Online Dog Training – Pros & Cons 

In today’s world of technology and a huge pandemic, many people are finding creative ways to do things. An example of this would be online dog training. These dog training classes and consultations offer advantages but can only do so much. We will go into more detail!

Thanks to the wonderful World Wide Web, people can learn almost anything they want from the comfort of their own homes. Think about it. Many colleges and universities offer distance education in the form of online training courses, in which you take part in virtual lectures and email your assignments to your teacher. There are similar educational opportunities that are available to dog parents. One of the most popular is virtual training. Virtual training websites offer interactive online dog training classes and learning activities for their students.

Let’s dig deeper into what these programs can and can’t do – the pros and cons! Virtual training is useful for dog parents who want to brush up on their dog’s basic obedience or reinforce fundamental training lessons. You can also obtain answers to quick questions or even supplement existing in-person training lessons.

However, there are some limitations when it comes to virtual training. We recommend that this should not be used as a replacement for in-person training, especially in cases where the dog has behavioral problems. A client may hire an online trainer to “fix” a given issue, only to discover from the trainer that there are far different (and sometimes complicated) issues at play than the person was previously aware of. Virtual training does not allow for the flexibility to address these types of issues.

There are also a lot of assumptions involved. The dog owner and virtual trainer may not be on the same page in terms of what they are trying to address and how the dog responds to training. Virtual training can only be considered for the most basic cues and language-building dog training. You shouldn’t even begin to address any behavior issues from a virtual platform.

Yes, we are aware that there are some positive things to come from virtual dog training. However, this should never be a replacement for in-person training. Meeting in person with a certified trainer will be more beneficial in the long run. Your dog will gain additional socialization skills, you will form better communication with the trainer, and the overall experience will be more informational.