| rev:text
| - I would (and have) recommend Dog's Best Friend to anyone looking for dog training, although I would also say their classes are more about training humans how to understand our furry companions and be the best owners we can for them. We took our first dog to Puppy I and II, and their Intermediate level class. Our trainer was wonderful and knowledgeable, and she was willing to answer any questions we had along the way. We were able to use the skills we learned to continue training Sam on our own and eventually a second dog with some behavioral issues which we rescued. I've found that I often use the same skills when being introduced to a new dog, and I've been able to pass on or demonstrate helpful tips to friends and family thanks to these classes.
All of their training courses are based on the work of Dr. Patricia McConnell, who is an animal behaviorist whose expertise is with dogs. They use a reward based system, believing that being the "source of all good things" is a better motivator for your dog than fear and builds a healthier, happier bond between you and your dog. Puppy I and II follow the pace of a puppy's development and ability to focus so they don't become overwhelmed. Both classes include a break in the middle of class called "puppy playtime" which offers structured socialization and allows the opportunity to teach owners how to read the body language of dogs when they interact. We learned how to break two dogs apart safely in the case of altercation and were able to practice drawing our dogs attention while they were distracted by the sights, smells and excitement of being outside with other dogs during playtime. I believe this socialization is extremely important and is a large part of why our dog has never had a problem with any other dog he's met since. It was amazing to see how quickly our puppy could pick up on new things once we knew what to do. In the intermediate class there was no more playtime because the dogs were able to focus more, so we got to work on things they needed to know when visitors come over (no jumping) or out and about on-leash (heel) or at the dog park (consistent recall).
While we didn't attend any other classes, they do offer agility training, trick classes and classes specific to adult dogs who may have some behavioral problems. They welcome the whole family to participate so everyone is on the same training page; we had a handful of kids involved in our classes which I think was great. They offer in-home services and were always happy to answer specific questions. I think anyone with a puppy should consider Dog's Best Friend and I will continue to recommend them without hesitation whenever someone mentions training. This was some of the best time and money I've ever invested, and I do believe that my relationship with my dogs is better than it could ever have been if I hadn't been "trained" through these classes.
|
![[RDF Data]](/fct/images/sw-rdf-blue.png)
![[cxml]](/fct/images/cxml_doc.png)
![[csv]](/fct/images/csv_doc.png)
![[text]](/fct/images/ntriples_doc.png)
![[turtle]](/fct/images/n3turtle_doc.png)
![[ld+json]](/fct/images/jsonld_doc.png)
![[rdf+json]](/fct/images/json_doc.png)
![[rdf+xml]](/fct/images/xml_doc.png)
![[atom+xml]](/fct/images/atom_doc.png)
![[html]](/fct/images/html_doc.png)