We have an 8-month-old male Jack Russell Terrier that drives me CRAZY. But he is my husband’s baby so we can’t get rid of him (even though I’d love to). My husband is in the Air Force so he works anywhere from 8-14 hours and day and we have a 3-year-old and I’m also 9 months pregnant, so both my husband and I are too busy to try to train the damn dog ourselves. (Dont ask me what the point of having a dog is if you cant put the time or effort into taking care of it… ask my husband because I dont understand it either)
The only place that trains dogs around here, unless I want to drive 2 hours away, is Petsmart and Petco…Does anyone know about how much they charge for dog training?? Or any advice on how to keep the little over-excited fooker from peeing in the same damn spot every night? Or maybe how to stop acting like a wild beast?? I understand he’s a dog but the thing has run of the house (hubby thinks we should treat him like “part of the family”…bleh!) and is just crazy! HELP
I just signed my puppy up for puppy kindergarten at Petsmart. They are as good as the trainers. If you go on the website they have a coupon for a free evaluation. The idea is they evaluate your dog to determine training placement. But what I did is used it to evaluate the trainer. She seemed very good and knowledgeable. The classes (puppy and others) are $119 for 8 sessions. Check the trainer out don’t accept that ALL Petsmart trainers are no good.
Well, Petsmart charges $99 for an 8 week Beginner class. The way it works though is that they’re really training you to train your dog. You come to class every week and they show you what to do and then you practice at home with the dog. If you were to find a place to “drop off” the dog where they can train it for you, you need to know something….After they train the dog, they will bring you in and train you so you can work with the dog. (any reputable place would) Do you have time for that? Dogs work much better with the people who trained them. They form a bond with that person. I am a bit worried about this dog though. It doesn’t sound like your husband did a lot of reading up on Jack Russells before you got one. It’s very important to read up on a breed of dog before you get one so you know what you’re getting into and you can handle it. (you need to serioulsy think about bringing a pet into your lives like you think about having children) In general,Jack Russells are quite hyper and take a LOT patience. Please do not get too mad at the dog, it’s not it’s fault how it’s bred. If you do not have the time for this dog, I recommend you have a serious talk to your husband about it. Give it to a Jack Russell rescue where they can find someone who does have the time and the patience. Tell your husband this is not about how he feels, he needs to see what’s best for the poor dog.
I agree that PetSmart is probably not your best choice for obedience training. Classes do run around $100/8 lessons I believe, but PetSmart’s private lessons are $70/hour! My guess is that Petco is about the same. Their trainers lack experience – not that they don’t have SOME training knowledge, but they may not be able to give you alternatives if their canned method doesn’t work.
Go to the following website and see if there is a private trainer in your area http://www.canineprofessionals.com
Petsmart has about the worst classes, their ‘trainers’ are clueless and have no business trying to teach anybody anything about training dogs. They only hire people who have no experience and then teach them with books and videos.
You *may* do better at Petco, but I wouldn’t count on it.
You would be better off driving 2 hours once a week and going to a good obedience club, or buying a few books and learning how to train your dog that way. Beware though, there are some pretty crappy books out there, as well as crappy trainers. Steer clear of the one size fits all bribe with a treat methods.
well i had the same problem with my rat terrier hi`s super but super hyper but i let him run around in the backyard all day he only comes in to eat drink water or to take a nap or bed time but when i first got him he was peeing all over the place well we went to walmart and got a kennel and we tide him up in it and then put one of the take him out 20min and then back to the cage and he will get the hang of things every time that he does that put him outside and don`t let him in like about 20min.tie him to a tree if you have larger dogs or if he can get out of the yard then tie him that’s what work for us oh oh when he goes outside and not inside give him a treat but only if he does it outside so he could know that if he goes outside he has a treat waiting for him he will figure it out but pets mart is like $99.00 for 8 weeks if you rather do that instead.
There are a few different classes and depending on the type of dog you have, the class will vary.
The best thing to do would be to call the store nearest you and ask what their specific prices are. Sometimes the prices change and only the trainer knows the fee rates.
I think it was $100 for 6 or 8 sessions at Petco. Oh and I think the Jack Russell Terriers are always kind of wild. 🙂
These places charge a good chunk of change for training classes. If you are willing to take on the task yourself, there are a couple of good books and techniques to help you get your dog better mannered. One book that was recommended thru YA in a question I just asked this week is really good. It’s written with obedience competition in mind, but lots of useful techniques for the average home looking to have a well behaved dog. Here’s the link to this one…. http://dogwise.com/ItemDetails.cfm?ID=DT…
Another training method that I use is clicker training. It’s a good way to get the message across to your pet quickly. The book I got was “Clicking with your dog” by Peggy Tillman. It’s very detailed in how to get started with clicker training and I think it’s a great beginner book.
A little time each day working on training can go a long way. It will take time, but it will help you have a better mannered pet in the end.
My pup is in training at Petsmart now. The cost is $99 for 8 sessions lasting one hour each. It is a wonderful experience for both owner and pet.
We have had great success with Petsmart. The trainer was very knowledgeable and often took extra time after class to help solve issues. There was a dog she had the owners bring in during the week for free for an extra 15-30 minutes training. How much time do you take practicing the training techniques?. Consistency is the secret.
Pet smart also has a policy if not 100% satisfied, the course can be retaken.
May depend on the trainer and how much they put themselves into it. You need to make yourself the alpha , not let the dog rule.
Watch Cesar Mian on Dog Whispers
Petsmart charges about $100 for 8 classes, they have puppy, beginner, intermediate, and advanced courses they offer.
As for housebreaking, make sure you have an enzyme cleaner made for dog messes and that you scrub up the spot he’s peeing in- if he can smell the pee, he’ll do it again. Also, if he’s not neutered yet, now is the time! Most indoor peeing is because the animal isn’t fixed yet.
As for the ‘part of the family’ thing- WRONG!! Your dog needs to know that he is part of your pack, but that he is not the leader, because clearly, that’s what he thinks now.http://sonic.net/~cdlcruz/GPCC/library/a…
Read this article, it has great information on how to teach a dog it’s place in the pack without any sort of violence or aggression.
Good luck!