Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is The Educated Pet?

The Educated Pet is a training and behavior service that provides expert obedience, behavioral and specialized courses for dogs, cats and their owners.  We use kind, up-to-date, humane techniques resulting in fast and effective behavior changes and better human and pet relationships.  We offer one-of-a-kind courses, behavior consultations, daytime training and puppy socialization classes.  We strive to provide better understanding, bonding and communication between pets and their owners.

2. Why should I choose to bring my dog to The Educated Pet instead of going to brand X across town?

The staff of The Educated Pet are all highly-trained professionals.  We are led by Carol Harris, one of the first trainers in San Diego to pass the Certified Pet Dog Trainer (CPDT) test.  Ms. Harris is also a recognized expert in canine behavior.  She has taught classes and published many articles on canine behavior.  All of us regularly attend advanced education courses to continue to bring you the most up-to-date, humane training techniques available.  We provide one of the highest teacher-to-student ratios in all of southern California.  We have small classes, and each class has two to four instructors.  Our large, indoor facility allows us to hold classes in the evenings and in less-than-perfect weather.

3. Why should I train my dog?

All dogs need manners.  A well-mannered dog is a pleasure to take places with you and your friends and family enjoy being around your dog when he exhibits good manners.  Your dog is much safer if he listens to you and he can participate in more aspects of your life if he has proper behavior.  Your bond with your dog becomes stronger as your communication increases.

4. I have a young puppy.  When do I start training him?

Training starts as soon as you bring your puppy home.  The sooner you start training, the faster your puppy learns what behavior is acceptable.  All puppies chew, housesoil, jump, bark and mouth their owners.  These are all normal puppy behaviors, however most owners would like to significantly reduce the amount of time that these behaviors last.  Our fun and instructive puppy kindergarten classes are for puppies as early as nine weeks of age.  A dog's critical socialization period is from birth to sixteen weeks.  This is the time in your puppy's life when he develops lifelong coping skills and when he needs to be safely exposed to many new people, dogs and situations.  Our quality puppy classes provide you with a safe environment for this social growth.

5. I just adopted an adult dog from a shelter.  Is there a training class for us?

Yes.  We have obedience classes that are designed for dogs over the age of six months.  These classes will help you and your new family member develop good communication skills.  We will teach you how to train your new dog to obey basic commands.  We also help your new friend learn manners and social skills.

6. I would like to train my dog but he is very shy.  What should I do?

At The Educated Pet, we have developed a unique program specifically for shy, fearful or reactive dogs.  Our trained personnel will teach you how to help your furry family member learn new ways of handling stress.  Many of our graduates from this class are able to go on to attend our basic obedience class.

7. My dog is already very reliable with his obedience commands.  Are there any other classes that we could take that would be fun and challenging?

Yes.  For those dogs who already have sufficient obedience skills, we offer several options including Tricks, Canine Good Citizenship and Freestyle.