What`s wrong with just having fun? (bit of a rant)

I had a foul time at both the dog clubs I go to last week - and will be trying a couple of others next week.
Shamus my shorthaired pointer passed his beginners test with flying colours and moved up to Intermediate in a Working Trials Club. He has spent most of his life in kennels we think, and had to be taught to be a `proper dog`. He is a bit scared of new stuff, but eager to please.
The new (to us) trainer asked us to do a couple of excercises - keeping attention using a toy and a jump. Neither one he`d done before. Because of his history he struggled with them - a bit distracted then knocked the jump down. The trainer cast his eyes to heaven and opined that he wasn`t going to manage anything, and sneeringly passed on to the next with a sarcastic remark about how slow Shamus was. I was furious.

At the next one we also had a new trainer who`s been told to `sharpen us all up` and proceeded to drill us in competitive obedience heelwork. She barked at me because Daisy didn`t have her head rammed into my crotch as she walked and I pointed out that I didn`t `do ` competitions. Her expression said `well why come?`

Why is it that when you go over Beginners level people get competitive and driven by `standards`? I go dog training because I want to learn about and have fun with my dog. Is this an Essex thing or do others have the same problem?

I'm sorry you had two such horrible people pulling faces and making remarks.

I don't think its an Essex thing. We have been to agility classes whistle training classes and general obedience and all run because we wanted to something fun with the dogs.

mind you, sometimes I wished there was a bit more discipline! But on the whole it was fun , and we all enjoyed it!

not a Essex thing! dont tar as all with that brush : ( lol!

sorry you had such a hard time,. hope your next classes will be nicer

Don't think its an Essex thing, think some clubs are more competative than others I carefully chose a club that does good citizens rather than competative obedience for my dogs. I looked long & hard some years ago when I wanted to do breed & obedience till I found a club where the trainer was happy to work in different ways with different dogs & allow me to train without an instant sit at each halt. I wanted an obedient dog without holding back their show training but 4 clubs told me it was inpossible to work as I wanted. Hope you find a club to suit your needs.

thats horrid, If your not having a good time then neither is the dog,,, I have some very advanced dogs training at my club, one of which works class C, but we always have fun, snidey trainers lack confidence IMO, if it was the dogs first time, rather than mock you a good trainer would have given you some help and direction for compleating the exersice properly,,,, dont you worrie hun I bet your dogs are doing really well but I would steer towards a club you enjoy,,,,thus the dogs will too x

I don't think it's an Essex thing either, I think it's all over. Slightly different thing, but when I was looking for the flyball clubs (fun only I said) I was sneered at down the phone.

What you don't want to enter them in competitions, make them the best that people have see my, my tut tut tut...........

Well how am I going to expect them to be competition material or the best, they have never done it I just want my dogs to have fun, I want me to have fun watching them have fun.................. Obviously not what you join for (thankfully I have found somewhere now)

Normally these 2 clubs are great and they do have other trainers that are brilliant. Maybe I was just unlucky last week. However, I`ll look at a couple of others just to see.

Oh how absolutely infuriating and how dare he!!
I bet you were livid. NO people skills and no genuine love of dogs, it seems!

OMG! Unbelievable.
I knew old style dog clubs still existed but how depressing.
Well done for at least saying you didn't do competitions. Another trainer with no people skills, it seems. Where does the dog club get its trainers from I wonder!

I don't think it's an Essex thing, I think it's everywhere. I'd suggest trying an apdt class, because they are meant to be kind, fair and effective to people as well as dogs, but the trouble is they don't always do (in fact rarely do) a club you can go along to week after week, most of 'em do a set number of weeks.

However here's the info www.apdt.co.uk maybe take a gander and see..?

I'm fuming on your behalf!

Sadly I think this seems to be getting common all over - the competitive streak in the trainers just seems to take over.

I want to do agility with Stumpy but I already know that the only clubs within reasonable travelling distance of me all take it way too seriously.

My poor neighbour got a complete slating because they thought his dog could do really well, but that he was a useless handler. He is a lovely man and looks after his dogs really well, but they made him feel small and stupid. There is absolutely no need for that at all.

Sometimes I think any kind of competition (be it show, agility etc) brings out the worst in some people. When the winning becomes everything, I'm sure they stop thinking about what's best for their dogs.

Do they change trainer over quite a bit?#



A good trainer trains the dog and handler,,, some however dont see it that way it makes me really angry,