#162 Choosing the Best Training Option for Your Dog: Private Lessons, Group Classes, and Board & Train Programs: Dog Training Today will Will Bangura, M.S., CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA, FFCP

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Why struggle with training your dog when you could have the ultimate guide to success? In today's episode of Dog Training Today, I, Will Bangura, break down the best dog training options for your furry friend. We weigh the advantages and disadvantages of private lessons, group classes, and board and train programs, making sure you get the most personalized advice. Discover why private one-on-one training stands out as the most effective, especially for tackling those pesky nuisance behaviors at home. While group classes offer controlled distractions ideal for more advanced training, they can be overwhelming for novices. And when it comes to board and train programs, we reveal why they might not be as beneficial as they seem, despite their profitability for trainers.

Tired of dealing with your dog's aggression, reactivity, or fearfulness? We’ve got you covered with effective solutions, including the highly recommended Calm Dogs product that has transformed numerous canine lives. Tune in to hear success stories and learn practical strategies to help your dog overcome behavioral issues. Plus, don’t miss my live Facebook event every Saturday at 12 noon Eastern, where I answer your burning questions and offer positive, actionable advice. Share these insights with fellow dog lovers, and let's create a well-behaved, happy dog community together!

Will Bangura M.S. CBCC-KA (00:04.89)
Raised by wolves with canine DNA in his blood, having trained more than 24 ,000 vets, helping you and your fur babies thrive. Live in studio with Will Bangura answering your pet behavior and training questions. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome your host and favorite pet behavior expert, Will Bangura. Would you like to go on?

Will Bangura M.S. CBCC-KA (00:38.106)
Good day dog lovers. I'm Will Van Gura. Thanks for joining me for another episode of dog training today. We really appreciate you. We love all your support. Today I want to talk about different dog training options. You know, whether it be you needing or wanting to train a young puppy or you training an older dog, there are different options. You know, some of the most common options are sending your dog away.

for training, what a lot of people call board and train or doggy bootcamp, having private lessons or going to a group class. So I just want to talk a little bit about the pros and cons of all of those. Now, the first thing that I want to say is that I believe, especially, especially when you're starting brand new training with a dog that knows little to nothing, that getting private one -on -one training

the best option for every dog and for every pet parent. if you've got a dog that has problems in the home, nuisance behaviors like potty training issues, jumping, barking, digging, being destructive, again, having private lessons is great. Now, if you've got a lot of those nuisance behaviors at your home, private lessons are best done there, at your home.

and not done at the trainer's facility if they have one or meeting them in a park. Now I'm not saying that that's a bad way to go. Again, private one -on -one training I think is the best thing because you the pet parent get the undivided attention of that trainer without them having to divide their attention with other pet parents, with other dogs. And that leads me into group training classes.

because a lot of people want to opt for group training classes because in many cases they're more affordable than private one -on -one training and group classes ca

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Thanks for joining me foranother episode of Dog Training
Today.
We really appreciate you.
We love all your support.
Today I want to talk aboutdifferent dog training options.
Whether it be you needing orwanting to train a young puppy,
or you training an older dog,there are different options.

(01:03):
Or you training an older dog,there are different options.
Some of the most common optionsare sending your dog away for
training, what a lot of peoplecall board and train, or doggy
boot camp, having privatelessons or going to a group
class.
So I just want to talk a littlebit about the pros and cons of
all of those.
Now, the first thing that I wantto say is that I believe.

(01:24):
Now, the first thing that Iwant to say is that I believe

(01:49):
especially especially whenyou're starting brand new
training with a dog that knowslittle to nothing that getting
private, one-on-one training isthe best option for every dog
and for every pet parent.
And if you've got a dog thathas problems in the home
nuisance behaviors like pottytraining, issues, jumping,
barking, digging, beingdestructive again, having
private lessons is great.
Now, if you've got a lot ofthose nuisance behaviors at your
home, private lessons are bestdone there, at your home, and
not done at the trainer'sfacility, if they have one, or

(02:11):
meeting them in a park.
Now I'm not saying that that'sa bad way to go.
Again, private one-on-onetraining, I think, is the best
thing because you, the petparent, get the undivided
attention of that trainer,without them having to divide
their attention with other petparents, with other dogs.

