Meet Sam!
Samantha is a 3 year old Chinook. At least that’s how they listed her at the shelter when her humans adopted her. After 
spending some time with her, I’d say it’s pretty spot on. If you don’t know what a Chinook is; take some time and look them up. There’s a lot of information about how that breed was developed and where it originated. (Hint, Hint…) Alaska!
It’s some pretty awesome stuff!
So before I got Sam to start her training, I learned that she had already gone through an obedience school in the past. Funny thing about it is, she failed… Samantha is a very smart dog. It’s been my experience that the smarter the dog coupled with a strong independent drive, the harder they are to train.
Despite her failing out, her owners have spent a lot of time working with her and you would never know she failed out of an obedience school. She does so well on the leash for short periods of time. They came to me for more in-depth training and a different style of obedience training. So she will be holding those commands better when we are done. She’s a great example of a dog who has failed out of an obedience school because she was too smart.
So many dogs fail out of traditional obedience schools because 
they don’t fit into their standardized training model mold. Dogs are like people in many ways. They all have their own personalities, characteristics, and intelligence levels. Everything can’t be the same approach that some trainers try to implement.
There are a lot of great trainers that work outside the box. Focus more on their results and their work. Talk to your local trainer. Let them get a feel for who you are and get a feel for them too. You’re not just purchasing a service, you’re building a future relationship for both you and your dog.
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