Please tell me dog school will get better :(

[OrangeSamphire]

My pup is 6 months. We've done basic puppy training with her at home until now. She's doing well with food manners, sit, recall, toilet training, crate at night - all secure.

We are first time dog owners so we thought we had better put her through the good citizen training scheme too. I'd like to do up to gold as it's important to us to have a well trained dog and then move on to agility as I think she would enjoy it.

First session at training today at a local club I found via Kennel Club.

Within about ten minutes I felt like I wanted to leave.

As we arrived, through throngs of dogs leaving from the previous class, one of the trainers walked past me and commented 'what's that?' 'what's that coming into class'. Not sure if this was a joke, but it wasn't very welcoming. No hello, or welcome. I admit my dog does look pretty daft as she has an extremely shaggy coat and prances like a race horse when she's excited.

It was busy, over ten dogs in the class despite the website saying 8 or under.

We had been told sessions started today although others seemed to have been there a while. We seemed to be the only new ones and it seemed we were unexpected and our arrival threw them, despite having registered online and had an email exchange to confirm booking.

We then missed the start of the class as they had recorded our details wrong via email and wanted to do all of that first so we were hauled out to do that.

Then we were immediately finger pointed (literally finger pointed) to be taken for focused work at the back of the hall. I don't know why.

I was then given quite a sharp lecture because my dog had the 'wrong type of harness'. Apparently she should be wearing one with a front ring. Maybe she should, I didn't know, we bought what was recommended in our very reputable pet shop, but didn't appreciate the manner.

I was then lectured again ever more harshly because she didn't have her collar and tag on and the woman barked at that I was breaking the law without giving me a chance to talk. I had removed it when we got out of the car, as my dog had been car sick and then laid on it. I only had time to clean her up, not her collar and tag. And actually I didn't know I was breaking the law by having taken it off temporarily to go into a private building.

At that point I became tearful. This was probably not necessary but it's been a difficult few months (not dog related) and this on top of that meant I didn't feel particularly resilient.

We did learn a few useful techniques for not jumping up, lead walking without pulling, lying down. All in the ten minutes focused work at the back of the hall.

When we eventually rejoined the group there was only 10 minutes left and no further teaching took place. The trainer just went round to everyone asking if their dogs allowed them to handle and inspect them. Mine does.

I left a bit baffled to be honest. We live rurally so there aren't many trainers. If there were I would probably switch.

Should I persevere?

[littlehayleyc]

Personally I have found training with my puppy (now 2.5yrs) a really positive experience. We've done various classes starting when he was about 10 weeks old. We now do Rally classes once a week. I think you just need to find a better class. The trainer who runs the group I go to is lovely. She explains everything properly, tailors the training to the individual dogs and is never harsh with either the people or the dogs. If you find another group, maybe ask to observe a session without taking your dog so you can get a feel for the trainer and methods used before exposing your dog to it.

[ProfessorMoody]

They sound awful, I hope you manage to find a nicer class.

Lots of dog people aren't very good with humans - I've come across awful dog trainers many times. There are some amazing ones too though, so persevere!

[PuppyMonkey]

I took my pup to a puppy class from hell once too. Never again.

The instructor was the biggest arse I have ever met and he did nothing but criticise the owners, no support or constructive stuff. And loads of really advanced techniques which left us all humiliated while he got off on telling us how we were doing it all wrong and “that would be a Kennel Club fail” in a stern voice. My puppy was TEN WEEKS OLD

We’d only gone for a bit of puppy socialisation.

Anyway, my puppy shat on the floor at the end which just about served the twat right.

We did find much a better class run by our local Dog’s Trust branch. Highly recommend them.

[CoffeeCoffeeLove]

I've never taken my pup to training on the advice of my mil whose had dogs her whole life, she told me every one she's been to has been awful and barely anything was taught/learnt. She recently got a new pup herself though and took him to a session because it was recommended by the breeder, she was going sign me up if it was a good as she was led to believe but it was in her words 'the worse training session I've ever been too' and never went back even after having paid upfront for all sessions!
I've done most training at home but we still have a few issues re jumping up and recall so I've been looking into home trainers. Found a couple who come to your house and its essentially teaching you how to teach them in order to be able to continue once the trainer has left, I haven't been able to book anything yet though as it's quite pricey so currently saving up the money whilst trying out techniques from Google/you tube (slow process, my dog is a lazy bugger!)

[starcrossedseahorse]

Go elsewhere OP. My dog club is lovely and everyone is warm and friendly and bonkers about dogs. What you have described sounds appalling. Leave and don't look back.

