What a disaster!

This morning I drove 40 miles through thick fog to take the girls for their first training session. We arrived to find 5 GSD's and 1 Beagle being put through some form of agility training and in the yard next door another 3 GSD's guarding the property. Chloe hates GSD's and on seeing so many she completely lost it and it took me some time to calm her down.

When we eventually made it to the hut to book in the first thing I was told was that I'd have to buy slip collars as they wont train dogs wearing harnesses. For a tiny dog like Chloe and a 4 month old puppy? Probably as well my Hungarian wasn't good enough to say "Only over my dead body"!

Then a woman with an enormous GSD walked over and asked the trainer what breed Georgina was and from what I could understand the trainer seemed to consider Shar-Pei as an aggresive breed??? By this time Chloe had calmed down but poor Georgina was frightened with such a large dog looming over her. To reassure her I gave her some treats only to be told treats aren't allowed in training and at this point Chloe decided to poo and again I was told this was not allowed and ordered to take the girls out of the training area to where some owners were waiting with their young dogs .. all duly wearing slip collars. What struck me most forcibly was the lack of interest and enthusiasm they showed towards their puppies and maybe they thought of me as an eccentric english woman because I was talking to and petting my dogs.

In the end I decided it was not the kind of training I wanted for my girls .... so we got back into the car and drove home where as soon as they got out of the car Chloe did zoomies round the garden and Georgina rolled on the grass.

Good grief - I assume you won't be returning there?

Have to say it sounds just like the training classes I attended well over 30yrs ago with my GSDs. Training with treats not heard of and all dogs on slip choke chain collars.

But that was over 30 yrs ago and I wouldn't have dreamed of taking a smaller or nervy young dog there. In fact I've not taken either of the smaller breeds I've owned since to formal training.

If I'd taken my CKCS into an environment like that she might not ever have recovered from it! And the minpin I have now would no doubt have just non stop barked at all the GSDs!

If I were you - I'd check out some of the excellent dog training vids on YouTube. One of our members (Kikopup I think?) has some excellent ones (I will check for you) and just work with them at home.

I can sympathise - I live in Cyprus and most Cypriots think I am more than a bit 'strange' for picking up dog poo, keeping my dog on a lead on the roads and for allowing her on the furniture and my bed. And cruel beyond belief to have her spayed as it is 'unnatural'! Oddly enough almost all of them envy me my 'well behaved' dog too and often say they wished their dog was as 'good'!

Here you go - this link should take you to most of her vids.

http://www.youtube.com/user/kikopup/videos

You can 'subscribe' to her channel. Here's a sample for 'sit/stay'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksBLKi6lj1s

Well done, you won't regret taking them away.

The Dogs Trust has a series of clips showing dog training, Caroline Monteith has done them and they are very good, if you go to Youtube and look up Dogs Trust you will find them there. They are very easy to understand and will help you a lot.

Thanks Tang and Mattie for the training info and most of all for your support. We definitely WON'T be going back again!

Actually, the main reason I decided to take the girls to classes was because I wanted them to meet more dogs .... the training was a secondary consideration as I've always trained my dogs myself. Living in a very small village we rarely get to meet well behaved, sociable dogs and I was hoping going to school would solved the problem but as they say "we'll just have to make another plan".

I sometimes wish I lived nearer to Budapest and could take them to Mirror Method classes which I from what I've read and the videos I've seen is an excellent way of training ... but sadly is too far to travel and apparently the only other school in Miskolc is even worse than the one we went to!

Tang : It sounds as though Hungary and Cyprus have a lot in common in the attitude towards dogs. I remember being asked how I expected my dogs to protect me when I treated them so well! My neighbours think I'm really odd because I walk the girls on leads and they live and sleep in the house and as far as they're concerned my two are horribly spoilt brats.

Just as well you actually went along and didn't sign up over the phone. It certainly didn't sound like a positive training school and you were right to walk away.

Goodness Barbara , are you sure this was a dog training establishment and not some form of correction center
I would have been out of there like a shot .

As Mattie says the Caroline Monteith videos offer really good positive reinforcement techniques and a lot of understanding

http://www.dogstrust.org.uk/az/t/tra.../#.Um6kZnBK-rE