Keeping puppy calm in puppy class!

[woodsandwaves]

I think I'm asking the impossible here but our lovely Labrador is almost 5 months old and has been attending puppy classes for the last 7 weeks. He's always been one of the more "excitable" puppies in class but last session he hardly stopped barking. I know it's stupid but it's quite embarrassing. I have to give him kongs, chews etc the whole time and then take them away so he can do the skill. He's very good at the actual skills but I know he's distracting everyone else there. He's such a chilled pup at home but he just wants to play with all the other pups! Anyone got any tips at all please? I was going to do another 4 week course when this one finished but think I might hold off until he's a bit calmer or maybe do gun dog or agility instead in the summer?

Mine was the delinquent in puppy class. He's a WCS and when I eventually found a trainer who specialised in his breed they said he sounded bored as it wasn't taxing him breed wise. And they were spot on.

I really wish I hadn't preserved in group puppy training classes but I didn't know any better at the time. If I could turn the clocks back I would have done 1-1 training instead.

The only time he was great in group training classes were those that taxed him like gun dog training or scent work.

Dog trainer here…… we give ALL the puppies kongs/chews etc for in between exercises! What you are describing is completely normal and the way you are handling it is perfect.
Do they get ‘play time’ within the class? I avoid doing that like the plague as it hypes the dogs up in expectation of a free for all and causes a load of unintended issues all round. The best classes are about you and pup enjoying each other’s company around the distraction of the others and for the pups to get used to the idea that they can’t bounce on every dog they meet. So no meeting/sniffing each other at all. They can get frustrated while learning this and it can come out as barking. Time and patience will fix it for most if managed the way you are already. If not, one to ones ‘sort of’ work but are avoiding the problem not fixing it. My best suggestions if this is the case would be training pup around adult sensible dogs who will ignore their antics and therefore not wind them up.
A struggling puppy in my classes will have a slightly separate area from the main class to work in to help them adjust. Is that an option?

Thank you both, that's really helpful advice. I'll try to stop worrying about the behaviour as much and use the kongs without feeling like a failure!! We do have some friends with older, calm dogs (who have kind of ignored him when he's gone bonkers around them when we met accidentally) that I could arrange some short walks with. He's a working breed too and loves finding/retrieving things (obviously) and running like mad so think he might do well having "job" training.
They do end up having playtime while we are waiting for the class to start and they do short (3 second) greets on lead. I think I'll hold back and just bring him in when the class actually starts. I will try and sit at the furthest point away from the other pups too. He really is the loveliest dog - just wish he played it a little cooler around potential new friends thanks so much again

I felt like the complete dunce at puppy classes and we only did the basic level training before quitting. We have a very smart and very active working lab goldie cross and for her being a very young dog in an unfamiliar, noisy, indoor environment with lots of other puppies and people was never going to be successful. She was too hyped up and interested and curious. I was probably an overly stressed out newbie owner, so not a great combo. Anyway we worked on things at home and later on I looked for activities that I thought would suit her breed and temperament more and she is turning into a great dog. Sounds like a great plan to try agility or gundog training. We also do flyball which is a lot of fun.

My cocker was an absolute nightmare in puppy classes. Improved a lot after we started to give him a workout and run around a couple of times first, so puppy class was his third or fourth outing of the day.

Thanks. I think we will carry on working at home after this 4 week block of training ends and do some more focused training later on in the year. It's good to know that other lovely pups are the same

Thank you. I think this might work with him actually. I had been trying to make sure he was rested before hand but think that might've been the problem. He's had a lovely run over the sand dunes this morning and Im going to give him another run around the fields before the class starts this afternoon and fingers crossed it'll help.

I wish I could help but we were puppy school dropouts ourselves. I sat and cried in the car after one session where he humped me in full view of the whole class...

Literally dogging then.

Absolutely. He's a big golden retriever and I couldn't get him off me. The pair of us were rolling around on he floor for quite some time. I don't think anyone enjoyed the spectacle though.

Another spaniel owner, I had two that didn't do well at all in group classes, over excitable little nightmares the both of them. In 1:1 though, one's got his silver KC award and got half way through his gold before covid hit, it was nothing to do with not being trainable or clever enough.

