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Location: Surrey & Dorset, UK
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 1,266
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Advice please - Unsure about training class after 3 months...
This is quite long, sorry! I am trying to learn/use positive training methods, I will raise my voice if I have to but I am not a fan of forcing dog into position etc; more have lots of patience and let woofer work it out.
We've been taking Bentley to class on Saturdays since February ish. He is now 7 months and got 'promoted' to dog class from puppy class last week
The thing is, 'Dog Class' was really different and I have been quite upset ever since Saturday and I am in two minds about whether to take him again....
There were some beautiful dogs in my group; Pointer, Golden Retriever, Hungarian Visla, BC, (red?) Setter...and then my little Jack Russell.
Anyway, I have been having issues (many many issues with everything but that's another story!
) with barking, esp at other dogs
The trainer took Bentley and walked him toward the VERY excitable GR and as he got right in front, he turned sharply and walked away. Bentley looked a little confused and had his ears back looking all sad. The trainer did this 3 times which wound the GR up until it barked right in Bentley's face
and he ran away. He then clung to my legs as best he could for the rest of the session. I don't see how that will make him bark less?
The other thing that's made me think that maybe it isn't for us was practising 'Stay' which we haven't practised enough outside of the house and is certainly not a learned behaviour. When Bentley followed me, I was told it's because I didn't use the right tone of voice (apparently like he's put muddy paw prints on the sofa so I guess that's angry??) and that I had to lead him back to posistion and jerk the lead
When I said ' he's not staying cos we haven't practised enough' he said 'this is how he'll learn, don't worry, you won't hurt him' ....
And when the Pointer wouldn't do down, he was yanked down by his owner so that his nose hit the floor
The trainer even said at one point; this is negative reinforcement......
When Bentley and I got home he had a little snooze. When he woke up I tried to play with him and he wasn't bothered so I thought we'd go for a walk in the woods. He would not respond to a single command
not even sit. So I chose to end the walk (kind of as a 'eat your greens, get desert' but mainly cos he ran across the road which is a bit dangerous really) He wasn't very well behaved on Sunday and I really feel like I've been on a trust building exercise all week. Is it just coincidence (puppy version of terrible twos) or do you think he was 'upset' from class?
Class is on Saturday mornings so I have Friday to decide whether or not to go back. OH is away (94 days to go
) and he doesn't really understand the positive training thing that I'm trying to introduce but said that I should do whatever I think is right. My neighbour thinks I should go again this week just to make sure but tbh I don't think I can cope with another week like the one we just had (lots of tears! Think it may have been easier to have had a baby instead!)
What do you think? Should I not go back? The guy that does the class is lovely and really likes Bentley which makes me want to go, esp for socialising as well. And the puppy class worked wonders for him, he was used as example pup a couple of times to show loose lead walking
We have started to make our way through '100 ways to train the perfect dog' (amongst others) which is making me think very differently about training.
Any advice gratefully received; I am soooooo stressed about it it's unreal!