Dog Doesn't Like Obedience Class

[VizslaMomma]

I used to do that with Bonnie's favourite toy. I would lock her out of the room, hide the toy, and then let her in trying to find it :)

Go over everything you can think that makes Bonnie enjoy herself.

Use those methods to get her going.

Neither of you are on a schedule really.

You are a teenager with a fabulous dog that brings you happiness.

Go wtih that approach for a while.

Understand that owning and training a dog is ongoing. It may be that a reassessment is needed to help Bonnie.

Ask yourself if you would like the methods those instructors are trying to make you do. If you do not truly like them & see their intrinsic value, revalue everything.

Good Luck

[JulesP]

Looks like Bonnie will enjoy agility. I remember your other videos too.

Most Vic clubs do want you to achieve a certain level of obedience prior to doing agility. It is just what it is. Sometimes in life you just have to suck it up and play the game.

I would say that it is your attitude that is causing the problem. So next week go to class and enjoy yourself! You are pretty young so I know this isn't easy. You can do it though. Think of the prize - passing class and getting into agility. My dog will heel like crap too if she knows I am stressed out. When you walk think happy thoughts and almost skip. Smile too. See if she heels up better then. Watch your voice too, keep it light and happy.

You should be starting to reduce the amount of treats that you are feeding as you get higher up in class so I wouldn't take that as an indication that this is a bad club.

[Kavik]

Nice improvisation for contacts!

OK - you have a tunnel! You can work on lots of stuff at home!

Sending to tunnel from all angles, I generally do straight, 90 degrees and 180 degrees, you can put this on purely a verbal too. Straight tunnel and curved tunnel, inside and outside of curve. Throw your reward.

[Kavik]

I hope this helps:

I started out and wanted to compete in obedience and agility. Like you, very keen to get out there and teach them all this stuff! There is a lot to teach, some of it intricate and demanding and complicated.

The most important thing I've learned (and it took me a long time to learn this!): Don't get too caught up in teaching the intricate stuff early on. The relationship is the most important, much more important than teaching stuff. Keep it short and fun. Don't try to work on too much in the one session.

[emilymarston]

I hope this helps:

The most important thing I've learned (and it took me a long time to learn this!): Don't get too caught up in teaching the intricate stuff early on. The relationship is the most important, much more important than teaching stuff. Keep it short and fun. Don't try to work on too much in the one session.

Thanks for the tips! I've noticed that shorter sessions work a lot better for Bonnie, so much more energy and enthusiasm. I only spent 5 minutes training her today and it was great! definitely going to cut back on the length of our sessions :)

and as you said, the relationship comes first!

[persephone]

I hope this helps:

The most important thing I've learned (and it took me a long time to learn this!): Don't get too caught up in teaching the intricate stuff early on. The relationship is the most important, much more important than teaching stuff. Keep it short and fun. Don't try to work on too much in the one session.

Thanks for the tips! I've noticed that shorter sessions work a lot better for Bonnie, so much more energy and enthusiasm. I only spent 5 minutes training her today and it was great! definitely going to cut back on the length of our sessions :)

and as you said, the relationship comes first!

That sounds very good :) Well Done!

[Simply Grand]

Could you talk to the head trainer and explain that you've been trying with the methods your instructor is giving you but they are not working for Bonnie, however you have another training approach that you find works well for her? Then ask if you can follow along with the class on your own at that 10m+ distance Bonnie is happy at?

That way you can remove the stress on you of the instructor telling you you are doing the wrong thing and on Bonnie getting confusing different signals and stress from you. If you can make it fun again being in that environment with her focused just on you you have a better chance of getting her to perform in your assessment.

If the club won't consider this I would be very wary of continuing as things are. You risk really damaging your bond with Bonnie and her enjoyment of training if you continue putting her in this position. It's very difficult in the face of an instructor who supposedly knows more than you to stand up and say no, I know what's best for my dog, but it's important that you do as our dogs can't do it themselves.

Like Perse said, and hard as it would be, if this club won't work with you to find a way to get you and Bonnie where you want to get and it isn't manageable to go elsewhere then maybe now isn't the right time to get to agility...

ETA just realised I somehow missed a whole heap of posts great advice from everyone re focusing on agility being fun for Bonnie. I wonder whether the times when Bonnie has been less enthusiastic are times when you are feeling a bit stressed or off yourself?

Don't forget as well that if you start agility now you'll probably be getting more and more into it over the next few years as school gets busier. Try not to put too much pressure on yourself to get this done RIGHT NOW, you'll always be able to pick it up again at any time and will figure out how to find time for your passions :)

Edited April 14, 2014 by Simply Grand

[rusty&biscuit]

a lot of people seem to stop doing agility after they graduate.

