Training class update

You may remember I posted a query about our new training class a few weeks' ago. Well, I am so glad I listened to your viewpoints and didn't take Cherry.

I know other people said you shouldn't expect the trainer's dog to be perfect but last night he "kicked off" and lunged at 3 other dogs during the class. Two of these occasions were when we were doing heelwork in a group and the trainer walks round the middle quite close to our dogs with his dog. Cherry is not a fan of Black Labs unfortunately after her encounter with an aggressive one on the heath so I really didn't want to re-inforce her view of them as trying to have a pop at her! As it was this upset Parker and he was wuffing nervously a bit when this happened.

Other people are also getting fed-up about the dog who barks continously. You go home needing a lie down and a couple of paracetemols! Another owner with a nice GSD said the dog hadn't improved at all (true sadly) and the owner was too soft on it and she would shout at it and soon stop that behaviour. She said she had advised her to bring a water-pistol to class. I said I thought the dog was very stressed and she shouldn't therefore use aversives but should walk the dog out of the class as soon as it started barking. What do you think?

Obviously it is the trainer who should be advising the handler what to do but he just seems to let her get on with it and she is really out of her depth. The dog is very powerful and she now has him on a harness and she can hardly hold him. He "kicked off" a couple of times at nearby dogs but she says he is not aggressive but I think she does not read his body language right.

Other people cannot hear the trainer because of this dog and the trainer is very quietly spoken too which doesn't help!

I spoke to the difficult dog's owner the other week (she came and asked me for Parker's treats recipe) and she said it continually barked when in the car and she didn't know what to do. I said on "It's me or the Dog" Victoria Stillwell had a similar problem and she had blacked out the car so the dogs (OES) couldn't react to what was going on around them. A covered crate may be of help?

It is just such a shame as I don't feel this lady is getting much help and other people are struggling and getting fed- up because of her dog. Other dog owners are a bit scared of him as well as they move their dogs out of the way from him (he lunges at other dogs sometimes).

Parker is doing well-he did some lovely off-lead heelwork in a figure of eight last night and he was right by my leg (usually he is a bit wide) watching me all the time. Must have been watching those Collies on Crufts tv last week I think! All the same I can't wait to finish classes.......8 more weeks to go. The difficult dog's owner said she thought Parker was lovely so I told her a bit about Miss Crabbypants (AKA Cherry) as I was trying to be encouraging.
Being in a class where other dogs are all improving each week and are very good compared to yours must be very discouraging though.

I have to say, if I was this trainer, I'd be rather ashamed that my clients felt unhappy in my classes.

His dog doesn't have to be perfect, but why does he have to bring it to classes and kind of use others to practice with, when they want to concentrate on and train their own dogs?

It doesn't seem fair to me really

Good to know that you made the right decision re. Cherry going/not going

As for the barky dog - this can be due to stress, visual stimulation of other dogs with toys etc, frustration, fear and so on. I'd agree, she should not use a water pistol as that masks the problem - a good trainer might be able to help her, and see what the problem is via dog body language, dog's history, etc... it sounds to me as if the number of dogs/size of hall is too much for this dog.

Wys
x

I agree and the trainer should speak to the owner and recommend some 1:1 sessions.

Years ago (about 11 actually) I went to a club that will remain nameless after prior arrangement that I would attend, pay etc but NOT participate in the class as I was just exposing my pup to situations where distractions were available.

I was horrified to see someone being given earache in public for their noisy dog and told to leave the hall in a manner which guaranteed their non return.

Yes you cannot conduct a class with one or more noisy dogs, but you CAN prepare people in advance re expectations.

Damned right the trainer should be ashamed. Taking an unstable dog to class is detrimental in so many ways, not least of which will be his own attention will be directed to his own dog and not to what the dogs in class are doing which is why he has probably missed the fact that the GSD owner is struggling and out of her depth.

Oops-sorry perhaps I explained incorrectly as it's not the GSD owner that's out of her depth but the noisy dog owner. The GSD owner is a very experienced GSD owner with a white GSD that is lovely but had bitten four men before she rehomed it. She is getting annoyed about the continually barking dog though as it's not improving. The owner cannot even get it to "sit" when she tells it. I think it is so stressed it cannot learn so personally I think it borders on cruelty having this dog there in such an uptight state all the time.

I like the trainer and he has all the "right" certificates on the wall but I didn't like the way he handled his dog when it "kicked off" at other dogs. He got it by the scruff of the neck around its collar and dragged it out of the way.
As the owner of a formerly very reactive dog I have learnt the hard way not to do this but to use positive methods in helping her relax and ignore other dogs.

Oh dear sounds very embarrasing for the owner of the noisy dog in the class you watched. Bet that would sadly put her off attending any further classes.

I don't think the trainer knows people are unhappy in the class. It is just people talk afterwards and you can also see people's expressions when this dog is near their dog and how other people move their dogs away from him.

I think you are right re number of dogs in a small hall is too much for this dog. I think its high-pitched barks are because it is stressed. This is how Cherry would have been in this environment but fortunately she never barks! She is a lovely quiet dog but if she was stressed in this class she would have been attempting to head-butt the nearest available dog! (silent but violent we call it!)

I saw a similar sight at a PETsMART one time, the trainers dog was well behaved during the classes she was teaching (dog just laid in his crate during the whole class with his door open... Now I know why, I was in the book section reading with Izze (who was about 2 yrs at he time) she walked by with her dog, Izze was just laying there & her dog outright lunged at Izze, I was proud of Izze, she just backed up & looked at me like This dog is crazy lol.