[Teddy1905]

And it was yet another occasion that I should have listened to my mother! " Puppy training lessons?? Well i've heard it all now, you paid how much for the bloody dog and now your paying what??? I've heard it all now, you've all got money than sense!! " the only good point of the training was listening to her in fits of laughter as i gave her weekly updates! X

[Teddy1905]

Good for you orangesamphire, no regrets for me not taking second pup. I think theres a definite place for the skills of a competent behaviourist if needed, or attending breed specific groups that expand their natural skills, like scentwork etc, but for the majority of dog owners like us, just use common sense. My two have learnt more socialising in the park, chatting with other dog owners than any class, and it's an environment they enjoy and are comfortable in. X

[pigsDOfly]

Pleased to hear that you're not going back, they sound awful.

[OrangeSamphire]

I’d love to post a shitty review nala but I’ve since discovered they don’t have a Facebook page, only a private group!

Maybe I know why...

Incidentally they didn’t make me pay upfront for the entire course. They took a membership fee of £7 then £6 for the class. I have no idea how many sessions we are supposed to attend or what the course covers though.

That’s it. I’m not going back. Thank you all. I feel liberated! Ddog has just had an absolutely lovely run on the beach with her friends and is now sleeping

[OrangeSamphire]

Thank you valla I will PM you.

[Nala18]

I have a 10 month old GR who is the most adorable loving thing but puppy classes just didn’t work and I didn’t enjoy them neither did she. They were at most relatively informative in the sense of “obviously thanks for highlighting that”. My GR is well behaved mostly but is overly excited to see dogs, and recall when another dog there is none existent even though we spend money each week just for her to go to play group to play with dogs so that they’re a normal part of her day... it’s really testing having a puppy. I’ve given up on trainers, the only thing I got from them was that which I could find in a book! Maybe try reading first? Ps I would put a shitty review. They sound like right twats.

[twoheaped]

They'd probably all been at the previous Bronze award class and failed, hence doing it again.
I have an Italian Greyhound whose backside won't go anywhere near the cold hard ground, not good when they need to do a sit and stay! My instructor was great, recognised that a sit would be impossible and we worked in the stand and stay.
There is a minute hold in the stay for the bronze award, if I remember correctly. Every week whilst practising, mine would be off causing absolute havoc......he was great for the other owners who could practise with their dogs to ignore him.
On the day of the test, he stayed for the required time, every other dog moved and failed on that point.
Much to the surprise of our instructor, we were the only ones who gained their bronze certificate
That said, we had GSP's before and took them to a 121 trainer. We only needed 4 lessons and he had equipped us with enough knowlwdge to carry on their training.

[PristineCondition]

On the different dogs for training front...My neighbor posted on our areas Facebook to find different dogs for her puppies to interact with and loads of people got in touch and did regular meetups in different places.
It became really social and she stil meets a lot of them a year on

[Hoppinggreen]

We failed puppy class, and intermediate class
Ddog is a dream now ( mostly)
Did it all ourselves with help from books and YouTube. Don’t pay someone to make you feel crap

[wheelwarrior]

Leave
We went to training class and she said well who is going be traing the dog despite me in front of her .She told me that be impossible for me to do from my wheelchair

Found a 1-1 who yes we tweaked couple of things but now at 4 ,am complimented on my boy behaviour .Do see the so called first trainer out and about and when her dog ran up to my onlead one .Loud voice saying shame some people can not train dogs as mine ignored and walked of next to me ☺

[BiteyShark]

I think the reason they make you pay for so many weeks is they know lots will drop out. However, if that was my business I would be concerned about why people drop out but I guess they have the money so they are happy with that and only having a few to teach.

If I got a dog in the future I wouldn't sign up for any group lessons unless it's things like scent work or agility and just pay for 1-1 for anything else.

[doingwhatican]

I stopped after 4 lessons. The following Saturday I met a fellow drop out in the park when we should all have been in class. Why do these teachers hate humans so much, why bother teaching? I did write an email with feedback. The owner of the school was very surprised and probably ignored my feedback but I do think people should take the time to give feedback or it won’t get any better for the next lot. Worst £90 spent on the dog.

[Teddy1905]

I can relate to this! I took my first pup to classes last year, as it seems to be the thing to do now, and it was stressful, demoralising, disaster! Like you, more dogs than expected, all sitting around in a circle, on lead, desperate to all get to each other and play. I spent an hour with my tiny terrier squashed between a highly strung howling Samoyed, and a completely focused, and seemingly fully grown, Newfoundland. Of course this was never going to work, and all I wanted to do was scoop up my dog, and get out of there. Over the following week, I was sure I wasn't going back, but then the annoyance kicks in. You've paid for the whole bloody course, do they rely on half the group not returning? My dogs as good as anyone else's, etc,etc. So I return, proudly dragging my ASBO puppy through the hall, who caused chaos with her over enthusiasm to learn. By week 3, when I entered the hall, we were called to the side by the instructor. " would I mind, very much, if myself and dog, would sit in a specially sectioned off area of the hall" which turned out to be a naughty corner, made up of upturned tables which meant nobody could see us and we couldn't see them, "ok" . And there we stayed for each lesson, we learnt nothing, but I think the instructor did! Needless to say, with second pup this year, I did'nt even consider wasting my money on a course! Good luck.xx

[Vallahalagonebutnotforgotten]

OrangeSamphire do not go back!

