Petco Puppy Classes worth it?
Hi everyone!
I'm going to be bringing Mochi home in a couple of weeks, and I was curious to see if anyone else has taken the Petco puppy classes. Since the classes seemed a bit pricey I just wanted to make sure that others have actually had success in this or if it's something I could easily accomplish by myself. Thank you for any feedback! :)
I'm going to be bringing Mochi home in a couple of weeks, and I was curious to see if anyone else has taken the Petco puppy classes. Since the classes seemed a bit pricey I just wanted to make sure that others have actually had success in this or if it's something I could easily accomplish by myself. Thank you for any feedback! :)
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Bev Levy on
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It is a great way to socialize your puppy around other puppies that have their shots up to date.
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Permalink Reply by Kieu Huynh on
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I don't know about Petco classes, but I know that I learned so much from my puppy kindergarten/jr. high class. A lot of the stuff you can access online and through books, but trainers at the classes teach you ways that make it so much easier and faster to accomplish commands and stuff then if you were doing it by yourself. There were also a lot of stuff that I didn't even know I had to teach to my pup like take it/leave it, recall strategies, touch, park it/choose to heel, etc. Plus the socialization is great for your dog.
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Permalink Reply by Sam Tsang on
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It really depends on the instructor, try observing a few classes by different instructors in your area and see if you feel comfortable with their method and atmosphere, we've taken 3 courses at petsmart and was blessed by our trainer, she went above and beyond for our dogs, she went out of her way to do extra classes (no charge), reschedule to fit our need, she knows our dogs by name (even when our dogs were not with us) and always took care of us whenever we're at petsmart.
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Permalink Reply by Michelle, Mochi, & Draper on
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Thank you so much for responding guys :) That's a great idea about observing the classes to see how the instructor is -- I'm definitely going to do that at a few different places :)
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Permalink Reply by Sky and Lyla on
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Puppy classes (and any training classes in my opinion) are worth every penny if they are taught by good, knowledgeable instructors. Now, with that being said, I think PetCo usually tends to be more expensive than if you went to a local training school, at least it is in my area. I paid $60 for a wonderful puppy class with great instructors who used positive methods,and I believe the PetCo/PetSmart classes were $150. So do some price shopping, see which philosophies fit best with you, and go from there.
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Permalink Reply by Jane Christensen on
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Do you have an AKC club nearby? They also offer classes and that's where I have taken all of mine. Many classes may differ as our AKC Club encourages "treats" and the Pet Expo in the same town does not. I just liked the idea of going to the club figuring they may have more knowledge in some of the other areas too!
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Permalink Reply by Jessica on
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I don't know about the Petco near you, but I'm in the Metro Boston area and was skeptical about Petco classes too. I took the plunge without going to observe only because it was the only class that met on a night and time I could go. I have to say that I was pleasently surprised the class was SO much better then I could have hoped for. It was actually taught by a Tufts student going for animal behavior who had worked with all types of positive method training for years. They even offer a puppy play day on Sundays where him and his old classmates can visit the trainer to play and the owners to get pointers - for free.
Best thing I could have asked for and I plan on bringing my next pup there too. However, like everyone else has said each trainer can be vastly different. So you might want to swing in and see who might be training your pup. Good thing about Petco though is they have a standard teaching program they ask each instructor to follow so you can always ask what that consists of.
Good luck with the new pup though! :D
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Wow! I didn't expect all of the replies -- thanks so much everybody! I'm glad to hear that the Petco classes were a success for you and your doggy Jessica :) As for the AKC club, I'm not sure and I will have to check to see if there are any near us.
Thanks again everyone! :)
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Permalink Reply by Tiffany-Rose Perry on
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I took my corgi to Petsmart classes and we had a wonderful instructor. They will probably teach your pup basic pup stuff like sit and other popular commands. My pup learned a lot and the classes are great for socialization.
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Permalink Reply by Cindi on
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Hi Michelle,
As a trainer for PetSmart, I can tell you that the trainer makes all the difference in your experience. When I have prospective clients and they have concerns, I often suggest they stop by one evening or weekend and observe one of my classes. We have a 2nd trainer in our store and I also suggest they observe one of her classes, as well. I want our clients to have the best possible experience in classes. It's my pleasure to be able to accommodate clients who must miss a class or need special help with a particular issue with their dogs. Believe me, I'm not there for the money. It is retail after all. I could take my doctorate and do other things more financially rewarding. I LIVE for dog training. I LOVE it and have a passion for helping my customers and clients. I hope your trainer is a knowledgeable, dedicated person for whom training is a joy. You'll have to let us know how you like it and how well your pup does in class!
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I will definitely come back to let you know how the puppy classes go for Mochi :) Thanks so much for your thoughts!
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