My colleagues and I are fielding new inquiries from well meaning people insisting that their dogs be trained in-person. First of all, an experienced trainer has seen (insert behavior challenge here) so often that we recognize this behavior when you describe it to us and already have many solutions to improve it. We do not need to trigger your dog to change your dog’s behavior. In fact, it’s against best practices to do so!

Secondly, while some trainers are going into people’s homes, many are training outdoors and online until they are vaccinated. You may be thinking, “Great! I my trainer can still see me in-person.” I’m here to tell you that training outdoors is advanced! Before spending your money and challenging your dog outdoors, you must already have a solid training foundation.

New behaviors should be trained in the least distracting environment possible, typically inside your home. Whether your dog barks and lunges at other dogs, pulls on leash, or jumps on people, you need to start teaching your dog impulse control inside your home. When you learned how to drive a car, did you get onto the highway right of way, or did you practice in an empty parking lot? The same teaching model applies to dogs! In order for your dog to have meaningful success outside, you need to start behavior modification inside.

Start laying foundational behaviors with online training now. Inside your home, you can control your dog’s exposure to distractions, making it easier to train your dog. Your online trainer will then use this advantage to coach you on how to systematically introduce distractions. This will increase the likelihood of your dog paying attention to you around distractions outside. When your dog is ready for the next challenge, then meet your trainer outside!

Still wondering whether to meet your professional dog trainer online or in-person outside? Let the graphic below guide you.

Outdoor Training Vs Indoor Training