Disruptive dog in training class

Had a bit of a nasty moment in our training class tonight as another dog was doing a recall and it charged at Parker instead of going to his owner. It was a breed that Parker has been bitten by before and he is wary. He would have growled at it but fortunately the trainer grabbed it before things possibly escalated.

The dog also charged at another dog and there was a noisy kerfuffle and got off his lead outside and charged the trainer's dog.

I was a bit worried by this as the owner has no control over the dog at all and it won't even sit or lie down when she tells it to and it barks continually all through the class which is very disruptive and you struggle to hear the trainer.

I was concerned as the trainer said we would be doing heelwork off-lead the following week so after the class I politely asked her if she would keep her dog away from Parker as he was nervous of the breed after being attacked by one. She said her dog was not aggressive but I said that his social signals were very rude as it charged up to other dogs heads at speed but I don't think she understood. She has not had the dog very long at all and I think she is completely out of her depth. I know it is good that she is in a training class but I think she needs one to one lessons.

I asked the trainer for reassurance to check this dog would not be allowed off the lead in class and he said no he was going to put a long line on it.

What concerns me is that she has the dog off-lead on walks as she says it gets on with other dogs but it has no recall and is very rude. Some of the other people at the class were a bit annoyed by it as it is very distracting having this dog bark all night.

Do you think she should be having separate lessons or is it just me that thinks this? I am having to work very hard with Parker distracting him as he gets quite stressed by all the noise this dog is making as he meets lots of dog-aggressive ones so we can't have nice experiences with them unfortunately!

I shan't be continuing with the classes after the course ends-I joined it for Cherry but it is totally unsuitable as there are 10 dogs in a tiny hall. I will be doing a quilting class instead (much more relaxing!) and training Parker in heelwork to music whilst on walks as the lighter evenings will be here soon and we'll have more time outside.

A decent trainer would have an understanding for the stress levels of all dogs - not just this disruptive one but the others in class too. I'm looking at a local class to join up with mine but the trainer wants to assess Casper first with her own dogs to see if he's calm enough to join in a class or if she feels he will be too disruptive (but has offered private classes or group walk sessions where all the dogs are out in a public park and given training on the walk, so a lot more relaxed than classes). This is a sign of a good trainer to me, because stressed dogs aren't going to learn very well. And this is coming from the owner of a reactive dog! Yes, Casper needs to mingle with other dogs to learn to be calm around them but this is something I need to get him doing, it's to be done by my arrangements and at my expense, I have no right to disrupt classes that others have paid for and upset their dogs who they're trying to train.

Maybe you will be able to find some outside classes as the nights draw out which might be better , at least you would have more space , and any barking would not seem quite so bad.
I went to 1 class indoors , but never went back too many dogs at close quarters .

I'd say 10 Dogs & 1 instructor isn't on. Maybe it's ok in a "top class" where handlers know how to keep attention whilst others are working, but for novice handlers the Dogs get bored/disruptive while the instructor focuses on individuals.

When I've had disruptive Dogs (beyond the normal exhuberant ones) I offer a "walk lesson" with the Dog & handler. Sometimes taking both out of the class helps them relax.
I also sometimes put such Dogs in the "top class" where the other Dogs & handlers are less effected by disruption (have the ability to maintain their Dogs attention). Also the handler can watch other class members & see how they keep attention.

I hope owners aren't put off because their Dog is vocal, unsocialised (for differing reasons) or just scared/stressed,...as that's the whole reason for attending a class.

Yes your trainer does sound good. I am the owner of a reactive dog too and I wouldn't take Cherry to this class (even though she never barks) as wouldn't be fair on her or other dogs.

Yes-I just wish I had gone along and watched the class before I paid up! Lesson learned as will definitely do that next time.

Good point re putting this type of dog in a top class. I don't think this trainer has a top class as he just does beginners.

I don't think this trainer has a top class as he just does beginners.

And often the reason for this is that the trainer is a beginner him/herself!

Must admit that when he was illustrating off-lead work and recall with his Black Lab last night it did cross my mind that Parker works better than his dog! He said himself that he can't get his dog to do a sit-stay in a park when there are other dogs around but then I suppose we can't all have perfect dogs he he!

(Tries very carefully NOT to get on soap box.......)

If you cannot do it with your own dog (with very rare exceptions) you should NOT be training it to others!

He said himself that he can't get his dog to do a sit-stay in a park when there are other dogs around

Good grief, in the hierarchy of training, this is in the kindergarten realm, so if he cannot do this, words fail me (well they don't but I am trying ever so ever so hard to be tactful...............)

How can the trainer train you and your dog if he cant train his own dog?

how random? Cant you get your money back?

I always say that too (with the exception of having done it with previous Dogs)
One of the clubs I attend has a very young trainee instructor & I just cannot take him seriously. He hasn't got much experience, but he's keen to learn. So he spends half the lesson asking me to do something...I say ok,but I do it this way & then go on to tell him why. I only go there to socialise my youngster, but I'm not sure he should be taking puppy classes with hardly any supervision.