Puppy Class blues

[BloodyMary]

So we had our first puppy class the other day. Has anyone else experienced the overwhelming chaos and frustration of puppy Kindgarten? The class I am going to is at a very reputable training center....yet it was so loud and packed with puppies that poor Punkin just shut down.

I felt terrible for her. She wouldn't take any treats or even follow commands. She just stood and watched the other puppies before laying down at my feet. Other folks puppies were doing great--playful, obedient, tails wagging...the works....

I hope it gets better....any words of advice? :sadsmile:

 

[BarbV]

I remember first day of puppy school for both my pups!

With Timber, it was filled with bouncing labs and retriever pups....he was so scared he would not come out from behind me or hid under a chair.

With Bacca, he wasn't scared but so distracted, he would not concentrate on anything. I was so mad at him at the time! All those OTHER pups were being perfect! Why couldn't he behave! I knew he knew his basic sits, stays, down, but he absolutely refused. Then I felt like an idiot as I babbled to the instructor: "He really does know how to do it...."

I finally got over it, and started to relax and enjoy the lessons and ultimately so did Bacca. Puppy school for us really was about socialization, not so much about the training, though we did ultimately learn a few good things.

But the day that stood out for me was when we were doing individual "comes" with every one else watching. He did a perfect stay and I moved to the other end of the hall. When I said "Come" he executed the most beautiful trot, looked like he was floating! Some people actually applauded! Other's simply said "Wow!"

Be patient, it will get better, but may take a few classes. Talk to the instructor for tips. Maybe one of the first things to train him is "Look" - to get him focussed on YOU rather than the bouncing puppies. That's what ultimately worked for me.

 

[clancyh8sabby]

Ya...I had the same kind of thing happen too...

I wouldn't worry too much about how your pup does in class right now...just learn what to do and practice at home...then in a few weeks your pup will get used to the atmosphere at class.
Having a Sheltie...you two will be the stars real soon!! LOL

woofs

Julie
Clancy & Abby

 

[Justicemom]

Justice was this way his first 2 classes. He actually hide under the chairs.

Barb had good advise about getting her to look at you. Bring those really high value treats ie. left over steak or chicken, cheese. Make it a special treat she doesn't get at other times. Be sure you are not rewarding anxiety or nervous behavior ie petting or talk to her when she is unsure. That can make it worse. Ignore and say nothing. Reward and encourage any behavior in which she relaxes or moves forward. In a couple weeks you should see her come around.

 

[Diana]

Buffy spent most of her first class barking, whining, and generally being distracted. It took her till about the 3rd time to be fully comfortable, and the 4th or 5th to really start scampering with the other pups. We had taught her all her tricks too, but she wasn't performing in this new puppy-filled place, and she was confused because we were using different hand signals or even different voice commands. She figured it out quickly, but she had to be comfortable first.

Just remember it is not a contest. Your pup will catch on soon enough, s/he is a Sheltie after all. Some commands are tougher than others, but you have your dog's whole life to work on these commands and perfect them. There's no hurry to do it in the first 2 minutes.

Quick note: We have gone to two different puppy classes. The first one the teacher had no control (she wasn't paying attention during playtime), and Buffy actually ended up getting hurt. Also, she wasn't teaching us new ideas or techniques. The one we go to now, the instructor really makes an effort to help Buffy play with the others in a controlled way. They also keep an eye on her so she doesn't get run over by the energetic Labs.

Definitely, not all puppy classes are created equal. If you feel like your dog is getting beat up or overly scared during playtime, this is not the right place for you. Or perhaps you need to wait for a puppy class with some smaller or quieter dogs.

Good luck!

 

[granite]

Don't fret too much that your pup was shy/distracted in the first class; it will get better.

Emma, as alpha and dominant as she is now; was very shy at the start of her puppy classes (I think she was 12 or 14 weeks old when we started classes). She did OK when distracted with a treat (very food oriented) but if she couldn't see/smell the treat she'd just hunker down and look through her eyebrows at the other dogs. Our class would always end with "play time" off leash in a corral set up inside the larger enclosure of the training area. Off leash, the two australian shepherd pups decided that Emma was the perfect sheep to herd and they'd chase her. She was VERY fast and nimble and they couldn't catch her....particularly when she lept the 2' puppy fence and then executed a perfect tire-jump style leap through a hole 12" off the ground in the outer fence...spent a bit of time coaxing her back around and around the huge gym full of barking dogs. I was very embarrassed...and when I finally got Emma to notice the treats in my hand so I could catch her I went up shamed-face to the instructor. She just looked at me and said "ever thought about doing agility?"

I wish I had time for it! I think both Emma and Figaro would love it as they already jump on and over everything inside and outside.