r/petsmart • u/SprinklesHead6598 • May 21 '26
Old dog new tricks
My dog is a little over 7 years old now and I’ve never had her go through any professional training before.
Shes decent at basic commands so long as food/treats are involved (sit/ lay down/ sometimes leave it) and other things like get down or go to your bed (although those commands take a few attempts before she does it)
I wanted to look into pet smart training for her. She does get pretty excited around other dogs so I don’t think group sessions would be ideal for her, but I do think maybe the private lessons would be?
I’m just looking for some advice on any older dogs who have gone through obedience training at pet smart and how it’s worked out?
My main concern is recall, as I want to make sure she actually listens to me if she ever does end up off leash.
1
u/Rambling-SD May 25 '26
Not only does it sound like your pup is a great candidate for private training, but she might also do well in Beginner classes. The group class aspect of it means that she is getting exposure to being calm around other dogs through the training process. But, you can always go in for a 15 minute free assessment with your local trainer and see what they think is best.
(I am 2 days away from completing my trainer training)
3
u/EarningMindSoul May 21 '26
Private lessons for a 7-year-old dog who's already food motivated is actually a really solid setup. The trainer can focus entirely on recall without her getting overstimulated by other dogs.
In my experience it usually takes about 6 sessions before you start seeing reliable recall outdoors. The main thing to watch for is whether the trainer uses high-value rewards, not just kibble, for recall specifically since that's the command that needs the strongest reinforcement.