Transforming Your Dog's Behavior: The Benefits of Dog Boot Camp
The Benefits of Dog Boot Camp
It can sometimes feel like a leap of faith when you choose to invest in a dog boot camp. When you’re at the point of considering such an interest, it likely means you’ve hit a dog training crossroads.
Maybe you’ve exhausted your at-home dog training options and you’re still left with a dog whose behavior you cannot trust. This comes with a mix of emotions: frustration, sadness, fear, and doubt.
We understand all of this! At Minnesota Canine Consulting, we’re here to help make feelings of angst go away that surface when your dog misbehaves.
We know that the successful completion of a dog boot camp can make your home feel like a calmer and happier place. Keep reading to get a closer look at the training perks offered by dog boot camps.
Focused Environment
At-home training settings usually cannot lead with a singular focus and it’s no wonder why with our very busy lives. So, dog training is usually done in conjunction with work, childcare, household chores, social activities, and more. The impending results are often reflective of that.
Singular Focus
A major pro dog boot camps can offer that most at-home training settings cannot is the singular focus found within these facilities. There’s one goal that everyone at a dog boot camp strives to meet: behavior modification in your dog.
It’s an all-hands-on-deck philosophy where everyone involved is driven by a strict focus. Your dog gets the attention, consistency, and repetition he or she needs to learn how to appropriately behave and hopefully be the resolution to significant behavioral issues.
Having your dog in the hands of a highly experienced professional dog trainer in a consistent and dedicated environment is an unparalleled benefit. Day in and day out, your dog will receive around-the-clock training care and it’s that deliberate and focused attention that creates the needed circumstances to breed well-trained dogs.
Differentiated Programs
Another benefit of dog boot camps is that there are different programming types that individual dogs can benefit from.
Perhaps you just brought home a puppy and you quickly found yourself in over your head. Well, the good news is that there are puppy-specific boot camps that can rescue you! These programs are often structured with a two-part system. The first part is presented when your dog is still young and the second part comes after your pup has matured a bit.
Other dog boot camps are tailored toward older dogs that maybe never quite learned how to behave properly. These dog training boot camps come with protocols and instructions that meet this individualized need as well.
If your goal is to have a dog that you can trust to be completely off-leash, programs exist to cater to that desire as well. These are more intense programs with advanced training methods that boast outstanding results!
Structured Routines
Structure is key when it comes to any type of learning. And the existence of sound structures is foundational to any effective dog boot camp training program.
Dog boot camps provide the benefit of reliable structures that you can depend on to breathe life into the training environment your dog needs. The consistency a trainer is able to offer at a dog boot camp is paramount to creating successful training structures.
Although each dog boot camp program has its unique aspects, you can expect a general daily routine that looks something like this:
- Proper feeding and consistent sleep schedules
- Necessary potty routines
- Monitored indoor and outdoor play/physical activities
- Intentional mental stimulation time
- Structured socialization time with social skills at the forefront
- Dedicated, individualized training time for behavior modifications
- Obedience training
- Follow-up lesson for owners to equip them with the needed education to continue the training momentum at home
At a dog boot camp, you can expect that there’s a training mentality of “all-day, every day.” This does not imply that it’s obedience training 24/7 – that would be unproductive. Instead, what’s meant by this philosophy is that everything that happens at a dog boot camp is meant to follow a consistent structure that yields effective dog training results.
Conclusion - Transforming Your Dog's Behavior: The Benefits of Dog Boot Camp
Dog boot camps exist to train dogs. Period. Unlike most pet parents, the professional trainer is not juggling obedience training with other life activities. It’s all about making intentional choices that follow sound structures and adhere to effective dog training frameworks.
If you are ready to reap these many benefits from dog boot camps, reach out to us today at Minnesota Canine Consulting to get your pup started. 651-505-3585.
FAQ
What is an example of behavior modification in dog training?
An example is teaching a dog to lay down instead of jumping up. Owners should begin in a calm environment where success is likely, then progress to places with more distractions as the behavior is learned. Dogs may first need to be desensitized to the stimuli for response substitution to be successful.
How do you fix behavioral issues in dogs?
Discourage the behavior by using redirection (to the preferred behavior, or the behavior you want to see) along with positive reinforcement (rewarding your pet with treats and praise) for the desired behavior. Make sure your pet has had basic obedience training and socialization.
How long does it take to correct a dogs behavior?
The shortened version is that if you're dedicated and focused, 3-8 weeks is a good timeline for transforming your dog's behavior.