Would you spend $1200 to train your dog? (long)

[gmail]

Dog background: We rescued her in April 2010, the same weekend I found out I was pregnant. Underneath all her issues, she's a love. That said, she is really leash aggressive. Off-leash, she loves to romp and play with other dogs. On-leash, though, it's IMPOSSIBLE. She will lunge, attack, bark...basically lose her shit if she sees another dog. We just struggle through her walks and we can't take her to a dog park, the woods, etc. I don't let anyone else walk her. We've tried behaviorists, but it just never worked.

She also jumps when people come to the house. We are able to get her to stop jumping on us with a firm "SIT" and not giving her love until she does, but it doesn't work with others. If that were the only issue, we'd be fine. But the leash-aggression is hard. I dread walking her, just in case we run into another dog.


I found a place, basically a doggie boot camp that takes dogs for 14 days to train them. It's gotten great reviews online, and they said they can work on leash behavior, listening, commands, etc - all with positive reinforcement. The only "negative" they use is "NO" along with positive reinforcement. I'm imagining her as a well-behaved walk dog and it just seems awesome. Like we could take her out to the park. Walks would be enjoyable. Less frustration. We wouldn't feel the need to apologize for her all the time.

But it's $1200. 14 days, covers room & board, 2 follow up sessions, a lifetime guarantee and lifetime phone support.

Thoughts?

[Deleted]

I would be more likely to spend money on a training course that also trained me (and Jake and if the boys were old enough them), if that makes sense. It is a lot of money but I know if we ever get a dog we will need professional help even if it's just obedience school or something.

[wambam]

I've lived with a HELLION dog and if I hadn't been 17 at the time and actually had money, I would've paid a millionty dollars to be able to drain the damn thing. So yes, I would pay the money and enjoy life with the dog.

[Saint Monica]

If I had the $ available to spend I certainly would deem that a wise investment

[Deleted]

That's a lot of money, but if you intend to have to dog for the long haul, then it's an investment.

[gmail]

The behaviorists that we worked with (one at home and one at her place) were one time sessions only, which frustrated me. It was like $500 to meet with them once, and then we were allowed to call/email whenever we wanted. However, anytime I asked a questions, they were like "Schedule another session with us, and we can work on it."

This boot camp will bring us back on the last day and train us along with her, so we can use everything she learned. And then the follow up sessions are both at home, so we can practice.

[shopgirl07]

My Dad sent both of his dogs to a place like this. But it was when they were puppies and it included housebreaking them as well. He had a fantastic experience and both dogs came back completely trained and happy. I think it's worth considering.

[foundmylazybum]

For this issue I'd ask a lot if questions, and shop around. If it was hunting traing, $1200 sleep away is normal.

I wouldn't necessarily say no... But I think I would do more research.

[nomad100]

TBH, I wouldn't spend that much on a program that didn't integrate me and my family and our routines from the get go.

But I sympathize. Cricket, our newest family member, is very insecure and can be a nightmare on leash if he feels threatened, unsure, sees other dogs off leash, thinks he needs to protect Willow (our other dog), thinks another dog is too close to me or DH. In other words, most of the time when he is on leash and out of our house or yard. Off leash he is a happy go lucky pup.

[averyjessup]

I have a leash aggressive dog and I understand the dread and stress 100%. What's a little unusual for me though is it's just a problem when I have him on a leash. Anyone else and he's totally fine, he's just ridiculously protective of me. When I take him to the groomers I have them walk him out to the car, I'm literally standing right there and he doesn't care, as long as I'm not holding the leash. So my hesitation would be similar to what a PP mentioned, doggie boot camp is kind of a vacuum. I wouldn't feel confident that them training him and handing him back to me at the end of 2 weeks would actually solve the problem.

But if someone could guarantee me that it would, yes, I'd pay $1200 for it in a second.

[gmail]

Thanks, everyone.

I think I'm SO desperate for her to be well-behaved on leash that I will try anything. But you're right. There is NO guarantee that this will work, and it is in a vacuum of sorts. Also, my H would NEVER go for it

[thinkofthesoldiers]

Besides a behaviorist what have you tried?

[gmail]

Oct 31, 2013 9:52:52 GMT -5 thinkofthesoldiers said:

Besides a behaviorist what have you tried?

2 behaviorists, a training class when we first got her in 2010, dog walker/trainer, and in-home stuff - like positive reinforcement, Nothing In Life is Free training.

