Puppy class, oh dear...

[murphys]

Went to first class over the weekend. Oh dear. We have the one, you know there is always one, the ruffian of the class....

All the other puppies were allowed to be off lead and wander about socializing - not mine.

She had to go back on lead as she kept chasing all the other pups.

We all had to sit in a circle with pup with us. To do things like get them used to looking in ears, getting them used to taste dog toothpaste etc. Only mine wouldn't even sit and charged off to play with the Collie who was doing agility...

She did really well at going up the ramp, only she wouldn't go down the other side as she sat licking the top of the ramp where the owners had coaxed their pups up with their treats and dropped some.

And then, we had to put their feet in the water to cool them down (it was hot), and she got into the little pool and lay down in it so no other pup could even get their feet in.

Oh and then of course she rolled in the sand.

I wonder if we will be allowed back... . My pup - she is er, spirited.

Ha Ha Ha..that was my dog a year ago, that was. Not a Dally by any chance? Everyone in class had small pups...I turn up with my giant toddler Dalmatian. She floored most of the pups there and wouldn't stop jumping up at the instructor as he had treats in his pocket. Food obsessed doesn't cover it - oh the shame

My dog is 2 1/2 and still THAT dog

I feel your pain, I have one just like that! She's a Dally and can't sit still for a single second, all the other pups are sitting or laying down waiting their turn while mine is doing an impression of Tigger on speed

Goodness you have good puppies at your classes. All the puppies at our class are like yours!!

She isn't a Dalmation, a Rhodesian Ridgeback so of course is quite huge too . Most of the other pups are small, Staffies, Jack Russells, and a Setter who was the runt, she is lovely but so small.... two sister Labs, brave owners who are gorgeous but cannot be separated...

Tigger on speed ....

Oh Lord, that was mine some years back.

We did the KC Bronze Test after a course of lessons. Out of 12 dogs, mine was the only one to pass because he was the only one who did the stay for 1 minute (or however long it was). The instructor was amazed!! As was I . It was the only time he'd managed to do it, his fave thing to do was to go and goad those sitting still to have a run with him. When we were doing that exercise, the other people would be falling over themselves to be nowhere near us.
He's got a sense of humour my dog

Acolyte

Yeah, he had that dog a few years ago too.

He just wanted to hump everything, including the trainer's 2 year old son every time he was let off his lead

He's better behaved now though

My now 5 year old Collie-whippet cross was expelled from puppy classes in the end. She was about 14 weeks when I got her from rescue so a bit older and bigger than the other puppies in the class. She just wanted to run around as fast as she could and play with the other puppies who, on the whole, we're terrified. We were asked not to come back!

Probablyme
Ok often wonder if people with collies become disheartened at these type of training classes. If I hadn't had collies before I think I would be seriously concerned I was nit up yo the job iykwim
i still go and my dig is over 2. We still don't have our bronze (after 7 months!)

Fortunately I did my own thing with her and she's now a well behaved sweetie (unless you're a small furry/feathery thing or a tennis ball!!) I now have a 1 year old border collie and she has been so quick to learn (perfect recall from her first walk after her jabs were finished!). Collies definitely aren't a beginners dog but are well worth the effort.

So glad I have read this. We are off to our first puppy class 28.09.

Yep, springer x collie here, and she found puppy classes boring! She loved the activities, picked them up quicker than we did, and then grew bored. After two weeks she realised that sniffing the floor avidly meant we rushed her outside for a wee and she could sniff in the hedge, then by week 3 realised that barking across the room whilst the leader spoke gave her extra titbits as we tried to shut her up, or a wander around outside. By the end of week four we abandoned ship, despite this, twelve months on she is mostly very well behaved.

I have a collie and hated our puppy classes, having a non food orientated dog there constant reliance on treats just didn't work plus I discovered what my dog really needed was interaction with well socialised adult dogs not excitable puppies with no manners.
I found a training class with mostly German shepherds, some of whom do working trials so we do a lot of scent work and some limited,controlled off lead and we both love the classes now.The trainer treats the dogs as individuals and recognises that one size doesn't fit all. Plus she doesn't use food treats in the classes which I much prefer.