Lol, you should hear Jess around other dogs and you would think Zena is as quiet as a mouse lol

Oh God it's so annoying. Ignore them, H. In our puppy classes we had a really competitive guy who kept boasting about his dog and laughing and commenting LOUDLY when Loki got distracted by the taste of the sheep dung that was in the field. for the bloke and for having classes in a field littered with sheep dung. He wasn't laughing so loudly when Loki BEAT his dog hands down in the grand finale!

It's the same with mums and kids, as I'm finding out. There's always one ... or two !

Thanks Shona, but the thing is, he had his other dog on the floor doing the class, and they're half way through that class, so he's obviously taken this westie each week perhaps?? If you had young puppies on the stage at one of your training sessions, is it out of order for them to be quietly and I stress here, quietly, socialising then???

In hindsight, I should just have bloomingwell moved shouldn't I, but I knew the people next to me and that would have appeared a bit rude wouldn't it? Next time, I will avoid him like the plague!

Lol at Loki!!!! Yes, you could have a very good point there Lucky. The mere fact that he had his other dog IN the class, might mean that he's a competitive begger, whereas I'm not, I just want a well behaved, obedient dog and that's why I'm there!! Mind you, if she's half as good as she's making out she is, then we might go far!!!! xxxx

It sounds like the son WANTED the westie to play just the dad was uptight!!!! I dont think you were in the wrong at all, id not exept any puppy to ignore a puppy for 45mins!!!! esp if they were having a jolly nice time.

The thing ive found from experince if you let a puppy play "alot" somewhere then next time it will think oh i play here, which is fine until you get up on the floor & your pup rightly think it is going to play, instead of train, then you have something to fight against from the start.

If i was watching a class, id expect abit of controlled meet & greet with all different dogs, as they went past me, 5 mins controlled play if a nice dog was there , & some settled watching, then abit more meet & greet etc.

Normaly I wouldnt have pups sat still on a stage, IMO, its quite a long time for pups to be sat doing nothing,

if the owners want to see how it works they can come in and see how things go without the dog,

the first week we have pups in doing puppy class, we normaly have them interacting on the main floor, we have a puppy play time, then do a bit of clicker intro, then a small play time/ wee poo break, then a chill out training session puppy style....
so its not really a problem I have ever had...
the most important thing for me when I start pups is that they interact with other pups, adult dogs of all shapes and sizes and are happy and confident to do so,
how good there walking on the lead is and so on really takes second place at the start.

Well do you know what? That's exactly what I did! As it walked past, I kept Zena right next to me, I didn't let her play with it, but the fact that the boy had hold of it and let it edge forward, I thought to myself, oh ok he's fine with letting Zena say hello so they did for a min. or 2. Then I brought her round again. After a while she got bored but instead of the Westie she went under the chair and behind me to this other puppy and like I say, they let him go right to the end of his lead and I thought, oh well, they're up for Zena saying hello. Then I stopped her again, I called her, she didn't listen, I got a treat out, I brought her round to the front again with the treat and made her sit there and lie down. Fine for 10 mins. I suppose. Then this westie was coming forward and licking her again, and that was when the dad took over and pulled it away, the son still had the bit near the dog, but the dad had the end of the rope and was trying to get it off the son, I sussed that he was displeased, so I again made her sit and lie down. Then she was interested in one of the trainer's bags in front of me and the back of her, but she turned round and said hello. Then she went to the couple next tome who adored her, but for the last 10 mins. I suppose, she was again to my right whilst I chatted yes Iknow and that's when this lady piped up with what she did about not letting Zena so close to the westie coz it wasn't fair on his puppy (who is 7 months old! )

I don't know, the last two attempts I've made at dog training I get both my puppies attacked, and one of them pulled up in the air by the scruff of it's neck for being nasty to the trainer's collie who went for my puppy first, and now I've got a sociable little girl who wants to befriend every dog and everyone and I still get miffed coz I got told off! I was like that at shool though, always getting told to stand outside for messing around! Lol! Why should this be any different!!!! Gotta laugh!xxxx

just dont sit next to him again then!!!!

That all sounds good to me Shona! The trouble is they are a really busy club and they can't fit me in until after Easter, but she said to go along each week with Zena and sit on the stage and I will learn a lot, which I have even tonight quite honestly, but I doubt if Zena has, she was too interested in chatting! I suppose the best bit for me tonight was, as we came out, there were so many big scarey noisey gsd's going IN, and poor Zena was a bit overwhelmed as we came out first in the pitch black, no Georgie to reassure her, and yet she walked as good as gold next to me, stuck to me like glue, walked all around the building in the pitch black and got in the car as if she did it every day, so if I've learned nothing else tonight, I myself feel I've finished on a high with that alone! Puppies are sociable and I wouldn't want her any other way, and I will make darn sure I sit at the opposite end of the stage to this miserable bloke, probably next to my friends who are bringing their staffie, and try and make Zena concentrate on what's going on for at least 5 mins a time here and there. That's my plan!!!

PMSL! Duh, now why didn't I think of that then!!!! You just wait until he's in the same class as me on that floor with his 7 month old westie then I'll show him how Zena CAN concentrate! Watch me!!!!