Originally Posted by
Abulafia
Oh, I can speak to this.
I never put Hoku in "Big Box Store" classes. Her breeder recommended two local trainers—both about half an hour away—but when I tried to register her at one when we brought her home, I found out that the class was filled and waiting list was unlikely. That was my first wake up.
So I put her in a local class at a place—not a chain—that was recommended. Not by the breeder, but generally speaking, people speak very highly of it.
I had her first in a very very simple puppy class where we were taught... a little. Good teachers, mainly, but of uneven quality. Occasionally aggressive puppies who were not always adequately corrected. Nothing dangerous. But it was merely "meh."
I then missed the second sign up for the breeder-recommended class, and so we did another course at the local place. It was, again, Ok. Little more than Ok. The trainer adored Hoku, and this was the first time it was suggested that she go into therapy work, but: the place was "just fine." I don't think it was the trainer so much as the other owners and their dogs. A lot of them seemed there to try to "control" their dogs rather than to build a relationship.
We finally—FINALLY—got into the breeder-recommended class. And Hot Holy Hell. These are trainers. They are dog whisperers. They will come and say "don't ever do that again!" (as they smile and say "sorry!"), and don't let dogs get out of control at play time in the barn (simple squirt bottles w/ water), and really understand dogs. I have had one of them correct Hoku's tendency to walk ahead of me (i.e., to pull) with one pass. She took Hoku from me, walked with her up and down a distance of about 25', and by the end, Hoku was just looking up at her for cues. I was there, saw the whole thing—no words, nothing more physical than a body block (leg in front of Hoku, stopping her). I have also seen her fix another dog's tendency to move through a door first—in two minutes.
This is a real trainer. I had been skeptical, but now I very very happily drive 30 minutes each way, once a week, to this wonderful place. Hoku adores it; she is in love with the trainers (and their dogs, who are Labs), and they love her back. They have supported her therapy dog training, and have supported us the entire time.
I think that any training is better than no training. But if you can find a good one, who will speak harshly to you, as the human ("don't every do that again," "you did that wrong," "you messed that up; she was doing fine"), and who don't care about the money so much as you doing it right—keep them.