In the past few years with the explosion of online classes it makes things a lot easier to do a lot of dog training from the comfort of your own home/training space. Some of the quick benefits that I find are:
-Can train in my own time and at my own pace
-Can generally train multiple dogs for the same price
-Less wasted time, I don’t have to drive, wait me turn, etc
-The lessons are more tailored to me and my dog
-The lessons are available for me to refer back to as many times as I need to get it to stick in my brain
Lastly and probably the biggest reason is, I can really be picky about finding the right instructor for me. You can try out instructors that aren’t in the same time zone, or even country and truly find the person that is the right fit for you. Depending on where you live it can be a challenge to find an instructor that aligns with your training philosophy and will help you reach your goals. I know people see the negatives of this as well. Yes it is helpful to have someone right next to you, in real-time, telling you to turn your hips, lower your hand, change where you are looking, etc BUT if that isn’t the right person or you aren’t really learning anything because the information is going by you so quickly, is it really worth it?
One of the newer trends that I don’t think is being used enough still is online live training. I know a few instructors using this and I think this is a great way to blend the two things together, remote work with the coach you want to work with that also has the ability to give you that real-time feedback you get from in-person instruction. I know I personally would love to see this offered more and more because I think it can be so effect for both student and teacher. Though I will say, being able to watch videos in slow motion does really increase my ability to give students even better feedback (add that to positive column for online classes). My most recent dog I’ve trained almost exclusively using online programs and don’t think he’s missed out on much and I think for where I am at in my journey as an agility handler, dog trainer, instructor, etc it was a good decision for us. For those that have been reluctant to try online training I would say give it a try, at least try auditing but also don’t be afraid to grab a working spot and give it a try, you never know how much you might find you enjoy it until you try it.
