Obedience Training Question.....

I am a dog trainer in the Las Vegas area and we were considering putting together an obdience training class that was for pitbulls and their owners only. We were wondering if anybody has gone through a class like this or if it sounds like something that is of interest to owners. I love the breed and think they are fantastic. They are such a loving, intelligent breed. And would like to offer a class that is geared towards them. Thanks everybody for thier response and input.

 

that sounds like a good idea. certain breeds need a different type of training to others. not to mention some trainers either pick on your dog for being the breed it is, or they are way to generalised with their training. i can remember taking kuma to puppy school and the teacher would always say 'blah blah and THIS dog here needs more training than the rest otherwise it will be uncontrollable.' i was just thinking 'does this guy know anything about akitas?' they also failed to realise that the breed of dog i have has a very short attention span and spits the dummy after 10 minutes of training. so we kept getting failed!

 

Maybe that's why the trainer mentioned the dog needs more training than the others... Just a thought...

It's a good idea but I can also see how it could perpetuate the idea that the public has that APBT's should be secluded and are not like other dogs...

They are like other dogs and the ONE place my dogs made the biggest difference in people's minds is when we were in puppy school...by the end of the class...MOST of the people who'd sneered at my dog was giving her treats and had a different outlook on the breed...

Maybe an advanced training course for APBT owners... but not regular OB... JMO

 

no, the trainer said that because he thought akitas need training 24/7 to be non aggressive and calm. it didnt have anything to do with being a possible big, overbearring dog or anything, as most of the pups there would have grown up to be her size and wer twice as hyper as she was. akitas pick things up quickly, so if you keep pushing them to do the same thing for more than 10 minutes they will either sit in the same spot and wont move or walk away, it has nothing to do with needing more training. if anything they need less training than the average dog, but in short bursts. no offence, but your comment is exactly why a breed specific training school can be good.

 

Uh...so that I would've never learned what an Akita is all about??? My comment was based on your comment directly...not on what breed of dog you were talking about. I know nothing about Akita's but since you mentioned that your dog had a short attention span I thought that might have been why the trainer felt the dog needed constant training...

I don't think there needs to be breed specific OB because it only seclude breeds even more... What if I didn't like Akitas or had heard nothing but bad things about them... Wouldn't it be good if I sat in an OB class with a great representative of the breed and owner and by the end of the month had my mind changed and became an advocate for Akitas?

Honestly I think that basic OB classes don't need to be breed specific...because the dog breeds are not that different. You had a bad trainer...that wouldn't have mattered whether or not you were in an OB class only for Akitas or in the class you were in... If the dog trainer is good there is no need. ANY reputable and good dog trainer would have no problem admitting that APBT's and others have GREAT traits and would train in accordance to each specific dog...not based on breed...

Advanced training is GREAT to do this with because it goes beyond sit, stay, down etc...well beyond that...

You get out of OB training what you give... Your dog was tired of performing the same task over and over...change tasks... My APBT is VERY sensitive so we hardly ever corrected...even when learning the ways of correction... My OB trainer did fine with that...she pushed us to ONLY do what was best for our dogs... As long as they did what we asked...she had no problems.

 

a short attention span doesnt necessarily mean the dog is dumb or doesnt want to learn. anyway, what you said towards the end of the post is what i mean by breed specific schools. in otherwords they do what your dog is ok with. its probably different where you live because there are more trainers who have more contact with different kinds of dogs. here there arent that many trainers and they usually come across your typical family dogs like labs and goldens. so here breed specific training is a good idea because of the lack of knowledge the trainers have.

 

Even your typical Labs and Goldens need training tailored around each specific dog rather than training based on the breed... Within a given breed you'll encounter just as many weird idiosyncrasis with each individual dog... I see why someone might think it's a good idea... But in the whole scheme of things...there's not that much need for breed specific OB classes for your basic obedience classes... and can you just picture 12 brand you APBT owners and their dogs all in one spot... Talk about a nightmare... Weight Pulls are bad enough with people brining their pet APBT's to see the crowed...

BTW I live in a pretty small community with quite a few APBT's but mostly full of labs and goldens... It takes a good trainer to train ANY dog regardless of breed...

 

The one reason we thought about a pitbull class was because that many people in our community are pitbull owners and we thought it would possibly make people more comfortable in a pitbull specific class. I agree that socialization is essential with any dog and would not a have pitbull specific puppy class. Its too important for them to socialize with all people and dogs that they would meet in a real world situation. We were looking at either a basic or an advanced class, depending on the dog and the owner. And of course all dogs are as individual as people and each dogs individual characteristics and needs would be taken into consideration no matter what the breed or what class, may that be a breed specific class or a general class. they are in.

 

Sounds like a Great idea Cosmic... Sounds like you've thought it all out and everything... now THAT sounds like an idea. I wasn't sure if you wanted to have APBT specific puppy classes along with every step of OB work or what... Glad you're not keeping them separate for the very influential stuff...like socialization and that...

Keep us updated on your project and how it works out!