looking for a board and train in DFW

[WildCherry]

Could someone recommend a good board and train in the DFW area? We live in trophy club, somewhere close would be better.

I have a almost 3 year old neutered male german shepherd. He tried to kill my daughters kitten, they have been kept seperate for 5 months. that is getting ridiculous and he blots out the door and tries to run away. I just simply can't keep living like this.

We are trying to sell out home and I have to take him with me and our other dog plus 2 toddlers while people look at the home. So far he was almost hit by a car 2 times. We either have to get rid of him or have him trained.

I love my dog, but he has been difficult from day one. He was a present from my husband after my previous GSD passed away. I never have any problems with my other Shepherds, but my current one is stressing out the whole house.

Our last resort is a board and train, just looking for one with a good reputation.

[Brightelf]

You will actually be doing the training yourself, believe it or not! The board and train only gives your dog the idea of what the commands mean. That's it. The trainer then has you do all the real work. This is a good thing! Very good! This does mean more involvement from you.

This means: You will begin to find time in your schedule, as busy as it may be, for doing training yourself with this dog, several times a day, working this into your life. Again, this means much more involvement from you. Your trainer will guide you on this after the send-away. So, you'll have guidance and support!

Sending a dog away for training always works wonders if you put your heart and soul into the many, many hours it will take to work with this dog yourself.

If however you believe that you can send the dog away to be trained and not do the long, involved work to train him yourself-- the dog will very quickly become "un-trained" again as soon as he is home. Knowing what the commands mean doesn't matter... building a working relationship through daily training work with him is what makes him want to do what you want him to do. Remember, he's free to ignore you again once he's home, because you weren't the one working with him. So, working with him lots will make him want to do what you want.

Imagine a dog who minds you, listens to you-- it will happen if you plan on lots of training done by you with this dog, daily.

Imagine a dog who returns from send-away training and ignores your commands and does all his old bad habits-- it would happen if you don't do extensive training with him.

You can do this!

[WildCherry]

I don't mind working with the dog, but he needs someone to work with him first. My other dogs were great and I didn;t have to go through this. I really thinjk it's in his best interest to return him to his breeder. She always said she will take all her dogs back.

it's a sure death for him if he stays with us and his behavioual problems, running away etc... we are from Colorado but had to move to Dallas. Dallas is a REALLY busy place, lots of highways ( close by) and busy streets. He will not last long here at all.


I have 2 little girls that need me. He is a pet and supposed to bring us hapiness and be a friend like our other dogs. This shepherd has turned out to be nothing but work and stress for the entire family.

he needs some serious training or he needs to be returned to the breeder.

[Brightelf]

I understand how frustrated you are. I've been there too-- it's hard! Boy, can I relate to feeling frustrated! I sure hope I am misunderstanding this, (the 'net is hard to follow someone's tone and mood) but it does sound almost as if you are angry at and perhaps even blaming your dog. Sure hope I interpreted things wrong. When the training you have put into him, if any, over 3 years was not working for him, it would have been good for him, for you to have gotten yourself some training help all along. Then you would not feel so alone in your working with him.. and he would have had someone who understood his needs gently guiding you. It's a lot of work raising a puppy-- even if your other dogs may have seemed easier. Each dog, like each child, is an individual. This dog may be smarter (really) and that can mean a dog who is easy to live with if he has been trained consistantly.. or harder to live with, if he has not had lots of work. Smart dogs are tough, I tell ya!

If you feel angry at your dog, or if you feel the trainer needs to repair/fix the dog without yu putting lots of time into his training yourself, and you feel too busy caring for the children, then perhaps you have a good idea and are wise to consider returning him to his breeder. He may find an owner who really loves dog training, has a more open schedule, and will want to do lots of work with him.

I hope he can stay with you (if you have a soft spot for his needs, and you understand that he feels misunderstood, too) and that you can find a trainer who supports and guides you.

If not, then I hope he finds placement with an ideal match for him at his breeder's.

I also think you selected a super breeder, if he or she says they will accept their dogs back. Good breeder!

