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| - I'm a huge fan of the Zoom room. When I unexpectedly adopted a pup in April, I wanted to get him into training immediately. I was overwhelmed when researching the variety of options in the area for dog training.
I chose Zoom for two reasons: 1.) My pup's foster mom recommended them; and, 2.) Their approach to obedience seemed to best match my own temperament. They rely on positive reinforcement and this seemed the most likely path to a good relationship with my dog. The clicker has been a very successful communication tool between us!
I use the unlimited monthly passes so that we can participate in a variety of classes in any particular week: obedience, agility and tricks. I also signed him up for a scent workshop which is an additional cost. He's a smart dog and needs to be kept active and challenged. Zoom has given me a lot of tools to rely on to meet his needs.
Although he is smart, he is also willful and I've had to take a few additional private lesson to work on loose leash walking. Our walks are tug-free 90% of the time, but my guy is going to be a BIG dog so that 10% poses a risk to me. (Plus, I hate yanking on him and worry I'll hurt his throat.) When he pulls, he pulls hard and one day will be stronger than I am! So I've been working with the trainers Julene and Shawna to improve our walk time.
I know there are other options out there that may achieve faster results. However, my pup & his brother were in 4 foster homes before I adopted him and I can't imagine leaving him -- with zero contact from me -- for a minimum of 3 weeks for training boot camp, as many recommend, or using the e-collar.
He's a good boy and learns fast so I'm sticking to the positive-reinforcement method for now! He comes almost everywhere with me. He sits quietly at restaurants while we eat, plays well with other dogs, accompanies me on very long walks of up to 5 miles without chasing squirrels or other dogs, and helps with shopping at the farmers market or Lowes. The best part is that I know he will only become more reliable a companion as he ages (esp. once he is out of his teenager phase!!)
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