HmmPetsmart/Petco Training Classes? - The Dog Forum

03-12-2013, 09:36 PM

I am considering taking a Petsmart or Petco training class to take with my puppy. She knows sit and is in the process of learning stay and lie down....So I'm not sure if I should take beginner or intermediate because of what she already knows.

But I was wondering if anyone has taken a class at either Petsmart or Petco before. Which store is better, do you think? Also, how much did you have to pay for your classes, and were they worth it? What exactly did you learn?

Thanks!

03-12-2013, 09:54 PM

Quote:

We were lucky, we found a trainer at Petsmart who taught positive reinforcement training. I don't believe the price has changed. We learned sit, down, stand, heel, come, place, hmmmm what else...its been years lol It helped a lot with distractions tbh

Sounds great! I would like to meet the trainer before the class. Was this class that you took a beginner class?

03-12-2013, 10:05 PM

I'd take a beginner class first. You'll be going over some things you already know but you can practice with distractions and stuff. Meet your trainer first. Petsmart is farther along in their training department development than Petco is. (I've worked at both and Petco doesn't do as good of a job taking their trainers through the training process, their books don't cover as much, and they still promote some older methods).

Petsmart used to advocate shake cans and spray bottles- they are supposed to be teaching completely positively now so if your trainer pulls out a spray bottle or anything just get a refund, they're teaching old curriculum. Also, find out how long your trainer has been training for. Try to go to the store around the time they're holding classes (usually in the evening or any time on the weekends) so you can kind of peek in and see how things are going, listen to the way the trainer talks to clients, etc.

Overall if your dog is without difficult behavior problems I think Petsmart classes are fine for basic manners etc. I started there and continued my education as a trainer until I ended up moving on to a boarding kennel and opening a training program there, then I moved on to my own business. Not all of their trainers are as into training as others. Try to talk to the trainer a good bit, you'll be able to tell if they have a passion for training or not.

03-12-2013, 11:23 PM

We took the puppy class at Petsmart. I was pretty dissatisfied with the experience. The trainer wasn't really "positive reinforcement" based (she actually put a prong collar on a pitbull puppy that was in the class :-/ ), we paid 100 bucks for 6 1 hour sessions, and I ended up teaching Rhea everything on my own from a book. haha. I don't know, maybe some locations are better than others, but I went poking around for independently owned agility clubs and a lot also do positive reinforcement based obedience classes for beginners on up, and puppy classes. They meet for an hour or so once a week for about 6-8 weeks, and most of the prices were about 60-70 dollars instead of 100+. Everyone I talked to at these clubs was really nice, and they will answer your questions in a more earnest way, it seems, than the Petsmart trainers did.

I wouldn't do Petsmart or Petco if you can find a club elsewhere.

03-13-2013, 07:50 AM

We took Quest to a local obedience club instead. They were cheaper than Petco/Petsmart, offered a discount because he was adopted, and had a large variety of experiences within the club. Though, because I worked with him so much beforehand (We got him in Feb, the class started in June) and throughout the class, he was always ahead and knew all the actual commands. We used the class mostly for distractions and new situations. After graduating, we were invited to join the club and continue to go once a week for member instruction. The annual membership fee is only $35, so for a year of obedience classes I paid less than $100. Plus, many of the members are involved in agility, CGC, Therapy work, search and rescue, etc. so we get a wide variety of instruction in the member-only segments.

Don't discount the smaller local clubs You could find a great one that blows the Petco/Petsmart out of the water.

03-13-2013, 10:20 AM

Thanks for the info guys. I'm searching for some good training areas near me so I'm not set on Petsmart yet. Most of the places I've found are very expensive so not sure about that.

If I did take my pup to Petsmart for training.... She is in need of the basic obedience which I'm sure the class will cover. However, she can be reactive and bark at other people/dogs before she goes and meets them. I'm working with her but I'm not depending on this class to solve her reaction problems. But will they allow her in the class if she is barking like this and/or will they help the problem?

03-12-2013, 09:36 PM	#1
Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2012 Posts: 452 Mentioned: 0 Post(s) Tagged: 0 Thread(s)	Hmm...Petsmart/Petco Training Classes? I am considering taking a Petsmart or Petco training class to take with my puppy. She knows sit and is in the process of learning stay and lie down....So I'm not sure if I should take beginner or intermediate because of what she already knows. But I was wondering if anyone has taken a class at either Petsmart or Petco before. Which store is better, do you think? Also, how much did you have to pay for your classes, and were they worth it? What exactly did you learn? Thanks!

