It seems we can do just almost anything online these days. Play games. Order food.  Watch TV.   Of course, many educational classes are offered online...and it's not just people who are learning.

Virtual dog training classes became very popular during the pandemic.  Dog training facilities, like many other businesses, were closed after COVID arrived.  At the same time, a lot of people who were forced to stay home because of the virus, decided to adopt a dog to help them get through those dark days.  Dog trainers were in demand during the pandemic and virtual dog training classes were very popular.

"During COVID, everybody got a puppy.  Everybody was at home.  They had time to train a puppy.  So everybody got a puppy,” says Sabrina Lane.

Sabrina owns the Northwestern Pennsylvania franchise of Paw and Order Dog Training.  She normally accepts a dog into her home in Meadville for training.  The training usually lasts eight weeks for a puppy and two to three weeks for an older dog. The owner comes in once a week to try out the commands the dog has learned.

However, the pandemic started something special.  Sabrina found out from her online customers that they enjoyed learning at the same time as their dog through live Internet classes. 

"Online is really nice because they get to work from the comfort of their home even if they're not within our territory."

Pamela Mahon is from Pittsburgh.  She enjoys training her 5-year old pit bull Alexa inside their home.  Alexa can stay in Pittsburgh even though Sabrina, her trainer, is in Meadville. Pamela likes the convenience.

"I work from home.  So it just kind of made sense since I work from home to kind of schedule it during my lunch break.  Then I don't have to worry about going anywhere.  I definitely didn't want to leave her with anybody,” she said.

Potty training, jumping on guests, separation anxiety, barking too much.  All those problems and more are being solved online.   Yes, the Internet seems to provide something for everyone.. including our furry canine friends. 

More information on Sabrina’s dog training classes is available here.