What is residential dog training?
Residential dog training is where dogs are sent away to stay at a specialist centre or with a trainer. It’s an intensive program that teaches dogs over a set period of time.
Residential training can be beneficial in that it can result in good behaviours. But it comes with pitfalls and is by no means a quick-fix way to train your dog. Here’s why:
Why residential training isn’t a good idea
1) It doesn’t establish relationships
At Potter Paws, we believe that dog training success comes predominantly from the relationship between you and your dog. Sending your dog away to a trainer means they establish a relationship not with you, but with a trainer - who will no longer be in their life once the residential stay ends.
2) A handover is required
At the end of a residential stay, the trainer will be required to hand over their methods to the dog owner. This relies on the trainer effectively being able to explain and teach techniques to the owner, without the owner having ever been involved in the process.
Since we learn by doing this seems a little counterproductive. As you - the owner - won’t have been involved, it’s likely that remembering, understanding and implementing these methods once home with your hound, will be difficult.
If you and your dog learn together from the start, then there needn’t be any handover. Time and confusion is saved.
As we’ve mentioned before, dog training is about training owners too: it’s about showing compassion and
enhancing owners’ confidence.
3) It isn’t a quick fix, but some expect it to be
Effective dog training takes months. It requires dedication, understanding and persistence from the owner. Residential training programs are usually a few weeks in length and sometimes there are
(incorrect) implications that your dog can be trained over a matter of days.
The problem with residential training programs isn’t necessarily the training itself but the false hope it gives owners. There’s always the subtle suggestion that your dog will return a perfectly obedient pooch after, say, a weekend and that you have to do very little.
This simply isn’t the case, and it sets owners and dogs up for a fall.
4) It’s unregulated
Unfortunately, you have no idea of the methods the residential centre is using because you’re not there. Some methods might be outdated and proven to be ineffective. Some might include aversive dog training techniques (doing something the dog finds uncomfortable or annoying to deter it from a behaviour).
You may disagree with this type of training, but in order for the course to be successful, you’ll be expected to continue with these techniques once your dog returns to you.
What’s more, some dogs can have significant set-backs after aversive or punishment-based training - the exact opposite of what you’re trying to achieve.
. . .
We recommend instead a series of training sessions where you’re involved. At Potter Paws, a dog training school based in Buckinghamshire, we’re all about relationships and we want to see you bond with your dog. We believe that is the key to successful training. This is why Potter Paws offer
training clubs,
group sessions and
1-2-1 sessions that include both you and your pooch.
For any questions or to book,
get in touch with us here.