2010 February | Dog and Puppy Obedience Training

$10,000 Dog – Do I Need Special Dog Training?

Who would spend $10,000 to clean up poop? Or $10,000 to get bitten by a dog. How about spending that kind of money for something that won’t listen to what you say, does what it wants, digs up your yard? I don’t have a special $10,000 dog, I have an average dog just like you.

What does it cost to own a dog for their lifetime? Let’s take a look starting with a puppy. The first year is more expensive because you’ve got more vet bills, vaccines, and one time costs like bowls, crates, pen etc. so we can just add a number at the end for the first year. Average YEARLY costs for your dog after the 1st year would be around:

Vet bills around $120. Could be more if your dog is prone to things like ear infections etc.
Vaccinations – $70
Heartworm, flea and tick prevention – $75
Food will be $300
Treats, bones, toys etc. $50
Boarding $125 unless you have someone to watch them while you’re on vacation.
Grooming costs $20 - this depends on your dog breed, but they still need brushing, baths, shampoo, nail clippers etc.

These come out to be anywhere from $635 without any boarding to $760 if you take a vacation and board the dog. So if we take the middle and you only take a vacation every other year that would be $700. For 14 yrs you would spend $680/yr and that would come out to be …$9800…. Now add in the extra costs you have for the first year like:

Spay or neutering - $150
A tie out, dog house, kennel or fence. This could vary widely from a $20 tie out to a kennel for $300 or a fenced in area.
Crate – $50
Collar and leash – $15
bowls – $15
cleaner -$30 you’ll probably have to buy a little extra stain cleaners the first year.

These add about $260. So there you have it…..$10,000…..These are of course averages and I think pretty conservative. I know we spend more on vet bills than $120. Some years you may not spend this much, some years more. I had a dog that lived to be 19 yrs old but you never know.

Do I Need Special Dog Training?

So if you spend that kind of money on your dog, it would be worth spending a little extra to have a dog that obeys you, that you can have a great relationship with. There are many great dog training courses out there. There are also some that aren’t that good. You are the best trainer for your dog, you are the one they will bond with and you are the one that will be there all the time. Find the best dog training course for you. One that covers the whole lifespan of your dog, from puppy obedience training to dealing with health problems dogs have as they get older. Check out our reviews of the best dog training courses we have tried out. Yes we read through these courses and used techniques from them with our own dogs.

Clickertraining: The 4 Secrets Of Becoming A Supertrainer Review

From Canis Clicker Training Academy

Morten and Cecilie

This course has a book (over 200 pages) that you download and 5 videos that you can watch on your computer. Written by Morten Egtvedt and Cecilie Koeste originally in 2001 and has had many updates. Clickertraining: The 4 Secrets Of Becoming A Supertrainer is a great course that uses the same philosophy that we like – positive reward based dog training methods.

The book starts out by giving their background and a little section that is addressed to the dog, not the dog owner. Telling the dog how their owner is going to be acting strangely for a few days until they (the owner) are trained. It does give you a little perspective on what it will seem like to learn what clicker training is all about. Let me tell you that this really opened my eyes. This is different than traditional dog training methods and it is based on operant conditioning. They give a great explanation of that as they tell you the history, the 4 core principles, the theory and how you apply these techniques to dog training.

Let me say that this has really opened my eyes and mind on how to train a dog. And don’t get hung up on the clicker. The clicker is what they use for a conditioned reinforcer meaning the reward is on the way. You can use anything as the conditioned reinforcer, a whistle, praise, hand clap, word, anything you want.

The Benefits of Clicker Training

You reward wanted behavior and ignore unwanted behavior so you get a dog that wants to train rather than a dog that is afraid to train.
You don’t lure the dog to do a behavior, you wait for the dog to voluntarily do it. This means you won’t end up with a dog that you have to lure to get what you want. Ever call your dog to come while waving a treat?
Your timing for reinforcement can get very precise. That makes the dog training very efficient and saves time.
You train the behavior first, then add the cue. That makes the cue more reliable.
After a few months, you get a clicker smart dog. Your dog knows how to play the game and it makes learning new things fun and they learn faster.

Conclusion

Any success in dog training whether it is traditional or clicker is determined by the trainer’s skills. The 4 secrets you discover in this course will help you become more successful in your puppy training or older dog training. This is a great course that you should check out.
Visit their site at www.clickertrainingacademy.com