Pre-school Nightmare
Today was Yogi's first day at puppy training at our local Petsmart. We thought today would be a breeze since he sits and watches on command without treats and understands "no" and "come".
We get there 15mins late unfortunately and this is when the madness begins. As soon as he figures out we're headed to Petsmart he goes nuts. He loves Petsmart!! So we head into the class and by that time hes going crazy. A room packed with ppl and puppies is just what Yogi loves. For the entire hour, Yogi just wanted to play. He excited all the dog around us and maybe sat still for 1 minute a few times ..I guess when he was tired. While all the other dogs (mostly toys, & poodle mixes) either sat around and stayed calm, Yogi and the Choc Lab he kept bothering never paid attention while the instructor. I was SOOO embarrassed and disappointed. Yogi knew most of these commands but he just wanted to play and could careless. When the trainer did come over to him to try an example he did very well, once she left it was back to the usual.
The trainer recommended that he gets more playtime and that she understands his age (12wks on Wed) restricts him from going to doggie parks and camps. Yogi has 2 dog friends and we see them every weekend when possible. But during the week its just with mommy and daddy. Even when he meets new ppl or sees our neighbors he goes nuts. It's all about play for Yogi.
Im hoping he behaves better in the upcoming classes :-s
We get there 15mins late unfortunately and this is when the madness begins. As soon as he figures out we're headed to Petsmart he goes nuts. He loves Petsmart!! So we head into the class and by that time hes going crazy. A room packed with ppl and puppies is just what Yogi loves. For the entire hour, Yogi just wanted to play. He excited all the dog around us and maybe sat still for 1 minute a few times ..I guess when he was tired. While all the other dogs (mostly toys, & poodle mixes) either sat around and stayed calm, Yogi and the Choc Lab he kept bothering never paid attention while the instructor. I was SOOO embarrassed and disappointed. Yogi knew most of these commands but he just wanted to play and could careless. When the trainer did come over to him to try an example he did very well, once she left it was back to the usual.
The trainer recommended that he gets more playtime and that she understands his age (12wks on Wed) restricts him from going to doggie parks and camps. Yogi has 2 dog friends and we see them every weekend when possible. But during the week its just with mommy and daddy. Even when he meets new ppl or sees our neighbors he goes nuts. It's all about play for Yogi.
Im hoping he behaves better in the upcoming classes :-s
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Charlie on
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Was the instructor suggesting that you play with him right before you take him to class? That might tire him a bit and calm him some. Puppy school is really more for you to learn how to work with Yogi, so they aren't expecting puppies to come in exceptionally well behaved anyway. Sounds like he's meeting some fun puppy buddies in class. Practice what they taught you a lot in between classes and have a lot of fun with it. : - )
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Permalink Reply by Karen & Bailey on
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yepp! Charlie is correct.!!!
Bailey just graduated from Petsmart's Puppy Education class last week! So I can speak from experience! lol. Anyways, They ask us that we take the puppies to petsmart/class 15-20 minutes earlier for socialization. And it does work. Sure, he wants to still play during class - but tahts why you make sure they're tied far enough apart from one another so they can't physically reach the other dog. That really helps. Also, Bailey was already tired out from wrestling/playing with dogs prior to class, so he was more obedient.
Also, make sure you bring his favorite treat, or a collection of his favorties and something he just LOVES but hardly ever has (freeze dried liver, boiled chicken pieces, cheese) and he'll sure to pay attention once you stick that in front of him!
Anyways, good luck. Bailey loves pet stores too. I dunno - must be the smell. lol.
Don't be suprised if Yogi suddenly becomes the teacher's pet. =P Bailey was a hit at puppy class. =P
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Permalink Reply by FuzzyButt on
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You can try wearing him out by taking him on a long walk before class. Or some hard playtime. This might bring down his energy level and he should be more likely to pay attention.
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Permalink Reply by Yogi on
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yes she did suggest that we show up at least 15mins prior and also get him to socialize more in general. he was napping in the car prior to class, so go figure! lol
i know he's not a bad dog, it just looks bad when u have a class thats packed with toy breeds that lay quietly on their owner's lap and yours is going nuts to play.
also its hard to get him to focus with all the distractions. we came home and he did all what we were taught without the treats or clicker. so i know he's getting trained. its just the focusing that he needs to work on.
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Permalink Reply by Ju Lo on
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I agree with Charlie. It can be embarrassing when you know your puppy isn't acting as obedient as you know he is, but don't worry, no one is judging you! My Theo is the exact same way. At home he walks on lease like a dream, but in class he won't stay by me for even the most delectable treat.
I skipped the Petsmart classes and opted for what I guess would be the equivalent of private school. Hehe. The place I go has a big yard and we always start class with a play session for the puppies. That way when we reel them in, they're a little more tired out. Then at the end of class when they tend to get rowdy again, the trainer lets them have another play session before we all leave. That way they're nice and tuckered out at home! Hehe.
If you're really worried about it, you could try something like that. Otherwise, just keep going and doing your best with Yogi. He'll probably mellow when he gets more used to it.
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Permalink Reply by Sam on
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At 12 weeks this is the norm and really what puppy class is supposed to be all about. INTRODUCING your pups to the obedience commands. Dont be embarrassed, just keep practicing. Dogs that have more opportunity to be with other people and dogs are generally more calm in those situations. If you have a pal nearby try some walks together so the pups can visit but learn to also be under some sort of control. All dogs initially do better in their home environment where there are not so many distractions. Keep practicing. I would just be so thrilled my pup was comfortable and confident while out. The training will come.
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