Group Class vs Private Dog Training in Lancaster, PA
Why Group Classes Fail Most Clients
Do you remember the public education system? A homeroom full of students, maybe thirty or so. The teacher, no matter how hard they tried to remember everyone’s name, still needed a list to find out who was and wasn’t present. Group classes in dog training are exactly the same way. Fundamentally, you arrive at class to learn a set skill, and then you’re greeted at the door by loud barking and misbehaved dogs. Dogs pulling on leashes and their owners yapping into the ether to stop or be quiet. Every client thinks the same thing, “If only I could get my dog under control!” Will it happen here in the group class? Let’s find out.
Types of Dog Owners
Hands-On Owners
Hands-on owners usually only need help in dog training with certain specific skills: protection work, tracking, behavioral modification, and so on. These owners yearn for a well-behaved dog and work toward that goal in their own home through YouTube tutorials or a weekend seminar, spending weeks perfecting that one skill. Basic and off-leash obedience is often self-taught, and while the commands and movements may be different from a trainer's, the dog responds and understands.
Non-Hands-On Owners
In direct contrast, we have the non-hands-on owner who needs help with everything and asks every question imaginable. They usually overplay the dog’s problems, treating every small infraction during training as world-ending. These owners often need to be taught how to be owners. From leash etiquette to understanding normal dog behaviors, these owners require the highest level of coaching.
Understanding the Cost of Group Classes
The Structure of Group Classes
On average, you will spend thirty to fifty dollars for a group session. These sessions are usually held in the evening or on weekends. The class size can vary greatly depending on the trainer and their sales pitch or staff. Some group classes can be eight to ten students and dogs; others can number thirty or more. Group classes typically require you to pay for multiple sessions instead of just one weekend. The trainer will usually upcharge for a single weekend group class if you didn’t purchase the bundle. Routinely, trainers will sell five- or six-week packages. If you need further assistance, you will need to purchase another six classes.
The Limited Attention in Group Classes
It’s important to note that trainers often claim your dog will be proficient in all basic commands by the end of these packages. But how many classes will you need to fix your issue with your dog? This answer varies widely depending on the dog and the owner.
Remember, you paid for the trainer's attention and skillset, but now you’re in a field or a room with eight to thirty people and typically one trainer, maybe with one helper. We have unruly dogs and owners learning for the first time, and it is utter chaos. There may be a loudspeaker, and the trainer might be hooked up to a microphone so everyone can hear their directions. They will move from team to team—sometimes—and will usually do a demonstration of the technique, not with a client's dog, but with their own trained dog.
Calculating Your Time and Cost
To keep the math simple, let’s say you paid for an hour. There is one trainer and ten clients, so how much time do you actually get? 60 minutes/10 people = 6 minutes. This assumes the trainer moves from team to team and doesn’t stand in the center. Also, this equation assumes you have sixty working minutes in which you all get to practice. If we subtract pleasantries and closeout, you may only have forty-five working minutes. 45 minutes/10 people = 4.5 minutes of time to make sure your technique is correct and has been observed by the trainer you paid to make sure you’re accomplishing your current goal.
From the math above, you paid thirty dollars to be observed for 4.5 minutes and might be issued a correction on your technique. Now, you must go back to practicing on your own while the trainer moves to the next team.
Different Outcomes for Different Owners
If you are a hands-on owner, maybe the one technique performed under scrutiny is all you need, and now you can practice comfortably at home. If you are one of these owners, fantastic—you’ve garnered the skillset and critique you needed to progress, and it was worth it! For the non-hands-on owner, however, this can be a real loss. After all, they paid all this money to be taught and were given only 4.5 to 6 minutes of time and attention.
If the trainer had you buy the six-week package, you are now at a loss of $180 at $30 a class. This is on the low end of training costs and doesn’t include tax, your commute time, or potential tool costs if you needed something specific that was required to be there. For example, this trainer might only use harnesses or a particular type of collar, etc. At the end of six weeks, maybe you’ve begun to understand the concept of sitting, but if you’re uncomfortable practicing at home, it’s time to pay for another six-week package to keep practicing under the tutelage of someone who is giving you only 4.5 to 6 minutes of attention.
If you’re beginning to see my bias, you would be correct.