Group classes are great at helping your dog to work around distractions. It’s really common for them to be crackers with sheer enjoyment (and actually what you want). But then they need to engage to work.

Our 6 month old goes loopy for the first few minutes then settles to work. But it’s taken a lot of gentle focus exercises between goes to get there. We also did quite a bit of ‘ok we need to go outside to calm down’ and then back in again.

Now she’s great. In fact she’s the only ‘independent’ breed in the room and cough the most focused and consistent 😉

I agree with no play. The idea is they work with the distraction. They learn they can’t greet every dog and person on our pups case.

Im an agility trainer for the same club so used to managing excitement and arousal I’m working dogs. It is normal, it is irritating but sounds like you are doing well. Keep going.

To add, I think something that has really helped us that we don’t allow pup to greet onlead dogs. There is no value in it. So we heavily reinforce choosing to stay with us and walk calmly past a dog when both are onlead. So she has got the idea that she doesn’t greet onlead dogs ever and once she’s sang with delight that she’s getting snacks for 45 minutes for doing some stuff she doesn’t attempt to go to them now, on or offlead. She will actively see one and look to is now for snacks and she does love her snacks 😂

Puppy classes aren’t for everyone, the one near us has classes outside at their centre and will let you hover (for free) on outskirts just walking and rewarding calm behaviour getting your pup used to the other dogs etc. works for some.

Working on calm at home, kong, licky mat, chew etc for times you want more calm - dinner times or busy times at night. (Good idea for at class. I used dinner allowance to praise calm. But you may need to accept you won’t have a calm pup/dog in class. Try one to one with trainer then maybe 1:3 with some other dogs once you’ve done more work with someone who can tailor training to your dog/you it’s hard work sometimes op but you’ll get there

Sunpup was a nightmare at puppy classes. Just pulled to the end of the lead into the middle of the room and yipped and whined and barked. All the other pups sat in their mats. But... he's six months now and we've just done bronze and every week he's got a bit better. I'm glad we persevered with it because it's good for him to learn that he can't play with all dogs. It's hard for them they're just babies. Don't give up! He didn't pass because he can't sit still for one minute, but he smashed all the other tasks and we are now moving onto rally and agility.

Thanks for all the replies. I felt a bit more relaxed at yesterday's class and managed to distract him more easily (and actually hear the trainer which is pretty important!) they did some basic agility stuff and "find it" and he was great at both things and he was only the joint loudest puppy there this week (with another Labrador obvs!)
Really appreciate all the tips. Will sit close to the door next week so I can take him out for a walk around if it gets too much @Newpeep and thanks @Sunflowers765 I'm so glad to hear how much things improved for Sunpup - sounds like he's doing amazing.
@LadyMargaretDevereux I'm sorry
about your experience. It's all natural behaviour for pups but it's so bloody embarrassing!

Going to practice this. He'll do anything for good treats as long as I get in quick before the actual interaction so will just up my game!

Thank you - really great tips, will try it all!

Excellent to hear how well it turned out in the end for your clever pups! Gives me hope!

If it helps, last dog, rescue terrier sighthound cross. A shaky start with her but she grew to love training so much she would not shut up at all in class. She went on to qualify for multiple national finals and won awards for her performance in agility and obedience. She barked like a loon all the way until I retired her at 14. Classes were hard work with her as we had to do lots of working between goes to keep her quiet.

As a trainer, I attended an athletic dogs conference where we could bring our dogs to work with. She lasted 2 minutes until she was asked to leave the room - which was full of puppies and working dogs - she was 10 😂

I would much rather see a dog in my class loving it than quiet and bored. Ok continual barking isn't acceptable but there are things you can do and you are doing them. Keep enjoying it and it sounds like when he is older then he would appreciate something a bit more dynamic like Rally and agility 😎

My lab was given as an example of a puppy that was hard work in training classes :-) (not in a nasty way, but in a "it's really hard to build a good positive relationship if your pup is hard work").

A lot of the early classes felt like a waste of time as spent the whole time managing pup and not being able to listen properly to instructions but we persevered because what we needed most was for pup to be able to do everything with distractions.

She's nearly 2 now though and still 'sings' in class, but I do actually enjoy training classes these days.