Pets At Home Dog Training Parties...

I recently found out from a friend that Pets At Home is to start holding dog training sessions in some of their pet stores. They plan to hold "puppy parties" and have general dog training sessions and behaviour sessions all welcome.

From what I can gather these are going to be held in store by a member of their staff, and not in a special area outside. Instead they plan on training and socialising dogs actually inside the shop. Smells of food, noises from animals... Toys everywhere... Do I even want to continue?

Would any of you actually take your dog to a Pets At Home store to be trained by one of their staff, Or are you like me and think that this may do more harm than good?

No never ever ever!!!!

Well, for me it depends on a lot of things. I would be willing to try it, depending on the dog. I wouldn't take Zara there, it would be one disaster after the other! But for puppy socialization, so long as it was well managed, then I would be willing to give it a try.

hmm why are they calling them Pets at home 'training' parties?

I'd take my pup to a busy pets at home store, yes, I did with keisha when she was a baby, but to let a member of staff tell me how to train her, erm no thanks I'll stick to my regular trainer from our local agility place..

Are the staff going to be qualified? Most of them that I've seen couldn't even sex a rat, or other rodent, let alone tell me how to train my dog. I think a lot of staff (from my experience - I'm not tarring all) need more training in the animals they have and how to care for them, before even moving onto dogs and how to train them. If they brought someone in who was qualified, maybe that would help, but I wouldn't trust 'anyone'.

Plus, I don't think it's a brilliant environment for them to learn in, it'd be distracting with all the scent of animals and food, and close proximity for dogs with issues I think.

I took Keisha to the shop a few times to socialize her before her injections( when i carried her) and often since but would'nt take her to classes there unless a vet or qualified trainer was in charge, our vets dose a 4week course run by the head veterinarian nurse which is much better

Well we`ve been thrown out of most of the local clubs so I might give it a go, just for the crack.

Why've you be thrown out?!

No too many children for Shady to eat. Seriously though it would be too stressful for Shady and Kyiro with all the noise and smells and everyone buzzing around.

My 2 go crazy in there just shopping so would hate training them. Blu is too interested in the fact the amount of animals in there is like my bedroom And Cheeko just sniffs everywhere.