Dog training: how to choose a trainer and compare prices
What do you want from training
Before looking for a trainer, decide on the goal. A general obedience course (commands such as “come”, “sit”, “heel”, a calm walk on the lead) is one thing. Behaviour correction (aggression, barking, chewing things, fear) is quite another and needs experience. Guard and protection work is a separate direction for certain breeds. The number of sessions and the format depend on this.
How to find a trainer through BlaBlaPrice
Instead of browsing trainers' pages online, write one request: the dog's breed and age, what is not working, how many sessions you want, where and when. The site checks the text and tells you what is missing. Trainers reply in the chat: which method they use, what a session or a course costs, whether they come to your home, which days are free. Reviews are shown beside every offer, and the best-value one is shown first. Only the trainer you choose sees your contacts. The general principle is described here: how it works.
What to put in your request
- Goal — a general course, behaviour correction, preparing for walks off the lead;
- Breed and age — a 4-month-old puppy and an adult shepherd need different approaches;
- Problem — pulls on the lead, barks, goes for other dogs, destroys things;
- Number of sessions — for example, 10;
- Format — one to one, in a group, at home or at a training ground;
- Schedule — weekday mornings or weekends;
- City, area and budget per session or per course.
Example: “Labrador, 7 months, pulls on the lead and does not listen on walks. I need an individual course of 10 sessions at a park near my home, weekdays at 7:00. Auckland. Budget up to $11 per session.”
How to compare offers
Look at how the trainer explains the method. If they promise to “fix everything in two sessions” or use harsh collars and pain, that is a reason to choose someone else: modern work relies on motivation and treats. A good session includes work with you: after the course, you must be able to give the commands yourself. Ask whether reviewing homework and advice between sessions are included in the price.
Also compare the unit of price: per session, per package or per course, and how long one session lasts.
Common mistakes
Starting too late. A puppy is taught from the first weeks at home, and from a few months old it can go to classes. Leaving an aggression problem “for later”. Not going to refresher sessions because “the dog already knows everything”. If you only need regular walks, see dog walking, and if you are going away and have nobody to leave the dog with, see boarding.
