My Dog Flunked Out of Obedience Class

[PlutoPony]

Took our rescue lab to obedience shortly after we got him last summer. Decided after first class it just wasn't the right time to train him - he really hadn't bonded with us yet, was pretty stressed by the whole thing, etc. He wasn't disruptive and we weren't asked to leave, but you could see he just wasn't getting anything out of it, he was too stressed. When I told the trainer my reservations she agreed that this was probably not the best time and told us we could come to a class sometime in the future. Well, we are just finishing training now and he's doing so much better! You can just see him gaining confidence each week and he loves going to class. He's like a different dog.

Is it possible that your dog just isn't ready for training yet? Agree with others that finding the right trainer and class is key and you may not get it right the first time.

That said, there were 2 dogs in this class the first day that were absolutely WILD. Now my dog isn't an angel at.all. but these dogs were out of control and it seemed clear that the owners were used to letting the dogs do pretty much whatever they wanted. It was very difficult for the rest of us to hear the instructor above these owners yelling at their dogs. Neither dog was there the next week so not sure if it their decision or not....

Good luck!!

 

[Teresa Pitman]

I have two border collies and a yellow Lab. The border collies are smart - one won first place overall in a local obedience competition. The Lab has been through obedience school twice and is still just as, well, bad. I think he has ADD: he'll sit when you tell him (especially if you are holding a treat) but after a second or two he forgets that he's supposed to be sitting and gets up, or lies down, or decides to sniff the butt of the dog next to him. If he's outside, and you call him, he'll **** his head and look at you - he's clearly heard you calling, but he's deciding if he wants to come or if he'd rather just go somewhere else. Too often he decides to go somewhere else. He's not in the least bit aggressive, he's great with kids, but he really flunks being obedient. He also loves to run and that takes precedence over almost anything, so he's VERY difficult to walk. He actually broke my arm two years ago.

I think some dogs are just very hard to train.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Great tip is to exercise your dog before coming to class.

 

[hereyago]

Great tip is to exercise your dog before coming to class.

And before dog training homework

 

[Teresa Pitman]

Great tip is to exercise your dog before coming to class.

Unless he breaks your arm while you are exercising him.

 

[low-key]

lol, he was disruptive to the class, I love it

 

[mummabear]

We took our dog (now 13 1/2) to puppy preschool we didn't fail in the way it's was a happy everyone passes but he totally failed, he didn't ever do as he was told, now he is blind and deaf do we just blame that...
If it makes you feel better we were kicked out of coffee group, by email, while overseas arranging my grandfathers funeral....

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

I am so proud.

I have owned dogs forever and have always just trained them at home, with no problems. This most recent dog we got I thought I am going to do it right and we enrolled in an 8-week training course. Just completed week 5 and the instructor requested we not return to the class since she didn't think we were really doing the homework and my dog was "disruptive" to the class. OMG I have never laughed so hard in my life. For the record, we DID do the homework, she is just..."headstrong"...that is why I am THERE. So we left with me mortified and trying to slink out quietly with her and her wagging tail banging against everything making as much noise as possible lol. We got back half our money though.

Just wondering about others' dog training experiences. Did you do it yourself? Pay for an obedience course? Any particular method that worked for a difficult dog? Any good do-it-yourself dog training manuals you have used?

My dog would have the teacher rolling over.

 

[Imzadi]

I am so proud.

I have owned dogs forever and have always just trained them at home, with no problems. This most recent dog we got I thought I am going to do it right and we enrolled in an 8-week training course. Just completed week 5 and the instructor requested we not return to the class since she didn't think we were really doing the homework and my dog was "disruptive" to the class. OMG I have never laughed so hard in my life. For the record, we DID do the homework, she is just..."headstrong"...that is why I am THERE. So we left with me mortified and trying to slink out quietly with her and her wagging tail banging against everything making as much noise as possible lol. We got back half our money though.

Just wondering about others' dog training experiences. Did you do it yourself? Pay for an obedience course? Any particular method that worked for a difficult dog? Any good do-it-yourself dog training manuals you have used?

Wow, just WOW. I can't believe the nerve of some DISers. Bringing in a dog that needs dog training to a . . . dog training class. (Just kidding. )

Sounds like the trainer failed, not the dog.

 

[crjack]

We have a lab/border collie mix that we adopted 14 years ago. "Technically" he made it through Puppy I training but it was "strongly suggested" that he not return for Puppy II and instead get some private lessons.

The make-up of dogs in the class was never a good fit and he was totally the class clown. (He is all lab with his personality and the majority of dogs were small and not loving it)

I was never told about the class graduation but one day he received his certificate in the mail with a post it note recommending private lessons again attached to it.....DH always says that our dog got his GED of obedience class!

We did do a few private lessons and then trained on our own. He is still a very social dog and quite popular in the neighborhood so it all worked out!

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Unless he breaks your arm while you are exercising him.

If that is the case then you do not have the proper equipment to train.

 

[DiannaVM]

Our dog didn't flunk out of Puppy Pre-School lol, but lets just say she is quite headstrong as well. So much so, the only command she still listens to this day is "sit". She is too difficult to even walk on the leash (my parents have a big yard for her to run around in lol).

She is a beagle-jack russell mix just fyi. Two of the most stubborn breeds out there. Thank goodness she is cute and knows how to behave herself (except when you try to walk her on the leash and she acts like you are choking her to death, eventhough we are not. She just pulls too hard).

