Training Advice- HELP!
by Renee' Sweeney
ORIGINAL MESSAGE:
My Maltese Petey is a 7-month old male and he is very smart, but very stubborn in his own way. We would like to send him for training with a professional. I have found a couple of places, one commercial and one individual who "keep" the dogs with them for a period of 10 days or so and then return them to the owners "trained." They then go over the training with the owners and require you to work with the dogs steadily to keep the practices in place.
Please tell me what you guys think about this procedure. I am afraid of the commercial place (K-9 Academy), but what about the individual who keeps the dog at his home kennel? I know the lady who always posts named "Anne" is a trainer- Anne, if you read this, what do you think? How do you do it?
Any and all advice would be appreciated very much. I read this site for every question and concern I have- I trust y'all's experience, knowledge and concern for all Maltese.TIA-
Renee' Sweeney (in Dallas, who knows you guys have the answers!)
DISCUSSION:
Renee, I'm assuming you're looking for some sort of obedience training for Petey. Try contacting some of the local kennel clubs in your area. Many of them do offer classes where you and Petey would go for about an hour once or twice a week for 6-8 weeks. They're usually inexpensive ($5.00) session. Bev and our 7 mo old female go to one now for training owner/handlers in conformation and they do have a class right next to ours for obedience. The majority of the dogs are doing very well now as there is only one week left from when it started 7 weeks ago, so you might want to look into something like that if you have the time for it.
Jay
Renee, I agree with Jay, I think you should look into the weekly classes. I'm planning on starting one soon myself. I believe it's your responsibility as a dog owner to learn all about the training WITH your dog. Also, I personally couldn't leave my dog with a stranger unless I absolutely had to. For training, it's my opinion that teamwork is best, between dog and owner.
Judy
Training is all about communication. I think it should be fun for both you and your dog. I prefer to catch a dog doing something right and immediately reward her. A good tool is a beeper with a loud, startling sound to get their attention. A little beep within a fraction of a second of something done right and then a treat does a whole lot more than the old correction type of training. Lots of hugs and kisses associated with the beep as well does wonders. Timing is everything though. Beep needs to go off in a heartbeat of the correct action or they won't connect the two things.
Isabel
Renee, I had Chibi trained privately @ my house 3 years ago. In retrospect, I wish i could have done it in a group setting because it would have enhanced her socialization skills with other dogs. She turned out okay but a little bit on the timid side with dogs bigger than her. RC
RC Cusi
Renee, Bailey and I went to Puppy Kindergarten at PetSmart and it was great. For one thing, I think getting your puppy used to being around other pets is a great socialization skill that they should have otherwise, they may not like other dogs. I know this because I didnt do it with my last Maltese and she only loved people - I thought at the time she would naturally like other DOG's but no.. Another thing I learned from this class was how to communicate with Bailey so that she understands clearly what it is you expect and then can be a truly good, obedient pup.
Its fun too, so go ahead and go with Petey. Lots of Luck!
Robin D.
I haven't had a lot of trouble training my Puff, but I decided to try the water gun trick when she barks too much. It really worked! All she has to see is the gun and she stops cold :)
Sandy and Puff
Renee, One of the best things about training is that it reinforces the bond between you and your baby and is a VERY BIG clue to your little one about who is alpha. If you pass this opportunity on to a third party both you and your little one will be missing out on what is a very special experience. I have heard from a few people that if housebreaking is an issue that sometimes the only way is to "send the baby to boarding school" more or less to get out of the loop on this. Otherwise, I agree with most folks here--find a class and take your kiddo once a week and do your homework. I know that both of you will enjoy it--especially since these little Maltese children always seem to be first in their class!
cathy brown
Hi, Renee. I'm back from vacation...where I got bronchitis,,,allergies...and have been recovering from that the last few days! Petey does need to be in a class situation rather than private.(I teach both, but because of my locale, I do more private. Also do more behavior consulting lately.) The puppy classes' age cut off is 5 months usually. So you need to find a good adult class.
I would not suggest sending a dog off to school unless you have some very special needs. The human/pet bond is much stronger when you train together. An excellent trainer in Dallas is
Pat Trichter (City Dawgs) 214-380-6589. Another that I'm not familiar with, but is also a member of APDT is Amanda Bachman at
First Class Pet Services, 214-320-2902. Also in Arlington is another that I don't know: Carol Lautzenheiser...817-978-6165.
Be sure to interview them and ask anything, even if you think it's stupid. You'll want someone that uses positive reinforcement and few negatives....operant, rather than compulsive (forceful) training methods. Good luck and sorry I was so long getting back to you!
annehudson
Thank you ALL so much for caring and for your replies. 
Anne- special thanks to you for your helpful hints, names and numbers here in my area. I have left messages for 2 of the places and hope to hear back soon.
You guys are all so terrific! I'm so glad I found this place. It is the definite authority on Maltese (and behaviour, in general)!
Renee' Sweeney (in Dallas, who is ready for vacation!)
Renee' Sweeney
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