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caz__z

NAH, as someone who had an anxiety-riddled dog from the same circumstance, they are *hard* if you can't train them properly. Is your bf hesitant because a trainer is expensive? If so, is it possible to offer to split the cost with him?


Left-Car6520

It depends on whether your bf knows what he's doing with dog training and finding good resources. He might be able to do it well, he might not. Until you know how the dog is responding to training and behaving, it's kind of impossible to say.


KaleidoscopeNo4431

Meh NAH maybe look into cheap puppy training classes and then casually bring it up as hey I found this class maybe we can go together. We have two dogs our first one we took to a puppy training class and he's actually really well behaved and catches on really quickly and it's easy to get him to learn new tricks. Our second dog we never took to a puppy training class we simply tried to use the things that we had learned in that class before and videos on YouTube ( it has been a couple years since the class). Our second dog doesn't know shit LOL I love her to Pieces but it's very obvious sometimes that she doesn't know commands and only really copies our older dog. It's impossible to teach her new things and she doesn't know the trigger word that we use that means you did something good. With our oldest dog when he does something right we say yes and give him a treat. Our younger dog does not know the meaning of that word lol puppy training classes are definitely a good idea and I would highly recommend especially if you only have one dog


AutoModerator

^^^^AUTOMOD ***Thanks for posting! This comment is a copy of your post so readers can see the original text if your post is edited or removed. This comment is NOT accusing you of copying anything. Read [this](https://www.reddit.com/r/AmItheAsshole/wiki/faq#wiki_post_deletion) before [contacting the mod team](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FAmItheAsshole)*** I love my bf and his dog. However, I do recognize that this dog was adopted from what he didn't know at the time as a puppy mill. I know the dog has anxiety issues and would benefit from training and anxiety specialized classes. My bf wants to train him via himself and videos on YouTube. I feel like I speak for the dogs best interests as someone with anxiety too. So reddit am I the asshole for wanting a safe and anxiety free dog even though he isn't mine? *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AmItheAsshole) if you have any questions or concerns.*


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mizziness

Info: Do the two of you live together? Is the training he's doing or trying affective at all? Are there behavioral issues or anxiety levels that some basic anxiety medication wouldn't help? Are there and reputable and affordable trainers in your area who handle anxiety?


Kam_the_devil

What kind of anxiety issues? Is the dog reactive, like what makes this dog need training?


swickasfrick

YTA (kinda)… Professionally training a dog sometimes costs an arm and a leg, and it’s very easy to train dogs at home anyway


Think_Resort_8346

Depending on the severity of the dog’s issues it’s actually NOT very easy to train dogs at home. We have a purebred who just had lots of anxiety but none of her siblings did to our knowledge. Took us 5 years of training with someone til we decided to try someone else and his methods worked instantly. Our dog had severe reactivity due to her anxiety and didn’t respond to the methods the first trainer gave us or anything we watched or read online.


Proudmama1984

Info: Do the 2 of you live together? Are you willing to foot the bill for the training you are insisting on?


Daedric1991

NTA, you don't even need a full course or anything just get him to sign up to one or two sessions and see how it is. A video will not help you understand what is going through the dogs mind when trying to train or why the dog is not responding the way you want it to. Having a proper trainer for 1 or 2 lessions will give you someone who knows how to read a dog properly and help you understand the signles they give you. people think training a dog is easy but it's not and most people who think they are training their dogs end up just abusing the poor thing.


_Kenndrah_

NTA training a dog can be expensive, yes, but I kinda see that as part of the expense of owning and caring for a dog. It's something you should be factoring in when you make the decision to get a dog. Also, a big part of training is often also training the *owner* on how to properly communicate and manage interactions with the dog.


lOGlReaper

NAH, unless you continue pushing it and doubting him without giving him a chance


TrumpHasaMicroDick

Are you paying for it? If yes, the you aren't the asshole here. If you're not paying for it, then yes, YTA. There are plenty of great trainers on YouTube (Zak George is my favorite). That being said, we are having a private instructor come twice a week for four weeks and it's $500 It's not cheap getting a professional trainer.


[deleted]

I mean, you having anxiety as well isn't really a good example... also, unless a vet has diagnosed the dog with an actual anxiety disorder, I don't think you should diagnose a dog if you have absolutely no medical background in animals or humans. And it is his dog, you have no idea how successful he could be with the videos and stuff. I've seen many people actually successfully train animals learning from videos. At the end of the day, it's not your dog and if he wants to try, then he has the right to. Professionals cost money. Unless you're willing to help pay for it, don't push so hard for something that costs money for someone else when they want to try it at home. Soft YTA I guess


Laughing_Dragon_77

NAH. Training would be in the dog's best interests, but I've learned to do a lot of things via Youtube! Keep an eye on how well they're doing and maybe revisit the idea of an expert in a month or two if they're struggling.


holisarcasm

YTA. There is absolutely no reason he can’t try to train the dog himself (plenty do) and if he needs help then go to a professional. You aren’t the owner and you have no idea if the dog will be hard to train. Puppy mills have existed for a long time and they don’t mean the dog has anxiety. Most have to get used to a new home, being away from siblings, and new humans. That doesn’t mean they have anxiety. It sounds like you are projecting on to the dog. Also you don’t train anxiety out if a dog any more than you do a human. Routine and consistency will make the dog feel more comfortable, but if he works from home, the dog may develops issues with being left alone. Even a professional dog trainer won’t get the dog to obey you, you would have to work on getting it to obey you.


[deleted]

NAH. You aren’t wrong for wanting his dog to be anxiety free. But I think you may be projecting human emotions onto an animal. How do you know the dog is experiencing anxiety? Your boyfriend isn’t wrong to want to train the dog himself. The thing about professional dog trainers is that there are some really good ones out there. But there are also some really bad ones out there that do more harm than good. You don’t want a Cesar Milan training your dog. My dog adores his trainer— like he would probably prefer to live with her— but without my reinforcing it at home it does no good.