| Hi and welcome to Terrier Talk! You're currently viewing our forum as a guest. This means you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use. If you join our community, you'll be able to access member-only sections, and use many member-only features such as customizing your profile, sending personal messages, and voting in polls. Registration is simple, fast, and completely free. Join our community! If you're already a member please log in to your account to access all of our features. |
| Sally's first 'serious' obedience class | |
|---|---|
| Topic Started: Aug 29 2009, 12:24 PM (62 Views) | |
| Laura | Aug 29 2009, 12:24 PM Post #1 |
One of the regulars
  ![]](http://209.85.122.87/static/1/pip_r.png)
|
I took Sally to her first obedience class in 2 years this week! She never went to puppy classes because I worked evenings when they're all held :rolleyes: she went to two classes a couple of years ago when her aggression towards other dogs was peaking and I was trying everything I could but it didn't work out. For the last 18 months she has been going to agility classes in a nice big indoor riding arena and she has LOVED it! She stays focused on me and ignores the other dogs. We have worked sooo hard the last year on getting her to focus on me rather than other dogs and on getting a really solid 'leave' command. I have to make sure I'm paying attention and always put myself between Sal and other dogs but I know we can pass other dogs and Sally will take the option to avoid them, if they do get in her face she listens to the leave command. So I decided to give obedience another go. Sally loves training and learning new things and is getting rather good at the obedience excersises we've been trying. A lady at agility gave me her trainers number and warned me how strict she was, she sounded lovely on the phone but did make it clear that this was a class for people who wanted to compete or get a high level of obedience, not a social gathering. Fair enough, I can appreciate that. I have very mixed feelings about how it went, which is why I'm going to give it one more try before I make a definite decision: Good points - She is obviously very successful at training, she competes in obedience as do many in her class. She was harsh, but she also gave praise where it was needed. She sat with me during some of the class and answered all my questions and explained the rules in obedience. Some of the dogs seemed to really adore her, so I guess at some point she must make an effort to get to know them. She said she saw potential in Sally, she had observed throughout the session how much attention Sal pays to me even when we are sitting and waiting and recognised how sensitive Sally is to my body language and hand signals (a big relief as I do need help with this, I tend to talk with my hands and wave my hands around a lot and Sally ends up doing a string of tricks instead of just one!!) And the biggest one - despite the small(ish) hall, Sally never even looked at another dog! yey! But... She never asked me anything about Sally, how much training we had done, what methods we used, her temperament. She saw Sally's 'terrierness' as plain bad behaviour (mainly play growling when anything remotely exciting happened, sendaway, retrieve, fast heelwork) I know for a fact that when Sally gets used to the new environment she will calm down and the growling will stop, she doesn't make a noise when we train at home any more. She said that every time Sally growled I should turn my back on her untill she shuts up. I did the first time and it ended up with frenzied barking. As far as I'm concerned, ignoring the growling is carying on with the training as normal, turning my back on her is ignoring the dog not the behaviour isn't it? Ignoring Sally has never had a place in our training, especially not turning my back on her when there are other dogs around. I was really upset and angry at myself for doing that to her after all our training has been based on trust and paying attention to each other. I spoke to the friend who gave me her number and she said to give it a few more weeks as the trainer is always harsh in the beginning to make sure you are serious. She also pointed out that the trainer is a collie person (Sally and this friends dog were the only terriers and non-collies) and that she had to work extra hard in the beginning just to get the trainer to take her seriously but it has been worth it (her little terrier is amazing now, they just won their first obedience competition) I will go next week and stand up for my training methods, hopefully the trainer will see that I'm serious and that Sally can work well and she'll allow a bit more room for different training methods :crossedfingers: wish us luck! |
 |
 
|
| Linda & Fred | Aug 29 2009, 01:59 PM Post #2 |
Chatterbox
|
I have to admit I don't ask much about a dog when I take it on for walking, as I can see what training it's had, and a bit about how it's been brought up just from watching the dog. In fact I learn more by watching the dog than listening to the owners usually. Perhaps the trainer is like that? I've found a lot of trainers like the method they use and some will listen to owners who have their own ideas and some are more interested in their own methods - competition trainers are usually much more interested in their methods because they've worked with their own dogs, and the proof is in the rosettes they have. Fred was also accused of 'unacceptable behaviour' when a lot of it was just being a terrier, and if that had been recognised by me or the trainers then perhaps he wouldn't have deteriorated so much. He was worse than a lot of the other terriers I've seen when I was assisting at training classes, although the basic behaviour was the same. I have been less tolerant of Fred's play growling lately, simply because it worries other people - Fred was playing with a GSDXStaffy last week and the other owner kept saying 'good dogs, good dogs' and I wondered what the hell he was doing. It suddenly dawned on me that he had no idea Fred was playing (even though he was doing all the regular things dogs do when they play) and thought a fight was about to break out. If anything the trainer asks you to do upsets you, then don't do it. There are plenty of training classes for you to choose from, but you only have one Sally. When chosing a trainer I'd be more interested now in asking how many terriers have they successfully trained to whatever level you are interested in than in how many rosettes they have won with a collie. |
|
|
|
| Tafia | Aug 29 2009, 03:39 PM Post #3 |
Total Gas Bag!
