J...

Old club...

Good:

Some great people

Great puppy class instructor

Bad:

Different instructors every week in higher classes, often conflicting advice and techniques

Poor class management i.e people show up late, don't control dogs (esp. aggressive dogs), wrong gear etc

Big class sizes

Big club = politics!

New club...

Good:

Its closer ;)

Small classes

Great people

Same instructor for each 4 week block

Same people in class each week for each block - no constantly catching people up who've missed several classes

Extra assistance readily offered if needed

They offer beginners agility for dogs 6 months and over

Darcy loves it

Bad:

Having to leave home at 7.45 am on a Sunday to get to agility :D

I'd never thought about it in a dog sense HR - but you're right! My immediate though too was also horses, if you've ever been to a horse training clinic 9/10 times you will find male instructor/clinician, a group of women, with maybe a token bloke or two......

Funnily enough the only dog workshop I've been to was exactly the same ;)

I've already walked away from one club for a variety of reasons... should've done it months ago but you live you learn. I'm happier at the club I now attend but I always wonder...

At least now I have more confidence in whats right and whats wrong from this forum

I would LOVE to become an instructor but I still have a lot to learn.

Where can I find more info on the NDTF course? :rolleyes:

So what do you do when the only clubs within 90 minutes drive of you are community clubs?

Brag your hardest LL - I think its great encouragement for us newbie drive trainers!!

My little mutts a people/dog and smell lover too..... at least I know there is some light at the end of the tunnel......

Somehow I think it will take me a little longer than 8 weeks though ;)

I dont understand why people come a few times and then never again or come on the odd occasion.

Because its not a priority for them, well not until Rover starts tearing up the garden, the washing, a few shoes, bowled the kids over, pulled like an absolute stream train on his last walks, that they get guilted into attending. They do their 1 week in 4, don't pay attention and wonder why the dog doesn't improve. Then they blame it on the poor dog.

Meanwhile people like you and I, who make it a priority (I love it!) rock up week in - week out, rain/hail or shine, have to share a class with poor maniac Rover on the end of 2m of leash, and twit owner who has to be brought up to speed (again!) because they missed the last 3 weeks. :p

Sorry I'll get off my soap box now... Can you tell it frustrated the cr*p out of me?? Thank god I'm a class up now

When I was doing puppy class, there seemed to be a changeover of attendees. You had the people who did PPS and a few puppy classes but dwindled off. Then you had the young dogs who were nutters starting to arrive in the class. Didn't seem to be a lot of people who followed it through which is sad. :p Maybe they though their dogs were fine, but I wonder what happens when they hit that lovely adolescent period I keep reading about

OK I have a question.... I've just realised that I'm breaking a few of the rules of starting in drive.

I.e still gets an off-lead run (weight issue!), still doing agility/obedience class, still has toys in the yard (plus she steals my firewood if you can call that a "toy"). She's not allowed to play with other dogs at classes or on her daily run.

I'm already seeing some good results with the small amount that I've done & learnt i.e comes when called regardless, "checks in" regularly while she's off running, can drop her lead in agility and have her come back each time, drop her lead in obedience with stays and not have her distracted by other dogs. If she does happen to break its towards me only, not the other dogs in class.

I've actually done very little formal drive with her, just a small amount of teasing with the ball, but once we get some more daylight hours, will start working on it more

Now if I take the ball with me on her run she won't go off and run because she wants the ball Handy distraction though if there's birds or other dogs I've found :D

Can you still get good results even though you don't follow the rules to the letter.... Obviously you wouldn't get absolutely excellent results. Dependant on the rules you do break and the dog I'd imagine? It's hard to explain but I'm not so sure about things like her not having toys etc...

Working on the straight thing altogether.... Darcy tends to bend a little around my knee "banana style" when she's heeling which means she tends to sit with that bend or drop with that bend. She does such a good job of watching me but it means she's always slightly bent. Have no idea how to correct it without potentially messing with the "watching" Plus its easier for her to watch while she's crooked at drop and sit, so I'm working on correcting her when she's in the sit and drop already and then rewarding.

CTD - what do you mean by "puppy sit"? Is that with a dropped hip to one side?

Does it matter for obedience (at any level?). Also sits that aren't square (dropped hip)?

Are they a lose a few points issue or pass/fail an exercise issues?

I'm definitely interested!! Prefer full day

Steve - what if they fidget?

Do I ignore the fidgets or add it to her time? She's running through her "repertoire" of skills ... sit drop back to sit, switch sides etc when I ask for time. I get the impression she's not 100% comfortable with the constant eye contact??? She will eat without watching me.

Just out of interest I do this on the deck where all manner of exciting things happen - where I put her collar on for walks, dinner time, brekky time, fetch when its raining, so getting her to sit completely still there is often an issue anyway - is this adding to the problem?

She'll do a nice sit stay or drop stay at class and out on walks. No fidgets.

I tend to agree - I don't think licensing is the answer.... we have car licenses yet we still all see d*ckheads on the roads nearly every day, we have gun licenses yet we still have idiots with guns.

Discounts for training would be a start but I paid $32 to register my undesexed (at the time) dog. If they lifted registration rates to a level where it was an incentive to train, I suspect that there would be higher levels of dogs not registered. Given my closest dog club is 30 mins away, in country vic where petrol prices are dearer, it would need to be a big discount for people to think it was worthwhile. Sadly I think many would just pay it, or not register their dog.

Education is the answer, but how to get people to educate themselves before they purchase a dog? Its already too late for many when they drag "godzilla on a leash" off to obedience training, only to compete with 20+ other people in a class. What then when you have a different instructor each week, who has different methods of "dealing" with such dogs?

