Dog Training School Review is a review of Tailwind Dog Training (dogclassonline.com) as well as information and critiques of other dog websites.

There are so many Dog Training Schools now and it can be overwhelming where to start. This site should help get you started in the right direction on which Dog or Puppy Training School is right for you.

The main factor to consider when finding a dog training school is… Where and how do I want to train?:

• At an actual Dog Training facility?
• Enroll in an online Dog Training class?
• Order a Dog Training DVD?

Dog Training Facility

At an actual Dog Training facility, you and your dog attend group or individual classes with an instructor running the class. Usually the classes last from 4-8 weeks and cost from $50-$300 and have from 6-20 people in them. These classes will teach you many of the basic dog obedience behaviors. In addition, you can find classes that are more advanced and teach competition obedience at the novice, intermediate and excellent levels.

The pros and cons of training at a facility include:

Socialization– This is a great place to let your dog interact with other dogs and get some exposure to other dogs in a controlled (and hopefully safe) environment. It is also a good place to get to know other dog owners, share stories, and build friendships. The slight negative is that your dog will often times get so engrossed with these new dogs, they no longer want to pay attention to you. You will be jockeying for attention from your dog and your sessions during class may not be as successful.

Access to a Dog Trainer– You will have access to a dog trainer during and after class to ask specific questions, although many times they only have a few minutes after class to talk and other dog owners are asking questions too. If you can get a trainer that does not mind staying late to help you, great! Unfortunately, this access to a dog trainer happens (usually) only once a week and the other 6 days you are on your own. Also, the trainer can give you immediate feedback on how you are training a particular behavior. If, however, there are too many dogs in a class, the trainer will be unable to address every concern you may be having.

Kennels and veterinarian recommendations– Many times the training school is attached to or has a kennel nearby. If this is the case, you may get a chance to scout it out before enrolling in the class to see if it is a good fit. If you feel comfortable, you may also now have a place to leave your sweet (or not so sweet) dog. If the training facility does not have a kennel, they should be able to recommend one to you. The same goes for recommending a veterinarian. Most every trainer has a recommendation for a veterinarian and you may find that there are several different good vets in the area. Finding a training facility that has a good dog training school, a good vet, and a good kennel all co-located is rare. If you can then, you hit the jackpot!

Access to additional information– This is usually limited to what you get in class. Sometimes they will have handouts that cover other topics or a web page, but generally there is not a lot of extra information.

Dog Training DVD

Dog Training DVDs are normally created from an established dog training facility and consist of video tutorials of how to train specific behaviors. These range from about $30-$200 and are fairly cost efficient but, you may be giving up too much to make it worth it.

Pros and Cons of using a Dog Training DVD include:

Socialization– This is very similar to the online classes. You will need to find a place to socialize your dog. Like I said earlier, this can be a good thing because you will not have the distractions of other dogs during the training sessions.

Access to a Dog Trainer– This is where this type of school commonly falls short. Many DVD classes are simply that; a DVD. They send a DVD and say “good luck”. There are some DVDs out there that will provide some trainer support if you run into problems but these DVDs will be much more expensive. It is important that you can consult a dog trainer if you have issues or you and your dog will become frustrated.

Access to information– This is somewhat limited on what you get on the DVD. Some add extra goodies that go beyond just basic training but it is normally less timely and abundant than you can find on an online dog training class. Many times, they will throw in some additional DVDs on special topic areas to sweeten the deal but usually they require more money.

Online Dog Training Class

An Online Dog Training class usually consists of a syllabus of about 6 weeks of written tutorials and instructional videos of how to train your dog. The price range is from $25-100 and is your best value. These normally have access to a forum that allows students to talk back and forth about the problems and successes they are having with their dog. Many schools like Tailwind Dog Training offers one-on-one question and answer sessions with your professional trainer and daily e-mail questions. This is a great option for people who want to train their dog at home and still get the personal attention of a professional dog trainer. They tend to be able to offer much more information via the website to you because you are not restricted by time like at a dog training facility or by accessibility like a dog training DVD.

The pros and cons of an online dog training class include:

Socialization– Because you are not in a group class (unless you take a class with your friends), you do not have the interaction with other dogs. In my opinion, this is OK when you are teaching new behaviors because it limits the distractions and makes your training sessions more productive. When your dog gets better at the behaviors you are teaching, you can begin to introduce some distractions to further solidify their training. There are many different means in which to do this and many people feel if they take their dog to a class once a week that they are getting enough practice, which isn’t the case. You will need to get socialization from other sources like taking them to places like pet stores, parking lots or dog parks. Here, you can continue to train your dog to the next level with the many distractions around.

Access to a Dog Trainer– This will depend on the particular school you choose. Some schools like Dogclassonline.com will provide weekly and or daily telephone or video chats with a trainer about whatever problems you are having with your dog. This allows you to get the answers you need now instead of waiting for the next class if you were going to a dog training facility.

Access to information– You will generally get the current and more information due to the flexibility and accessibility to the internet. Many online dog training sites give you extra information like health, grooming, exercise, potty training, chewing, biting, and separation anxiety. This amount of information is difficult to get at a dog training facility unless you have a trainer that is willing to spend extra time after class with you. Some training DVDs will add some of these topics into their videos as well but not necessarily all.

We give our Dog Training School Review and recommendations of these types of websites: Dog Forums, Dog Communities, Dog Training, Dog Obedience, Puppy Training, Dog Problem Behavior Modification, How to become a Dog Trainer.