(02:32):
And that leads me into grouptraining classes, because a lot
of people want to opt for grouptraining classes because in many
cases they're more affordablethan private.
One-on-one training and groupclasses can be a great thing or
they can be a complete and totaldisaster.
Now imagine that you've got adog that knows nothing and maybe

(02:57):
it's a brand new dog to you andyou take your dog as a pet
parent and go to a group classand let's say that there's 12
other dogs in that class.
Typically what you have are 12dogs that know nothing, that are
out of control, 12 pet parentsthat know nothing and don't know
how to get their dogs undercontrol and one trainer for 60

(03:20):
minutes, and so typically, mostof the time, group training
classes are an hour of chaos.
Now in some cases there aresome fantastic, really, really
really good trainers thatoperate and run some fantastic
group classes.
But if they were being honestwith you, like I am right now,

(03:45):
they would tell you one-on-onetraining is going to be the best
option.
Now, group training might be abetter option for the trainer
because they get to make a lotof money in group classes.
That's right, it might becheaper for you.
But when you've got 12 peoplein a class, you're getting paid
from 12 people versus doing aprivate instruction with one

(04:07):
person.
So you know, group classessometimes can be very profitable
for a trainer.
Now, the distraction factor isthe biggest thing.
All right, you never want tostart training a dog when
there's a ton of distractions.
You're setting them up forfailure.
And again, if you go to ourgroup class and your dog knows

(04:30):
little to nothing, you knowlittle to nothing and most of
the folks that are going to bethere are going to be in the
same boat.
It's going to be distractionafter distraction after
distraction Most of the time.
Granted, there's always anexception to the rule.
I know I'm going to get anemail from somebody said hey, I
took my brand new puppy to thisgroup class.
It was the greatest, best thingthat we could have ever done.
Well, that's fantastic.

(04:51):
There's always exceptions tothe rule.
Right Now where group classes Ithink are fantastic and where I
would wholeheartedly supportgroup training is after your dog
has had private training, afteryour dog understands the basics
, after your dog has had sometime and some conditioning and

(05:13):
after you understand what'sgoing on, because those
distractions now are kind ofwanted because we need to be
able to do counter conditioningand desensitization and get your
dog to learn to focus and haveengagement with you, even when

(05:33):
all heck is breaking loose, evenwhen there is chaos.
So group training classesreally good for intermediate
training, for advanced training,but more than anything,
intermediate training foradvanced training, but more than
anything, I think they're greatfor the distractions.
All right Now.
The third thing would be sendingyour dog away to board and
train.
And there's a reason why I leftboard and train or doggy boot

(05:57):
camp or sending your dog awayfor training last, because in my
opinion that is the leasteffective.
Well, let me back up from that.
It's not the best for your dog,it's not the best for you,
because the best thing is foryou to learn one-on-one with
private instructions, first ofall, to have a dog really well

(06:20):
trained and to break bad habitsin order to have permanence and
reliability that takes more thana week.
Liability that takes more thana week and in many cases it's
going to take more than twoweeks and three weeks and four
weeks.
It takes months.
That doesn't mean that you'renot going to start to see some
improvement, that you're notgoing to start to see some
success before a month or two oftraining.

(06:43):
But what I'm trying to say isthat, hey, there's no quick
fixes and there's a lot oftrainers out there and I believe
and I want to believe thatanybody working with animals
they've got a good intention.
But let's face it, we're alsoin business.
We're in business to make moneyand board and train can be the
most profitable part of dogtraining.

