Everyone has their own definition of what a perfect life looks like, but you’ll probably hear some answers repeated if you ask the proverbial “man on the street” here in Los Angeles. What’s your definition of a perfect life? Does it include a dog?
If so, you’re our kind of people here at Pawsitive K9 Solutions. We love our pups like they’re family, which is why it seems so personal when they just won’t behave.
It’s intuitive that you would think to call us to take advantage of our services, but unfortunately, dog training isn’t a panacea. There are certain reasons that might make it a waste of your time and money to call a professional dog trainer.
Here are our top reasons you should NOT hire a professional dog trainer in Los Angeles.
1. You’re unwilling to take advice from your dog trainer
When you have a problem with your plumbing, you call a plumber, and then they diagnose and repair the problem before being on their way. So, you might think that calling a dog trainer will help you effectively diagnose and fix “the problem,” leaving you with a dog that’s now better than ever.
You’re only half right there.
We professionals will do our darndest to assess what makes your dog tick, and from there, we’ll come up with strategies for navigating their nuances and leading them toward the proper action.
Simultaneously, we’re looking at you and your communication to determine if your signals actually might be behind the dog’s “bad” behavior in the first place.
If you’re naturally defensive or treat constructive criticism as a personal attack, working with a dog trainer will likely have little effect on your dog’s overall ability to improve and behave the way you hope they will.
So, before calling a dog trainer, be sure you’re ready to take criticism and advice in pursuit of the results you’re after. It’s as much training for you as it is for your pup.
2. You’re unwilling to practice training at home
How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice, practice, practice.
Everything you do with your dog is practice for the main event. You’ll lather, rinse, and repeat the sit-stay command over and over at home before ever successfully using it out in public.
Unfortunately, that means you’re in for a real time commitment, and, as busy Los Angeles residents, we don’t always have that time to dedicate.
Before calling a dog trainer to deal with your poor “problem child” puppy, ask yourself— do you really have the time to dedicate to rehearsing obedience commands at home? Are you ready to increase the distance, duration, and level of distraction during training sessions in order to set your special pal up for success?
We trainers will always do our very best, but you’ll want to set aside plenty of time at home to practice, practice, practice your training if you don’t want to be disappointed.
3. You’re unwilling to pay for your trainer’s time and knowledge
As they say, “You get what you pay for.”
A reputable dog trainer, such as the ones we employ here at Pawsitive K9 Solutions, needs to have specialized knowledge regarding dog psychology and behavior. They will ascertain this knowledge through reading and training, but it also comes with hands-on experience seeing many dogs with similar problems and finding out firsthand what solutions worked for them.
They bring this knowledge and experience to you when they meet with you and your dog, and if they’re worth their salt, they’ll charge a price to reflect that level of service.
There are ways to mitigate this cost, taking group classes instead of doing one-on-one training, for example, but you’ll have to be ready to accept the cost if you’re going to get the expertise of a good dog trainer in Los Angeles.
4. You’re not committed to making this a lifelong journey
Going back to our plumber metaphor, there’s obviously a huge difference between your plumbing and your dog. The plumbing, once fixed, should theoretically stay fixed for a long time, if not forever.
Dogs, if given plenty of time during their formative weeks, will develop a strong foundation and generally maintain good manners and obedience skills throughout their lives, but it may become necessary to rehearse and reinforce their good training at various intervals throughout their lives.
After all, your dog is a major commitment. Even the Dog Whisperer himself, Cesar Millan, says that your dog will need exercise, discipline, and affection in that order if they’re going to thrive and live their best lives. So, it’s setting you and your dog up for a major disappointment if you think that the dog trainer will be a cure-all and, once the training is finished, they’ll be fine forever.
Training is a work in progress for the entirety of your lives together, and it takes two to tango, so be ready to make that commitment to your pup.
Are you ready to hire a dog trainer?
So, you read our reasons to NOT hire a trainer, and you think you’re the type who would benefit immensely from a professional trainer’s time and expertise?
If that’s the case, and you live in Los Angeles or areas such as Santa Monica, Brentwood, Venice, Mar Vista, Culver City, Marina del Rey, Playa del Rey, and more, then contact us today to get started now!
We look forward to working with you and your pup!
Trackbacks/Pingbacks