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Obedience Classes

QY10

QY10

Well-Known Member
How many you did obedience classes with your dogs? What were your experiences?

I am thinking of doing some group obedience classes with Angus to obviously work on his obedience, but also to give him exposure to new dogs/experiences in a controlled setting.
 
skibulls

skibulls

Well-Known Member
I started at 10 weeks with Buca, and couldn't a been more pleased with how he did. I feel the added distractions of the other dogs was much needed for real world situations.

We have been in the intermediate classes for roughly 3 months now and he's still progressing. In class he does not do all that great with the heel command, but away from class he does extremely well.

I feel everything we work on in and out a class he retains and uses when ever we are out in public.
 
Hector

Hector

Well-Known Member
I liked it. It was fun for both of us. We started with basic and moved on to advanced.
 
QY10

QY10

Well-Known Member
I think it would be a good way for him and I to bond. I have been spending more time with Thalia practicing rally and he just has to sit on the sidelines and watch us. I don't want him to be left out. I have been trying to practice rally with him, too, but he's just so slow and has next to no drive.

I'll be 100% honest, I did not train him much. He has always just been such a good dog. He knows sit, stay, he walks well on a leash and he knows 'leave it', but that is about it as far as training goes. I just think obedience could be mine and his time to bond and socialize.
 
Hector

Hector

Well-Known Member
QY10 said:
I think it would be a good way for him and I to bond. I have been spending more time with Thalia practicing rally and he just has to sit on the sidelines and watch us. I don't want him to be left out. I have been trying to practice rally with him, too, but he's just so slow and has next to no drive.

I'll be 100% honest, I did not train him much. He has always just been such a good dog. He knows sit, stay, he walks well on a leash and he knows 'leave it', but that is about it as far as training goes. I just think obedience could be mine and his time to bond and socialize.
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It would be good chance to see how he does around distractions and obedience class is full of distractions.
 
skibulls

skibulls

Well-Known Member
Hector said:
It would be good chance to see how he does around distractions and obedience class is full of distractions.
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If this ain't the truth. I had a older lady with a "toy yorkie" of sorts who I really do think had a crush on me. She would always line next to us and that little turd of a dog would bark and yap and yap and yap.

At first it was such a annoyance and very irritating. By the end of the class when ever they would get next to each other Buca paid that little thing little to no attention.

Which in retrospect I'm so glad I allowed it to go on, because in fact my 80yr old neighbors dog is a yappy toy yorkie. And we only have a standard 4ft metal fence that he could easily jump and get to her if he chose. But like in class he shows no interest in her.
 
QY10

QY10

Well-Known Member
I know he will definitely need work around distractions.

Obedience is definitely needed for him and I think it will be rewarding for the both of us.
 
Cyndnelson

Cyndnelson

Well-Known Member
I did puppy class when Caesar was 16 weeks and then took the immediate class shortly after. Being a first time dog owner it was definitely invaluable. I would never have understood the timing and hand singles on my own.

I wish I would have kept him in some kind of classes because now he is super nervous and shy around people. So I'm looking at going back to an intermediate class again to give him more structure and focus.

Even if you have a bad experience with one class, I would still suggest a different venue and try again. There are so many variables - owners, trainer, dogs, setting... I think classes are always a good idea. Just remember the slobber towel and wear old clothes! When we start pumping Caesar full of treats, he literally starts foaming at the mouth and the other owners stare and think, "And WHY did you choose the mastiff??" But I know no one here would ask me that question! :)
 
QY10

QY10

Well-Known Member
Angus gets nervous around people, too. More men than women, which is odd because I have had him since he was 6 weeks and haven't spent a day away from him, so I know that he has never been abused or mistreated by a man since he has been with me.

There is a dog training facility near my house that seems very reputable, so I am going to give them a shot.

Hahaha ALL my clothes have become dog friendly/slobber friendly clothes. It seems like every time I walk by Angus he manages to slime me.

