Residential dog training

Black Menorca

Hi folks, we're thinking of getting a Lab (3-4 months old) and are considering using a residential training course for obedience, manners on the lead etc.

We'd take him home first and get him used to us and his surroundings. then after a month or so send for the training.

Has anyone else done this? Did you see the benefit? Costings?

Thanks for your feedback.

strandroad

You can do it all yourself! No need to send your pup away, break your bond and subject them to unnecessary stress. There are so many caveats and bad experiences with this type of training, just google them.

Local obedience class that you attend together is an infinitely better idea.

Nody

Black Menorca wrote: »

Hi folks, we're thinking of getting a Lab (3-4 months old) and are considering using a residential training course for obedience, manners on the lead etc.

Stay well clear of it; training is about your dog learning to work with you; by sending them off the only thing they learn is how to act with the other trainer (and this is before we discuss the dubious training methods such as choke collars etc. often used to "speed up" the training when i reality all they are doing is causing damage to any proper training because of outdated ideas of "leader of the pack", "alpha male" and other BS like it).

Your best bet is to find a local training you go to with the puppy and if needed get a trainer that comes home to you to help you train your dog (90% of the issues people claim a dog has tends to be the owner rather then the dog's way of doing the training inc. lack of consistency etc.).

tk123

Is there a reason you want to use residential training - you don't feel confident in training or you don't have time or aren't bothered? There's only so much imo you can train a pup at a time - it takes lots of short sessions because they have a short attention span or get worn out. Those short sessions are how you and the pup bond with each other and how the pup learns through positive reinforcement that they should do what you tell them because good things happen - it's great fun and very rewarding.
If you're in Dublin I'd recommended Positve Dog Training in Sandyford for classes because you'll be able to socialise the puppy as well.
Honestly though puppies are hard work and training them will go on for months and months not to mention getting up out of your sleep for toilet training them, keeping them busy when they're young and can only have a short walk (5 mins per month of age) etc etc if you're already thinking of having somebody else train the dog for you I'd question the decision to get one

Black Menorca

There is a valid context behind my query that I'm not going to go into detail about. Justifying it to anyone here is not what this thread is about.

My original question stands for anyone who may have experience of residential training.

borderlinemeath

There is only one residential dog training establishment that comes to mind if you simply have to send your dog away it's Citizen Canine in Wicklow. There are certainly others but absolutely not in the same league as Emmaline.

http://www.citizencanineireland.com/#!residential-training/cej0

There's plenty of cowboys that will abuse your pet and call it residential training, you get a shell of a dog back who will have probably developed behavioural problems while they are away from you, in fact I think we can't mention one of them because of the threat of litigation.

VonVix

I wouldn't bother to be honest!

For example, I do all my training with my boys which is beyond basic obedience, I do trick training as well. You get anyone else to ask them to do the same thing I ask them to and 90% of the time they won't do it. They listen to me because I'm the one who trains them. Training also really bonds you to your animal (I say animal because you can train almost any pet you own) and sending them away to be trained is a total waste of money in my eyes. Not only that, but send them to the wrong place and you can find yourself with a dog with brand new issues.

Inexile

There used to be a place in Limerick which did residential training but the owners went to the place with their dog. If you google it you may find it.

Otherwise I wouldn't hand my dog over to someone else to train as for me training is all about the relationship with the dog. The owner also needs to be trained and its best to it alongside the dog at the same time.

tk123

borderlinemeath wrote: »

There is only one residential dog training establishment that comes to mind if you simply have to send your dog away it's Citizen Canine in Wicklow. There are certainly others but absolutely not in the same league as Emmaline.

http://www.citizencanineireland.com/#!residential-training/cej0

There's plenty of cowboys that will abuse your pet and call it residential training, you get a shell of a dog back who will have probably developed behavioural problems while they are away from you, in fact I think we can't mention one of them because of the threat of litigation.

