In today’s economy, we can certainly understand that money could be an issue for you in training your dog. The cheapest solution of course would be to go to the library and check out books on dog training. The next cheapest would be to buy a good book or video on the subject at your favorite book store. The advantage, of course, is that these would be the least expensive solutions for you. A big disadvantage is that many of these media, even some of those at the book stores, are filled with information and techniques that are old, outdated, and frequently not very friendly to your dog. Also, books and videos can’t give you immediate feedback on what you may be doing wrong. For a list of dog-friendly, positive-reinforcement books and videos that I would recommend, click here. It’s a good-sized list, but it’ll get you started in the right direction.
The next option for you to consider is to go to a national-chain pet-supply store. Here you might be able to find a good compromise between price and quality of instruction. They have a set curriculum that they take you through. Most of the instructors do a pretty good job of teaching you how to train your dog. However, the quality of instruction that you receive may vary quite a bit. This would depend on the instructor’s experience, age, and attitude. Many of the instructors are limited on what they are allowed to do. For example, many of them would not be allowed to work with or have the experience to work with aggressive dogs. Many of them would not be permitted to go into customers’ homes for behavior modification and training.
The next option, more expensive, is to hire an independent dog trainer or behavior specialist to go to your home and customize a training plan that’s just right for your needs and budget. Of course, we hope you would choose
Phoenix Behavior Consulting to do this job! More about that later.
The next, but most expensive, option is to have someone else, an individual or a company, train your dog for you. This could be a good option for some people, but they’re going to pay $1500 (ONE THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS) or more for this option. Yes, this type of training frequently comes with a “lifetime guarantee.” But, let’s face it — how many times are dog owners going to take advantage of the “lifetime guarantee”? Once? Thrice? Twenty times? Are they really getting their money’s worth?
Also, how are these trainers treating their customer’s dog in the customer’s absence? Are they using positive reinforcement, dog-friendly methods? Or are they jerking, striking, pinching, choking, or shocking their customer’s dog? I can’t tell you how many people have complained to me of bruises on their dog’s neck when their dog returned home. I can’t tell you how many people have complained to me of their dog returning home fearful of men or loud noises or other scary stimulants.
Let’s go back to independent dog trainers. Typically, independent dog trainers are going to charge more than the pet-supply stores. With us independents, however, we can customize a training plan that’s just right for your needs and budget. If you’re not interested in potty-training, we don’t waste your time and money covering that. If you’re not interested in your dog biting the neighbor’s child, we don’t waste your time and money with that issue. We cover the topics that YOU are interested in.
There are many good dog trainers and behavior specialists out there. However, we hope you’ll consider using us,
Phoenix Behavior Consulting, for your behavior modification and training needs. We’re dog friendly, and — we’re kind to humans, too! To be honest, we’re not the cheapest trainers in town. However, we do feel we provide the best value for your investment. Check out our Web site; you’ll see for yourself.
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For help with your behavior modification
and training needs, please contact us today!
Phone: 214-784-8520
E-mail: pbcdallas@yahoo.com
Web site: www.pbcdallas.com
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