(Published in June 2008)

The Dog Train
Hop on board with other retailers who are selling training products.
By Scott and Ann Springer

Toni Barry has helped thousands of dog owners master dog training techniques over the course of her 16 years of employment at Highland Pet Supply, a retail shop in Atlanta, Ga. "We see the same thing over and over," says Barry, the store's manager.

She's also heard every excuse in the book for why a dog won't behave. And contrary to belief, she says there's no magic pill for getting a dog to obey. Barry believes it takes a well-trained owner and a few good products to effectively train a dog.

"There's no piece of magical equipment on the market," Barry says. "It's really just a matter of how the products are used."

A Cry For Help
Many products have hit the market to help dog owners learn to train their dogs or reinforce the learning they've received in an obedience class. In fact, there are as many products as there are bad behaviors.

Collars, leashes, and harnesses help prevent dogs from pulling on the leash while outdoors and teach them to submit to their owners, says Terry Long CPDT, the owner of DogPACT, in Long Beach, Calif.

"Front-clip or no-pull harnesses work well for people with busy lifestyles who don't have a lot of time to do much training," Long says. These products are alternatives to compulsion-based training methods such as choke chains and pincher collars.

Vibration or electronic collars may help control obsessive barking and other bad behaviors, says Richard Garon, the president of Multivet International Inc., a manufacturer located in St-Hyacinthe, Quebec, Can.

These products also come in spray or remote forms. "Many species in the wild will use a hiss as a warning mechanism," Garon says. "Most mammals are hardwired to understand this and react instinctively."

Treats or tug toys can be used in conjunction with clicker methods to give customers a positive reinforcement method of training, Long says. "The clicker training is more popular now than ever, because of shows on Animal Planet and other TV shows," Long says.

Training treats – small, meaty, and easily palatable – are Misty Schneider's best-selling training products at Pet Kingdom …Where Pets Rule, in Algona, Iowa, where she's the manager.

These treats can be used to reinforce all types of behavior from high-performance agility tricks to simple commands like sitting and staying, says Barbara Denzer, the vice president of marketing for Cardinal Laboratories, Inc., located in Azusa, Calif.

"Treats are what get the dog to focus on the trainer," Denzer says. "It motivates the dog to do what the handler wants them to do."

Treat bag holders, which attach to a trainer's belt, can be a way to upsell a bag of treats, Denzer says.

Training books may a good option for owners who are strapped for time because books have become shorter and more specific in recent years, Long says. "Now, there are more books out there and there's a bigger demand for people who want to learn how to learn a specific technique," Long says.

DVDs have become a great option for customers who learn visually. "Dog training is a visual art and science," Long says. "There's nothing like seeing the techniques in action."

Retailers should keep in mind that children like to be involved in the training of pets, too, and they should stock products accordingly, Denzer says. She recommends stocking DVDs that teach children simple training techniques.

"Training DVDs take up very little shelf space," Denzer says. "People like to buy things for their kids just like they do for their pets."

Taming A Display Section
Training products range from videos to collars and it proves to be difficult for retailers to know where to merchandise these products.

Some stores like Barry's choose to keep all of their training products grouped together. Other stores may keep the training collars and leads with the rest of their collars and leads and just do special endcap displays to showcase their training products, Denzer says.

Stores that have more space may choose to set up a sitting area for shoppers to browse through books and educational materials to help with training, Schneider suggests. "We have a library area that we'll refer customers to and a lot of times they'll end up buying the book," Schneider says.

Denzer recommends giving coupons for discounts on training products to customers who enroll in obedience classes to help reinforce learned behaviors.

Putting training advice or "how-to" video clips may offer solutions to a shop's clientele, Baron says. "The web category is very big," Baron says. "But unfortunately it not only shows solutions, but it also provides contradictory information."