So how do you get them to educate themselves before they buy a pup, and continue to keep themselves informed. IMHO people who buy from a breeder have probably taken the first step already... but what about the rest???

Interesting that all so far who have responded have been members of yearly clubs and not the pay for the life of the dog type

CC - I wouldn't ever pay life membership for several reasons.....

1) I've just switched clubs because I had a few issues with training methods/conflict between instructors and slack rules. Even though my 1st class at my new club went great, there is no guarantee that this one will be able to meet all our needs throughout my dogs lifetime

2) I'm in my late 20s and I've just completed move no. 20 - hopefully will stay where I am for a little longer than my average but sh*t happens and I have no objection with picking up and leaving in order to gain employment in my chosen field.

3) Neither club I've attended offers lifetime membership

Been attending almost every Sunday since Darcy started puppy preschool at 12 weeks. Paid $75 for PPS which included membership at the club til June 30 this year. $2 per class training fee.

She's now 6.5 months, started at new club last weekend, agility and obedience and will probably stick with that for a while. $60 yearly membership.

Old club I think was about $45 a year plus $2 per class training fee.

New club is $25 for 4 weeks per class, or $60 membership per year plus $6.50 insurance if you're not a VCA member.

There is someone currently discussion a Ballarat workshop in November, I also have distance learning packages for training in drive...

Workshop in Ballarat...... yessssss book me in please!!!

Now you have to admit that it has been pretty cold lately especially at 8pm at East Doncaster when the rain sets in. LOL. Even Xander gives me a dirty look when he has to go out in the rain.

This is probably a little against the grain of the thread.... but I actually preferred the cold sh*tty days because it means that only those who were serious would show up for class, and all the "part-timers" would stay at home.... made for a much better class environment :D

And given it was 10C here today and my dog was still jumping in the puddles..... I really don't think she gives a stuff about how cold it is :rolleyes:

I tend to agree with you - I come from the other side of the fence as a student. With one club I attended it was all on a casual basis. There were a lot there who made some attempt, but still really only showed up one week in four, the dogs never really improved, their owners never really learnt anything and unfortunately, they only seem to rock up for a chat and to ease their guilt over their neglected dog! :rolleyes: Thats when the poor dogs gets the blame "Oh I've been taking Rover to obedience but he still destroys my backyard"

To cut a long story short - for a heap of different reasons I hadn't tried drive training with Darcy after the K9 workshop.... mostly lack of confidence and knowledge to give it a go! Wasn't that sure of how she'd go, but I've been watching her a lot and started to think she might do okay at it....

Yesterday we started with a new dog club, enrolled in both beginners agility and obedience class.

Darcy decided, as she does, that she would focus on the dog next to us rather than on me. With that, something clicked.... I gave her a fair razzing and stirred her right up.... big mistake to do it without a toy I found (I have the bruises to prove it!! ) Half time I retreated to the car to find a toy instead!!!! But honestly if she works for me like that again I'll be very happy

Some great improvements already - This is a dog who belts through the tunnel in order to dodge past me and play with the other dogs. Yesterday she did the tunnel, came out looking for me and followed me round. Each time I was ready to go after her knowing she'd bugger off to play - each time she shocked me!! Over the hurdles (on the ground) with lead dragging, followed me straight round again. Focused on me for most of the hour class.

Did a quick 10 minute assessment for obedience class, and then onto an hour obedience class. Just a different dog - no losing focus, she worked really well, no playing up and lunging on her lead. Did some work she's not done before, easy as. Wow!

Plus I got over 2 hours of class out of a 6.5 month old dog, after being constantly told "she's only a pup you can't expect a full hour out of her in class". I didn't push her for a second - she loved it!

She slept well though!!!

I'm still shocked, I can't believe she did all that in one day. Its a good shocked though - I'm still smiling about it!

Classic!! You just gotta love 'em!!! ;)

I wonder if its a pack leader issue BP? Maybe with the pup coming in and becoming more confident in his new home, has there been a shift in pack dynamics i.e Bella has risen up the ladder a little and you've dropped a little, just enough for her to be trying to exert a little of her authority around the house.... and what better time when you're in bed and out of sight!! Just a thought! :D Whenever I've seen Dads working dogs throw their weight around its normally when he's out of sight - mind you he only has to yell and they all sit there with a "what - we weren't doing anything" butter-wouldn't-melt-in-their-mouth look on their faces!

Maybe in the short term, if its not an issue, prop the door open so the pup can get in easier Might work, might not At least you'd get a full nights sleep

LOL @ BP - that is very true!!!

Gemmarow - my cats love the dog food but I keep it away from them because the mineral balance in puppy/dog food really isn't good for cats.

I would follow BP's advice in regards to feeding the pup - 15 minutes and thats it, take it away so it learns to eat it while its there. It will need a few feeds a day, but I would keep the pup away from the cat food as well otherwise it will learn that there's always another source of food if it doesn't like what its been fed. (or its a guts like mine! ).

As for the kitten, I ended up buying my two the same brand of food because they would mug me for the dog food. They now mug me for their cat food! Maybe its a matter of trying a few different brands for both animals to see which ones they like. My pup didn't like her original puppy food, took me a while to figure it out as she has a healthy appetite anyway. :D

If you speak with your local source of petfood, they will probably get you a sample of other foods on the market, I know the local Petstock where I am has quite a few samples available in store.

Very cute pics by the way!!!

LOL @ Shekhina!!

I have some similar ones of Darcy flat in a lovely drop ...... nothing to do with training or focus at all - she just wants me to kick her soccer ball again!

So sorry to hear about your poor boy - RIP Lane

So sorry to hear about Lane I really hope they can find something that will help him!