pet smart training

[florino23]

Has anyone here ever taken training class at pet smart.
Are they good or bad?

[WingedFoal]

It really depends on the PetSmart and the trainer in the store. I've seen some of the stores with a cramped, tiny training area sectioned off by a short fence. The new learners (both human and animal) are extremely distracted, and loose dogs can escape easily. Not to mention that shoppers are able to just walk up to the trainer and interrupt class.

Then there's ones with actual rooms that are almost completely sectioned off from the rest of the store. They also have plenty of room to move around, but without too much room to let things get out of hand. The walls are high up, and there's plexiglass so shoppers can look in, but not interrupt class. I'm taking classes with my dog in one of these classrooms.

Then there's the matter of the trainer. I'm pretty sure all PetSmarts only do positive training, so you don't have to worry about harmful methods of training. Basically, if you feel good about the trainer and he/she connects with your dog well, go for it! But if you have any doubts after talking to the trainer, it would not hurt to look for another one.

Personally, I've loved the classes so far, and we are most likely going back for advanced classes. My trainer is outstanding and it has helped me and my dog tremendously.

Good luck!!

[mulroony]

I would not take my dog to train at petsmart because the one near me is one of the open, cramped space described above. Dogs and other animals are constantly walking by disrupting the training and taking your dogs attention away from the training. I would see if you could talk to their trainer and get a feel for them. I would suggest looking around you and seeing if there are any other trainers in your area, because it might just save you money and time going there. You would be surprised how many trainers there are out there. Flyndog seems to know a lot of good trainers so you might want to ask them for one in your area.

A good trainer is usually not too much more expensive then one at petsmart. I know Shelby would do poorly in a training situation with other dogs coming and going. She would be so distracted it would be an hour of me just trying to get her to focus on me.

[BuddysMom]

Personally, I don't trust petsmart, or there trainers due to personal experiences from them. You can find a better trainer elsewhere. The petsmart near me, the trainer is supposadly on of the best, and she couldn't even give me any advice with buddy with seperation anxiety. She couldn't even think of anything I could try.

[WingedFoal]

It all depends on the PetSmart and the trainer they have working there. As I have stated, the PetSmart I am going to has a wonderful training area and a very good trainer. He has found the way that Bitty works best when it comes to training. I was actually quite shocked by how wonderful it was, since I hadn't seen many PetSmarts who cared that much about the training area, and other trainers I had talked to in other stores wanted to recommend "quick-fixes" over actual training. The PetSmart trainer I use, though, is amazing.

If you find that you are comfortable with your PetSmart and the trainer there, then do what you feel right, whether you choose to use them or not. You cannot be faulted at all for wanting to train your dog.

[Chocolate Lab]

We are currently taking our puppy to PetSmart training classes and we are really happy with the results. Our trainer is very helpful and has answered all of the questions that we have. The store where we go to has a really nice area for the training classes and the trainer has two assistants with him during the class. We just finished sigining up for Basic classes. I would recommend it.

[flyndog]

Unless they recently changed, Petsmart uses Animal Behavior College (ABC is an online training school) graduates exclusively. Some of their graduates are good, some stink. A lot depends on how the graduate got actual hands-on dog training and instructing. And of course some people are just better than others. It's an art as well as a skill.
Kit

[Barrett]

I go to PetsMart for training. I like most of the trainers at my store. I watched each one train a class before I chose my trainers. As far as all of the shoppers watching and the distractions, I look at that in a positive way. It actually helps my dogs pay attention to me. Large groups of people, children screaming and dogs barking won't distract Bailey from a command. She can walk through a street fair with me and barely bat an eyelash at the commotion. She stays solid on her commands through all kinds of distractions. Lucy is in advanced training classes at petsMart and is not distracted by the shoppers and dogs at all. I also take her to another private obedience school. We have a big quiet building and the classes are much larger then PetsMart. Lucy is a little scared in this building because of the echo. She does so much better in the Petsmart classes.

