Puppy Training  

Obedience (basic and Advanced)

Behavior Management

Housetraining

Protection

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Puppy Training Classes

If you enroll your puppy in Palmetto Canine Training  behavioral training puppy classes and you need additional training sessions you will be allowed to participate with your puppy in three (3) additional class sessions at no cost.

 

As a puppy owner you need to appreciate that not all group puppy classes are similar - all differ from each other in many important aspects. Your choice therefore should not be taken lightly because it could well impact the kind of dog you have for many years to come.

 

The Advantages of PCT's Puppy Program

* Instructor experience - J Hamilton has been teaching dogs and their owners since 2001;

* Instructor qualifications - Certified in behavior modification, obedience, and protection;

* Individual meeting prior to the start of classes;

* Attend class sessions on Saturday dates that fit your schedule;

* Attend extra class sessions after you complete the program at no cost;

* Class size kept small 5 - 7 puppies per session;

* Certificate upon completion;

* All breeds welcomed;

* Puppies accepted at 10 wks. of age;

* Family members encouraged to participate in class training sessions;

* Reasonably priced.

 

Benefits of Early Puppy Training

The most important part of puppy class, is the socialization your puppy will gain. It is crucial your puppy be socialized to have only positive experiences with strangers and with other dogs before the age of 16 weeks. Good socialization helps to reduce cases of separation anxiety, unwanted barking, destructive chewing, digging, unwanted elimination, aggression, fear or anxiety issues, and gives owners the tools to deal with handling and visits to the Vet.

 

All puppies should have their first series of vaccines for protection against infectious diseases.

 

If you want an excellent off -leash obedience dog start with Puppy Class First.

 

All Puppy classes start at 10:00 - 11:00 every Saturday. Call for reservation 803-796-3273

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Basic Obedience Training Program

Basic (on leash) Obedience training establishes a communication between you and your dog, teaches the dog to understand and follow commands, and establishes the family members as dominant figures (leaders) in the social hierarchy of the pack.

 

There are four phases in obedience:

The learning phase

The correction phase

The proofing phase

The maintenance phase

 

In the learning phase we teach the dog verbal commands, hand signals and different body positions.

In the correction phase the dog is taught what the correction is. Corrections are not punishment, they are reinforcement. Punishment is not used in dog training. The dog has been taught the commands and must perform the first time we give a command, if he doesn't then we give a correction.

In the proofing phase distractions are added, they can be new places, people, dogs, cats etc. The purpose is to change the context in which the obedience has been done.

In the maintenance phase the dog is put through follow-up session work.

 

The learning and correction phase are the most difficult because you must be consistent, patient, persistent, and practice to help the dog make a strong and permanent association between commands and actions for each command taught. We must understand the dog's temperament, personality, to help the dog understand. Solving behavior problems and devoting much time are also the trainer's area of expertise.

 

In the basic obedience on-leash program we teach the dog to sit, come (this is the most important command you can teach your dog) down, stay, heel, off and release. Dogs must be at least five months old and have all of their shots.

 

The Basic Obedience Program Includes:

Boarding (In-Kennel)

Setting up the pack hierarchy

Handler's course

Understanding leash control

Understanding correction technique

Socialization

All training and program instructions

Training collar and leather professional 6' leash with brass snap

Free follow-up lessons after course completion

Certificate of completion 

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Advanced Obedience Training Program

Our Advanced (off leash) program teaches the handler to control their dog from a distance. If your dog travels, goes to the park, beach, are hanging around outside you might consider this type of training.

 

The off leash training includes all the basic commands with two additional. The go-place and hour long down-stay.

 

The Advanced Obedience Program includes:

Boarding (In-Kennel)

Setting up the pack hierarchy

Long line exercises

Socialization

Ability to walk with your dog unleashed at your side

All training and program instructions

Training collar and leather 6' professional leash with brass snap

Free follow-up lessons after course completion

All training guaranteed

Certificate of completion

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Behavior Management

It is important to remember that almost all behavior problems are natural dog behaviors that the human owners simply find problematic within their household. My role as a professional trainer is to understand the genesis of these behaviors and attempt either to change the behavior of the dog, or change the behavior of the owners. Most times we must attempt to address the behavior of the dog and the owner together.

 

Lack of communication between dog and owner is one of the primary causes of behavior problems. Proper training gives both dog and owner a way to communicate with one another. Obedience provides a way for the owner to manage the dog's day-to-day behavior. It is critical that every dog knows where he fits in. A dog is both a social creature as well as an individual. A dog must know what his job is.

 

In addition, obedience training will give the dog something to do, reducing urges to be unruly and destructive. Obedience will calm the dog in general and increase his attentiveness to his owners.

 

Let's look at canine behavior problems: Aggression toward other animals, aggression toward people, barking, biting, mouthing, growling, lunging, dominance, fighting, rebelliousness, territorial aggression, play biting, lack of socialization, rough housing, possessiveness, fear biting, tug of war, spoiled dog, dog-on-dog aggression in the same household, car chasing, chewing, destruction, digging, fears and phobias, feeding problems, fence jumping, hyper behaviors, jumping on people, housetraining, pica, resource or food guarding, running away, separation anxiety, sexual behaviors (mounting), sniffing people and more.

 

We do not focus on the idea that dominance or alpha  will help correct your dog's behavior. Most dog behaviors have nothing to do with dominance and if dominance is used it can become a more serious problem.

 

Many dogs are given to animal shelters each year because of behavior problems that could be easily treated.

 

With 4 out of 10 households in the United States owning at least one dog (68 million dogs), it is clear that the field of behavior analysis has much to offer dogs and their humans.

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Housetraining

Crate training is the first step in housetraining. The crate keeps your pup from chewing, soiling your house, protects him from electrical wires, and keeps him safe when you are sleeping or not at home.

Crates are never used for punishment. If your pup soils your floor you cannot use the crate for punishment. The crate is the dog's den.

 

Training Program Includes:                                                                  

Crate introduction

Commands taught: kennel, wait, let's go

Leash control

Scheduling

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