Angus sometimes gets foamy, too! HAHA
 
I

irina

Well-Known Member
We have been in classes with Ajax as soon as all of his shots were done. We have done puppy classes, basic and intermediate obedience and rally. Starting competition obedience in the fall. We have tried a few different trainers in the area, some liked better than others. Ended up in TNT kennels. You are close to me, so you might know or used them already. If you want my experience with other trainers, you can PM me.
 
QY10

QY10

Well-Known Member
TNT is EXACTLY who I was referring to. They have group classes that look like they will fit in with our existing schedule and they are only like a 10 minute drive or so from me.

Wow! You have done a lot of training!
 
I

irina

Well-Known Member
They do 100% positive training. We only took one class there so far, but it was good. We should have a playdate!
 
Z

zardac

Well-Known Member
We started going to puppy kindergarten with Royce when he was 9 weeks.

So far it's been good to see him play nicely with other dogs, and stretch his neck for pats when meeting new people.

We plan on more training after this class...and have a couple of options to explore.

We've also made a point of trying to introduce him to new situations and get him out each day (we missed one).

He's been cool at concerts, movies, stores. We've introduced him to a variety of people (kids, hippies, cops, bikers, cowboys, preachers and pagens) and a lot of different settings, car dealership, skateboard park, trainyard, buses, tavern, horses and stables, ocean beach, rivers, fairs, swap meet, farm, friends...

He's now 13 weeks old. We'll see if it pays off in a year or two.
 
I

irina

Well-Known Member
zardac said:
We started going to puppy kindergarten with Royce when he was 9 weeks.

So far it's been good to see him play nicely with other dogs, and stretch his neck for pats when meeting new people.

We plan on more training after this class...and have a couple of options to explore.

We've also made a point of trying to introduce him to new situations and get him out each day (we missed one).

He's been cool at concerts, movies, stores. We've introduced him to a variety of people (kids, hippies, cops, bikers, cowboys, preachers and pagens) and a lot of different settings, car dealership, skateboard park, trainyard, buses, tavern, horses and stables, ocean beach, rivers, fairs, swap meet, farm, friends...

He's now 13 weeks old. We'll see if it pays off in a year or two.
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Wow! Where do you find concerts, movies, stores (apart from pet stores), taverns or buses where dogs are allowed?
 
Z

zardac

Well-Known Member
irina said:
Wow! Where do you find concerts, movies, stores (apart from pet stores), taverns or buses where dogs are allowed?
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I've gone to a bunch of places wheeling the puppy through the front door in a shopping cart.

Walmart, Bi-Mart, Lowes, Home Depot, Harbor Freight, Fred Meyers, Walgreens and Rite Aid pharmacies, Big 5 and Dick's sporting goods, Safeway and Trader Joe's groceries and a few others.

Most of these stores don't have dog friendly policies, so I haven't asked permission before going in.
This is a cute looking puppy in a shopping cart- I think the reception might be different with a grown up canine on a leash.

We've got a bunch of movies in the parks during the summer and a couple of drive in theaters nearby, and that's been the extent of our movie experience.
The concerts have been outdoors as well, except for one hosted by a friend, and the other- allowed in as a friend of the band.

There are several taverns in Portland that allow dogs on patios and in outside dining, drinking, smoking areas.

We've gone to a couple-three to engage in different cultural experiences: a biker bar with open pipe motorcycles, a redneck bar, and a hippie tavern...we haven't tried to integrate into the upper-crust elite establishments (yet).

We spent some time at a busy bus mall and a train yard just for new sounds, sights, smells, and ground texture. We've traveled mostly by car with short jaunts on a ferry, by skateboard, and in a large horse drawn carriage.

Before we got the puppy, I resolved that facilitation of puppy socializing activities would be my main job for the first few weeks.
We've knocked off five weeks, and I'm going to keep it up for a few more.

It has felt like a job at times...I'm ready to simply hang out at home.
 
QY10

QY10

Well-Known Member
It sounds like it will be well worth the effort though when you a dog that is confident in such a variety of situations!
 
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