The Advantages of Private Training
The Process and Cost of Private Sessions
Let us contrast this with a private class, using my own sessions and costs as examples. Clients and I discuss their needs extensively over email or phone calls prior to meeting, with no charge for this meeting. We make sure to cover all the topics in a virtual meet-and-greet. Once the dog arrives with their owner, we say hello and move into the training area, getting to work almost immediately. We’ve already covered the greetings over the phone, so we don’t need them here at class.
I will take the dog by the leash and begin to find out what makes the dog tick—food, toys, praise, a firm but fair hand? Once that’s established, we begin to move into the lesson plan that we have laid out with the client. Whether it’s basic obedience, off-leash, scent, or protection training, I am using the client's dog to show them and explain the techniques being put into practice. I will work the dog for around a half-hour and then pass the leash back to the owner, having them begin to practice the technique. My classes here at Sjabo are $100 for private sessions for an hour. If the dog is doing well, we usually go over that time by another fifteen minutes or so, free of charge. You get sixty minutes of undivided attention, no unwanted eyeballs on you and your dog, and you receive corrections and tips live while you’re practicing, with the ability to ask all the questions you want. I can even guide you by hand through the technique until it makes sense.
Comparing the Value
For the same level of knowledge and time in a group setting, let’s use the longer time estimate: 1 hour / 6 minutes = 10 classes for an hour of attention from the trainer. Pretty easy, right? Now let's add that cost together: 10 classes * $30 = $300. Remember, trainers try to sell packages to you, so now you must buy two five- or six-week packages, totaling ten to twelve classes, to learn one concept that, for one-third of the cost, you could accomplish in one class as a non-hands-on owner who has never trained a dog before. This is simple math, and experience may vary, but from clients who gave up on group classes and came to private training, this is the overwhelming majority of experiences I’ve heard about.
If you’re a new owner and your skillset is still in development, you can now practice with your dog over the week with confidence that you are performing correctly. At the next class, we will cover a quick review of last week’s technique. If more practice is needed, we pick up where we left off and spend some time there. If not, we move into a new skillset and begin practice after the demonstration period with your dog.
Long-Term Training Value
Most clients have a firm grasp on all basic commands between eight to twelve sessions on average. It depends on how often those students practice at home. The time frame breaks down into one to two weeks per command for the team to become proficient in those commands. On the high end, let’s say it’s twelve weeks—that’s $1200. That may seem like a lot of money to the average person. “John, I can just spend the $30 on group classes and yield the same result.” Maybe if you’re already proficient in training, you can, and in that regard, it would be worth it for you.
But just remember, it took twelve classes to have the dogs perform at a high level and owner proficiency. Some clients are going to ten or twelve group classes and are still struggling with basic commands or behaviors like loose leash walking or sit and down. If we run the quick math again, we can see the divide between the two. If it takes a new owner ten classes on average to hammer out a behavior because they aren’t proficient and need more than six minutes of time, we’re looking at $300 for 10 classes for one behavior. There are seven basic commands every dog should know. So, $300 * 7 commands = $2100. Some owners may struggle more with some of the more advanced basic concepts, like entrance to heel or active place commands.
The Hidden Costs of Group Classes
I often hear from clients who have gone to these group classes for weeks and months, asking if I can help teach the commands because their dogs still don’t understand. Those same clients spend far more money in the long run at these classes because the cost was lower upfront and they thought they were getting a great deal. Trainers know that most owners are not hands-on or good at practicing consistently. In this scenario, the trainer wins, and you lose.
The Benefits of Expert Guidance
I’ll leave you with this: when I apprenticed under a former K9 officer, it was like going to a dojo. The curriculum was intense, there was no handholding, and there were no breaks. It cost me roughly $12,000 per dog to achieve that K9-level obedience and protection. I also incurred the costs of equipment, transport, and tolls. The grand total was almost $36,000 out of pocket. I was driving an hour both ways four times a week for well over a year to train my two boys. If anyone has met Apollo and Odin who’s reading this, you know exactly how amazing those dogs are. I was handheld through the entire process and trained them from 8 weeks to 1 ½ years old before we were done since I wanted everything perfect and so did my mentor.
I strongly believe and have now seen in person the value in having a trainer over your shoulder to help and guide you every step of the way. If I am sounding harsh, it’s because I care about your progress and don’t want to see you struggle or waste your money. I want your dog to succeed. But you must take the time to get your dog to that point, and it won’t be achieved with a five-week group class.
If this sounds like your dog and you need help fixing or improving your obedience skills, learn more about basic obedience training or advanced training.
