Disappointing first agility session

[Cath]

Glad to hear you are feeling a bit better about this today and looking for another club, good on you 

there were a lot of "water pistol" and "coke can of pebbles" people in the classes I went to, and I introduced some of them to the clicker instead   
[/quote]


I asked my trainer advice on Milly's whinging/whimpering for the first 30 minutes of the class last week, I felt Milly's whinging was impatience cause she didn't want to wait her turn  The trainer advised the "water pistol" or "stones in a bottle", I think she saw the look of disgust on my face    and I have been working on clicker with her this week, so we will see how she goes this Sunday 

[Top Barks]

indeed look for someone else.
I was shocked when I took Bayley at the amount of traditional methods still employed and very nearly never went back, but I thought If I could show them the way I do it and the way Bayley is for me I might win some of the Yank and NOOO brigade over.
I think we made an impression 
Mark

It is worth it if you can - there were a lot of "water pistol" and "coke can of pebbles" people in the classes I went to, and I introduced some of them to the clicker instead     The classes were really good, as the trainer shared my approach and was brilliant, but sadly, she didn't feel able to correct or exclude people who chose to use force  - which is why I eventually left 

You just have to let your dog do the convincing.
Bayley loved agility and did one of his big (I can leap as high as your head from a standing position) jumps when we finished the round.
I love what I do with him but the real satisfaction is his attitude, enthusiasm and enjoyment and i never had to shout, yank or throw things at him.
Bayley wants to do it and has been taught appropriate behaviour and i think some of the senior people their were a bit embarrassed as he was better than their dogs who had been doing it for years and this was only the first time he had done an entire course.
Anybody dare throw anything or squirt anything at my dog would be on the wrong end of a good kicking from yours truly.
Mark

[silke]

Anybody dare throw anything or squirt anything at my dog would be on the wrong end of a good kicking from yours truly.

Good on you! I can't believe what methods are still used - only a few years ago, a trainer smacked one of my dogs in the face, because she'd snarled at a dog that had come very close to her, and in an obedience club, the trainer forced the other one on the floor and pinned him down, to make him stay, foreced the dumbell in his mouth and held it shut, with him hating it, and did all sorts of very physical things. Every dog that wouldn't do the exercises perfectly was labelled dominant...he (my dog) started hiding behind my legs every time the trainer walked towards us. I promised myself (and my dogs) that I'd NEVER go to a place like that again.

Silke