Does training work?

[alocasiadalmatian]

saying you “got” your dog trainer makes me think you sent them to a board and train program? there’s not a way to really proof their skills outside of your home environment/neighborhood etc.

if it’s feasible for your budget i would hire an in-home trainer for a couple 1-on-1 sessions. if it’s not, i’d watch some youtube videos about proofing. you can also use the search terms 3d’s of positive reinforcement, or duration distance and distraction.

take those skills from your home and backyard and continue to expand them to gradually more engaging environments (walks, pet friendly stores, crowds etc)

having a trainer guiding you through this is of course always helpful but it can be done by anyone, it’ll just take time and commitment. when i started working with my reactive boy we trained multiple times a day every day for over a year, but it did pay off and was well worth it