silly behaviour during training classes -help please.

[Josie81]

Alfie has been attending weekly training sessions for around 4 - 5 months now (Alfie is nearing 8 months) and I am still really struggling with his behaver to the extent that I've considered finishing his training sessions. All he seems to want to do, similarly when I take him for a walk, is to mess about and pull to try and get to other dogs. There are 3 other cocker spaniels in the group, two show cockers and one working cocker, and they are as good as gold (despite them only being around 7 months old). He refuses to listen to me in the presence of other dogs. I am at a bit of a loss on what to do really. I don't know where I am going wrong with him when the other cockers, younger than him, are so well behaved. I did feel a little embarrassed last week, to be honest, which is my reason for feeling like I should stop attending.

I am just wanting a little advice please really on what you feel is the way forward? Also, is it just me or does anyone else share similar experiences?

Thanks in advance.

Josie xx

[Meggity]

Do you take him for a walk before the classes? 

I've found that tiring Holly out a little before her training class increases her attention span and ability to perform well!

[phoenix]

What does the trainer suggest??

[black taz]

my mum had the same problem with her collie.  in the end she just went to the classes to learn how to train the dog when she got home.

You need to make yourself more appealing that anything else that is going on.  He is toy or food focussed?

[Miadanu]

Hmm, Merlin used to have moments like that and over time he's learned to focus more.  What worked for us was:
1. Short training session at home
2. 45min or so walk before class
3. At class let him say hello to the other dogs first.
4. Let him sniff the floor if chance as well (dogs in previously).
5. High value treats (but not so high that he gets over excited)
6. When the trainer is talking practising various stays to try and keep him quiet. Failing that a hold of dumbell usually works! We just have to keep him busy as sitting quietly is still a challenge.
7. If he's really unsettled then get up and walk around but away from other dogs.

I hope something in the above helps you as it has us

[rednblack]

I had the same problem with my pup, when it came to actually doing the tasks or the tests he performed brilliantly, but in between all he wanted to do was roll on the floor with the other pups  .  Like you, I found it deeply embarassing;  I think he may have been a bit bored, too.
 
The only thing I found was to do a strong "sit-and-look-at-me" (probably more like "look at this piece of chicken/cheese/sausage"  ). He's getting better now (he's just over a year) but on walks we still use a lot of '"leave it" and reward' for other dogs and he is more or less getting the message.
 
To be honest, the trainers weren't a lot of help and we stopped going as we didn't seem to be getting anywhere in dealing with this problem.

[Top Barks]

You might also consider booking some one to one sessions with a trainer, many dogs find a class environment difficult.

[PennyB]

You might also consider booking some one to one sessions with a trainer, many dogs find a class environment difficult.

I agree - especially at this age when they're starting to go through their teens - I did same (booked 1-2-1s occasionally rather than group classes when they were going through their 'Kevin' stage), as mine just wouldn't listen and it wasn't worth putting me or them through it as I was often setting them up to fail. Once mine had gone past their teens I took them to the intermediate class and they were the best behaved in the class. Sometimes its not worth it and its probably far better for you to do more at home in short training sessions.

[Josie81]

Hi,

thanks for taking the time to reply with your help and advice, all!

Ii do take him for a walk before classes to try and tire him out, but he has so much energy that it's almost impossible to tire him out. With regards using treats whilst training, I do try and use them but if he knows I have a treat in my hand he will just keep jumping up in attempt to get the treat out of my hand.

Alfie has attended puppy socialisation classes, before moving onto a puppy beginner course and then the puppy graduation course. He seemed to be starting to get there, but now he has started the Bronze Award he has started going backwards. I'm wondering if the problem might be because there were only 4 or 5 of us in the puppy classes, but now there are up to 10 dogs in the group and they are all at different stages (some of the dogs had their Bronze exam last week). The classes are also only an hour long, which means the trainer doesn't have much time to do any one-to-one work. In the classes, the trainer just keeps telling me 'don't worry, he will get there!'.

Josie x

[Archie bean]

Archie is exactly the same. He thinks training is play school! I do all the things suggested above plus I get there a bit early and let him have a bit of a meet and greet mess about in the waiting area with his best friends (standard poodle and rotty). Once in the class we keep separate from them as much as possible but he still tries it on a bit. I'm lucky in that when it his his turn he will focus and do what he's asked to do. It's while we are waiting that it can be tricky. I do always have his favourite toy in my pocket which I can use to distract him if he's getting wound up. He will be two in August!! It does get a bit better as they get older.

[piph]

Ozzy was also exactly the same!  He could do the training, but got so over excited that he was impossible!  I think this is where the over excitement started, as he wasn't like that before we started the puppy classes.  We did finish the course, but only because we'd paid for it and I wanted to get my money's worth - we'd already missed 2 because of his eye op.  I would think twice before taking another puppy to training classes.

[Black Beauty & Silverfox]

Ho Josie

I'm assuming it's obedience classes your taking Alfie to if so then the last thing you want to do is stop now after all he is a puppy and likes to play and at eight month no doubt show off too
My little working Cocker was very lively at class but as the weeks past her focus was much better and I'm sure as others have said, a short walk may just take the edge off his excitement


Mel.

[Ben's mum]

Ben was like this I think he was board. My trainer suggested doing clicker training with him even though the others were not using a clicker and Ben seemed to be more focused when I did this.  I also used to starve him before I went, I found a hungry cocker is an attentive cocker   I have to say Ben never did seem to enjoy training and got restless very quickly.  We got to kc gold and both heaved a sigh of relief when we stopped. However agility was his thing, he was a different dog, when we started that. Have you thought about doing something different once Alfie is old enough to find out what he enjoys. As Mark said have you tried 1-1 training? Good luck

[PennyB]

Hi,

thanks for taking the time to reply with your help and advice, all!

Ii do take him for a walk before classes to try and tire him out, but he has so much energy that it's almost impossible to tire him out. With regards using treats whilst training, I do try and use them but if he knows I have a treat in my hand he will just keep jumping up in attempt to get the treat out of my hand.

Alfie has attended puppy socialisation classes, before moving onto a puppy beginner course and then the puppy graduation course. He seemed to be starting to get there, but now he has started the Bronze Award he has started going backwards. I'm wondering if the problem might be because there were only 4 or 5 of us in the puppy classes, but now there are up to 10 dogs in the group and they are all at different stages (some of the dogs had their Bronze exam last week). The classes are also only an hour long, which means the trainer doesn't have much time to do any one-to-one work. In the classes, the trainer just keeps telling me 'don't worry, he will get there!'.

Josie x

I think Mark and I were actually suggesting give up on the group classes for a while and arrange 1-2-1 classes instead. You also have to be aware at some stage in a dog's life (as in a human teenager's life) where its an uphill battle and carrying on on the same path may not get you anywhere - sometimes you have to look at a different way of doing things to get to the same place.

The question to ask yourself is why are you doing a group class that may be oversubscribed and at a time when group classes may not be suited to your dog anyway, when training away from the group class may be better for you both.

There's nothing worse than seeing a dog in a group class that is all over the place - the owner spends most of the class trying to gain control of their dog rather than learn from the trainer what they're meant to be doing to advance - far better to step back and look at training from another angle. I really saw how much taking mine out of group classes at this stage really helped my dogs - I went back to basics at home and went and paid for the occasional 1-2-1 session with the trainer instead and may be go back to group classes later if that's the path you're on.

[LurcherGirl]

Can I also ask what his diet is? And what kind of walks do you do? Do you play and do training with him for a large part of your walks? Or just let him get on with running around? Has he learnt to settle inside and outside around distractions and on walks as well?