It's wonderful that you're thinking things through ahead of time and great that you plan to adopt a shelter dog who needs a home.

Even if you have never trained a dog before, you can learn. The obedience classes are for YOU the owner, and that's where YOU will learn to train your pup. The real training of the pup happens at your home one step at a time. Don't feel that because you have never had a dog before you are less capable than others to train your dog. You are in fact in a BETTER position because you don't know the ineffective or damaging ways to train your pup...and can instead learn and implement the most effective ways to train. Many folks believe that because they grew up with dogs they know everything there is to know about dogs and they don't keep up with new findings on the most effective ways to train. That's why we still see folks who advocate cumpulsive training methods instead of positive and motivational training.

Please avoid so-called 'puppy camps.' You need to be involved in the training, and will have no idea what methods will be used when you leave. The shock collars and negative methods will come out as soon as you leave. Why else would they not want you around? Plus you want your dog to bond with you and learn together. Training isn't a two week thing, it's a lifestyle. Most dogs thrive with ongoing training. GOOD trainers know that they are training YOU not the dog, that training continues for the life of the dog, and that you must be involved and working with the dog or any training they've done won't last. Short cuts used at these puppy camps can traumatize the dog and affect learning and confidence or even damage the dog. Here's a link to the most recent article I've seen on this type of trainer: http://www.kcra.com/r-video/26395882/detail.html

Please keep learning and reading. I've attached a link to the APDT site which has a lot of good info on training, including the reasons why food based positive training is most effective. There's also information on selecting a trainer. Remember that anyone can call themselves a trainer, so be sure to check credentials, and look for CPDT and APTD certified. Observe a class before you sign up and run the other way if you see pictures of shock collars and prong collars on any trainers website. These are damaging tools, and there are so many skilled trainers out there who really do know how to train without use pain as a motivator.

Here is a link that might be useful: APTD

Good advice above. I would wait until I returned from my trip. Especially if you are going to get an adult dog (which is an excellent idea). That way there is no break in your getting to know each other.

Probably the best bit of advice I could offer is, when you get the dog, take as many walks as you can possibly fit in your day. Let your dog learn your neighborhood, neighbors, other dogs, etc. The exercise will calm the dog and a tired dog is a happy dog.

Places like PetSmart offer training that is very good. Of course there are private trainers as well. I recently took my 8 month old puppy through a course at PetSmart. The class met once a week with our working on the skill learned during the rest of the week. The training is based on a positive reward method only.

Good luck with finding your new pal and giving a deserving dog a forever home!

Ive never heard of puppy boot camp but it sounds awful! I totally agree with cynthia that dogs respond to positive reinforcement, and that means praise and food rewards when they get it right. I would find a good local training group, some times vets run them or will know of a good one locally, obedience clubs also run weekly classes and you don't need to become involved in obedience trials you can just take the classes.

The main thing to remember is patience, if you get frustrated and angry training becomes a negative experience and it shouldnt be that way, dogs love pleasing people and they really do enjoy learning new things and getting the praise or reward from it.

I agree - no 'boot camp'. You and your family need to be totally involved in his/her training.

And don't expect your housebroken adoptee to be 100% housebroken in YOUR house. A dog needs to learn about his/her new environment, and may have a few accidents at first. It's important to be extra vigilant in keeping an eye on the dog at all times, and take him/her out frequently until he/she is 100% reliable.

Last piece of advice: LEARN about dog breeds. That is a mistake I made when I adopted a beagle. I didn't fully understand the breed characteristics, and she was a huge challenge for me. She has come a very long way, but I would not get a beagle again.

Then there is my friend who got a border collie - big mistake for him. He loved the idea of having one, but was not prepared for the amount of energy and stimulation this dog needed. (dog was 2 when adopted.) He finally had to return the dog to the rescue because he couldn't meet the dog's needs. The dog was frustrated and destructive due to the lack of enough exercise. (he was subsequently adopted again, and has a wonderful home now.)

I've linked Sophia Yin's video 'How Fido Learns.' It may take more than a few minutes to download, but is an excellent intro for you to the concepts of training.

Key take away here is that behaviors that are reinforced(rewarded) become stronger. Most 'problem' behaviors have been reinforced unintentionally by well meaning owners. Dogs don't do things to please us!! They do what makes them feel good. Attention is a reward, so ignoring behaviors you don't want to continue is critical in addition to rewarding the behaviors that you do want to continue.

Here is a link that might be useful: How Fido Learns

Thanks everyone! I have actually heard that our local Petsmart has very good training classes. Maybe I'm over-analyzing :-) I do believe we're going to wait to bring home our new family member until after our vacation. Just anxious to get started!

Thank you for thinking of a rescue dog. I have two, and they are great. Good advice from Cynthia and Weed. I had never heard of boot camp but it sounds horrible. .I lucked out with my first rescue..a Boston/sheltie mix I got at six months old. Smartest dog I ever had and never in the 2 and 1/2 years I've had him has he had an accident in the house. Fully house broken and had no issues. The reason he was turned in was the owner's health. Second dog, not so easy. We've had him since May and as Weed said should have done more research on Dachshunds . But he's a sweetie even with his issues. He too is completely housebroken, sleeps with the cats and is a dear until he meets another dog on our walks. Then the two of them bark and snarl like pit bulls and this behavior only started when I got the second dog. I think a class is in order for Wally and me because I don't like this behavior. Try Petfinder when you're ready. That's where I got these guys.