[elegy]

i would never take my dog to the petsmart near me for training. it's cramped, it's crazy, and the trainer has NOT impressed me. not to mention, they charge way more than what i pay for classes in a larger, less distracting environment with a trainer who is free to train her way and not only within the bounds of corporate policy.

you might consider checking out the trainer search function on the association of pet dog trainer's website: http://www.apdt.org

[DelDiv]

I took my dogs to Petsmart and overall it was good for socialization, but the trainer had so many classes and so many dogs to deal with, she always seem scattered and could never remember where we had left off or she would get us confused with one of her other classes. She was a good trainer for the most part-knowledgeable and good with our questions, she just seemed overworked.

[momtobella]

I took Bella to PetSmart and it went well. The trainer had 4yrs experience and I was in her last class at PetSmart before she opened her own training facility. There were a lot of disruptions and like someone said earlier you can take classes in a larger training facility, with no distractions, for the same price.

[doberkim]

now elegy, we know they arent more expensive than everywhere up here, most classes are esaily 140+!!!!

im currently taking classes at petsmart and will never do it again. i was offered a refund but im using it just as something to keep bowie's mind active and work with further distraction.

were working at the "intermediate" level and not a single dog at this level deserves to be in class - half the dogs still don't respond to their names, and half the class is spent with them barking/playing/socializing.

the trainer is nice, but is in over her head. she doesnt understand upper level training methods, and she is unable to answer any questions i could have. i mostly spend the time working on my own thing and just come for class demos since she uses bowie.

at any private place i have been to, any dog that took 4 classes with the same trainer would at least know its name, how to walk nicely on leash and have sit/down as secure commands - none of these dogs do. half the class (at the intermediate level!!) is spent with the teacher working on behavior problems including jumping and barking -- this shouldnt be something you work on with an intermediate level dog not in MY opinion

i keep bowie in the class because its a new situation and we get 30 minutes in of good training - heeling, attention, some rally stuff. its nice to train him to ignore the other dogs (including the little ones lunging at him) and such. i also cannot make classes at any other place near me due to my schedule, and i refuse to pay 150 or so for a class i will miss half the classes of. for 100 bucks for 8 weeks, i dont feel bad missing 2-3 weeks.

the trainer is nice - but she has to train off of a piece of paper that tells her how the class progresses. she doesnt know how to explain things a different way, and there are so many opportunities that i have just wanted to say something to some of the other people - they are despairing and i want to be lik e- you have a 7 month old puppy. work her at home and GRADUALLY increase the distraction.

all in all, its probably a waste of money but bowie and i have fun heeling down the aisles, etc and it gives me encouragement to actually train him.

[WingedFoal]

Doberkim, I can understand what you're saying, only my situation isn't as frustrating as yours. There's three dogs in my class, and it's obvious that one of the dogs has not been worked with between classes. I don't think there's been two consecutive weeks that the same person has brought him in. It's always the husband, the wife, or the daughter. We have to spend time bringing the person up to date on what we've learned over the past week or two weeks, and sometimes the trainer looks kind of peeved about it, even though he tries his best to hide it. It's a horrible distraction, plus it wastes time. And to add to that, the dog has NO idea what anybody is saying to him when given a command, even the basic "Sit." To top it off, the owners forget their treats and clicker every week and has to borrow some from the trainer or other classmates.

The trainer has been able to work around this, and has done a marvelous job considering that we have quite a few fallbacks and distractions. Bitty and the third dog (who is obviously being worked with between classes) are excelling in this class. I am hoping this trainer will be the same for the advanced classes, because I saw one dog he worked with (with the owner, of course) and the dog is amazing. I don't think I'd stick with the class, though, if the same person(s) with the untrained dog keep coming back. Something tells me they probably won't.

[saluki-sue]

I was a Petsmart trainer for about a year, when I was teaching there the space was very small and not at all great for training, besided the Managers didn't have a clue and the trainers were left out in the cold . but they have reciently made real training space at all of the stores. The trainers are supposed to be certifed by APDT but it doesen't mean they follow the rules of good training, most are at least nice and try to teach well. What I tell my private students now is go and watch a class see if you like what you see. Class isn't for every dog or owner. but if you do join and don't like it you can get most of your cash back.

[vonissk]

When my 6 year old was a puppy we went to Petsmart because I knew the trainer and at that time classes were only 40. About a year later I was there shopping and I noticed the prices had went up to 90 and I talked to the trainer and she didn't know diddly plus they had moved the classes from a room out into the middle of the store. I think local dog clubs or SPCA is a much better bet than Petsmart. Minta