I just gotta chime in here. I am not a professional and probably not all that great in training my dog, which happens to be a 10lb ankle biter. Also, my children are grown, so I don't have to worry about that and I have much more time (probably) to spend with a dog that you.

With that all said. I would NOT send my dog away to be trained. For one, I think it may stress the dog, especially him being a pup. Two, if could very well be that you haven't established your self as the leader and sending him away will still not do that.

If you haven't already, please make use of all the free information here. I know it's time consuming, especially when you have little ones to chase, but it will be well worth your time.

After kennel training, you still would not be able to trust pup/kids together without supervision. That's just the way it is with dogs and kids.

You have to be the leader, then, depending on dog and training, you may never be able to trust them together.

Plus all the other reasons mentioned.

Please use this site and the folks here will be more than happy to answer your questions.

If you still can't quite 'get it' (I promise, it's not the dog that doesn't 'get it'), then maybe you can find a trainer that works with you and the dog.

Good luck.

You don't have 5-10 minutes several times a day to dedicate to one on one training with your pup? That's all it will take if you are consisitant.

Dogs, even puppies, should NEVER be left alone with children. It is just not a good thing to do for either of them.

I would never send my puppy away for training. Have had heard more horror stories about what has happened to dogs, especially young dogs, that have been sent away for training. Most of the time lots of $$$ spent by the owners with minimal if any results. In some cases like stated here, the dog came back with more issues than those that it left with. JMO

Find a trainer that can come to your home that is reputable.

Thanks everyone, again. I have watched Ed's Basic Dog Obedience many times. I read both New Skete books. I try to keep Tonto's training positive and fun. I have him doing a very nice sit, sit-stay, down-stay. He backs off on the biting with me quickly, I don't need to correct with more than a "eh eh". He is slowly beginning to respect my husband and has stopped getting bitey with him. He's better with the kids, but excitement gets them all nutty (kids too). He can be obstinate when I tell him he can't eat my sweater (he gives me a bark or two).

I walk him every day, play fetch and keep him happily exercised. He's tired at night and sleeps like a rock in his crate right next to my bed. He eats like a horse (raw) and is at a lovely weight.

Wow, now that I am sitting here describing him I am realizing that for 6 months old we are doing pretty good.

We are going away for a few days in a few weeks and I thought that this board and train place might help to firm up a lot of what we have been working on. Still considering, but your posts have given me lots to think about.

Vanessa

Vanessa, congratulations! It sounds like you have a real grip on doing things the right way. I'm sorry you have to leave your pup. That's always a problem for any of us if we have to go somewhere that we can't take our dog.

I don't think I would want anyone to "train" my dog for fear that they would mess up the good work I was already doing. And it sounds like you are doing a good job, especially with a six month old pup.

Do you have any family or friends that the pup knows that might take the pup for a week rather then to send him to some kennel /training facility?

Hi Anne,

I wish I did. My mom has two huge Rotts and they do not like my pup or she would take him in, she loves my pup. I get the feeling that most people that took the time to read my post today are against this board and train idea...and I can see why it needs much more looking into.

Vanessa,
Depending on where you're located I know a greeeeat place to board your dog (yoohoo they're raw feeders too!)......no training done.
That's for you to do.

Boarding is bad enough, I can't imagine putting my dog in the position of HAVING to mind someone else's orders.

Exactly, Randy. Dogs have to learn an alien language to live with us, hard enough as it is. To then ask a pup to learn a foreign dialect of the alien language, at the hands of G-d knows who, is too much.

Vanessa,

There is an article that Ed wrote in which he states that raising a pup is really much the same as raising a child, I couldn’t agree with him more! As an early childhood educator, I have children in my house all day long, I also have dogs and other pets. I hear daily, “he doesn’t do that for me,” “he won’t do this,” “he screams if I don’t do this,” “how do you get him to do this,’ the list is endless! Ok… so I can’t tell them to put them in a crate, use a prong or an e collar, but I can tell them that the key is leadership and consistency! These children are with me 5 days per week and I do not have the problems that the parent has at home, much the same as you leaving your pup for 5 days, the trainer will most likely get these issues under “his” control but they will return once your home if you are not consistent.

As for the dog being around your kids…I don’t allow my dogs to physically interact with the children, or children physically interacting with the dogs. The dogs are present with me at all times, and the children are taught not to touch, and the dogs are taught not to touch, over time this teaches both to respect one another.

Hey there, I'm just a newbie, but Ed mentions those professional trainers that board dogs in his podcast "Ed's Philosophy on Dog Training."

Paraphrasing: They typically will use a lot of force and the dog may very well not mind you when it gets back.

Just what I've gathered from the podcast(s).