Dogs and their owners standing outside.

What Are Obedience Classes?

4 mins |

Congratulations on getting your first dog! It’s an exciting time, and it’s difficult to know where to start. Perhaps one of the things you’ve heard about are obedience classes. But just what are those classes anyway?

The purpose of obedience classes is to train your dog in a variety of ways. This includes training them to respond to their name, commands, and socializing.

What Are Obedience Classes?

A pair of dogs and their owners standing outside.
About to do some training.

Obedience classes are very important for a dog’s development. They help dogs learn to respond to commands, socialize, and behave properly in given situations. 

Whatever the need for putting your dog up for obedience classes, all of them have one goal: improvement of its behavior and obedience. 

For that reason, trainers have come up with many of these types of classes to help dogs focus on a particular training need. 

Types Of Obedience Classes

Let’s look at the most common types of obedience classes.

Basic Training Classes

For dog owners with new puppies, this is the real deal. During the course of a class, dogs learn basic skills, especially potty training, and gradually learn how to socialize with other dogs. 

If you are looking to start with dog training, these basic classes are just right for you. 

Socialization Classes

Dogs get distracted by everything and everyone when they go outside, and it might be a bit hard to keep them on their leash. Dogs are over-occupied by different noises, smells, and strangers, for example. 

So, don’t alarm yourself if you hear the dog barking at someone passing near. That’s because your dogs have unsocialized puppies.

That’s where socialization classes come in handy. Here, in these classes, dogs will learn how to behave in different places outside their homes. 

Basic Obedience Classes

Once your dog learns the basic commands and knows how to behave properly outside the house, it’s time for you to gain a bit more control over your dog. 

With basic classes, dogs learn basic commands like:

  • Sit
  • Lay
  • Come
  • Fetch
  • Drop it
  • Look at me

Also, during this course, your dog learns to respond to its name. 

These classes will make your life a whole lot easier, and with a little patience and mutual respect, any dog can learn these basic commands.

And, yes, it can learn the commands during whichever period of its life. If the dog is a bit young, it will take more time. The same goes if the dog is already a senior but hasn’t received proper training yet. 

Advanced Classes

Once your dog learns all the basic commands and receives the proper socialization classes, advanced classes are perfect for it. 

Here, dogs get to learn more advanced commands, how to do tricks, and some even learn how to sing on command. But, most importantly, you’ll get to know new tricks as well and bond even more with your dog. 

How Much Do Obedience Classes Cost?

Now that you know all there is to know about obedience classes, let’s talk about their cost. 

We know that there is nothing more rewarding than having a well-trained dog by your side that listens to all your commands. Even though they are quite worth it, these classes can cost a bit of money. If you want the training to take place in a group, it will cost you between $30 and $50, but if you want training one-on-one, it’s a bit more expensive than that. Expect to pay $45 and $120 per class. Depending on the type of training, you can expect to pay around $1,250 weekly. 

To help get over this cost, consider how much you’ll need to cover if the dog makes a mess at home, like chewing up your favorite boots or, worse, making holes in the furniture. 

Will I Have To Bring My Dog Back Constantly?

These classes are only until your dog learns all commands. So, try to implement the learned commands every day and come up with new ones.

Samoyeds, for instance, are quick learners. These dogs are eager to please their owners, so they will do everything they can to learn faster to see a smile on their owners’ faces. 

Final Thoughts: What Are Obedience Classes?

Obedience classes are an essential part of an owner’s relationship with their dog. You may be able to do training on your own, but it never hurts to have the help of a professional.

So, do you plan on enrolling your dog in these classes? Let us know your thoughts and why in the comments below!

Sandra
Sandra
Sandra is a veterinary undergraduate student based in Macedonia. She combines her two passions: veterinary medicine and writing, and she also tends to raise awareness about animal welfare as much as she can. As a student, she has attended many seminars and conferences related to the veterinary profession, and currently, she is focused on veterinary content writing. Although she owns a cat, she strongly claims that “dogs are her favorite people”.