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Trying to decide between private lessons and group classes? Each training format has its own advantages. Which one you choose depends on your dog's behavior, your lifestyle, and other factors. We give you different options, and you decide what works best for you.
Advantages of Private Lessons
- Offered in your dog's environment, such as your home, which may maximize your dog's probability of success
- The trainer can come over according to your schedule, including different times of the day and days of the week. The schedule does not need to be weekly, unlike for group classes
- Work on only the commands and issues that are important to you
- Great for dogs with aggression issues, who wouldn't otherwise be able to participate in a group class
- Your dog can focus more easily, whereas classes can be more distracting
- You don't need to worry about vaccination documents, except for your rabies certificate. Vaccinations are required for group classes.
Advantages of Group Classes
- Hear questions from other people, some of which you may also have, and some of which you may not have thought of yet
- Sometimes there are group exercises that cannot be simulated at your home, such as your dog walking past all of the other dogs in class without becoming distracted. This can be a better representation of real life situations
- Lower cost per session than private lessons
- Classes are on a weekly schedule, which can be helpful for many people and dogs due to its regularity. With private lessons, you may not be able to get the dates and times that you want due to the trainer's schedule