[gmail]

Oct 31, 2013 9:53:52 GMT -5 Que? said:

Why can't you take her to a dog park or in the woods of she's good off leash? Some dogs need to be off leash. My dog is a rescue, and was a total maniac. He's still not ideal on the leash but a LOT of work and practice has gone into it.

I wouldn't pay that much to send my dog away. You need someone to work with you, I'm not sure it benefits you to get him back and not know the methods used. If you're not doing exactly what they're doing, I don't see it being effective. That's just my opinion. $500 for a behaviourist is ridiculous. Keep looking, there has to be someone reasonable.

What kind of dog is she?

Part beagle, part rat terrier, part other stuff.


$500 was the norm for what I found when I looked around.

[juliagoulia]

I'd do it.

Friends of ours did this with their dogs and it was amazing. And it's not like they just plop the dog back to you- they show you the commands and stuff, too.

[gmail]

Oct 31, 2013 10:06:24 GMT -5 jamie.1022 said:

gmail - You're in Baltimore, right?

Yup

And on walks, we used to keep her distracted with a piece of food. She responds to food in training. So we would give pieces of kibble on walks, and just keep her looking at us, with the command of "Good. Good. Good...." until the other dog passed. This worked like 50% of the time. Finally, it just got to the point where we could have a fucking steak and she'd be like "Screw you. THERE. IS. ANOTHER. DOG. I MUST ATTACK." and lose her shit.

[gmail]

Oh, I've also tried a mask that keeps her eyes covered, but it freaked her out SO much, she wouldn't move. She wouldn't walk, pee, etc.

[thinkofthesoldiers]

Oct 31, 2013 9:54:13 GMT -5 gmail said:

Oct 31, 2013 9:52:52 GMT -5 thinkofthesoldiers said:

Besides a behaviorist what have you tried?

2 behaviorists, a training class when we first got her in 2010, dog walker/trainer, and in-home stuff - like positive reinforcement, Nothing In Life is Free training.

That's a lot. I applaud your effort. Where were the classes? I ask because Petco/Petsmart are shitty classes. I feel like your issues can't be addressed at home. It needs to start there, but if it is leash aggression it needs to be addressed where it happens, which might be a good place for a class to come into play. With a toddler at home, though, the bootcamp might be the best option since it starts and does the heavy-lifting for you. The caveat to this is that it is way more important for you to be involved, so during that 2 week period, I might see if you can attend classes with your pup at night. Is it close enough for you to attend? That way you are doing the work with your dog AND he's getting the extra help during the day.

[isabel]

Given all you've tried, I would absolutely do this. I know I would do that myself if necessary. Having a well trained dog sounds like a dream after what you're dealing with. I've had a leash aggressive dog and it is no fun.

[thinkofthesoldiers]

You know, I'm pretty active with our local kennel club and we had a speaker recently that addressed problem issues with different dogs. She said that leash aggression is usually based in fear and feeling uncomfortable for the dog. That to help you need to build up their confidence, both on and off leash, to help eliminate this issue. Have you considered not working directly on this issue, but maybe trying different classes where he might excel on leash before addressing his aggression towards other dogs while on the leash?

It is almost akin to parallel play with children for the dogs. Like, yes, there are other dogs, but he is focusing on the challenge you are giving him and responding to the praise.

[shopgirl07]

Oct 31, 2013 10:19:19 GMT -5 @stpete said:

Oct 31, 2013 9:30:56 GMT -5 shopgirl07 said:

My Dad sent both of his dogs to a place like this. But it was when they were puppies and it included housebreaking them as well. He had a fantastic experience and both dogs came back completely trained and happy. I think it's worth considering.

How do I find this? 

Gosh, I'm not sure. The dogs went to two different places so this service must be somewhat commonly offered. Maybe call some local vets offices and see if they know of anyone in your area? Good luck, it was really a fantastic service.

[Deleted]

Oct 31, 2013 10:19:19 GMT -5 @stpete said:

Oct 31, 2013 9:30:56 GMT -5 shopgirl07 said:

My Dad sent both of his dogs to a place like this. But it was when they were puppies and it included housebreaking them as well. He had a fantastic experience and both dogs came back completely trained and happy. I think it's worth considering.

How do I find this? 

Call your vet, they usually have a referral. 

