Dog training?

I know a couple people who have used this place and they loved it.

http://www.rovercomeoverdoggydaycare.com/index.php?id=1

You can always get a second one to calm the first one down, that’s what I did.

Without a doubt the best dog trainer in the area is Carol Humberger, owner of A Promised Friend. She is reasonable in rates, though not cheap, and I have seen her work wonders with dogs that other trainers said were untrainable. Of course, as with any good training program, Carol's most important work is with the owner, teaching the owner about consistency and appropriate methods of improving behaviors.

We have taken two dogs there, and the results were like night and day after the six sessions.

awesome. thanks Ryan & Mike!

You adopted a Weimaraner, right? (Sticks out in my mind, because I have one and love the breed.)

Training is good, but you also need to make sure to get her LOTS of exercise. Weims are a great breed, but have a lot of energy. If they don't get exercised enough, they can become quite mischievous /destructive in the house. And, in general, they are highly intelligent dogs, so you definitely want to train yours to use that intelligence for good not evil. ;)

Walking on a leash isn't going to be enough exercise for a Weim, and even running around in a typical sized yard might not cut it. This is a breed that was designed for large game hunting expeditions, and they have stamina/energy to spare! Ideally, they need to get out on off leash runs regularly. (Hard in Toledo when there are no dog parks, I know.) There was a HUGE difference in our Weim's demeanor in the house once I found places we could let him run like crazy off leash.

If you don't have some place she can burn off some off-leash steam, you may want to try adding in some jogging/running along with your leashed walking routine. (If you haven't already.)

A tired Weim is a good Weim. :) (Same can be said for a lot of breeds, of course, but especially the Weimaraner.)

Also, to give you some hope, my dog settled down a bit once he turned 3. (He'll be 4 in March.) Still has a lot of energy, but seems to be crossing more out of the "puppy" stage. I've heard that from several other Weim owners as well - they tend to break out of the "puppy" stage around 3 or so, later than many other breeds.

P.S. You may know all that stuff already, but I wanted to make sure to share some of the things I learned with my first Weimaraner. I had no clue what I was getting into - there were times where I wanted to tear my hair out as I got used to the quirks of the breed/my dog.

But the rewards have been well worth it - they are very loving and devoted to their families. I wouldn't trade the experience for the world.

Mom2.. yes indeed she is a wild one. Luckily we work from home so she gets a ton of attention. We also have a pretty large yard, which once we get fenced in this spring will provide her ample space to run wild. In the mean time, she runs laps around the house all day wrestling the whole time with our much older dog. I've never witnessed such a high strung large dog before. It's amazing! :)

I second Carol Humberger. My pooch was a tiffin rescue (believed to be a saved dog fighter). When I adopted him he was so aggressive toward other dogs and men wearing glasses. Came to a point where I was honestly thinking about letting him go because my girl and I at the time just couldn't trust him.

We went to Mrs. Humbergers classes and it works. With her training us and some patience my little boy is as friendly as a pup.

The ultimate test came about 2 weeks ago when I was about to walk him, a neighbor dog junged after mine and nipped him on the butt. Quinn turned around and growled but didn't charge back. My neighbors dog came back for a second attack and I told Quinn stay! and he did. He was still tense but stopped growling and held his ground and listened to my command. Once my neighbor had her dog under control my dog walked without hair raised and calm. Was so proud of him.

Honestly believe that wouldn't have been possible without such a good trainer like Carol Humberger.

Side note: during our classes a girl working for a vet has semi-adopted a rottweiler that had been brought in and was going to be put down. She took him to classes and on the last day he was very playful and not aggressive.

Sorry for the rant, just really happy with the service. She's like Toledo's own Caesar lol

Agreed, INeedCoffee - Carol is as good (or better) than the Dog Whisperer. Her techniques are different, but in some ways I like her style better than Cesar Milan's approach. If you are willing to pay more, Carol will personally train your dog at her home or your home one-on-one. I know another owner who used this approach and she was extremely happy with the results.

historymike: agree, will admit the first class myself and other pet owners were a bit nervous. She is a high energy and dominating person. Like you said it's more about her training the owner than the dog.

You learn how much dogs feed into our emotions and physical responses. It's important to realise that with a dog you are a pack of sorts and if you want to be in charge of your dog you need to be a pack leader. So for someone who's rather light hearted it was a bit different trying to be the aggressive leader type.

Also liked how there are good and bad ways of playing with dog. Appropriate and inappropriate ways to "check" your dog, as well as to reward him/her for good behavior. It's definitely a class :) but well worth it.

Have any of you ever watched "Its Me or the Dog" with the British dog trainer Victoria Stilwell?

I prefer her to The Dog Whisperer. I'm wondering if Carol Humberger's techniques are more similar to Victoria's? (Sounds a bit like it, based on what some of you have described above.)

upso - when you get that yard fenced and your dog starts tearing around, you'll be amazed at the grace and speed a Weimaraner can exhibit.

I take my dog occasionally to visit my parents, who live out in farm country. Sometimes I just stand there amazed watching him break out into a full speed run!

(Not as appealing if they are in your house and knocking stuff over, of course.) :)

Unfamiliar with the show, mom2, but in a nutshell Carol's techniques involve consistency and repetition. She has a logic behind each command the dog and owner learn, and people who follow her system will be amazed at how quickly the dog responds.

There really is no magic to Carol's methods, which are based upon rewarding good behavior and discouraging unwanted behaviors. However, she has developed some innovative techniques, and I especially like the logic behind teaching your dog to come when called. Her reasoning is that dogs should really WANT to come back when called, since the owner will shower them with praise and treats. This is different from other trainers I worked with, who approached the "come" command as more of a directive. This is especially important when your dog might be in danger - say accidentally off leash and in the street - and you want an instantaneous response. My dogs generally stop what they are doing and run to me when I call, and it is because of the way Carol taught me to train them.

With other behaviors she uses a more "drill sergeant" approach, such as teaching dogs to walk properly on a leash or to avoid aggressiveness with other dogs. When we follow Carol's techniques consistently, the dogs are amazingly well behaved. Of course, we have our episodes of slackery, so my dogs are not perfect little canine angels, but when a problem behavior arises, we have the tools to get the dog to back on the right page.

Besides: when dogs know what is expected of them, they are much happier, because their owners are not hollering at them all the time.