A friend of mine has had her dog in resedential training with Emmaline a few times for a behavioural issue - I saw the dog basically out of control over the course of a few evenings and recommended she get some help from a pro. It's very much training for both of them though - she stays with Emmaline and then she comes and trains the owner. So it's not packing the dog off to get it trained quickly

I could be way off but wondering if the pup maybe going to be a dog for a child... say with autism?

sillysmiles

Black Menorca wrote: »

Has anyone else done this? Did you see the benefit? Costings?

Black Menorca wrote: »

Justifying it to anyone here is not what this thread is about.

Personally I think you are misreading the intent behind what people are saying. Essentially, the take home message, is that there isn't a benefit, as training is as much about training you as the dog and there maybe a massive downside with getting a damaged dog back from somewhere that has used unethical training methods.

For example, we have a dog that we adopted about 9 months ago. He reacts differently to myself and my partner as he knows at this stage that we expect different things from him. He is trained to both of us as he spend equal amount of time with both of us. (And I can't train my partner to do things my way with the dog!)

cocker5

Black Menorca,

Speaking from experience it wouldn't a route i would ever choose again.

I put my cocker at 15 months in Fircroft for residential training and it cost me €750 for 2 weeks the biggest waste of money... he came back MASSIVE (as in fat) and didn't learn a thing.

He was already trained in the basics ie sit, stay, paw, etc... it was more recall i was interested in...

roll on two months i paid for a trainer to come to my house to train my dog and ME... costing me another €200 .....after two months of following their advice he was a totally different dog -well mannered and a joy to be around - and he still is to this day. She gave me 5 things to do to help with his behaviour and they all worked a treat.

Trick is OP training the dog means NOTHING if
1. your not being trained too
and
2. if your not doing the training...

Nevermind the fact that lost of places use barbaric methods to train..

Posters on here are very knowledagble... please trust their opinions...

wicklow rider

Why not go to a class with your dog? There are several trainers in wicklow.Some are expensive at 160 euro but you can get classes from 10 an hour

daingeanrob

for me, i'd go back to the beginning. why do you want a dog? having a dog for me (and i stress me, lots of people have dogs for other reasons) is to have a companion. i am a family man, happily married, young family but my dog is an extra dimension. since before my wife and i had kids we had our dog. 8 or 9 years old, patch is a member of our family and the time i spent training her meant that now we have a bond.

patch is good with kids, she trusts me and takes my lead in situations, i can see her looking to me if unsure or in a strange situation, if other kids she doesn't know call round to play, she knows all is ok because she was trained humanely and is part of the family.

getting a dog is a responsibility, if you want one, and treat the dog right the rewards are infinite, a dog is a mans/persons best friend. i realise this more as i get older but a recent example was when patch started following my wife around the house and lying on her in the evening i knew that patch thougth my wife was pregnant, i told my wife she took a test and patch was right. also when your not well or a family member a dog will smell/sense it and do all they can to help, including lying beside you and just being a companion.

bit long winded but why do you want a dog if your not willing to put in the time? well worth doing it yourself and the most rewarding thing you can do between yourself and your dog, also the only way you can trust the training methods/dog is if you do it yourself.

Black Menorca

daingeanrob wrote: »

for me, i'd go back to the beginning. why do you want a dog? having a dog for me (and i stress me, lots of people have dogs for other reasons) is to have a companion. i am a family man, happily married, young family but my dog is an extra dimension. since before my wife and i had kids we had our dog. 8 or 9 years old, patch is a member of our family and the time i spent training her meant that now we have a bond.

patch is good with kids, she trusts me and takes my lead in situations, i can see her looking to me if unsure or in a strange situation, if other kids she doesn't know call round to play, she knows all is ok because she was trained humanely and is part of the family.

getting a dog is a responsibility, if you want one, and treat the dog right the rewards are infinite, a dog is a mans/persons best friend. i realise this more as i get older but a recent example was when patch started following my wife around the house and lying on her in the evening i knew that patch thougth my wife was pregnant, i told my wife she took a test and patch was right. also when your not well or a family member a dog will smell/sense it and do all they can to help, including lying beside you and just being a companion.

bit long winded but why do you want a dog if your not willing to put in the time? well worth doing it yourself and the most rewarding thing you can do between yourself and your dog, also the only way you can trust the training methods/dog is if you do it yourself.

