The best thing you ever learnt in a class?

I am looking for help from anyone who has ever attended a good dog training class. We are hoping to introduce some new activities into our classes in the near future and am looking for as wide a variety of experiences as possible.

I am hoping that many of you will be able to help me.

Can you tell me what was the best / most usefull / most fun / most helpfull / most educational / beneficial piece of information /game /trick / excercise that you have ever learnt on a course or at a dog training class. Theory or practical.

What was the best tip? Why was your best instructor SOOOO good? What made the classes fun? What doid your dog enjoy most?

What would your "dream" classes opr educatiobakl events have in them? Pups or adults.

And conversely, what didnt work for you.

Thank you for your time.

Denise x

I don't know if this will be of interest but the thing that sticks in my mind from a training class we attended with our previous dog was the teaching of the emergency stop. Learnt it at the time and as the years went on forgot all about it. Then one day our dog got out of the front door and ran to the kerb. Now we live on a horrendously busy road and if she'd attempted to cross she undoubtedly would have been badly hurt or killed. I shouted stop in a frantic loud voice and low and behold she did! After a bit of coaxing she came back into the house. So I bless that trainer for including this into the lessons.

I have only ever attended one proper training class ( 8 weeks ) and I learnt to never go back to that "trainer" again!

However, I had a one to one session with a very good trainer (you know her D) who taught me that no matter how serious the thing you are trying to teach your dog, it has to be fun for the both of you, otherwise where is the point?

I loved how within an hour (or less) my DA dog was running around (off lead) with a Lurcher and a few BC's...AND coming back to me when called (for a huge pile of treats!)

My ideal class is to have a mix of dogs (all ages, breeds, colours, ages) for the owners to have a bit of an understanding of theirs and others dogs, and to have a nice instructor (like the one I mentioned, or you D) and for it to be in Kent!

Who is this trainer?

I haven't been in a training class before - I've had one experience that I didn't like, water sprays, choke chains, yanking and pulling the dog, no use of treats, no socialising of the dogs before or after training sessions - these were puppies.

The one I have attended and like up to now, uses half checks - and now I have fitted Louie's training collar correctly (He'll only have it on in training) I feel OK about it, they don't make you do anything you don't think your dog will do, for example, when it came to recall, Louie was too distracted by a few dogs behind us so wasn't listening - so instead of trying it - it was decided not to take part in that activity - didn't want to fail him. The dogs were allowed to socialise before and after training, but whilst in the little arena type area - dogs are to do as they are told. Which is fair.

When retrieval training with Louie - I haven't got him a proper trainer as such - but she'll do, he's already improved. I work on the hold at home and we do some retrieves when we arrange to go out. So far his water retrieves are better than his land ones but it is fun and light not work work work all the time. Plus it really helped Louie seeing another dog in action.

My ideal class would be as Kerrie has said. Fun and Light

Sally Bradbury (Sarabe to those who know her from other forums!)

Probably not what you want but the memorable ones have been activity workshops.
Like the HTM class where I had Daisy jumping on my back and then through my arms. She was fearless.
And the tracking workshop where I learned that when it comes to scent, I am the junior partner.
And the time the trainer put all the agility tunnels together like a big snake and we had to work out how to get the dog through them.
In other words, all activities where it comes down to me doing stuff with my dog and us both learning.

That sounds like fun - we used to do this with our hamsters - of course they weren't agility tunnels but it was fun.

THank you all for your replies so far. Its kind of you to take the time. I look forward to hearing more.

i like my trainer because she is of the belief that dogs are easy its teaching people that is difficult

my trainer also will give advice about what type of training she thinks will benifit you and your dog for example she doesn't clicker train every dog but if she thinks it will help, she will show you how to use a clicker, she also takes the extra time with any owner who has questions and will answer them, and if you are looking for a specific activity which she doesn't have at the minute (eg ringcraft) she will point you in the direction of the class and then ask how you got on

we do 2 at a time recalls, recalls through a group of people with their dogs, walk around all over the floor in amongst other dogs, we have recall race's which is great fun and she is getting jumps made for class so we can do recalls over those to. (if your dog isn't happy to do any of these i.e to hyper and is getting distracted by the other dogs or nervous then she will just do a one-to-one recall)

she prefers to toy train, but if you use "sweeties" as she calls them for your dog, she also shows you how to phase out these sweetie's once the dog has learned the behaviour so that the dog is listening to you and not having to be bribed (which is the mistake my first trainer made, so i was struggling for a good couple of years to get ty to do anything without having to have a sweetie in my hand for him)

I`ve had lots of trainers and always learned something - even if it was what not to do.
One trainer had us whispering commands - that was fun - and an education for the ones who shouted!
The agility snake had gaps in - the dog`s natural urge was to return to the owner when she came to a gap. The trick was to run ahead and encourage them on with your voice.