Puppy class

[MichiH]

Pepper didn’t explode when we went into PetSmart today. I had my hotdogs and kibble ready. She just had woken from her nap and we played in the yard prior or and sniffed the parking lot before we went into class.

We had to stay in our square, she did get a close sniff with a puppy pit bull mix no isssues at all. She did whine and try to get that puppies attention in class though haha because class was SLOW. Too slow for me and too slow for Pepper.

She was getting worked up because of how slow the class was. Initially, totally fine and well behaved for a long time. Her adhd kicked in rightfully so as did mine. She lasted a good while before it happened and that made me happy, because she was doing well.

As far as the class it was what I expected nothing special, which is okay. I was wanting her to accept, ignore, and be calm around other dogs. Pepper did just that today. We left class and she saw an older German Shepard she didn’t care and kept it moving. Not sure what happened, but we went down an isle to look at toys and she lost her mind. Pepper exploded as she saw the GS walk past the isle. We exited and it was a commotion.

All in all I’m proud of her she did well and I think we will go back for experience and exposure. As for training I’m confident she’s doing just fine with me. Also, all the puppies were 8 months to a year lol.

 

[Ravenbird]

Sounds kinda like what my puppy class was: older puppies, slow, not enough actual training, but the exposure was A+ for my needs. For sure go back and get more of that whenever and as often as you can! Also, with people and dogs, my Asha would explode only on certain targets. I learned to watch her best I could for staring, but I came to realize sometimes they would be staring at her and if she just happened to glance up and see they had eyes on her, she'd go off. Took me a long time to figure this out. And of course there were times of no rhyme or reason as well, so there's that. LOL

Glad to hear your "report" - it sounds like it's all good!

 

[MichiH]

Sounds kinda like what my puppy class was: older puppies, slow, not enough actual training, but the exposure was A+ for my needs. For sure go back and get more of that whenever and as often as you can! Also, with people and dogs, my Asha would explode only on certain targets. I learned to watch her best I could for staring, but I came to realize sometimes they would be staring at her and if she just happened to glance up and see they had eyes on her, she'd go off. Took me a long time to figure this out. And of course there were times of no rhyme or reason as well, so there's that. LOL

Glad to hear your "report" - it sounds like it's all good!

Thank you she’s also hit or miss. Did totally fine for over an hour and then just snapped. I have no idea what caused it, but maybe the GS for the second time. I thought of what you posted about Asha and I felt the same way, like what is happening, we must leave now. It was embarrassing She was not barking like hey guys! It was full on scary barking and rumbling in the damn toy isle. I’m going to try my best to read her thank you for your helpful advice and experience.

Funny you say it too about people and dogs, same with Pepper. Lately she’s been fine at parks, in the yard, and neighborhood lately, but come that 1 prison or 1 dog and she just explodes. Yesterday, for example going so well, I felt like hey we got this, then comes my neighbor in a low riding bike with her 2 dogs attached. I made space, I got Pepper to look at me, and nope she just went full boar. So I figured she didn’t like the bike it was different looking and dogs attached to it, I get it note to self.

Hoping next class goes well and we will leave right after class. No shopping thinking we’re ok, I shouldn’t push it.

 

[JanS]

Did totally fine for over an hour and then just snapped.

I can't remember how old she is but an hour is pushing it for a pup since their brain is going into overload at that point.

 

[MichiH]

I can't remember how old she is but an hour is pushing it for a pup since their brain is going into overload at that point.

She’s tiny 5 months today. I agree it was just too much and I’m really happy that she did so well for as long as she did.

I was impressed with how well she did and better than most of the pups there, who were older than her.

I started to lose it myself the class just drug on

 

[remy]

I can't remember how old she is but an hour is pushing it for a pup since their brain is going into overload at that point.

I was going to say, she might have just been a little overwhelmed.

I’m glad she did pretty well during the class! When I took Remy to puppy class it was a little slow the first time. The following weeks were faster paced, so hopefully that will be the case for your class too!

 

[Ravenbird]

Totally depends on what they're doing. Bored = trouble. Tired = trouble. Interested and engaged = alert and exciting. These photos are of Asha at a week shy of 5 months old doing a meet & greet at an IGP club. We did a little intro to tracking, just food on a stomped out dirt area and again on a grass area (foot step smell = food), then show where we are in basic heeling, sit or down or stay and a recall, all on a big field, strangers watching. She was teething so zero tug/bite play, but she got to watch some others do it. Was in the truck alone while other dogs worked on the field. She could see, but not be with me on & off. At this meet up - first time ever to this location and these people, she growled at the ones in charge as I went up to meet them, but after we got over that she thought she'd died and gone to Disneyland. No, all training cannot be Disneyland, but it does make my beliefs in "make training FUN for puppies (or any age!)" much stronger. And yes, I put the ears back in posts when we got home. Pictures taken just before we left almost 3 hours later, bright eyed and bushy tailed:

 

[Firestar Dobe]

Nothing in my life was ever so embarrassing as having the 2 most stubborn Dobes who loved to cause havoc in class, very humiliating when you are the one teaching the class and your own dogs turn you into a fool!