Hire help or home school? Deciding how to train your dog

Dog training can be just as rewarding as it can be frustrating. Whether you’re a new pup parent or an experienced paw professional, deciding how to train your dog is a tricky question to answer. There are many different ways to train a dog, but can it be done in the comforts of your home, or is hiring a professional pooch trainer better?

Every dog is different, and what works for one will not suit another. If you’re an inexperienced pup parent, bringing in an expert might be the best route for your fur angel. However, if your snuffle monster doesn’t like strangers, pup-skilling yourself to teach your dog how to behave could be worth trying.

To help itch the scratch that is this conundrum, here are the pros and cons of dog training at home and hiring a professional to train your dog.

Pros of dog training at home

Your dog knows you

As a pet parent, the bond of trust is already there! How best to train your dog than as someone who they already see as their pack leader? They understand your body language, and the trust needed to teach your dog pup skills is already there.

You know your dog

On the flip side, you know your pup better than anyone else. Positive reinforcement can be a walk in the park as you know what motivates your pooch - you’ll already have access to your favorite toy treats of theirs. You both might have already accomplished some basic dog training through crate training and potty training when they were puppies. Your understanding of how your dog learns and interacts with the world is super important for dog training.

It’ll save you some money

It’s no secret that some experts can cost a lot to train your dog. We’re talking several hundred dollars if not thousands. 

There are loads of cheap, certified training resources available online. The American Kennel Club has a bunch of dog training programs for everything from crate training, obedience training, potty training, and even training sessions for show dogs!

Cons of dog training at home

Some pups need more than basic dog training

If you’ve adopted a dog with from a shelter or charity, they may have experienced some trauma. This can make it much harder to socialize and train a dog as their behavior will be less predictable. Training a dog with trauma can be dangerous, especially for those pup parents without much doggo handling experience. 

Other pups may have a certain disability or injury meaning a different kind of training method may be required alongside physiotherapy.

Training sessions are demanding

Training a dog is hard. There will be days when your beloved fur baby may not be in the mood for lessons, so even teaching your dog to sit can seem like an impossible task. It also requires persistence and patience - whilst professional dog training will also ask pet parents to keep to their schedule, if you’re homeschooling your pup you’ll need to be even more strict with this.

In other instances, you could be accidentally teaching your dog bad behaviors if you’ve not tried dog training before. A professional will know what to do when and with what kind of body language and tone of voice.

Pros of professionally training your dog

A professional dog trainer can help train you

When it comes to dog training, their humans play an essential part, that is, they also need to be trained. Yep, that’s right, you’ll be put through training sessions with your pupper. Whilst we already know where to use the bathroom and to not jump on people, there are certain tricks we need to learn with our body language and voice commands that will help that training stick.

A professional dog trainer will expect you to be part of your dog’s training schedule both in lessons and outside. They’ll teach you how different ways to train your dog and offer tips you may not have been aware of.

Every dog learns differently

An expert will be able to adapt to your dog’s temperament and personality. Some pups will simply pick up training quicker than others, whilst some may struggle with basic leash training.

There may also be instances where the dog has behavioral issues or past traumas which will make them a lot more difficult to train. A professional dog trainer will have experience and have been coached on how to handle difficult doggos. Not only will this help keep your pup happier whilst training, but it could also help protect the pet parent from aggressive behaviors.

Some professional dog training can be inexpensive

Honestly! Professional dog training can cost a paw or two, but it also doesn’t have to. Group dog training is by far the cheapest way to train doggos. At about $50 a lesson, this training method could be paw-fect for pups that love to socialize.

However, this may not be suitable for the shyer pooches, so individual private dog training can still be priced between $40 to $250 a training session. It

Yes, training bills can quickly add up, but the idea of hiring a professional is that you’ll only have to do so until your dog is trained. It’s not a lifelong service, particularly as you’ll learn just as much as your pup during their training sessions.

Cons of professionally training your dog

Some professional dog training can be very expensive

Yes, on the flip side, some professional dog trainers can be very expensive, particularly if you choose a “Stay and Train” or “Board and Train” program. This is a doggy bootcamp to learn all the basic commands and behaviors in a concentrated amount of time away from home. It has a high success rate, but also a high price of almost $200 a day.

You may not agree with how they train your dog

Although many professional dog trainers will be able to adapt to the needs of each pooch, they will often have a preferred way of working. This may not align with how you want to train your dog or clash with your own beliefs. Always have an honest discussion with a trainer before starting lessons to understand how they work and what to expect.

If you’re a new pup parent, have a look at our tips on basic puppy training to help you pup-skill your fur baby. For TrustedHousesitters members, you can continue the debate of dog training at home or with a trainer on our Community Forum - share tips and tricks on how to train your dog with other animal lovers.