I've had dogs all my life and as I said earlier, I don't need to be sat down like an intervention, wondering if I know what it takes to care and love a dog.

Mods can close this thread now.

I've had enough sanctamonious judgements to do me a life time here.

daingeanrob

em you didn't say this, i was trying to be helpful. your welcome.

borderlinemeath

Black Menorca wrote: »

I've had dogs all my life and as I said earlier, I don't need to be sat down like an intervention, wondering if I know what it takes to care and love a dog.

Mods can close this thread now.

I've had enough sanctamonious judgements to do me a life time here.

Fair enough if you think people have judged you but you asked in your opening post if if was beneficial and most have simply pointed out that it is not. You can't see what goes on behind closed doors and if you send your dog away to be trained you will never find out the methods used until it is far too late.

TBH if you've had dogs all your life you should know what it takes to bond with a dog, not to send it away to be subjected to choke chains and negative training methods. It's never beneficial, especially with a puppy. Sorry if it's not what you want to hear, but you did ask in your opening post. I gave you the name of the only person who would be qualified to do residential training and another poster gave you an insight into how Emmaline conducts her sessions, ie you get trained too. With the limited information given by you it really does look like you're looking for the lazy option and that is why you're getting the replies you got.

Black Menorca

borderlinemeath wrote: »

Fair enough if you think people have judged you but you asked in your opening post if if was beneficial and most have simply pointed out that it is not. You can't see what goes on behind closed doors and if you send your dog away to be trained you will never find out the methods used until it is far too late.

TBH if you've had dogs all your life you should know what it takes to bond with a dog, not to send it away to be subjected to choke chains and negative training methods. It's never beneficial, especially with a puppy. Sorry if it's not what you want to hear, but you did ask in your opening post. I gave you the name of the only person who would be qualified to do residential training and another poster gave you an insight into how Emmaline conducts her sessions, ie you get trained too. With the limited information given by you it really does look like you're looking for the lazy option and that is why you're getting the replies you got.

There you go again with the judgement mentality.

You see the thing is, my reasoning is none of your business. I can justify it to myself and thats all you need to know.

daingeanrob

Ask for advice, then shoot it down. tell people you ask advice from that they don't know your situation. you know that people don't know your situation cause you didn't explain it?

borderlinemeath

Black Menorca wrote: »

There you go again with the judgement mentality.

You see the thing is, my reasoning is none of your business. I can justify it to myself and thats all you need to know.

I don't really care nor want to know your reasons, but by reading your opening post it absolutely looks like the lazy option. Even the fact that you would get a pup at 3/4 months indicated that you don't know the optimal age for bonding and training a pup is to get it at 8/9 weeks. Is it any wonder all the other posters answered in the same vein?

mosi

Black Menorca wrote: »

There you go again with the judgement mentality.

You see the thing is, my reasoning is none of your business. I can justify it to myself and thats all you need to know.

OP, I don't think anyone here is meaning to be judgemental. Asking for your reasons about why you are considering this particular route is just a way to try and see where you are coming from, so that the most relevant and appropriate advice can be given (including suitable alternative options to suit whatever your objective is).

DBB

Black Menorca wrote: »

I've had dogs all my life and as I said earlier, I don't need to be sat down like an intervention, wondering if I know what it takes to care and love a dog.

Mods can close this thread now.

I've had enough sanctamonious judgements to do me a life time here.

Black Menorca,
If you had a problem with anyone's posts, you should have reported them.
In my opinion, you have completely misinterpreted people's intentions to help you, and to try to understand why you'd want to send your dog away for training, given that there are serious welfare issues associated with techniques used by residential trainers in this country. People are only trying to look out for you/your dog.
The only sanctimonious posting I see is from yourself, and whether you'd asked or not, I'd have closed this thread now anyway, because your attitude towards others in the thread is not acceptable.
Thanks,
DBB