Would you send your dog to boot camp?

[LabbieMama]

Would any of you send your puppy / dog to a 3 week boot camp training program?

It's offered locally to me and is a very good program, comes highly recommended.

I'm considering it for my Golden pup, in the Fall. First, we are registered for Basic Manners classes starting next week (8 weeks class).

But for intense training for my Golden to reach his full potential, an intense 3-week long boot camp program would be ideal. On the last day of camp, when I come to pick the dog up, I'm given a one-hour training session with the trainer and my dog so that I can continue the training at home.

Anybody here done this before? Were there good results?

[DaneMama]

I don't believe in boot camp style training classes for dogs. We have many clients that use one that is local here and I don't see good results with most of them. This is not due to the actual technique the lady uses but rather lack of follow through with the owners.

I wholeheartedly believe that dog training isn't for just the dog but also the human and both should be participating the entire time. That way both dog and owner are well trained. Even an experienced dog owner that has been through training should do classes with their dog. Because even if the owner has the experience and knowledge, the dog doesn't. Doing structured training classes with a new dog instill trust and respect for both parties. So when a trainer trains your dog for you in boot camp, you don't form that bond that is essential to a good dog-owner relationship.

I think a lot of people (not all of course) use these boot camp style training classes because they either don't have the skills to do training themselves, don't have the time, or just want instant results without doing the initial work of starting from scratch with their dog themselves. But whatever the reason, I see more dogs relapsing into their untrained selves again after a while of being home. Training is an ongoing process that lasts a lifetime not just a few weeks of intense boot camp, and most people don't follow through.

Can you find a similar curriculum offered by a trainer that requires you to be ther 100% of the time, doing most of the work yourself?

[SubMariner]

Would any of you send your puppy / dog to a 3 week boot camp training program?

It's offered locally to me and is a very good program, comes highly recommended.

I'm considering it for my Golden pup, in the Fall. First, we are registered for Basic Manners classes starting next week (8 weeks class).

But for intense training for my Golden to reach his full potential, an intense 3-week long boot camp program would be ideal. On the last day of camp, when I come to pick the dog up, I'm given a one-hour training session with the trainer and my dog so that I can continue the training at home.

Anybody here done this before? Were there good results?

I can't speak to "Boot Camp Training Camp", but I can speak to sending a dog to a professional for specific training.

As you may know, we have a GSP. He's a hunting dog, born & bred. There was only so far we could take him in his hunt training because we don't have the resources, experience, or time to go any further.

After much research, vetting, etc., we were able to find someone who could "take him to the next level". Originally he was gone to training camp for about 4 weeks. The first 2 weeks Zio was up there we were told not to come up so he could bond with the trainer. However, the last 2 weeks we went up every weekend so that the trainer could not only train our dog, but train US as to how to handle the dog.

Almost a year later the dog went up for 8 weeks. That was REALLY hard on us because we missed him so much! However, we were up every weekend to train with the trainer & Zio. When we were there WE were handling the dog under the direction of the trainer.

To get him to the next level in his hunt training he will again have to go to the trainer. But this time it will probably only be for 2 weeks: now it's more a matter of "fine tuning" so the dog will be able to perform to his potential.

Meanwhile, obedience is completely another matter. We go to local training clubs to work with the dog in both a class and one-on-one setting. And there's lots of at-home practice!

In a nutshell, Zio will NEVER be sent away to do something that we can do ourselves with proper direction.

Don't know if this helped at all...

[RawFedDogs]

Would any of you send your puppy / dog to a 3 week boot camp training program?

No, never, under any circumstances whatsoever. Particularly not a sweet dog like a Golden. You don't know how those places work. They MUST teach the dog a lot in a short time. They don't use positive methods by any stretch of the imagination. You don't know what they are doing to your dog when you aren't there.

A few years ago a local TV station got hold of some video of a trainer kicking a dog in a boot camp and laughing about it. Then he would jerk the dog off his feet and laugh harder. That video got that boot camp closed.

I had a dog training client a few years ago that sent his Golden to another boot camp. This dog came home with burn marks on his neck from a shock coller and he wasn't trained. Thats why I was hired. To train the dog. This dog was very easy to train. There was no reason for him to have been treated like that.

It's offered locally to me and is a very good program, comes highly recommended.

Doesn't matter how well recommended. No one except the people at the camp know how your dog is treated and most camps are very rough on dogs.

