Struggling with classes

[BusyBee]

Oh dear....

Well having some real trouble with Sam and his current Silver Award, he does all the required exercises, but he most certainly isn't a good citizen!

I can not get him to calm down.... he is just so over excited, he barks, whines, leaps around like a loony when waiting for his turn (but performs his task perfectly) it has got progressively worse with each class and during the recall exercise today, we were asked to leave....everytime a dog was recalled he went banana's.

Obviously this is very disconcerting for the rest of the class and the Cocker Spaniel Mafia couldn't have looked any further down their noses at us if they tried!

The trainer has been trying to help me, at her suggestion we have been to a new place everyday, town walks, new parks etc and he appears to manage these fine, he does pull when we see other dogs but not excessively. I can not for the life of me understand why the class is so impossibly exciting? Nothing I do makes any difference, water spray (on trainers advice), 'quiet' command which works fine at home.

I'm just wondering if anyone has had a similar problem, his behaviour seems to be exclusive to the class, any suggestions on how to combat this would be really gratefully received.

To be honest I'm plain bloody exhausted at the moment. Have been spending at least 4/5 hours a day out with Sam, training and walking and to top it off most of it in howling wind and sideways rain.... all for todays class to be a complete nightmare........Bleurggghhhh someone please give me some hope

Sally & Sam

[DelsMum]

What a pain in the bum for you. on the plus side at least he likes his classes I guess! Ok so lets throw some ideas out there..............erm.............what happened when you removed him? wondering if a time out kind of thing might work? or could you take him along to the class before yours to watch so he doesn't get his 'reward' by having a go or getting any attention?

[claire_88]

Eurgh! the misbehaviour! It's a real pain....... the suggestion i was going to state with what i used for skye was a heavy walk with lots of chasing the ball.......but sounds like your doing that already.

May sound a daft question but do you feed him at all on the day of training?
I feed Skye late on the night before the day of the class (10-11oclock) then she doesn't get fed until she receives her treats at class which is 6.30.... potentially throwing myself out on the line here with that information but it works, she is so focused on me and commands because she is ready for her food and then she gets fed when we get home.

[jesterjenn]

Originally Posted by claire_88

Eurgh! the misbehaviour! It's a real pain....... the suggestion i was going to state with what i used for skye was a heavy walk with lots of chasing the ball.......but sounds like your doing that already.

May sound a daft question but do you feed him at all on the day of training?
I feed Skye late on the night before the day of the class (10-11oclock) then she doesn't get fed until she receives her treats at class which is 6.30.... potentially throwing myself out on the line here with that information but it works, she is so focused on me and commands because she is ready for her food and then she gets fed when we get home.

We're recommended to do that in our training class too (my two only get fed once a day, so it doesn't really apply to them as it happens naturally)

When you're waiting for your turn, what do you do? If I don't keep Jess "active" during class, she yaps and plays up. So, all I do is whilst the others are doing their stuff, just practice things like distance control (at length of lead), watch command, recall to front, finishes, sitting straight whilst "gazing adoringly into my eyes" (as the trainer puts it - aka watching me lol) etc. It will keep his mind active and give him something to do whilst he's waiting

[Tedsmum]

Fisrt of all you are not alone. My dog did exactly the same for ages in training class and still occasionally does try it at agility (which is worse cos it is even more exciting to see other dogs flying round at speed). It can be so frustrating and I know how others look at you as if you were the worst owner with a rabid dog. DONT LET THEM GET TO YOU!
Sam is very young still, keep up the good work but don't expect anything over night, it will take time.
My theory about my dog making a noise is that he is excited but also a little insecure. Also being around other dogs but not able to interact with them off lead is very frustrating so there is a bit of that too.
I have had more success with treat training than anything else in keeping him calm. He has to go to training on an empty stomach and having had a walk. My dog will work for food so high value treats are a must (I make liver cake and I have not found a dog that can resist that stuff) and I used them to distract him from the action "on stage" as it were.
When other dogs are performing I literally hold a treat in front of his nose and use the "Quiet" command over and over again. If he stays quiet for just a few seconds, he gets the treat. You can gradually increase the time before he gets the treat until it is a manageable length of time.
It is bribery but it works. While I can understand you being ousted if it upsets the other dogs, it seems a bit harsh. He will never get to learn to control himself if he is not given the chance.
Persevere, I am sure he will get better in time. x

[wildmoor]

Alfe was an excitable dog not yappy though, so he was calmer at class I walked him the 4 1/2 miles there after he had a run on the field, all the way there I had him walking to heel sitting at kerbs or waiting for joggers to pass etc

[Sully Monster]

You have my sympathies. My dog cannot go to an indoor training class as he just throws a fit and gets hystercial. He also doesnt respond to food, including liver, livercake, chicken and all the other goodies people use. I now have to take him to an outdoor place which is a bit of a pain in the bad weather but is a great training club which is good.

The idea of disctracting him whilst the others work is something that i do if my lad gets too worked up in our class and it seems to work well. Also because mine is toy orientated I play a quiet game with him so keep him amused. None of this works inside tho as he is just too worked up

[BusyBee]

Phew...thank you!

So glad we're not the only ones Feeling much more positive today, think I just needed to get it off my chest! Had a lovely hike this morning with Sam and yesterdays nightmare is a dim memory LOL

My plan is to take him for a mahoosive walk/run prior to the class, also I won't give him any breakfast, he can be quite food motivated and I'm sure that will help.

So that along with visiting new places etc will hopefully make a difference. I am sure he would behave better in an outside club, but I will have to look into that after Christmas.

Thanks again..love this forum

Sally & Sam x

[Jon]

i'm the other end of the scale i'm afraid...

Jackson was playing up at first each time in class I returned him to the sit next to me... He certainly had his little hissy fits, he would lay on the ground kicking his feet, i would return him to my side calmly ignoring the mouthing, the jumping... he was a nightmare...

I also tried to treat route for a while but I found he worked better for praise and a cuddle... when he's sitting properly he'd get a good boy and a head rub, and a play with his tennis ball...if he moved he would get a "Aahh" noise (you know the one ) and a "bad dog" not loud or anything just a "I'm not upset just disappointed" tone of voice... he still plays up now and again but not as much...

Just wait until you have a class that's really good.. you'll forget about the ones you've done and just remember the good ones...

[Sully Monster]

i do find that if I take him for too long a walk before his class that he is too tired to concentrate and just switches off so about 30-40 mins is about right for my hooligan