 

[tzolkin]

How was the training going at home? (You mentioned that you were doing the homework, but the instructor thought you weren't) Is the issue that the dog is just not "getting it"? Or is she doing well at home, but out of control during class because she finds the other dogs too distracting?

I suppose either way, my suggestion would be to work with a private trainer or invest some serious time into researching and trying to train on your own rather than trying another class (at least at this point).

Our current dog (adopted as a 4mo puppy) does very well with obedience and tricks, but I don't think a class would have been very effective. She is very friendly and it's enough of a challenge to meet one dog or person on leash without being a complete spaz. There is simply no way she could be expected to listen obediently in a room full of dogs and people while being confined to a leash. She has made a lot of progress, so I know eventually she will have the self-control to remain calm and obedient in an atmosphere like that, but to expect her to be able to do so now would really be setting her up for failure.

A friend of mine's dog was kicked out of a number of classes, including one for dogs with "behavioural problems". Sadly, she ended up having to be euthanized, due to aggression issues (repeated, random, unprovoked biting of family members).

I don't think a dog with aggression issues should have ever been in a class to begin with, so I certainly can't blame the instructors for kicking them out. Our previous dog was dog aggressive (abused pit bull with numerous bite scars). After many months of working with a trainer (and me basically dedicating 24/7 to training the dog since I was not working), we did attend several group sessions that the trainer offered. However, she did not participate in the class like a "normal" dog. We used the class as a controlled environment to work on desensitization and counter conditioning at a distance.

 

[Magpie]

I don't think a dog with aggression issues should have ever been in a class to begin with, so I certainly can't blame the instructors for kicking them out. Our previous dog was dog aggressive (abused pit bull with numerous bite scars). After many months of working with a trainer (and me basically dedicating 24/7 to training the dog since I was not working), we did attend several group sessions that the trainer offered. However, she did not participate in the class like a "normal" dog. We used the class as a controlled environment to work on desensitization and counter conditioning at a distance.

The dog was placed in the initial class as a puppy, on the advice of her vet (who did say, at eight weeks, "This one's going to be trouble!"). And no one blamed the instructor. Now the class for dogs with behavioural issues did advertise that they could help with aggression, so that one was disappointing.

Everyone was just trying very hard to work with her, and hoping that her issues would get better as she got older and with lots of training (especially since there was no history of abuse). Sadly, though, the aggression got worse and she became increasingly unpredictable. She was just a year old when she was euthanized - the vet blamed poor breeding.

 

[IceSkatingPrincess]

We had a dog that flunked out of obedience class. We were told that we obviously had no relationship with our dog and that his lagging progress and refusal to focus is distracting others. They said not to come back and that there basically was no hope, he'd always be a "wild rescue".

Turns out he just didn't respond well to clicker training. The clicker freaked him out. We trained him ourself using positive reinforcement and no clicker and he was one of the most well behaved dogs we ever had.

 

[lakelandgal70]

Yes I had a dog fail obedience class before. But this was when I was like 18 and was taking my beagle pup through class. I felt bad making him do all the commands so it wasn't really his fault lol. It was mine all the way. I still laugh when I think back all those years making him sit and then running to him saying I was sorry and hugging him.

 

[3Gsandme]

If that is the case then you do not have the proper equipment to train.

With our previous dog (He was 120 pounds, in excellent shape) we HAD to use a pinch collar to walk him. NOTHING else worked. Pinch collars are the scourge of the internet, but there was no way to safely walk him and he NEEDED exercise. He got OUT of a gentle leader and SNAPPED choke collars. We were out of options. He very quickly learned that he must walk wall on the punch and could always be held with a relaxed hand.

Our current Lab responded poorly to the gentle leader (she walked with her head on the ground the entire time trying to pull it off) and the pinch (she ran from it). Our trainer reccomended a chest halter and it's a miracle. She walks so well.

We're still trying to figure out dumb puppy. He pulls too much for us to use the pinch and I'm thinking we're going to need a halter for him, too.

 

[robinb]

Unless he breaks your arm while you are exercising him.

I know I shouldn't laugh but I can't help it .

 

[tzolkin]

The dog was placed in the initial class as a puppy, on the advice of her vet (who did say, at eight weeks, "This one's going to be trouble!"). And no one blamed the instructor. Now the class for dogs with behavioural issues did advertise that they could help with aggression, so that one was disappointing.

Everyone was just trying very hard to work with her, and hoping that her issues would get better as she got older and with lots of training (especially since there was no history of abuse). Sadly, though, the aggression got worse and she became increasingly unpredictable. She was just a year old when she was euthanized - the vet blamed poor breeding.

I can sympathize. After a year of working with professionals (plus full time dedication and many hours per day spent training on my part), we ultimately had to return our dog to the rescue where we adopted her. The dog aggression was manageable (for DH and I), but she developed aggression with people that resulted in a few "close calls" and a bite to my son's face. DH and I are still heartbroken over the loss and don't think any dog will ever live up to her positive qualities, but having an unpredictable dog that could seriously injure someone is not a risk we could justify.

 

[Pumbaa_]

We dropped out, instructor was not a good fit for us at all, nor was having class in a public park in the fall. Too cold for me and my little dog.