I'm considering it for my Golden pup, in the Fall. First, we are registered for Basic Manners classes starting next week (8 weeks class).

There are many places you can get that kind of training and do it with your dog. You NEED to go through the process with your dog. It's good for both of you and for your relationship. Be sure you go to a positive reinforcement class. Go and watch a class or two before signing up. See how well the trainer works with the dogs. See how well the dogs learn.

But for intense training for my Golden to reach his full potential, an intense 3-week long boot camp program would be ideal.

Goldens don't need intensive training. A 10yo child can train a Golden. I tought severl children that age to train dogs like that. They are naturals. There is no intense training that is ideal for a Golden.

On the last day of camp, when I come to pick the dog up, I'm given a one-hour training session with the trainer and my dog so that I can continue the training at home.

Nowhere NEAR enough for you to learn what you need to know. You will be throwing your money away. You need more training than your dog does so you need to be there at every step of his training.

And yes, I agree with everything Natalie said above.

[BabyHusky]

There are places or people that offer 3-4 week training courses that do not call themselves "boot camp."

One of the dogs I care for went to a 3 week training and I thought it was amazing. The trainer was a professional who quit working at a training facility due to some ethical issues with the treatment of pups. She set up her home to do training and I was truly amazed. She has cameras set up so the owner can view the trainer/dog anytime they want to, via a website and the owner is to come every weekend to spend time and train with the dog. The trainer did 100% positive training with boiled chicken as treats.

I was so impressed I debated on sending skylar (my munchkin) to her but i'd go through withdrawals without her haha.

[DaneMama]

I can see why one would send off a hunting dog to be trained to hunt because that takes a lot more skill, but to me that is something a person owning a hunting dog should know themselves.

I don't see why anyone would want their dog to bond, respect and obey a trainer in any way before themselves. I would want my dog to definitely show respect to the trainer and listen but it is my dog therefore it should bond to me above all others and this is done very early on in the relationship and strengthened through time working together. If a trainer cannot get the attention of my dog then there is something wrong with their technique.

[g00dgirl]

I would never send my dog off for training for all the reasons mentioned above. Years ago I did a consult with a 3 week training program because of Delilah's dog aggression. The trainer suggested a prong collar and seemed a little surprised about her lunging and growling when they brought another dog in the room. I thankfully didn't go through with it because it was too expensive.

Now, I know that having a trained dog means nothing if the owners can't follow through. I believe classes are for training PEOPLE, so that they can train their dogs. Also, if they recommend prong collars, who knows what other methods they use to get my dog to do what it's "supposed" to by the time she leaves.

[LabbieMama]

.... There are many places you can get that kind of training and do it with your dog. You NEED to go through the process with your dog. It's good for both of you and for your relationship. Be sure you go to a positive reinforcement class. Go and watch a class or two before signing up. See how well the trainer works with the dogs. See how well the dogs learn....

This is what my Golden and I are doing, starting next week, for the next 8 weeks, Basic Manners classes. I, along with my dog, will be taught. Before I registered for that class, I took the Golden to be evaluated by the trainer who works at the "boot camp", and he did recommend 2-3 weeks of camp. Not surprising since he works there and it would mean money in his pocket. I'm exploring all options for training that is available to me at this point.

[ziggy29]

Shortly after we adopted our dog, we were going on vacation for 10 days so we found a highly recommended, positive reinforcement-based trainer to board and train her for two weeks during that time. It actually worked very well and we had a few short sessions with him when we returned.

He had her sitting still and quiet when other people walked by, which was a problem before the training. But when my wife and I approached, all that "training" was lost and she went bonkers trying to get to us. The trainer mentioned that this was one of the strongest quick bondings he'd ever seen, since we only had her for about a month before sending her for two weeks of training.

[SubMariner]

I can see why one would send off a hunting dog to be trained to hunt because that takes a lot more skill, but to me that is something a person owning a hunting dog should know themselves.

I don't see why anyone would want their dog to bond, respect and obey a trainer in any way before themselves. I would want my dog to definitely show respect to the trainer and listen but it is my dog therefore it should bond to me above all others and this is done very early on in the relationship and strengthened through time working together. If a trainer cannot get the attention of my dog then there is something wrong with their technique.

There are several inaccuracies in your statements, not the least of which is that we would "want their dog to bond, respect and obey a trainer in any way before themselves".

Please re-read my narrative.