Dog training for behavior problems
There are any number of problems that are associated with doggy misbehavior. Ranging from an annoyance like having holes continually dug in the yard to a potentially life-threatening situation for your dog such as having a dog that tends to escape or won't come when called to even more dire situations as when a dog becomes aggressive or overly fearful and bites people. Dogs that display problem behaviors are often sentenced to the backyard or tied up because they are a continual annoyance, or worse, the owners may simply give up on their problem dog and turn him over to a shelter where he may be euthanized. 
The sad part is that good dog training methods and taking enough time with the animal to implement them could have prevented the problems in the first place, or solved them as they began to show up.Dog owners have a variety of options for training their dogs. There are a number of good training books available, and we will make it a point to review some of these in the near future. Such information is also available online, and if we find a website with good information, we will be sure to post that here as well.
Professional trainers are another option. These generally operate in one of several ways. Some trainers require the dog to be sent to their facility for an extended period of time to be trained. While this can be appropriate for dogs working in a professional capacity who need extensive training, we do not generally recommend this for family pets. This type of training is generally quite expensive, and because the dog is being trained in another location by another individual, the behaviors learned may not transfer back into the home environment. The risk of non-transference is very, very high if there is no period in which the owner becomes involved in the training.
Another possibility is group training classes, where the owner and dog meet with a number of other pairs under the guidance of a trainer. These can be useful in some situations, giving the owner some guidance in dog training methods that may be sufficient if the dog is an easily trained one with no real problems. Socialization also benefits both the dog and the owner. These can be a good environment for getting dogs used to other dogs (if they don't already have problems) and can help them learn to work with distractions if they are doing well otherwise. The downside is that the professional trainer's time is necessarily limited with each dog and owner, and can generally only impart the basics in this environment.
A third option is a professional trainer that visits the dog in his home environment. This is an ideal situation, because the trainer can see the dog as he normally behaves at home, how the owner interacts with the dog, what the behavior problems are, and can often easily discern the cause of the problems. Having all of this information helps the trainer to quickly assess the situation and make suggestions about the best course of action to deal with your particular dog. In cases where there are already behavior problems, this can be especially helpful, since all of these factors can have an impact on the success of various methods and simply using a "cure" from a book or an uninformed trainer may not have the best outcome if the one giving the advice doesn't know the whole situation.When evaluating a particular trainer or other resource, it is important to consider the methods used. There are many differing opinions about what constitutes good dog training. We do not recommend any method that is harsh or relies on punishment (especially punishment that comes directly from a human). While such methods may demonstrate quick results, the dog's behavior in such cases is almost always motivated by fear, and if a dog doesn't trust his owner, it is impossible for them to have a good relationship and the dog's behavior will not be reliable.
Look for a trainer that understands "doggy language" ... that is, there are certain ways of handling a dog that the dog will naturally respond to. Sounds, hand signals, and body language that give the impression that your dog is suddenly "already trained" in at least some areas. We don't mean to imply that there are magic methods to get every single response you may desire from your dog, but rather that there are natural ways to communicate with a dog that he will instantly understand and respond to. A trainer that understands these communication methods is already miles ahead of one who doesn't and can make training smooth, fun, and much less stressful for both you and your dog.Having said all of that, we looked at online information for dog trainers and wish to share with you one that looks promising. While we do not have personal experience with BarkBusters, it appears that their training philosophy fits perfectly with what we have recommended, and their network involves many countries. Within the Canadian site we located links for dog training Toronto and dog training Vancouver. Other links are available for various cities and countries worldwide.
So if your dog is showing problem behaviors, please don't give up. Find out all you can, get help, and commit to provide them with proper training. They will reward you with years of companionship and love, and both of you will enjoy one another much more.
