Choosing between a group obedience class and a private lesson.

Is a group obedience class with Craig A Murray Dogschool better than a private lesson with a Dogschool trainer for my dog?

Is your dog an angel at home but turns into an unruly character as soon as you walk out your front door?

Is your lovable furry friend a gem at home but never listens to you when you go out?

Does your four legged friend listen most of the time but sometimes and at the most inconvenient moment have selective hearing?

If you answered yes to the questions above then our Craig A Murray Dogschool - Group obedience lessons are definitely for you!

Is a private lesson with a Craig A. Murray trainer better than a group obedience class for my dog?

If your dog is giving you so much trouble at home that you wouldn't even dream of taking him/her out in public then perhaps a private lesson would be more your flavour.

If your furry friend is a problem child at home but a dream when you take him/her out then again a private lesson would be a better option.

Differences between the two.

Group classes and Private lessons with Craig A. Murray dog school both offer very different types of service. Which is best, will really depend on what your training goals are for you and your dog.

Both different types of training come with their advantages and disadvantages, as with many things. The biggest reason behind attending group lessons over a private lesson is if you are having trouble with you dog listening when there are lots of distractions around. If your dog is well behaved and listens to you when you are at home and there is little or no distraction, but then you go out for a walk or to the park your dog turns into an unruly deaf (selectively deaf), doesn't want to know you dog, group obedience is definitely for you.

In a private lesson at your home it is easy to get your dog to listen to you because there is no stimuli to distract your dog. In the group obedience classes there is generally at least 9 other dogs not to mention all the people, cars, birds and everything else that might be found at classes. Your instructor will teach you how to get your dog to focus on you and not all the outside stimuli and assist you with techniques that will help you get your dog to listen and obey your commands under high amounts of stimulation.

Lessons are also controlled and safe as your instructor will manage the class in a way that all dogs are kept safe, providing you a safe environment with ample distractions to help you teach your dog to listen to you no matter what is going on around it. Often clients find that if they can get their dog to listen to them with 9 other dogs around, getting them to respond to commands at home is much simpler and easier to manage. Responsible trainers will not come along to dog parks as they do not provide a safe environment for you and your dog. Who knows what kind of dogs you might encounter. Perhaps you are trying to teach your dog to stay and an exuberant friend decides to jump on your dogs back whilst you are trying to achieve a nice stay? This will only cause your dog to dislike training because when they listen to you bad things happen to them.

Instead in the group classes all the other dogs are on lead and each owner is working to achieve the same goals, making them very respectful as they too are working on teaching their dogs to listen under high levels of distraction. Having play time in classes is very counter productive. You are wanting your dog to focus and listen you but if they are allowed to interact at the beginning or end of classes this will then set the expectation and your dog will be less inclined to listen to you.

Now obviously obedience is as it is called, and will not solve complex behaviour problems. If you are having major behavioural problems with your dog at home and really struggling to have a peaceful home, then a private lesson would be more suitable. The group classes are general training to help you achieve basic obedience commands in a distracting environment. If you are having behavioural issues then you would most certainly need a private lesson as that can and will be tailored to help you with your specific problem with your dog.

Dogs truly are man's best friend however they need to be able to live in our world safely and harmoniously with all others in our society. To live in the human world they need to understand and listen to basic commands. Often the Group training sessions also help you and your dog develop a rewarding and positive relationship as communication breakdowns often cause a dog not to listen and these classes our instructors will give you the information and techniques to be able to communicate with your dog in a way that your dog will actually understand what you want. There is usually 2 reasons a dog won't listen to its owner: 1. It has no idea what you actually want or 2. It is too busy/distracted to listen to you. Our group classes at Craig A. Murray dog school can teach you how to deal with both of these.