Recommendations for Seattle-area obedience?

[hkwm]

Laika is a young pup (10 weeks today) and I'm looking to get her started in basic obedience/manners. Does anyone have recommendations for classes/trainers in the greater Seattle area? There seem to be a LOT of choices and I'd love some input to narrow the field. In-home training is a bit out of our price range at the moment, but she has really taken to clicker training so I'd like to get her started with a solid obedience foundation we can build on in future. Ahimsa seems to crop up everywhere I look - has anyone on here had any experience with them?

 

Recommendations for outstanding agility or flyball classes would also be appreciated, in case she wants to do that instead when she's older

 

Thanks!!

[gcv-border]

I don't have any specific suggestions for trainers in the Seattle area since I don't live there, but I do think that it would be a good idea to go to a class instead of having someone come to your home. Classes have the added benefit of providing distractions so you can proof your commands.

 

For me, it usually went like this: Class time - begin to learn new behavior. The pup may or may not be successful since there are so many distractions.

Home time: Pup becomes a superstar at the behavior.

Class time again: Behavior backslides a little because of the distractions, but that is all part of the process. Working with distractions helps solidify the behavior.

 

Good Luck,

Jovi

[hkwm]

Yes, we're definitely looking for a group class. She's not having any problems that would necessitate professional one-on-one home training, and classes are a good socializing opportunity.

 

Thanks for the heads up about pups not doing as well in class as at home - now I know not to be too frustrated when that happens

 

She's learned really basic stuff (sit, come, etc) so far. To practice her recall yesterday, Adam and I sat on opposite ends of our hallway with clickers and treats and took turns calling her, but after only a couple turns she figured out the game and would rocket off back to Adam without being called. So much for that game!

 

Sometimes I swear she'd be easier to train if she weren't so smart.

[urge to herd]

Check out Greta Kaplan fuzzylogicdog.com Greta is a great resource and would be able to send you in a good direction. She works mostly with serious problems, but knows everything there is to know about dog trainers in your area.

 

Good luck!

 

Ruth and Agent Gibbs

[arf2184]

I have no experience with this place, but the training blog has been useful and is used by some of the trainers here on the other side of the state:

 

http://ahimsadogtraining.com/

[ChantalB]

No specific recommendations, but search for key words like clicker, positive, fun, games, self control, socilization, confidence. Puppy start right programs (Karen prior curriculum I think?) Are really good, as the obedience start right.

 

And yes, do not expect anywhere near the level you get of wok at home as in training, my dog as a up went into classes knowing everything pre taught, school was for stimulus control work.

[ChantalB]

Ahimsa seems to crop up everywhere I look - has anyone on here had any experience with them?

 

Recommendations for outstanding agility or flyball classes would also be appreciated, in case she wants to do that instead when she's older

 

Thanks!!

Grisha steward invented BAT training, (I think invented?) . I would 100% recommend that place then. I had a quick look, the programs seem amazing.

[dmadrid]

No obedience recommendations (I live in Texas), but I do have an agility recommendation!

 

Megan Foster is a recent transplant to Washington and is starting to teach classes in the Seattle area. She is an awesome agility handler, a USDAA judge, and a super instructor. I would definitely look her up when/if you start thinking about agility.

[mum24dog]

Ahimsa seems to crop up everywhere I look - has anyone on here had any experience with them?

 

I'd be beating down their door to join if I weren't thousands of miles away. Grisha Stewart is well known both sides of the Atlantic in training circles.

[hkwm]

Awesome, sounds like Ahimsa is it. I'm registering now.

 

And dmadrid - I will definitely check her out!

 

Thanks everyone!

[Syncrope]

I echo Ahisma! Love Grisha Stewart, her books, AND her methods! Great place! Been there myself! Very lucky to have access to the place many people only get to read about! Go for it!

[Donald McCaig]

Ms Chantal suggests: " search for key words like clicker, positive, fun, games, self control, socilization, confidence"

 

Might I also suggest "virgin birth" and "transubstantiation"?

 

While many pups are succesfully trained by Evangelicals, Unitarians have had their innings and one ought not confuse quasi religious precepts with effective dog training.

 

Ask to see dogs the trainer has trained, including the trainer's own If you like what you see take out your checkbook. If not, try the church down the street.

 

Donald McCaig

[mum24dog]

If you think training a dog (or even life itself) is black and white, make yourself a cup of coffee and come back to this

 

http://eileenanddogs.com

[Donald McCaig]

Don't. Haven't in ages.

 

Donald McCaig

[hkwm]

Donald McCaig: Why are you jacking my topic with unrelated religious analogies? Please stop.

 

Thanks again to everyone else - Laika's first class at Ahimsa is next weekend! Can't wait!

[JuneM]

Ahimsa is great. I am taking classes with Wynona and really like her quiet style.

[Flamincomet]

I'm jealous, I'd love to even be in the same room as Grisha Stewart.

[TEC]

Awesome, sounds like Ahimsa is it. I'm registering now.

 

And dmadrid - I will definitely check her out!

 

Thanks everyone!