Hoping someone in the DFW area suggests a supportive trainer for you.

[BlackGSD]

Great posts Patti!!!

[Cassidy's Mom]

Originally Posted By: WildCherryI don't mind working with the dog, but he needs someone to work with him first.

Why? Not trying to bash you here, but I really don't understand why you would need someone else to work with him before you do. It sounds like a great idea - turn your dog over to someone else for a month and then get back a perfectly trained dog. But as Patti pointed out, you want him to obey YOU, not the trainer, not to mention that unless you're taking a class or working with a trainer to train your dog, you're not learning anything by sending him away. Plus, board and train is generally expensive, you can pay for a private trainer or many, many rounds of group training classes for the same amount of money or less. 90% of dog training is teaching the owner how to train their own dog. Most classes are a hour a week, the rest of the time you're working at home (ideally, on a daily basis) on your own, just you and the dog. Working with your dog, spending that time training your dog, is helping to build the bond and relationship that will make him WANT to obey you. There's really no short cut for that.

And the problem with him going after the kitten and trying to run away and almost being hit by a car - not only does he need to be trained not to do those things, you also need to manage his environment in the meantime so he CAN'T. My dogs might kill a kitten if I didn't teach them appropriate behavior and make sure that they were never alone together when I couldn't supervise. I have two cats, and while my dogs WILL chase them if they run, they won't hurt them, and I have a spare bedroom set up as a cat room with their food and litterbox, and it's protected with a baby gate so the dogs can't pester them. When we're gone, the dogs go into the dog pen in the garage, which has a dog door to an outside run, and the cats get the run of the house. At night, the cats get put away in their room, so cats and dogs are never alone in the house together. But because I've done some work training my dogs, they are all loose in the house together when I'm here and I don't need to watch them every second.

I'm pretty sure my dogs would bolt out the front door If I hadn't taught them to sit, wait, and give me eye contact EVERY time I open a door for them from the time they were young puppies, and in order to even put the leash on them for a walk or a car ride they have to do the same thing. And then they have to sit, wait and watch before getting into the car, wait until released before getting out of the car, and coming into the house, they have to sit or down with their food bowls on the floor until released to eat, sit with eye contact before throwing a ball - you get the idea. I imposed rules on their behavior, and for anything they want, they have to do something for me first. If they don't, they can wait forever. I expect certain things from them as a routine part of their life, and they have learned these things through repetition, persistence and consistency, this did not just "happen".

I can't even imagine trying to live with a 3 year old untrained shepherd (has he EVER been to a training class?), I'm sure it's a nightmare for your entire family.

Quote:he needs some serious training or he needs to be returned to the breeder.

I totally agree. It sounds like you're got plenty on your plate right now raising two small children. If you aren't fully committed to finding the time and making the effort to train him, then returning him to the breeder is probably the best thing to do.

[WildCherry]

Well the question I was asking was for a recommendation for a good trainer. Obviously nobody knows of one to recommend in the DFW area. I am looking for someone to train my dog, I am busy right now selling a house, 2 little kids, a chronic illness. many people just open the door and let the dog go and not even care if they live or die because they get frustrated and do not want to deal with the dog anymore.. look at the shelters.

I am trying to get help!

I am sure a trainer would cover the pros and cons of his training etc...

No I don't think it's unreasonable to find board and train for my dog.

I'll just have to do an internet search and hope for the best. Posting here for a recommendation was a waste of my time this afternoon.

[Brightelf]

[Cassidy's Mom]

I'm confused too. We know you're trying to get help. We're trying to help you by explaining why sending your dog away to a board and train facility is not the best way to fix the problems you're having. In fact, it may not fix them at all, and then you're right back where you started from. It's not that it's unreasonable, and nobody is trying to say that you're a bad dog owner, it's just that it's a very expensive option, and the results may not be what you're hoping for. But if you're bound and determined to have someone else train your dog for you rather than do it yourself, all I can say is good luck. Truly, I hope you find a good place and the results are all that you want them to be.