@DexterDex:
I checked the link and I think the closest class is a little over an hour away from here. I also talked to someone at Petsmart and they told me that I DID have to bring proof that Dexter had begun his vaccinations… I'd still like to go and watch a class there.
By all means, go and see a class there. I think everyone should do this BEFORE they sign up for any dog class. You will get a feel for the trainer, whether or not they have assistants with them, how many dogs they allow in the class, and how much time is used for social interaction before the actual training begins. These things are really important. Looking back at where Kipawa did his first class (he graduated) I would not go back there, even though they are really well thought of. The head trainer there is just not my cup of tea. One of her assistants that did two classes out of the 6 was much better. Also, way too much time was spent on dog socialization prior to the beginning the actual training. Most of the dogs should have first been put into a puppy socialization class, not a training class. Lastly, the trainers website said that there would be a max of 8 dogs there. For our last two classes there were 12 and 14 dogs there. Really chaotic - not enough order in the class - and you could tell the dogs were being impacted by that.