|
I spent my childhood with border collies and the biggest problem I had when I made the transition over to terriers was I expected them to respond in the exact same way as a BC. They really couldn't be more different, especially when training. I liken training with a BC to sitting down, drawing a flow chart, agreeing on the expected behaviours and that's it - agreed on forever and ever and ever. Any deviations from the expected behaviour will have to be discussed. They do not free think, totally incapable of it. Every single person I know with BC's finds it practically impossible to sympathise with the free thinking gene in terriers - they like an automaton dog which is why they have BC's. Actually, any idiot can train a BC to a good standard with a little time and patience. |
|
|
|
| roo roo | Aug 29 2009, 07:07 PM Post #4 |
Total Gas Bag!
|
i think terriers are for more advanced stages of dog ownership. :lol: they are so bloody clever its impossible to overestimate it.i thought dobermanns were smart but sorry a little terrier will outsmart a dobie any day of the week ;) i think Tafias right any fool can train a BC but it takes guts,determination and a brain to train a terrier and even then you can never be sure of them.but thats what i like about them,they have a brain theyre not an automaton and theyre unpredictable.i think they might not be great shakes at obedience(but i take my hat off to an owner who does it sucessfully with them) :ok: but i think they have streeet smarts in spades! :yes: |
|
|
|
| Tafia | Aug 29 2009, 10:14 PM Post #5 |
|
Total Gas Bag!
|
and the ability to compromise ..... :lol: |
|
|
|
| Linda & Fred | Aug 30 2009, 06:34 AM Post #6 |
|
Chatterbox
|
Love Tafia's description! I get annoyed when I see people saying that BC's are the most intelligent dogs. Actually no. They are simply bred to DO WHAT THEY ARE TOLD which makes them look clever and why they are so popular with competition people. My terrier and my sighthound were bred to get on with things with hardly any help from a human. |
|
|
|
| Laura | Aug 30 2009, 09:15 PM Post #7 |
|
One of the regulars
|
:D Thanks guys, that's really boosted me. I know I shouldn't compare with all the BC's, I catch myself doing it at agility too, just because we are short on terriers. Wouldn't swap my terriers for anything, they are so much more fun than a dog which just learns and then obeys (without all the arguing, bribery and compromise!). And I do feel extra proud of Sally when we achieve what the collies have :yes: I will go and see if this trainer will come around to our ways of doing things (Sally is very charming!) But unfortunately I live on an Island and there is very little choice in the way of dog trainers :err: |
|
|
|
| hannahb | Sep 1 2009, 04:36 PM Post #8 |
Chatterbox
|
It sounds like Sally is being a real star! I found my trainer really hard to get on with in the begining - not obedience, KC Good Citizen - I felt she was really judging me and my dog Hari (who also has problems with other dogs), however after a few weeks of seeing that I do really care about Hari AND am really trying to work on her problems my trainer started to warm towards us both, and is now very kind and generous as well as full of good advice. Stick with it for a few more - unless neither of you enjoy obedience. (I have a Pi dog Hari and Ted a little terrier and they both keep me on my toes, wouldn't know what to do with a dog that just got on a did what it was told every time...). |
|
|
|
| Laura | Sep 3 2009, 12:18 PM Post #9 |
|
One of the regulars
|
We went back yesterday and it went loads better. Sally was less vocal, I think just because the place wasn't completely new. When she did growl or bark I refused to turn my back on her and explained why, I don't think the trainer was too pleased about it but she let it go and, thankfully, Sally got the hint when I glared at her and mouthed 'shut up'! She was a little star and did all the exercises the best she can, and even learned two new things ('stand' and finishing) And whether I like it or not, the trainer saw right through Sally's 'tricks' and said she was a 'spoilt brat with no self control' :yikes: I almost got all defensive but she is totally right! So hopefully we can start working on al the little 'behaviours' that I turn a blind eye to because Sally's so pretty and charming! On the plus side, she did say there was no reason we couldn't eventually compete at high grades if I wasn't afraid of a challenge and that Sally had a lot of potential (but I knew that all along :D ) |
|
|
|
| Linda & Fred | Sep 3 2009, 04:23 PM Post #10 |
|
Chatterbox
|
"spoilt brat with no self control" I'm pretty sure that's the original design of a terrier. |
|
|
|
| Tafia | Sep 3 2009, 04:25 PM Post #11 |
|
Total Gas Bag!
|
Fabulous! One thing your average BC owner has in common with their dogs, neither have much of a sense of humour where trainings concerned! |
|
|
|
| 1 user reading this topic (1 Guest and 0 Anonymous) | |
| « Previous Topic · Obedience · Next Topic » |
12:08 PM Nov 23
