It was a lot of fun and that style of training made sense!

Emily

..and loved every minute of it. ..and with wonderful results. We started Maggie at about 16 weeks and she did great. The place we did training in combination hand-signals and Maggie responds better to the clicker/hand signal commands better than to verbal commands.

It is very good for dogs who are somewhat hyperactive.. takes some practice to get the timing down, but works very well.

I use it for more specific requirements of the dog. I highly recommend it for novice trainers because it helps bridge the communication between the owner and the dog much more clearly. If they can train dolphins, whales, horses and just about any other creature on this planet with this method, I am sure our extremely intelligent dogs can grasp the concept. Have fun with it! Once your dog starts to understand what you want you will be hooked. It will be a bond like no other you have ever experienced.

Kandace

We use clicker training in our training center as well as with the shelter dogs. It is a very clear and effective way to train any dog.

Good luck and have fun

Lynn K

Just wondering the effectiveness?

I also agree obedience is a must. It will make your bond stronger with your dog. However, give it a week to evaluate some of the dogs behaviors and get to know one another first. The training helps with bonding but you need to gain trust to help with the training sessions.
I remember trying to reinforce a down command with Diesel my rescue and he snapped. I can tell this was out of fear and not dominance. He did not know if I was going to hurt him or not. I did not correct him I just simply led him to another room to give him a time out. When I retrieved him I gave him a simple sit command which he knew I praised him like crazy. My point is this, the dog does not know what you are going to do to him. In the past he may have been hit. You need to gain trust and then once that is accomplished he will walk to the ends of the earth for you. You must maintain that trust. Once broken it is a long road back if ever.

Kandace,

Obedience training with a dog aggressive dog is an absolute. Be sure the instructor knows all about her before you bring her to class. She may suggest a few private lessons so she can evaluate the dog.

Do not allow her access to children until you know her better. Then the first several introductions should be on leash from a distance so you can watch her reactions to them. Your instructor should be able to assist you with this.

Lynn K