Dog training classes?

[zax]

Hi!

Been lurking for a while, now looking for advice! I need to get my 6 month old dog along to training classes, but being unable to speak Finnish is proving to be a problem. The folks I have spoken to have enough on their plate dealing with a roomful of crazy dogs and their owners in one language without having to translate everything for me

So can anyone recommend dog training classes somewhere in the Espoo/Helsinki who are happy to translate for me a little? Of course the dog speaks Finnish fluently, it's just the dumb owner who has the problem...

Thanks!

[PeterF]

Obedience training....for dogs not Kids...In English...
My only suggestion is to look to the Swedish Speaking areas they are more likely to be flexible when it comes to doggy and owner language commands..I know that there is some sort of Hund Club in the Kirkkonummi Area is that too far away?
You could also try the Tapiola area of Espoo..but where do you find the contacts??
Take dog for walk in area and look for other doggy owners whose pets look to be obedient.
Check specialist pet shops may be cards on notice board etc.
Breed of dog ..seek out the local breeder/kennels they may have contacts/advice.
Perhaps Anja can help she has trained Oggie and almost succeded with Phil

[laika]

Hei,

I have given some dog training classes as well as some private classes and done some studying in dog behaviour.

I'm not giving any classes at the moment but if you're interested, e-mail or pm me and let's see if I could help you out somehow.
I live in Helsinki.

cordially,
Laura

[Tom and Jerry]

Look with koirakoulu and vantaa at google.
There is a larger dog school in Vantaa.

[zax]

Thanks for the replies folks!

Just to clarify - I don't want an "english speaking" dog training class, I think that would be a pretty unrealistic expectation But the one place I had contact with suggested it would be impractical to come along as a non-Finnish speaker because it may disrupt the running of the class. I was hoping to find out if anybody had been to a class where they were able to get along as an english speaker...

Kirkkonummi is possible for me, so I'll have a search around there. And Laura, you have mail!

[Majava]

Thanks for the replies folks!

Just to clarify - I don't want an "english speaking" dog training class, I think that would be a pretty unrealistic expectation

I have been teaching dog agility for more than a year at "Päijät-Hämeen Agility Urheilijat ry" in....English! Still do some guest performances here and there, also in English. So not so unrealistic after all. But I'm talking about stuff going on far outside kehä III, so then it might be unrealistic to most of you again

[Tom and Jerry]

Thanks for the replies folks!

But the one place I had contact with suggested it would be impractical to come along as a non-Finnish speaker because it may disrupt the running of the class.

Rubbish.

Dog schools are so much a routine, that you hardly need to know anything about Finnish. Can the dog tell the difference between Finnish and English?

I have heard that argument before, but, in fact for such a dog school you need to know perhaps 50 or 100 words in Finnish, which is about the same amount of words your dog will learn, and that's all.

[anja]

Thanks for the replies folks!

But the one place I had contact with suggested it would be impractical to come along as a non-Finnish speaker because it may disrupt the running of the class.

Rubbish.

Dog schools are so much a routine, that you hardly need to know anything about Finnish. Can the dog tell the difference between Finnish and English?

I have heard that argument before, but, in fact for such a dog school you need to know perhaps 50 or 100 words in Finnish, which is about the same amount of words your dog will learn, and that's all.

May be true (I doubt it'll slow the class down, at least too much, if there's someone who doesn't understand everything that's being said, especially if you can quickly ask someone what was just said) but when we took Oggie to Puppy Pre-School it was good to undestand everything that was said, because the teacher had valuable tips and stories to tell about her own and others' experiences about this and that: regardless the fact that we'd both grown up with a dog in the family, it was still all new to us, and the class was a good experience.

Perhaps Anja can help she has trained Oggie and almost succeded with Phil

Hahahaa... ALMOST!

But seriously, looks like many people already gave good advice and info about these classes to zax, so I don't have anything more to add: we haven't taken Oggie to any classes here in Finland, so what other people had to say earlier, was much more helpful - to me too Thank You!!! But if someone ever wants to get together at some park or other quiet place (our neighbour recommended a fenced-in area right by Vermo horse race tracks - we're planning to check it out!) and bring your dog to play with our Oggie, I'd love to do that!

[Tom and Jerry]

but when we took Oggie to Puppy Pre-School it was good to undestand everything that was said, because the teacher had valuable tips and stories to tell about her own and others' experiences about this and that:

The instructions are nearly the same in English and Finnish. A good hand book in English gives you nearly the same information. Besides, most Finnish hand books on dogs are translated from English into Finnish.

It's a question of finding the right school (koirakoulu) and teacher, where they realize how to handle dogs, and that doesn't depend on language skills.

[adamsNancy]

This helped for me since I am transferring to finland this fall and am planning to adopt a dog to keep company.