Puppy school

[Berri]

So last night was our first puppy class. We left half an hour early only to arrive 10 mins late which obviously caused chaos with the other pups.

So Berri did ok at sit. Refused point blank to lie down and even the teacher commented on how it was obvious she knew the command and it was just as obvious she was determined to ignore us. Finally we tried recall which was mixed. After stopping off for water she came to me when I called however despite my husband's best clown act, Berri just wandered off to say hi to all the other dogs.

Tonight however she taught me 'paw'. I can't take credit as Berri initiated it to get more treats. Tried to teach stand tonight but she merely lies down and rolls over.

Looking forward to next week.

[Natty Boh]

My first class was on Tuesday. I was lucky, because it was orientation without the dogs. LOL! I can't wait to see what my pup pulls next week. Hey, at least we have them in classes. Please keep us posted. It will be fun to see how we progress.

[My6beagles]

Originally Posted by Berri

So last night was our first puppy class. We left half an hour early only to arrive 10 mins late which obviously caused chaos with the other pups.

So Berri did ok at sit. Refused point blank to lie down and even the teacher commented on how it was obvious she knew the command and it was just as obvious she was determined to ignore us. Finally we tried recall which was mixed. After stopping off for water she came to me when I called however despite my husband's best clown act, Berri just wandered off to say hi to all the other dogs.

Tonight however she taught me 'paw'. I can't take credit as Berri initiated it to get more treats. Tried to teach stand tonight but she merely lies down and rolls over.

Looking forward to next week.

Obedience classes are for you not as much for your dog. Sure she will learn some things but what you learn and then practice at home is where it's at. Do little training sessions(10-15 minutes) a few times a day. I will use their dinner as their reward. I'm surprised the instructor didn't point out to not let your pup wander around during recall. If they don't come when called after a couple attempts you should really go get them. If she is allowed to wander around when being called she will learn she can do that all the time. Personally I never let my beagles off leash until they master their recalls. I'll use a long leash (20 feet) and practice in the yard. I'll let wander then call them to a sit in front of me then treat. For me the recall is the most important command to teach a dog. It could mean life or death to the dog.
When Berri lies down and rolls over try to lure her with a treat to the down position. Not every dog needs to learn the conventional way but improvise and use what she already does.


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[JaakeTod]

At my obedience class we start the recall process by doing something called "Dog to the front".
As we are walking forward I then shift my weight to walk backwards, as I go backwards I give my recall command and correct him with my slip lead. Eventually he just turns to the command.
It then progresses further but I'm not at that stage yet. Brynn is doing great with the stay command and will sit as as long as tell him which I feel is great for a 16 week old Beagle pup. He also walks perfectly on my heal and turns nicely when I do.
All in all it is going very well and I really enjoy the obedience classes. They have taught me a lot and I would urge everyone to do them.


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[My6beagles]

JaakeTod
I really sounds like you are learning a lot and best of all enjoying yourself. It's so much fun. I love when an instructor shows me a different way to do something that maybe I hadn't thought of. There is nothing I love to do more than teach one of my pack something new. Then there is all the learning I need to do....argh


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[JaakeTod]

My instructor told me tonight my Beagle is a credit to me as the ones she usually sees are quite different to how Brynn is doing in his obedience. Like I've said on another post and I've heard you say a similar thing, it's us the owners that are being trained, the dogs just follow suit once we know what to do


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[Berri]

I agree and the main reason I wanted to go was to learn myself! I was surprised the instructor tried recall at the first session but maybe she wanted to get a feel as to where we all were.

We certainly have no intention of letting Berri off the lead until she is an adult and adept at reacall. We will invest in a long line (we already have a retractable lead for general walks which works just fine).

Looking forward to the next one. Will keep you posted

[Berri]

Originally Posted by Natty Boh

My first class was on Tuesday. I was lucky, because it was orientation without the dogs. LOL! I can't wait to see what my pup pulls next week. Hey, at least we have them in classes. Please keep us posted. It will be fun to see how we progress.

I love the idea of having one lesson without dogs probably what we needed.

Good luck at your class and yes it will be fun to see how we get on. Keep us posted.