Diva's first puppy class

[Chrystie22]

Hi All

As I posted last week, it was Diva's official first time on the ground last friday and her first puppy class. She is usually a very active & confident little Madam so I thought she would handle it well but I was wrong! She got all shy and spent the whole hour sandwiched between my partner's chair and mine, refusing to budge, and seemed very weary of the other puppies! By the end of the session she came out of hiding but was still keeping ehr distance, checking the other pups out! The trainer told us not to worry as it is a bit overwhelming for pups when they leave the safety of their owner's arms and have to face the world from a different perspective. We took her to a local park and to the beach this weekend and encountered all kinds of animals (dogs/ horses/ cows..) & peoples and she seemed to relax a bit with other dogs (even tried to paw a cocker spaniel and barked at him when he left with his owner, LOL) so she should be ok soon , but it was strange seeing her behave that way when she is the opposite with us at home!
How did your pups react when they were first allowed on the ground?

[Annetty1]

Hi ..... we have just finished our first course of a 7 week puppy class, and Jess was exactly the same, spent the first few classes under our chair and hating any other puppies coming near her. Dont worry, it wont last, by the last week she was sniffing butts and barking at the other puppies. When we first joined we told the class that Jess was a little horror, biting us, being naughty etc and she made a right liar out of us, acting impecably, doing everything that was asked of her, letting us groom and examine her (we got no chance of that at home) lol They all think she is a lovely laid back little pup ..... little do they know she a tazmanian devil in disguise! lol

Puppy class is great fun and so good for the pups to socialize, we are about to start our next 7 week course, they cant believe how much she grows each week we take her, there are a lot of small breeds that are staying the same size, she starting to look like a giant to them now, maybe thats why she has built her confidence as shes bigger than them all haha, shes 17 weeks now. lol

its great to hear how others are getting on with their pups xx:

Annette xx

[Caryll]

Pneuma was the same as yours, all fearful & wary. It took a couple of meetings till she felt confident enough to take part properly.

Dempsey was bombastic & lively. But then nothing ever fazes him.

[wildmoor]

Zandi had already met other well balanced adult dogs before attending classes at 11 weeks so he did not bother at all, just wanted to play and not be serious

[max's mom]

Max was really naughty, used to play me up terrible. The trainer used to say "bring little shit to me" and as soon as she had him he was as good as gold, did everything he was supposed to. then when i got him back he would start again, she would boom across the hall at me, "it's not the dog, it's the owner", I'm sure I could see a glint in Max's eye!!! xx

[super D]

Dalton was a proper cocky little monkey, strutting around the room like he owned it lol xxx