Posted: Sat Aug 05, 2006 7:41 am Post subject: Residential training Kent
Hi ,
Can anyone recommend a good residential training place in Kent.
We have a 6 month old lab (our third) and he is very wilful and is proving difficult to train.
It is not really something we want to do, but feel it will benefit both us and our lab.
We know that once the basics are in place we can reinforce the training.
Our other two labs were pretty much standard labs, but our puppy's parents and grandparents are all true working gun dogs and he seems so different in all respects.
Any help or recommendations would be gratefully received.
Can you not find a good training school, that both you and your dog can attend?
I personally wouldn't send my dog away to be trained.
I worked on a Liveries Yard some years ago, where people sent their young horses for training. I was disgusted at the treatment of these poor animals (I saw them being starved and beaten if they didn't comply ), needless to say I did report them to the RSPCA and had more than a few words with the owner of the establishment about the trainers methods, but still nothing was done.
It was a reputable establishment too .
I left and took my horse (and several others in my care) with me, to a new yard.
I have a very hard job trusting anyone with my animals now, they can't tell you what's been going on, can they.
Hi, I tend to agree with Jules- I would need to be very sure of any training methods being used and the level of care given to the dogs.
The other thing to think about is that dogs learn in context - so although they may learn some commands in the training school environment, they wouldn't automatically be transferred to another environment (Molly has written a lot about this- I'm sure someone could find you the link)
If you have a very 'busy' working-type dog, can you find other ways of stimulating her but also teaching calm behaviour? I'm thinking that gundog type training would probably suit her and a lot of that is based on building up a dogs steadiness.
Sorry I can't be of more help- all I would advise is proceed with caution. Any dog training centre can put on a pretty display in frount of potential clients but its what goes on when the doors are shut that matters.
Agree with both the above. Maybe you meant 'residential' as in you both go stay and be trained? Sadly very few people or places offer this although it would be WAYYYYY more constructive than taking a dog away to train and not actually drumming into the handler what is expected and needed. 99% of dog problems are handler created and therefore if only the dog is trained, at great expense, nothing is gained in the long run without the owner being trained equally hard to change their methods and ways and - the usual problem - timing and consistancy!
What you need is to either:
1) Seek out, from your vet, a local dog training club and attend once a week and practise methofdically and carefully on evenings inbetween the classes to show the greatest improvement.
2) Join your local Labrador or gundog club and go to their training sessions. These are gundog sessions however there is always a novice or starter class and this usually does 90% basic obedience. PM or email me for more details on these if you wish.... I can put you in touch with a choice of local clubs. email me on wylanbriarlabs@aol.com
3) Look for a local 'one to one' trainer on the APDT website link below.
http://www.apdt.co.uk/list_trainers.asp
They are all over the country and it lists what each trainer offers, home visits, group classes, behavioural work etc etc...and you can call round a few in your county and see what they charge and when they could see you and IF YOU LIKE THEM! - Important!
Don't consider sending your dog away. Take it from me that MOST residential trainers are gundog orientated people. They tend to be the old school hardened types using old school heavy handed methods or, if they WEREN'T, they would encourage YOU to go and get yourself trained and wouldn't be considering just 'fixing the dog' in the first place.
~ FOUR-DAY RESIDENTIAL COURSES ~
These courses are particularly designed for the novice handler. The emphasis is on teaching you as the handler to train your dog, from puppy stage right through to shooting over your dog.
I am about to move to Whitstable - any of those clubs near there? Henry will be ready to go out in 3 weeks and we want to go to 'school' as soon as possible!!!
Ideally it was to be residential for both of us, but we really would like to find a club locally (we used to take both of our labs 7 yrs ago ,but sadly we cannot find any now locally).
We live in Tunbridge Wells and have asked asked 3 local vets and people we used to go with a few years ago. They are all saying the same thing that it has gotten too expensive to hire a hall for pople not to turn up.
Unfortunately, Whitstable and S/E London are too far for us.
There seem to be an abundance of behaviour "experts", but not good basic training and socialising.
also be aware that the APDT trainers listed on the website I gave you previously may be worth a call to say exactly what you have said on here - you can't find a CLUB. They will certainly know some, certainly worth a chat... Dog people KNOW dog people if you know what i mean.
can I ask - did you email me privately earlier today, only someone I didn't recognise came on asking me for training clubs in kent and its a spooky coincidence if not....
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), needless to say I did report them to the RSPCA and had more than a few words with the owner of the establishment about the trainers methods, but still nothing was done.
