by Carmen LeBlanc, MS, ACAAB, CTC
Tofu wants to help draft his training plan
You and your dog can benefit from various training formats, but for many people the benefits of one-on-one private lessons outweigh the benefits of group classes. It’s similar to the advantages of hiring a personal fitness trainer rather than attending group exercise classes.
Why is that? Everybody is different. People’s abilities and needs vary. Ditto for the dogs! When instructors, no matter how skilled, try to juggle two species’ worth of differences in a group class, clients can feel frustrated or even alienated.
Top 10 advantages of private training:
- As a longtime instructor of both individual privates and group classes, I’d say the biggest advantage is the curriculum. Instead of a prewritten, one-size-fits-all curriculum, private lessons focus entirely on you and your dog. No more wasting time learning skills that aren’t important to you or that your dog already knows.
. - Private lessons are tailored to your goals — for example, good behavior when friends and family visit. They’re focused on the activities you want to enjoy with your dog — like shopping at the Farmer’s Market. They’re adapted for your dog’s current obedience skill level. We assess what needs first-steps vs. what needs improvement and next steps. And private lessons are designed for you, how you learn best and your learning curve. We can slow down when you need more time and speed up when you’re acing it!
. - Flexible lesson plans also allow us to address specific behavior problems that group classes simply aren’t designed for and don’t have time for — problems like garbage raiding, hyper-excitement in the car, chasing the cat, excessive territorial barking, or playing too rough with visiting children.
. - Training in the dog’s home environment targets training in real life, where the problems occur. I call it “training in context,” and it significantly boosts training success. Skills learned in a group class don’t always transfer smoothly to your home and neighborhood.
. - In privates, I also train outdoors and in public. That gives my clients real-world practice around other people and pets, in places that matter to them, such as the park, downtown, the car, pet store and patio café.
. - As a specialized type of pet behavior expert called an applied animal behaviorist, I can more accurately evaluate my clients’ dogs in their home environment, where they’re most comfortable. The more accurate the evaluation, the more effective the training plan.
. - Privates cover more than group classes in the same period of time. You make faster progress because you get the instructor’s immediate, specific feedback and coaching throughout the hour. It’s more efficient because you’re not sharing. You get the instructor’s time and expertise all to yourself.
. - Consistency trains a dog, and training takes time. With personalized lessons, you’re more likely to stay committed and achieve the best results.
. - Some people feel self-conscious about learning in a group. Others feel embarrassed by their dog’s behavior. Private training avoids most self-consciousness and embarrassment.
. - Last but not least, you can’t beat the convenience of having the behaviorist or trainer come to your home. No travel time, no driving, no traffic. Plus, lessons are set based on your schedule.