Puppy School

[PMSE15]

Hi All

Long shot - but thought the world of EDF will know!

I have recently bought a puppy who will grow into a very big and powerfull dog! I need to get him trained and under my control ASAP otherwise he will lick me to death or pull my arm out of its socket on walk time!

I have looked at loads of training websites on the net but what i want is a school so he can socialise with other puppies.

Can anyone recommend a good one? Or a good trainer that is willing to train around other dogs/puppies in a open space?

I dont want to pay a fortune and not get a good trainer!

Any advice would be great! Dont have to be Dulwich either, im happy to travel.

[Ilovemywhippet]

Hi,

I know the vets I use my clients, Paxton, run free puppy classes. I also take on puppies at my Day Care for socialisation purposes, ensures they get along properly with other Dogs and people and generaly learn boundaries etc. I can train but it isn't something I advertise or regularly offer but training comes with it really as their under my control all Day.

Message me if you need more info and good luck x

[first mate]

Have you considered attending a dog training class in the evening? The best thing your puppy can learn is basic obedience and how to behave around other adult dogs without causing offence. Pups have already learned about other pups in the litter- learning impulse control around adults is the key, how to meet, greet and play politely.

A trainer may train your dog for you, but it is far better that you do the training yourself since the primary bond is with you not your trainer and you wnat and need your dog to learn to behave with you.

What breed is your puppy?

Training classes are held at Beckenham Dog Training and at South Eastern Dog Training in South Norwood- (Sandra on 07852469499).

[PMSE15]

Thanks for your replies. I will definately be taking him to puppy training myself as me and my partner need maximum control. We have quite a few friends with dogs of all shapes and sizes so he (Syd) will be mixing with them often.

I will look into both recommendations thank you.

He is a south african mastiff (Boerboel) so will grow to be a big dog, hence the reason i want maximum control.

[Gidget]

What made you decide to get such a large dog?

[Ilovemywhippet]

Hi,

I understand why you want to get him under control ASAP!

I have a couple of mastiffs that attend from time to time, very calm and loving Dogs.

My opinion may seem bias as its my own company but talking from experience I would certainly recommend Day Care to anyone with any type of Dog, while its in puppy hood. Your Dog will get to play, eat and relax with others, aiding to eliminate or prevent any bowl/ food/ water aggression/ jealousy/ fear of Dogs or new people, it also teaches them how to play as they would when they are still in the liter.

I take on about 5-10 Dogs per Day. If you search londonpetsitter.co.uk you should find me, I am not sure if I am allowed to post links on here. So you know how it works, people can drop their Dogs off while they go to work or get on with other things and return to collect them later that Day. We will feed/ walk and provide attention to your Dog during this time. I am open 7am until 7pm Monday to Friday and it costs ?25 if you attend once per week. The idea is that the Dog grows up without the issues that people then need to seek a trainer for i.e aggression, separation anxiety, jealousy issues etc etc. Feel free to try us out and see what you think as its difficult to really express the benefits when its your own company as you only have my word to take for it but I can ensure you my clients have all said what a difference its made to their Dogs fitness, behavior and general well-being :-).

Ill keep my eye out for any trainers I know running classes but I probably wont here about anything until the new year now. x

[PMSE15]

Wow! This could come in very handy! I didnt know such a service existed! Thanks for the great advice!

I lost my staffie just over a year ago who i got from a resuce centre and he suffered with terrible seperation anxiety, unfortunately because he was 5 when i got him it was harder to undo all the bad that had been done.

I dont want this dog to have any or the same problems and my previous albiet not my fault, i want him social with other dogs. Because of his size he needs to be a soft as anything, he size will be scary enough!

The reason i have got such a big dog was quite by chance, a friend needed to find a home ASAP, we have a kind and loving home with loads of time for him hence the reason we took him in, it was either us or Battersea and they get swampped at this time of year so he now has a new home with us.

[Gidget]

Rob the Dulwichdogman posts on here and he is very good with training and socialising.

[Ilovemywhippet]

Aw how sad :-(. Staffies are very prone to seperation anxiety, fantastic people Dogs!

I have sent you an email as requested, I hope the info helps.

I used to train Dogs myself on a one2one basis but I have found nothing works better for a puppy then growing up with regularly socialisation and strict rules and boundaries. It works wonders for our Dogs. People have been close to having to give their Dogs up until they started here as it really stimulation them mentally and eliminates separation anxiety and naughtiness from boredom. You are welcome to see for yourself one Day, although at the moment we have been redecorating at weekends and so our dividers are down, so visitors end up with nice Dog hair on them and lots of excitable welcomes when they come in, which isn't ideal for your first visit! hehe

[first mate]

Not a breed for the faint-hearted, as you know they have a strong guard instinct, unlike the staffy, which does not.

I'm sure you will have already been in touch with breed specialists but just in case try the UK Boerboel club http://www.ukbc.co.uk/rightbreed.html - breed specialists will often come up with good tips in terms of training and what to expect.

Any dog with a guard instinct needs to be sociliazed to the max with strong, confident leadership from its owners.

I applaud you for seeing what needs to be done and for looking for a good training context. Again, do not leave it to someone else to train your dog. If the dog lives with you it must also respect and listen to you.

[PMSE15]

So pleased i put this on here this morning, i have had great feedback and will be taking Syd to doggie day care so he can play with other dogs and learn to socialise in the new year!

Obviously i will carry out all my own training with him as i have done with all of my dogs over the years. Your correct in the respect element, the alpha male or (female) is critical to him.

Thanks so much everyone its been great reading all of your replies!

[maxxi]

Boerboels are a very difficult breed to train - but not impossible. You should contact Mark Davies - he's a bit of a dog-training genius and has a couple of Boerboels himself - here's his website with a picture of his Boerboel and some details http://www.packleader.org.uk/

[new2ED2013]

Hi PMSE15,

[PMSE15]

Thanks for your information.

[first mate]

I have not heard of this trainer but having had a quick look at his site I would say his advice to 'practice removing your dog's food' without proper context or comment, does not invite confidence.

[Huggers]

I'm with First Mate on this one, taking away dog bowl is a sure way to exacerbate that guard instinct and make one snappy fella.http://www.dogsey.com/forumdisplay.php?f=17 is a good source of all things knowledgable dog and the current consensus is that removing food is a bad bad idea that comes from the erronous outmoded idea of 'dominance'. Be very very careful of who you choose to help you train your dog!