[gmail]

I just googled "dog boot camp maryland"

[gmail]

Oct 31, 2013 10:28:42 GMT -5 thinkofthesoldiers said:

You know, I'm pretty active with our local kennel club and we had a speaker recently that addressed problem issues with different dogs. She said that leash aggression is usually based in fear and feeling uncomfortable for the dog. That to help you need to build up their confidence, both on and off leash, to help eliminate this issue. Have you considered not working directly on this issue, but maybe trying different classes where he might excel on leash before addressing his aggression towards other dogs while on the leash?

It is almost akin to parallel play with children for the dogs. Like, yes, there are other dogs, but he is focusing on the challenge you are giving him and responding to the praise.

I actually thought about looking for one of those challenge course/agility training places to see if that helped overall.

[gmail]

Another part of the problem is H. He's very much like "this is how she is. We'll just manage it as best as we can."

[thinkofthesoldiers]

How is her overall obedience? Both on and off-leash? I always tell people that obedience is the foundation for any other activities you might want to do with your dog. Running/agility/rally/etc all have a foundation in obedience. It is a big commitment, but it is so worth it for both your happiness and the pup's.

[thinkofthesoldiers]

Oct 31, 2013 10:32:13 GMT -5 gmail said:

Another part of the problem is H. He's very much like "this is how she is. We'll just manage it as best as we can."

Maybe you can point out that she is this way because she is uncomfortable. It isn't aggression like we think of it. It is a reaction to her own inability to control the situation and fear of what is happening around her.

[gmail]

Overall, I'd give her a B-

She is better with us (me and DH) b/c we have a good understanding of her quirks. Like, she'll sit when we ask, "leave it" for treats, "stay" etc. If we tell her "go to your bed" or "go to your spot", she will.

But with IL's, she's a hot mess. Really, with any other visitor, except ppl who know dogs, she's a jumping barking nightmare. To be fair, though, no matter how many times we've told IL's how to act when they greet her, they do want they want. Which includes waving their arms up in the air, saying "SIT! SIT! NO! SIT!...oh, okay. It's fine if she jumps. She just wants love..."

[gmail]

Oct 31, 2013 10:35:32 GMT -5 Que? said:

Oct 31, 2013 10:28:42 GMT -5 thinkofthesoldiers said:

People often mistake leash aggressiveness for protectiveness, when really it's fear. That's why they are fine off leash, because they can get away. We rarely tie our dog up because a blowing leaf can cause panic if he doesn't have an escape route. Another dog, forget it. My end goal was training him to be be the best possible off leash dog since that's where I knew he would be most obedient in a dangerous situation. If we come up to an animal in the bush, I will release his leash because he will follow me on his own free will. If I attempt to drag him, he fights and that's dangerous.

I am not an expert by any means. I spend a lot of time with dogs in all situations, because people here bring their dogs everywhere. If your dog is poorly behaved, you can't do that, you get the scarlet letter and people ban your dog, lol.

Yeah, she is REALLY skittish. She hates to go out in the dark b/c wind/leaves/noises make her jump :-(

[thinkofthesoldiers]

Oct 31, 2013 10:36:56 GMT -5 gmail said:

Overall, I'd give her a B-

She is better with us (me and DH) b/c we have a good understanding of her quirks. Like, she'll sit when we ask, "leave it" for treats, "stay" etc. If we tell her "go to your bed" or "go to your spot", she will.

But with IL's, she's a hot mess. Really, with any other visitor, except ppl who know dogs, she's a jumping barking nightmare. To be fair, though, no matter how many times we've told IL's how to act when they greet her, they do want they want. Which includes waving their arms up in the air, saying "SIT! SIT! NO! SIT!...oh, okay. It's fine if she jumps. She just wants love..."

Well the people in the house is a separate issue from the leash aggression. The greeting of people at the door is such a challenge for a lot of dogs (mine included). It takes a ton of practice, but I make my dogs sit away from the door. We started with them on leash and just had a friend over to do the practice over and over. It took weeks before they got to the point where they would stay in their spot until they were allowed to greet the visitors, and if they got overly worked up, back on the leash they went until everyone settled in and the dog could do it calmly and go lie down.

Given her B- grade, I might start back over with a basic obedience class. A good class with a good instructor will also help you get her under control on leash so that she can have some confidence, even if it is just in that room with those dogs.