:) and that is also when a LOT of people start , AFAIK .When they are able to drive- and take their dog places , and learn more widely :D

Perhaps the ones who stop then finally realise that doing agility is not really their dream after all ? Perhaps they don't have the drive and patience anymore ? perhaps they prefer parties and lovers :p

I have read through this thread, and I 100% agree with this! I have been training in agility since I was 8, somehow managed to convince my non-dog loving parents to take me, did it all through school, and now that I have graduated a couple of years ago, got a job, a car, and my own dog, I'll be going to the nationals this year! Once your parents see how happy agility makes you, and they start seeing people your age out partying, they might just encourage you to do agility more to keep you out of trouble :laugh:

But in all seriousness, I was in the same situation as you when I first started, at a club that used harsh methods, got to agility with Cherry where she would run off and be a little bugger. So I changed clubs to one that uses positive training methods, and even though I had to start again it was so worth it. I had a different dog who LOVED training with me, especially agility. She turned into a little superstar! As has been said, keep working on building a relationship with her, set her up for success so she can have a win often and gain some confidence. Don't be so hard on yourself, it is hard starting out especially without being able to just go to any club whenever you want. Even if it takes a while before you start agility competition, you will be building a lasting relationship with Bonnie and you can keep learning invaluable skills along the way, then when the time is right you will be awesome :)

[DeltaCharlie]

a lot of people seem to stop doing agility after they graduate.

:) and that is also when a LOT of people start , AFAIK .When they are able to drive- and take their dog places , and learn more widely :D

Perhaps the ones who stop then finally realise that doing agility is not really their dream after all ? Perhaps they don't have the drive and patience anymore ? perhaps they prefer parties and lovers :p

I have read through this thread, and I 100% agree with this! I have been training in agility since I was 8, somehow managed to convince my non-dog loving parents to take me, did it all through school, and now that I have graduated a couple of years ago, got a job, a car, and my own dog, I'll be going to the nationals this year! Once your parents see how happy agility makes you, and they start seeing people your age out partying, they might just encourage you to do agility more to keep you out of trouble :laugh:

But in all seriousness, I was in the same situation as you when I first started, at a club that used harsh methods, got to agility with Cherry where she would run off and be a little bugger. So I changed clubs to one that uses positive training methods, and even though I had to start again it was so worth it. I had a different dog who LOVED training with me, especially agility. She turned into a little superstar! As has been said, keep working on building a relationship with her, set her up for success so she can have a win often and gain some confidence. Don't be so hard on yourself, it is hard starting out especially without being able to just go to any club whenever you want. Even if it takes a while before you start agility competition, you will be building a lasting relationship with Bonnie and you can keep learning invaluable skills along the way, then when the time is right you will be awesome :)

All my life, all I wanted was a dog (or a horse LOL). I was a massive animal lover but had a special love for dogs, particularly Border Collies (couldn't tell you what I loved about them at that time though, just that I did). Every year I would ask my parents for a dog but was never allowed to have one. We had had a Kelpie x when I was a toddler and it was too boisterous for a young family and was rehomed with extended family. Mum had to do all the work as Dad worked late, and it pretty much ruined any chances after that. While both parents loved dogs and had grown up with them, Mum wasn't taking the chance again that all the work would fall back onto her. They were convinced the whole thing was just a phase, and tried to placate me with guinea pigs, fish and birds.

Of course, the first thing I did as soon as I moved out of home was get myself a dog (my 21st bday present to myself). Cody introduced me to the world of dog training and agility, and before long I had thrown myself into the dog world. I got Delta when he was nearly 2, then lost him to a car a few weeks later. Along came Charlie who introduced me to flyball. I started to compete in agility and flyball, met Tailwag, and now we have 11 dogs!

My parents have since said that they really do regret not allowing me to get into dogs earlier, as it turns out they really were the companion for me (and turns out I was right about the Border Collies too :laugh:). Knowing what they know now, they would have happily driven me to training at whatever club I wanted to (after all, they were already driving me to gymnastics, indoor soccer, netball, dancing, softball and athletics :p ). However, they had no way of knowing at the time just how seriously I would have got involved in the sport and, in my case, there would have been a dog to factor in too. At least you already have that sorted :)

All you can really do is stick it out with what you have got. Maybe showing your parents just how dedicated you are to this, and sticking with it for a period of time without getting disheartened, may make them a little more willing to drive you around in the future.

