Where would I find Dog Training classes

I was surfing a site called badrap.org and they offer training classes to owners of a Pitbulls but they only offer it in san fransisco and I would need it for tampa bay,Does anyone have any sites that might be able to point me in the right direction?

I would look in the phone book, some have internet sites that you can check out, others you will just have to call. We have one in town that specializes in bully dogs. They train all dogs but one of the trainers has APBT's and she prefers to train our breed This club has everyting from puppy classes to advanced obedience and they hold competitions. Enough rambling, sorry

No your not rambling at all,but I was more thinking Training Classes for my Hubby and I.Like training on how to properly train your Pitbull terriers. Does that sound right,I saw it offered for the first time on that site I mentioned but it's out of town.

Thats what all training classes are suppose to do, teach you how to train. That way you take one dog with you, to practice. Then take them techniques and train the rest of your dogs. Did that make any sense?

OH MY GOD I FEEL LIKE AN IDIOT. LOL THANK YOU SO MUCH.

No problem, I just wanted to make sure I was thinking what you wanted lol

If it's for the pups, I'd check into the Petsmart classes and stuff. The positive methods tend to work really well. I would also do a ton of reading on the different training styles and check out the Assoc. of Pet dog trainers too. There are a few who are bully savvy. Also check into other forums and ask for recommendations if doing group classes.

Thanks I should have at least thought of pet supermarket or something.LoL I am a book worm so I have read a ton of things about training but I just don't think I will understand fully until I put that stuff to use.Also I am tired of letting hubby have all the fun with them,LoL No we could both be doing more and in another couple of months I will update you all with the progress.Thanks again!

I recommend:

- The Other End of the Leash
- Clicking with your Dog
- Positive Reinforcement: Training Dogs in the Real World*
- Brenda Aloff's Fundamentals: Foundation Training for Every Dog*
- Right on Target: Taking Dog Training to a New Level
- Don't Shoot the Dog!
- Control Unleashed - Creating a Focused and Confident Dog*

*=highly recommended

The Dog Training for Dummies is a good basic book too...

what kind of training? aurburns k9 in va its a long distance but hes the best in obedience and personal protection 25 years training dobys .gsd.pits and other hard dogs email auburnsk9@yahoo.com or 1540-949-5911 will give you the toll free tomorrow

I wish someone here specialized in bulldog training. I would love to get into obedience, TT, and CGC.

auburn will pick up the dog and it dont matter the breed he knows his stuff on training the toll free is 1877-k9exprt his work is for the life of your dog .

LOL I love my dogs and would love to get involved in this stuff at some point in time, but shipping them to Virginia is a little extreme for me.

well if thats too much he takes 2to10 people for a dog training school then you pick the areas you would like to learn and have the ways to train not only your dogs but others as well

Maybe I could get Ceaser Milan to come visit me

if you want to settle for 2nd best call him or you can call aurburn and have you and your dog by one of the best

Thank You Steven for the advice, if I lived close by then maybe it would be an option.

Thanks for that info Steven, I just noticed it today.Ive been MIA for a while with the dogs and school and the kids, SHESH I haven't had the time. I think with the help of the experts here they are doing fantastic now but that personal protection training sure sounds tempting.LOL Thank you kindly

in a world like ours its worth the time just to know you have a bodyguard that you can trust

i don't know about petsmart - my brother lives close to one with his pit and they kicked him out of the store cause of the type of dog he had (well mannerd too) , i also have looked into classes with petsmart and petco - some store won't allow pits in their class,... i know sad huh?
where i live now we also can not find trainers

i gutta be honest, i'm cringing at the Petsmart replies. the people that attend that training have had minimal training, at best, and for most, that's a begining point, at best. and agreed, PetSmart were the ones who didn't want/allow "pit bulls" at some of their stores.
what you want is experience, certification and preferably someone who's knowledgeable with APBT's.
a good reference from someone is always a good choice. i have a male currently undergoing training, from a trainer who was referred to me who is certified, has 15 years experience and has NO problems/biases with "pit bulls". she was open to my hub and i attending some of her classes, prior to us signing him up, and we liked how she handled and interacted with the dogs. so we went with her and couldn't be happier.
if you know of any "pit bull" people in your area, i'd ask someone to recommend some one.
i believe you said you're in Tampa?
perhaps try here,
http://www.freedoglistings.com/dog-training/florida/
but i'd view him/her first. ANY trainer should be welcoming and open to your visit, and ANY and ALL questions.
good luck, and take your time with your search. there's a lot of self-proclaimed, ahem, "trainers" out there...

suki wrote:

i gutta be honest, i'm cringing at the Petsmart replies. the people that attend that training have had minimal training, at best, and for most, that's a begining point, at best. and agreed, PetSmart were the ones who didn't want/allow "pit bulls" at some of their stores.
what you want is experience, certification and preferably someone who's knowledgeable with APBT's.

Suki,

It varies from trainer to trainer. There ARE Petsmart trainers who DO have real world experience with APBTs and have been training for a number of years - not all of them, but a few. It's a matter of interviewing the trainer to find out if they talk a good game or truly are worth their salt. It can be difficult at best case to start your own business - especially in today's economy.

I've never personally heard of a Petsmart disallowing APBTs in their stores. In their doggie daycare programs, yes, but in their stores, no.

Regardless of where one goes, interview the trainer and find the one that works best for that individual dog. Word of mouth tends to be one of the most reliable ways to find a good trainer.

^ agreed. i should have termed it, "the MAJority of trainers who work there (Petsmart, Petco) have had minimal training experience" ... it's a place where many 'trainers' get their start.
granted you MAY find a few "experienced ones here and there,... but i personally still would not recommend them.
i personally would pick trainers with experience, not beginners, especially due to this breed's propensity for DA. simply ask them if they're trained to break up a potential dog fight, can they use a break stick, how much do they really know about handling APBT's? if they answer no to the first2 i'd be heading for the hills...
again, imo, word of mouth from an already happy client, ESPecially from aperson knowledgable with APBT's is your best bet.
just my .02... either way, good luck.

edit to add: and it's Petsmart's Hotel (boarding) that will not allow pitbulls and some grooming facilities. sorry, not the stores, as i'd thought, although i'm reading on-line now on different forums, some stores do not allow them.
but if you look here: http://petshotel.petsmart.com/dogservices/overnight.shtml
the 'rooms' are seperate from each other, and being a boarding manager myself to a facility that boards up to 150 dogs, we are NOT discriminatory against "pit bulls" and pit bull types, like petsmart is, as our areas are seperated from dog to dog as well.... and i would EXPECT pit bulls owners to be peeved at us if we refused to board/"hotel" their dog, based on its breed.

My dogs actually get groomed at our local Petsmart and have been boarded there too (twice - love free stay coupons). From what the store manager at my location says, the only thing bully breeds aren't welcome to is doggie daycare according to store policies and procedures.

I know in Ontario, since the muzzle crap goes on, they don't let them be groomed since it's against their P&P to keep a muzzle on for longer than 20 minutes. I'd assume same goes for the hotel since they feel it's cruel.

If a a store is giving an owner crap, I'd suggest to those owners to call corporate. As the phrase goes, "Shit rolls downhill" and the stores will catch hell for being discriminatory.