(07:04):
I know I'm doing everythingwrong because I don't do board
and train, because, again, Idon't believe in board and train
.
I don't do board and trainbecause, again, I don't believe
in board and train.
If you're completely lazy, ifyou only have a dog that needs
the absolute basics like comewhen called, sit and stay, walk
on a loose leash and maybe yourdog jumps or barks, ok, maybe

(07:27):
board and train, maybe sendingyour dog away isn't a bad idea.
I mean, we want your dogtrained.
We want you to be able to livein some kind of harmony with
your dog.
Um, but I'm sorry, a lot of youaren't going to like this.
You're not going to want tohear this.
But if you don't have time totrain your dog, please don't get

(07:47):
a dog, get a fish tank orsomething like that.
Okay, and and I say thatjokingly, but I also mean that
think about it.
You know, getting a dog is alot of responsibility and they
have a lot of needs.
And listen, if you don't havetime to train your dog, then you
probably don't have time toreally meet the needs of your

(08:08):
dog on a day-to-day basis.
Now, listen, I know some of youare mad.
Listen, hold your dog on aday-to-day basis.
Now, listen, I know some of youare mad.
Listen, hold your breath for asecond, just pause for a moment
and just take that underadvisement.
All right, you get to make thechoice.
If you truly want to send yourdog away to board and train,
that's fine.
You know, I've gotten callsfrom people that like doctors

(08:32):
and they don't have any time,but they want the.
They don't have time to train,they got their little bit of
family time and they want a dogfor the kids.
Well, I get that, but still Ithink if you don't have time for
the dog, you shouldn't have thedog.
Okay, now the worst thing youcan do when it comes to sending
your dog away to board and trainis to send the dog.

(08:53):
Hear me out now.
The worst thing you can do issend the dog that has aggression
.
Reactivity those are the twobehaviors that most people want
to send their dog away fortraining.
And there are a ton of trainersthat are saying, hey, you got a
dog that's reactive, you got adog that's aggressive.

(09:13):
Give them to us.
We know you're struggling.
Give them to us for a week, twoweeks, three weeks and we'll
bring back the perfect dog.
Folks, listen to me.
If it sounds too good to betrue, it probably is.
You are not.
If we're talking real reactivity, if we're talking real
aggression, that's not goingaway in a week, two weeks, three

(09:35):
weeks, and maybe see, here'swhat happens, and I've talked
about it a lot on the podcast.
I don't want to get into it,but trainers with little to no
education, trainers that aren'tcertified, um, maybe using very
outdated methods that we knowmake the problem worse, and

(09:55):
that's punishment.
You know a lot of people thinkit makes common sense that, hey,
yeah, and I hear this on thephone all the time Look, you
know we need to.
My dog's aggressive, my dog'sreactive?
Uh, you know I need to nip thisin the butt.
You know I need to nip this inthe bud.
Well, punishing your dog isonly going to suppress the
outward behavior and thatreactivity, that aggression, is

(10:18):
motivated by something.
Behaviors don't just happen outof the blue.
When a dog is reactive, when adog is aggressive, in 99% of the
cases they are afraid, they'vegot anxiety, they're
uncomfortable, and that's thereal problem.

(10:39):
The real problem is theunderlying emotional state where
the dog is viewing a trigger.
Whatever they're reactive oraggressive towards, whether it's
a person or another dog,they're reacting to that.
They're becoming aggressivebecause they're afraid and you
just punishing the outwardbehavior is like smoke and

(11:01):
mirrors.
It just suppresses thatbehavior and, trust me, folks,
it's temporary.
It's temporary.
It always comes back if it'sthe real deal.
It takes a lot of time notforever, but it takes a lot of
time and it takes work toovercome those very serious
problems of aggression andreactivity, now the apps and

(11:25):
again, the best thing is youneed the training, and private
one-on-one training is the bestway to go.
Sending your dog away mightsound very appealing and it
makes a lot of trainers a bunchof money and they might prefer
that than driving all over theplace to see clients, but most
of the time not always, but mostof the time that is not gonna

(11:49):
be the best option for you.
That is not gonna be the bestoption for your dog.
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(12:09):
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(12:40):
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(13:43):
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(14:06):
There are some amazing successstories with that product Out of
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Thanks again for tuning in foranother episode of Dog Training
Today.
Please share this podcast withother folks, tell other people
about it and don't forget eachand every Saturday, each and

(14:27):
every Saturday, I do a liveFacebook live event where, hey,
if you've got questions and youwant to get some positive
solutions and answers, that'syour opportunity.
Go to the Dog Training TodayFacebook page.
Saturdays, 12 noon Eastern.
Take care everybody, I'm out ofhere.

Speaker 1 (15:02):
Okay.