It is so hard isn't it? I think what the weekend has taught me is that I do just want to have fun with him in a safe class. I didn't feel that was safe with the aggressive dog on a slip lead...nor was it fun.


I have been giving a lot more thought to this.
I am a teacher by trade and if I had a class of 23...and me...even with just me and a helper, I may do a whole class intro, but then I would group the class to do different tasks according to ability and work intensively with one or 2 groups, or wander around everyone. That way the children can learn at their level.

In a dog training scenario I think it should be run in a similar manner. A 13 week old pup cannot be trained in the same class as a 13 year old dog...nor can a handler who knows what they are doing with heaps of experience be expected to do the same class as a new dog owner.

There is no reason in a classs situation, why a class of 20 can't be split into 4 ability groups doing different things, then regroup to show what they have learnt?
Surely that would be better than 20+ people at different levels with 20+ dogs at different levels trying to learn and do exactly the same thing??? Just in terms of attention span it is impossible.

If I taught in the way the trainer taught (and I am not really referring to the dog I am referring to the people) I would never have got a job.

People deserve better. People do not learn well in the situation I saw on Saturday...and nor do dogs.