I am a bad handler - help please!

At our usual dog training class, the trainer asked me if I wanted to go to a special KC Good Citizen training class (Bronze), she thought that Max may be good enough to take the test.

Suffice it to say we went last night and it was horrific!

Max was way too over excited (new place, new dogs, new people) and he wouldn't do anything. I couldn't keep his attention for more than about 5 seconds and he was so distracted, at times he wouldn't even sit!

I felt like an owner must feel on Dog Borstal or Its Me or The Dog. Absolutely useless and a failure

The other dogs were older than Max (he is 8 months, they were between 11 and 14 months) and were totally focussed on their owners every movement & command.

He was just like a mad thing on a lead and pulled me every which way except where I wanted him to be. He wouldn't even walk next to me (basic heelwork)

The only things he actually did were a "Wait" at a door/gate and a "Down-Stay" whcih he did for 1 min 20 secs and I was totally amazed at, as he's never done it before!

I was also told that if I go on to take the GC award, I can't use the Halti harness (flat collar and lead only) and I can't use food to make him do things.

Argh! He is pretty much food-trained - how can I stop using it, as most of the time he only does things for chicken??

The only good thing out of the night (apart from his 2 "new" commands) was that one of the trainers is a Boxer owner (he has 5) and he thought Max was beautiful and had "the cutest little monkey face ever"... he gave me a few pointers about walking him and his pulling etc

Basically, last night I felt like an abject failure. I know that its not Max's fault, its mine. The trainers were saying that I wasn't firm enough with him (and I'm probably not).

Does anyone have any pointers/advice for me - I feel like the worst dog handler in the world

First and most importantly stop beating yourself up!!! You are not a bad handler or you wouldnt have been moved up to that group in the first place!

Loki gets very excited in a new class and it takes a couple of sessions for him to show his true self, when I first moved up from the puppy class my trainer talked down to me totally thinking loki was unruley and untrained a couple of weeks later when Loki had settled and he did every excercise beautifully out doing every dog in class the trainers attitude totally changed towards me because it became obvious that I wasnt making excuses he really could do it and was just hyped up, and it was clear how much hard work I do actually put in at home!
We have just moved up a class again and the first class he was back to hyped up mad Loki again, I havent been for awhile because I have been ill but I know when I go back he will be mad I will feel like people are judging me for his bad behaviour but I will have to keep myself as calm as possible (more frustrated you get the more he will play up) and fight my way through the first few weeks until he shows his true colours which he will and I am sure when he has settled abit Max will too!

It may help if you dont already do it to teach him a look at me command to try to get his attention, I dont know if you clicker train or not but for example every time he looks at you click and treat then start adding a command 'look' or something then click and treat extending how long he has to look at you.
Let us know how you get on im sure with time and the advice of your trainers you will get there!!!

dont feel bad as you must be doing some thing right to be put up a class. I cant give advice as i have just started puppie classes on my 3rd week but am doing well...lol

good luck and keep us informed.

you are definitley not a bad handler otherwise you wouldnt be trying to better yourself and max!

the first time i took sam to his monday night class he was just appalling....had the attention span of an amoeba!

the week after he was much, much better, so much better in fact that the trainer put us in for the GC bronze award, that most of the class were taking...and we passed!!!!

practice the 'watch me' command at home. i practiced all over, when we were out, indoors, in the garden. every time he looked at me i'd click and treat him. now he just stares at me waiting for that little click

good luck...i'm sure he'll get better, and your confidence will grow too

Don't despair,I've been there - done that, with all my dogs, they all get hyped up at some time, and your youngster is just that, a youngster and let's face it, no one who has a boxer expects anything other than a bouncy pup.

Next time you go don't expect miracles, it takes months to train any dog, some learn quickly, others take longer. and please DON'T WORRY. that will go 'down the lead' to your dog and if you are all tensed up it will make him worse, He needs for youto be as calm as possible, Take things SLOWLY, don't compare your dog to someone else's of the same age or breed, he is an individual and will progress in his own time with your love and patience to help him.

Go on using titbits to train him, but not every time he does something right, begin to phase them out little by little and try to keep them for a big treat when he has completed a whole exercise, but lots and lots of praise every time when he gets something right , and a real big fuss at the end of the session.

Don't forget you can do an awful lot of training just around the house, like teaching him to wait while you go through the door first, to stand still for his lead to be put on, to sit while you put his food down etc. Hope this helps, but most of all DON'T despair. Kath

I just thought I should have said lots of 'quiet' praise, you don't want him all excited in the ring. If you would like to try it I used to say WHAT a good dog, or WHAT a good boy/girl, they got to know that WHAT was a word of praise, just like they learn Sit or Down - you could try it or put the emphasis on GOOD - Kath

Please don't feel that way - we have all been right there, honestly!

I feel in a way you were set up to fail a tiny bit, as the other dogs presumably all trained in that environment and were used not only to each other but to everything else as well. With young dogs this is a big thing and would have been part of the reason they were so focussed.

Steve White, a K9 trainer, says to get a behaviour "generalised" to the dog doing it anywhere, you need to practise it in about 20 different places from scratch. I bet your trainer and the other ones didn't tell you that

The first training class I attended after puppy classes, my dog had the attention span of a gnat, but by working through with positive training, we did well. It's not a matter of being firm so much as having confidence in what you've trained and knowing how to get your dog into that stage :smt002

Do you train out and about, and at home? I train a little every day, even if it's something small. When I was training for my working trial, we trained almost every day for weeks (made it all fun for the dog though).

I feel you may be attending the wrong classes... do you have faith in the instructor? If not try another until you get trainers who know their stuff and how to set you and your dog up for success and not failure.

awwww just caught this.
Your boy was excited and you were nervous, that's all. that does not make you a bad handler or him a nroty boy, far from it. He's also 8 months old and therefore inevitably a bit teenage. Notch it up to experience, you aren't the only one who's been there...nor will you be the last.

As for not using food, I wasn't allowed foood doing the Bronze either...a trick taught to me by more experienced bronze award takers is to rub your hand on the smelliest cheese or sausage you can get your hands on...have it in your pocket..and make sure your hands stink of it..your dog will follow the smell!!!!!

We are still going to our "general" training class, and Max is brilliant in it. He is often used as the "demo" dog for doing new things or showing things. I think this is why I was so disappointed at the Award class.

We train every day, in the house, on our walks, and (until the crap weather) in the field we own. It's a great space for training recall and off lead work, as its huge, but totally dog-proof/secure.

In fact, over the weekend, Max and I did some "wait" and "stay" commands where I was able to walk away across the field from him and he stayed!

Not sure if we'll be going to another KC class just yet, but we'll definitely keep up our usual training.

Thank you for all your kind words and helpful advice! I don't feel such a bad mum now!