 

Before registering, I would first check-out this page on the Ahimsa website: http://ahimsadogtraining.com/ahimsa.html

 

The page is entitled, "What does Ahimsa mean?" It says that Ahimsa is derived from doctrines found in Buddhist religion and a quasi-religion known as Hinduism. It states people unrelated to dog training, such as Edison and Ghandi, made reference to Ahimsa to argue their own points.

 

The entire Ahimsa dog training concept appears to be founded on religious doctrine indigenous to the Indian subcontinent.

 

Ahimsa homepage believes that clients will begin to apply dog training methods to their children and "the rest of your life." That kind of rhetoric makes me extremely uneasy about a dog training class.

 

I'm going to continue training my dog based on techniques that work, rather than go to a method based on religious beliefs. -- TEC

[mum24dog]

Ahimsa homepage believes that clients will begin to apply dog training methods to their children and "the rest of your life." That kind of rhetoric makes me extremely uneasy about a dog training class.

 

Do you have children?

 

I certainly wish I had read "Don't Shoot the Dog" before I had mine. It clarified a lot of things about my relationships for me, whatever the species and the result was a much more positive outlook on life.

 

Ahimsa philosophy may be in tune with the religious beliefs of some - it's methods are based on scientifically proven methods that work. The two don't need to be mutually exclusive.

 

I don't care where the philosophy came from, I only care what the result is.

[mum24dog]

Don't. Haven't in ages.

 

Donald McCaig

 

And did you read through the link?

 

The writer addresses the most common misguided notions held by those who don't really understand the concept of positive training and how it isn't easy to explain in words of one syllable.

[hkwm]

It says that Ahimsa is derived from doctrines found in Buddhist religion and a quasi-religion known as Hinduism. It states people unrelated to dog training, such as Edison and Ghandi, made reference to Ahimsa to argue their own points.

 

The entire Ahimsa dog training concept appears to be founded on religious doctrine indigenous to the Indian subcontinent.

 

My take away from this page was that people unrelated to dog training talk about the word 'ahimsa' because it means compassion and nonviolence, not because 'ahimsa' in itself is religious or training-related. Kind of like if a politician gave a speech with words like "positive" "cooperation" and "confidence" - those can also be applied to training, but it doesn't mean that the training would be political in any way.

[TEC]

The word ahimsa is Sanskrit. The word is from ancient texts of religions indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. It is a basic tenet of those religions. One dog training program has chosen ahimsa as their name, and makes reference to religions in which it is found in their advertising.

 

A business that intertwines dog training with religious doctrine opens a whole unnecessary area of discussion that complicates and obfuscates the path to an end result -- a happy well trained dog. For some dogs the company's beliefs may not work. Many of us have strong religious beliefs that transcend evidence, proof, and facts. We are entitled to them. Leave religion out of dog training. -- TEC

[hkwm]

I think this is being seriously over-thought. Ahimsa means nonviolence. It has different etymology than English words. It can be used in religious contexts.

 

Who cares?

 

I'm sure that these classes have nothing to do with religion, "indigenous to the Indian subcontinent" or otherwise. If you stop focusing on one word and read their dog training philosophy (http://ahimsadogtraining.com/dog-training-philosophy.html) it sounds completely reasonable, effective, and secular. She writes "I chose the name Ahimsa because it means "compassion" and "non-violence," NOT "I chose Ahimsa because of its religious connotations that I believe in and will try my hardest to incorporate into the training."

 

I'm all for keeping non-religious spaces (like obedience classes) secular, but it seems silly to think that because Ms. Stewart chose a Sanskrit word for her business she is promoting any religion. That's all.

[TEC]

The connection between her online promotional material and Buddhism and Hinduism exists. The owner wants it that way, because she named her business in accordance with their important religious tenet.

 

Next time you think of reducing a discussion to personalities by use of words like "silly" (see post # 23), please reconsider. It is one of the lowest levels of all methods of discussion. People can have differences without going after one another personally.

 

I believe you owe Donald McCaig an apology. His post was reasonable and relevant. Your response was postured in an overly forceful manner. Nobody owns a thread. -- TEC

[hkwm]

I apologize if I acted domineering - that was not at all my intention and I am truly sorry for any offense. Upon rereading my posts they seem a little aggressive, which was not how I intended them.

 

I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree on this one. I will grant that the name "Ahimsa" could imply a Buddhist/Hindu connection, but upon reading further into the site it seemed clear to me that there was no real religious founding to their curriculum, but that these religions and Ahimsa's training philosophy are both based on nonviolence and compassion which, I think, could be said for all positive reinforcement training. That's the reason I was confused by your statement:

 

I'm going to continue training my dog based on techniques that work, rather than go to a method based on religious beliefs. -- TEC

 

...which makes it sound like Ahimsa's curriculum is religious (which it doesn't sound like it is at all, but I guess I'll find out at our first class) and doesn't work (which seems dismissive, particularly given the esteem most others on this thread seem to hold for Ms. Stewart and her abilities).

 

Anyway, I've registered with Ahimsa and don't have any qualms about their philosophy. If you don't agree that's alright, far be it from me to say what works and what doesn't. Dog owners of good conscience can disagree on their training methods.