How long does it take to train my Lab?
It really depends on what you are sending your dog away to be trained for. Basic obedience training can take anywhere from 4 to 8 weeks, or longer for some dogs. In most cases, the longer your dog is with a trainer the better trained he/she will be for the long term.
Hunting training can vary greatly. Some hunting programs are 10-12 weeks long, others are 4-6 months. It is dependent on the actual training that is being done and the level of training you desire for your dog. Learn more in How long does it take to train a hunting (gun) dog?
Debating the pros and cons of sending your dog away for training
I understand how tough it is to make the decision to send your lab away for training. Dogs are an integral part of our families and our lives. For many, dogs are family members, albeit the furry kind. So, I don’t take lightly the decision to send a dog away for training. As adults, unfortunately, we often must make the hard decisions for our children, both the human and the furry kind. And sometimes the right decision is to send your dog away for training. Often this is the best decision not only for your dog, but also for you and your family.
It helps you develop a better relationship with your dog.
Kat Rooks, the Behavior Manager at KHS, told me early on that obedience school focuses on owners as much as it does dogs. âI spend a lot of time training owners,â she says. âPart of my job is teaching people how to teach their dogs.â
Thatâs because the average person doesnât understand dog behavior. And when you donât understand your dog, you canât train them well. Instead, you might get angry when your dog misbehaves, but yelling will only teach your dog to fear or ignore you.
Positive reinforcement fosters a closer relationship between people and dogs, according to the AKC. Parkerâs obedience course used a method called clicker training. When I gave a command (“sit”), I would wait for him to make a sitting motion. Anything that resembled a sit got a click and a reward. Eventually, he figured out that he would get a treat for sitting on command.
Today, Parker sits when I ask him to (unless itâs really cold outside â then he gives me a look that says, âWould you put your butt on this freezing ground?â). He can also lie down, fetch, drop it, and high five.
Thanks to proper training, Parker and I understand what we want from each other. In addition, I learned how to teach Parker new commands. Itâs good mental exercise for him, and it gives us a reason to get off the couch and interact.
Should you Board and Train your dog? Dog Training advice with America’s Canine Educator
But it is possible to send your puppy or older dog away for residential training with a professional trainer.
Whether that is a good idea or not will depend on your circumstances and what you want to get out of the experience.
But the only way to make the right decision, is to understand exactly what is involved
In this article, we’re going to have a look at the pros and cons of sending a dog away for training.
We’ll be asking some important questions such as ‘does sending a dog away for training actually work’ and ‘what can you expect to get for your money’