03-12-2013, 09:49 PM	#2
Senior Member Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 12,135 Mentioned: 0 Post(s) Tagged: 0 Thread(s)	We were lucky, we found a trainer at Petsmart who taught positive reinforcement training. I don't believe the price has changed. We learned sit, down, stand, heel, come, place, hmmmm what else...its been years lol It helped a lot with distractions tbh

03-12-2013, 10:13 PM	#5
Senior Member Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 12,135 Mentioned: 0 Post(s) Tagged: 0 Thread(s)	We went through advanced obedience but the list of commands were in beginners.

03-12-2013, 10:29 PM	#6
Senior Member Join Date: May 2011 Location: Northern Az Posts: 1,411 Mentioned: 0 Post(s) Tagged: 0 Thread(s)	I met with trainers from both and was not impressed. One was honest, which I appreciated, telling me her skill set was not adequate to handle my dog's issues. I was glad she wasn't just out to sell a space in her class. The other was for so self-absorbed and insistant that she could 'train any dog' it sent a red flag. Her personality wsa abrasive and totally lacking in social skills. Needless to say I walked away and she continued to follow me while I searched for dog food insisting she could help my dog. Umm no thank you. I was fortunate to find a private trainer/behavorist who was amazing for my dog and me.

03-13-2013, 04:32 AM	#8
Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 761 Mentioned: 0 Post(s) Tagged: 0 Thread(s)	Meet the trainer first. We lucked out and met the trainer one night when we were in picking up supplies. She is awesome. Positive reinforcement only and she knows her stuff. Posted via Mobile Device

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03-12-2013, 11:23 PM	#7
Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: AZ Posts: 391 Mentioned: 0 Post(s) Tagged: 0 Thread(s)	We took the puppy class at Petsmart. I was pretty dissatisfied with the experience. The trainer wasn't really "positive reinforcement" based (she actually put a prong collar on a pitbull puppy that was in the class :-/ ), we paid 100 bucks for 6 1 hour sessions, and I ended up teaching Rhea everything on my own from a book. haha. I don't know, maybe some locations are better than others, but I went poking around for independently owned agility clubs and a lot also do positive reinforcement based obedience classes for beginners on up, and puppy classes. They meet for an hour or so once a week for about 6-8 weeks, and most of the prices were about 60-70 dollars instead of 100+. Everyone I talked to at these clubs was really nice, and they will answer your questions in a more earnest way, it seems, than the Petsmart trainers did. I wouldn't do Petsmart or Petco if you can find a club elsewhere.

03-13-2013, 07:50 AM	#9
Dog Forum ModeraTHOR Join Date: Jun 2012 Posts: 3,721 Mentioned: 142 Post(s) Tagged: 0 Thread(s)	We took Quest to a local obedience club instead. They were cheaper than Petco/Petsmart, offered a discount because he was adopted, and had a large variety of experiences within the club. Though, because I worked with him so much beforehand (We got him in Feb, the class started in June) and throughout the class, he was always ahead and knew all the actual commands. We used the class mostly for distractions and new situations. After graduating, we were invited to join the club and continue to go once a week for member instruction. The annual membership fee is only $35, so for a year of obedience classes I paid less than $100. Plus, many of the members are involved in agility, CGC, Therapy work, search and rescue, etc. so we get a wide variety of instruction in the member-only segments. Don't discount the smaller local clubs You could find a great one that blows the Petco/Petsmart out of the water.

03-13-2013, 10:20 AM	#10
Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2012 Posts: 452 Mentioned: 0 Post(s) Tagged: 0 Thread(s)	Thanks for the info guys. I'm searching for some good training areas near me so I'm not set on Petsmart yet. Most of the places I've found are very expensive so not sure about that. If I did take my pup to Petsmart for training.... She is in need of the basic obedience which I'm sure the class will cover. However, she can be reactive and bark at other people/dogs before she goes and meets them. I'm working with her but I'm not depending on this class to solve her reaction problems. But will they allow her in the class if she is barking like this and/or will they help the problem?