The pandemic threw our lives firmly in the throes of technology and needless to say, we adapted to these new situations with relative(?) ease. Along with that, came our new ways of life wherein businesses came to our doorsteps, work just blended into household chores, so why would not our dogs' lives & related services too?
At Anvis, we have been no different either. We were sceptical on how we could get parents to follow through on trainings, corrections, behaviour modifications, etc,. We are used to taking over the dog's leash, toys, treats and demonstrate what we want parents to do, but how are we supposed to explain the commands, the corrections and tone/body language via a virtual call? More importantly, we would hate to miss meeting the furry clients!
From our pet parents' side, the feeling was mutual. There were doubts, they missed having an expert walk in and quickly show what needed to be done. They needed expert guidance and if virtual trainings were a way out, then maybe resorting to public video platforms would suffice?
However, despite these apprehensions, we are happy to say we have completed 50+ virtual training sessions, gained 5 star reviews for *each* training, conducted trainings all the way in the USA too and we must admit, we are seeing far better success training virtually than in-person.
Why? You may ask...that's a good question, here are somethings we have observed that have led us to this conclusion
For parents, there are multiple benefits:
- 24x7 access to expert trainers via whatsapp, video calls or texts
- Immediate corrections to any training methods without having to wait until the next class for the trainer to observe and correct
- Flexibility in the hours of the class and you are not bound by location too; classes were held during walk times, in busy streets, taking the dog in the car to teach how to work through difficult situations and locations
- Without a trainer being present, the dogs did not feel the need to be scared or agitated..they were their usual selves which allowed us trainers to see and observe what was truly going on with the dog and quickly teach the parents what needed to be done
- Parents, more importantly began to learn more about the dogs, their body language, the dog's triggers and the relationships only came out stronger than ever! Such trainings in fact helped the parents feel confident to tackle any behavioural challenge in the dog's life without having to rely on a trainer as a crutch.
For trainers, we loved to see how our students blossomed! Although we could not meet them in person, we were left satisfied that behaviours were rectified, dogs seemed far more tuned in to what parents wanted & the loose tail wags warmed our hearts at the end!
If you have any questions on virtual training, we will be happy to send 50+ referrals your way to feel comfortable that virtual training will actually be far more beneficial than you think :-)