If you want to pm me your area I can recommend some positive, good educational training classes for you and your dog.

Good training classes should be fun, sociable, educational and a pleasure for the dog and the owner.

Just asking did the class belong to a "dog club?" In my opinion they can be horrendous with no trained volunteered instructors.

[BiteyShark]

In our couple of 1-1 classes that I did we actually were outside in the lessons in a park so we practiced the whole distraction in a real setting. So if you do like the trainer and they typically train indoors you could suggest having some lessons outside as well.

I had I think either two or three 1-1 sessions and I learnt far more in that time than I ever did in the general group classes. This is because they are fully focused on how you and your dog interact together.

[OrangeSamphire]

Those are some high value treats batten

We are so limited for classes round here. The only other one within striking distance has a bad rep from friends and neighbours who have been recently with their puppies.

I have found a registered trainer about 1.5hrs away who does 121. I’ve contacted her to see what she can offer.

We would lose the benefit of training around other dogs, which I wanted as ddog is v sociable, bouncy and easily distracted.

And it’s a long way to go. But perhaps we could do fortnightly sessions and do lots of our homework in the park or beach to consolidate learnings in a busy and distracting environment.

Thank you for sharing your experiences and for the perspective on this. I really wanted these classes to be a success but perhaps it’s time to cut our losses instead.

[BiteyShark]

Totally agree with missbattenburg on the having to undo some of the bad things about classes. If I could turn the clock back I would have run away from all of them that did the whole 'dogs must meet each other to learn to socialise'. In fact the trainer who I found who teaches my breed to work said unless I had got my puppy from a puppy farm he was perfectly socialised all ready from mum and siblings and he was. He didn't need to 'learn' that he must greet and play with all dogs.

Trust your instincts OP. I wish I had done that more from the beginning and not 'followed the crowd'.

[missbattenburg]

I think I will go again next week to give it another chance and then review

I honestly wouldn't even do that.

I went to three different classes with Battendog. The first I left after a week because I just felt teacher was not very human focussed and was brisk/rude/unsupportive of the owners - despite clearly loving dogs.

The second I stuck with and it was fine but not brilliant. Most of the stuff we did in class we'd already done at home so I treated more as a chance to practise in a distracting environment. It was a bit boring for Battendog, though - just a series of sits and stays etc.

The third I stuck with and REALLY wish I hadn't. The first thing the puppies were allowed to do was run riot for ten minutes. I asked if this was going to every week and was told "yes, they need to learn to get along". BatD basically spent 6 weeks desperately trying to get back to playing with them all and not focussed on me. I almost left after one week and REALLY with I had. I think I only tsayed because it felt like we'd quit a class already. Not once did he ever do anything I asked in that class - despite me taking comedically high value treats (rump steak, venision sausage etc). I kick myself now for staying with it and almost swore of classes altogether until...

I found the most wonderful trainer about an hour away. She is brillaint. Perhaps the most important things she does is:

a) have a qualified helper - not just kids on work experience. This means two qualiied eyes watching what I and the dog are doing to offer advice etc.

b) watch the dog and make effort to understand him. She immediately 'got' that BatD leanrs best when he is active and when the reward is varied - more than any dog I've known he gets bored of repeated exercises or repeated rewards.

We do agility and BatD has loved that and learned more there than in any other class - partly because the trainer is good and partly because agility suits. him. It's active, high energy and involved different obstacles so we're always changing the task. As it also teaches good geenral skills (to wait hile other dogs have a go, to focus on me etc) I wonder if we should have done elements of it sooner - obviously without any of the stuff that stresses joints.

I think that's a long winded way of saying rubbish classes do much more harm than good - harm you might spend months undoing (BatD remains easily distracted by other dogs ever since the puppy riots).

[Booboostwo]

Please find a different class. I have assisted in hundreds of training classes and never treated anyone like that.

Our classes had 8 dogs maximum, everyone started together at the same level. Class 1 was always about explaining some principles behind clicker training, showing basic techniques and discussing common problems occurring outside the class.

[Greyhorses]

Find a different class.

We went to some disasterous ones too, just chalked it up to a mistake and never went back!