Viewing Single Post From: Obiedience Classes

Viewing Single Post From: Obiedience Classes
MrE	Nov 2 2006, 05:08 PM
Chatterbox Posts: 761 Group: Members Member #166 Joined: January 10, 2006	RJL is spot on but also I think the other thing we should remember with classes is that they should not feel all easy and normal if they do your in the wrong class. Any person can train a dog one on one in a controlled comfortable environment such as your home, even more so with clicker training. But do you have a trained dog, errr nope and far from it. 99% of it in my experience will fail in the real world. The only way you get a well trained dog is to train it in the real world and classes offer that. What many perceive as problems in a class can often be training opportunities, the class is the next step form the house to get you to your goal which is the real world. In the real world, things whoooosh past fast, a sit or down can be needed fast in a busy shopping centre, your dog needs to stay calm on a crowded bus or train, loud kids, hands, prams, bikes, faces, hats, gloves, flashing lights, speeding cars etc etc etc. Now lets see how your 100% heal work looks, or your down, leave it, quiet or sit mmuwhahahahaaa. (Hands up whose failed! PS mines up) For me I think yes its important to have a class where the trainer can get the training across but also give me a crazy nutty class with one or two bad dogs a mass of people, lots of dogs and a trainer that feels comfy in that environment who trains with confidence any day of the week. I don’t want a class with quiet, easy going, not distracting, all orderly etc etc that’s called the last lesson :-) when they can do it all :-) I think training works like this, train at home (peaceful and easy) train in class (more distraction and more skills taught), train in the real world (more distraction and chaos). Bomb disposal dogs, don’t moan at their handlers that its too noisy in this airport, likewise blind dogs don’t run after traffic, army dogs don’t flee at the sounds of gun fire etc etc. I guess the point I’m trying to make is don’t believe training should be conducted in perfect conditions and see stressful situations as prime learning opportunities, how many members in a class gossip about other peoples dogs is unreal. Yet its those very dogs that enable a more realistic learning environment and gives you a chance to see how good the trainer really is. If I went to class where I did not feel like I had to be on my toes, and a touch nervous and even stressed I’d leave and Billy would be bored rofl :-) Hard poo first easy times later :-) Plus every lesson is not a lesson, it is only giving you your weeks homework! Plus my golden rule on trainers is, don’t pass human judgement on them let the dog be the judge. If the trainer can take your and other people’s dog and the dog does the task and enjoys it then that is all that counts. That’s when you know its time to shut up and listen. God I miss classes :-) I’m gutted the Silver isn’t running in my area – I could cry!


Obiedience Classes · Obedience