weeks, consider our intensive training program when you are traveling, remodeling your home, or any time you’re too busy to keep up with training. You’ll get a much-needed break, and your dog will return home behaving better than ever.

We’re Here For You and Your Dog

Whichever method you choose, we happily offer unlimited follow-ups to brush up your training. Before we leave you and your dog to work together on your own, we’ll make sure you’re completely prepared to safely reinforce our training using positive training methods.

Unlike punitive training, or “scolding” a dog, our methods transform the thoughts of your dog. We guarantee that if you stick with the methods you’ll learn, your family, and your friends will all be able to continue to enjoy spending time with your beloved pet without worrying about annoying or destructive behavior problems.

No matter your dog’s current behavior, contact us today! We’ve seen it all, and we’ve got the tools to turn your dog around.