Oh SLB you were soooo looking forward to it as well, it sounds like a nightmare.

Speak to the K.C...if it's not reported it won't get better. Your friend doesn't have to know. The club will get a standard letter reminding them of the guidelines. So many clubs "stretch" the rules to suit themselves....large class sizes, odd methods etc.

Thanks

I know, not quite what I expected..

I'm not going any more - so he'll kinda know it's me that's said something, unless I tell him I've found one closer...

I'm kicking myself that I didn't have a rant there, how is a water spray going to get the dog to "respect you" How is not allowing Louie go and greet other dogs disrespecting me? On the parks and in the field'd he's off lead most of the time - he'll say hello to the dogs unless they are on lead and I've always shouted over to see if the dog is friendly before I let 25KG of bounce towards them. And after he's said hello - he's fine, he'll walk or run past me, usually the latter and his nose to the ground, totally unaware of everything, I'd rather have that than a dog that avoids others due to being scared of being shouted in the face or squirted with water because hello is a bad thing...stupid trainers.
Apparently and because I was in such a bad mood last night I forgot most of what the first trainer said and what another trainer said at the end of the night, I'll tell you now. The lady trainer said that the water bottle and the yanking on the lead and check collar - "gives you an edge" - No it's borderlining abuse. Demonstrating with a fresh out of kennels/rescue, staffie x patterdale, she showed us how Harnesses have less control over a dog than a halti or a collar..the way she was ragging - and I will say ragging, instead of her use of the word "Correction" if she had put a halti on that dog, it's neck would have been snapped - it was ridiculous! And at the end of the night, since I'd gone with my friend and was been picked up at the end of the "training" by my OH, Louie had played with my friend's dog Storm, she came in for the second lot - the silver award people - or the second level. And Storm came into the room and he got excited that his new friend was there and the man, one of the other trainers, who had his dog - a Shiba inu - I had no idea they were that big and that they came in Brindle(?) the one who squirted his dog in the face for merely standing up, when Louie was getting excited and wanting to sniff Storm, he said "He'll get a squirt" - I remember thinking and I wish at that moment I'd had done my normal thing of thinking out, "you'll get a squirt if you dare do that to my dog".

Oh and another thing - I got told I had to be a firm handler - I am firm, but I don't believe in hurting my dog. He's already scared of strangers - I don't want to pull him away from them and make him even more scared.

Seriously, people train like that - in a registered club? That's supposed to promote positive training, unbelievable.

I'm going to find another training class closer to me so I can say I've found one that's closer so less hassle and then report them - that way they'd have no idea it was me - would they?

Just ring the KCGC dept & have a chat...they will tell you where the nearest clubs are & you don't even have to give your name.

I've just emailed one that is closer to me, one that offers agility and flyball - which I think is what he needs, I'd love to get him into something like shoots but he's got too much get up and go so would be shoo'd from a shoot Oh well.

I'll let you all know what I hear back and if I get to go tonight.

First of all there is no such thing as a KCGCDS class. The scheme is run by the Kennel Club and KC registered clubs can administer it.

Second of all, why did you not visit this training establishment prior to enrolling your dog to determine whether or not it met your requirements? I always bang on about visit the club/trainer first without a dog so you can observe their outlook/techniques and competency.

Then exercise starts - dogs weren't allowed to greet each other, to sniff or smell..

Well that is not necessarily a bad thing, you are there to train your dog, not have a social.


can't open the firedoors because of the puppies running off - sorry but they're on leads and we're sat down listening to you mumble on about a load of twaddle?

TBH having doors shut is a basic H & S measure because dogs do escape, slip their collars etc.

No water for them either.

I do not provide water in classes, I don't want dogs sharing bowls, so people bring their own if they want.

Louie is trained on both sides but I favour my right, due to ease of getting treats out and clicking and also I have a dodgy left wrist, broken due to falling over a dog And the instructor told me I would struggle -

Not really sure I understand the issue here?

Have you got a list from the KC which tells you which clubs in your area administer the GC scheme and to what level? When you get it, visit the classes first without a dog.

ps the KC will not do anything about choke/check chains or half checks. Because of course for some dogs, a check chain is the only sensible collar eg Rough Collies etc. They will not do anything about spray bottles per se either.

However if this is a KC registered club, you can raise a complaint, but if you are not prepared to put your money where your mouth is, why should they act?

After all, if I had an employee who was complaining about one of their line managers, unless they make it formal then I am just acting on rumour and hearsay, hardly fair is it?

But of course the CLUB does not need to know from whom the complaint originated.

Personally I would write a formal letter of complaint to them, CCing the KC.

You could go to gundog training classes if you want to? Get up and go is only a problem if they go off by them selves other wise it's not a bad thing.

There is no such thing as "too much get up and go" only insufficient control............

Appart from the water bottle it seems like most ot the KC classes I've been to.
The ignoring dogs is standard it's all about control tbh.

I could do, I don't know what I want him to do yet, I haven't got anything sorted at all, there's so many things to do I just can't choose.

So shouting in a dog's face should be acceptable then? Yanking the dog by the neck on a choke/half check, that's appropriate?

Teaching a puppy or a dog to ignore other dogs is hardly being social now is it?

Ugh - if that's how they all are then I'll just forget it, that is not anything I want to put my dog through. And if they are how most of them are like, then I don't see why they get so much praise.

So much for positive training