What style of training will be used to train my pet?
The training instructor for Ruffin' Around accumulated her training experience over the 4 years that she worked at Sea World of Ohio as an animal trainer. While at Sea World, she trained a variety of animals such as killer whales, dolphins, sea lions, walrus, and otters. She has formally been training dogs and cats since she opened Ruffin' Around in October of 2005.
Your training instructor will be using the same training techniques to train your pet that she used at Sea World to train the animals there. Only positive reinforcement will be used in the training of your pet. No negative techniques or dominance methods are used by this trainer. Positive reinforcement rewards correct and/or desirable behaviors so that the likelihood of your pet repeating those behaviors increases over time. The goal of this type of training is to motivate your pet to do, or not do, whatever you ask of him.
In reality, the instructor is training both you and your pet. Your pet's behavior is a reflection of how you respond to everything he does. Most people inadvertently reinforce unacceptable behavior in their pet. Therefore, it is just as important to train the owner as it is the pet.
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What types of training classes are offered?
There are several options available to pet owners based on their preference. The first option is a private training class. Private classes allow the most flexibility in scheduling; the classes are conducted around your schedule. In addition, the class content is determined by the pet owner. This allows us to specifically address your pet's needs. Because only you and your pet are enrolled in the private class, this type of class provides the maximum amount of individual attention. The number of private classes an owner wishes to take is entirely up to the owner. You may take as little or as many of these classes as you like. Private classes are ideal for pets with specific behavioral problems that need to be fixed, for owners wanting to train a behavior that's not covered by one of the group classes, or for pets that do not get along well with others. Private classes are usually one hour in length.
The second option available to pet owners is training during daycare. This class differs from the private class because the owner is not present during the training. Daycare training classes are offered in half hour increments. Based on your pet's attention span, the training may take place in one half hour session or may be conducted in several shorter sessions throughout the day. When you arrive to pick up your pet at the end of the day, you will be updated on your pet's progress as well as what you need to do to maintain the behaviors at home.
Lastly, Ruffin' Around offers a wide variety of group training classes. Two of the most popular courses are Puppy Basic Obedience and Adult Basic Obedience. Group classes offer the best value if you are looking to train simply obedience type behaviors. The puppy class focuses on various "puppy issues" such as socialization, crate training, house training, chewing, and jumping along with some basic obedience commands like sit and lay. In addition to training basic obedience behaviors, the adult class sets aside one week to allow each owner to choose whether he would like to train an additional behavior not covered in the class or to fix a behavioral problem that his dog is currently exhibiting.
Some of the other courses offered are: Advanced Obedience, Cool Pet Tricks, and Husbandry Training (training behaviors that help with care giving, such as restraint, nail trimming, ear cleaning, etc.). All of these courses have a prerequisite of either Puppy Basic Obedience or Adult Basic Obedience.
Most of the group courses run for 7 weeks. The classes are one hour long and are held on the same day of the week for 7 consecutive weeks. Group class sizes are kept small, ensuring each participant receives individual attention when needed. Please call for future class schedules and to reserve your spot in the class of your choice.
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Who benefits from training?
Everyone benefits from a well-trained pet. Training classes teach owners how to get their pets to listen and behave appropriately. A well-behaved pet brings more joy and less stress to the family than a pet that behaves poorly. Pets also benefit from training classes and good behavior because they are being rewarded for their behavior, instead of being scolded for it. In extreme cases, training classes may be the saving grace for out-of-control pets whose unruly behavior may have caused their owners to considered finding them new homes or giving them up to shelters. Additionally, everyone your pet comes into contact with, house guests, the neighbor, the vet, the groomer, etc. will appreciate your well-trained pet.
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| Teddy graduates from the March 2011 Adult Basic Obedience Class! |
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| Molly graduates from the March 2011 Adult Basic Obedience Class! |
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What does my pet need to take a training class?
All pets enrolling in group classes or training during daycare must get along well with people and other pets. In addition, dogs attending any training class must have a current rabies, distemper/parvo, and bordetella vaccination as well as a recent stool sample testing negative for intestinal parasites. Puppies require their initial set of vaccinations and should be at least 8 weeks old to participate. Owners must provide proof of vaccinations from their vet prior to the first class. Reservations are necessary for all training classes.
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