Have you spoken to your parents about how you feel? I am sure they are not that scary to talk to :) But at the moment, it sounds like you are not overly happy about going to this club and that is going to be affecting your dog too. Enter your parent's point of view into the equation- all they are probably seeing is that their daughter is not overly excited about going each week and doesn't seem to be enjoying it. If it was my child, I would be questioning whether they even wanted to be doing the activity and wondering how long they will bother to stick it out. I don't think I would be even considering a bigger commitment (driving further to take her to training etc) for something she doesn't seem to like doing anyway. Have a chat with them about it. Tell them how much you really want to get into agility but how unhappy this particular club is making you. Explain to them why it is you may not appear to be overly excited about the whole experience and take the guessing out of it for them. You may find that they have a few ideas for you to go with. Do they stay while you train? Having them nearby may do wonders for your confidence as you are not out there "alone" and they will be able to see the difference in you at certain times in the training. I bet they know you better than you think- they will see those same subtle body language cues in you that we look for in our dogs :)

As for school, being involved in outside activities is probably the best thing you can be doing over the next few years. Yr 10 really isn't much of a jump up from yr 9, and neither is yr 11 to tell you the truth. Yr 12 is a little more intense, but only as intense as you make it. I took on a second job halfway through yr 12, and it was probably the best thing I could have done. I was still just as involved in all my sports and my life continued on as normal. Removing all of those things from your life makes school a larger part of it and can leave you stressed :) Obviously, you do need to find a balance and leave yourself with plenty of time for homework and assignments, but don't give up on the fun things either :)

[kelpiechick]

Deleted

Edited April 17, 2014 by kelpiechick

[sheena]

today's training session. yes I know that chair thing isn't ideal for contact training, but it's all I've got.

Bonnie just loved it today. I don't know if you can tell, but she was really happy and so excited that she kept barking trying to hit that contact. that's why I still do agility

I just watched your video...& I don't want to sound harsh...but I didn't see you reinforcing those lovely contacts with either food or a toy. Our dogs should not be expected to keep working for free, just like you or I wouldn't want to keep working for free. Keep the rate of reinforcement high & stagger it. Have you done any Clicker Work with her ??? :) If you want to know more about Clicker work check out this link & go to the PDF file & download it Introduction to Clicker Training. It's a lot of fun & everything my young guy knows has been taught with the clicker & he just loves his agility & obedience training. My older girl, I didn't start with the clicker till she was nearly three & I so wish I had started her earlier. :)

[emilymarston]

a lot of people seem to stop doing agility after they graduate.

:) and that is also when a LOT of people start , AFAIK .When they are able to drive- and take their dog places , and learn more widely :D

Perhaps the ones who stop then finally realise that doing agility is not really their dream after all ? Perhaps they don't have the drive and patience anymore ? perhaps they prefer parties and lovers :p

I have read through this thread, and I 100% agree with this! I have been training in agility since I was 8, somehow managed to convince my non-dog loving parents to take me, did it all through school, and now that I have graduated a couple of years ago, got a job, a car, and my own dog, I'll be going to the nationals this year! Once your parents see how happy agility makes you, and they start seeing people your age out partying, they might just encourage you to do agility more to keep you out of trouble :laugh:

But in all seriousness, I was in the same situation as you when I first started, at a club that used harsh methods, got to agility with Cherry where she would run off and be a little bugger. So I changed clubs to one that uses positive training methods, and even though I had to start again it was so worth it. I had a different dog who LOVED training with me, especially agility. She turned into a little superstar! As has been said, keep working on building a relationship with her, set her up for success so she can have a win often and gain some confidence. Don't be so hard on yourself, it is hard starting out especially without being able to just go to any club whenever you want. Even if it takes a while before you start agility competition, you will be building a lasting relationship with Bonnie and you can keep learning invaluable skills along the way, then when the time is right you will be awesome :)

All you can really do is stick it out with what you have got. Maybe showing your parents just how dedicated you are to this, and sticking with it for a period of time without getting disheartened, may make them a little more willing to drive you around in the future.

Have you spoken to your parents about how you feel? I am sure they are not that scary to talk to :)

The problem is I talk to my parents about dog training too much. About 90% of the things I say to them are dog related. My parents can see that I'm really involved with dogs and dog training, I've been like this since I got Bonnie (which was 4 years ago). If I want to show something to my mum, she always asks "Is it about dogs again?". I spent half my birthday money on dog toys and training equipment this year, and my gift from my parents were agility classes at Altona (but we haven't started the classes yet). I even quit my tennis lessons to take agility classes. So I think my parents can see that dogs are my thing.

During obedience class if Bonnie gets a glimpse of my mum (or someone who looks like her) Bonnie will have a mini anxiety attack and tries to run to her. On our first lesson Bonnie saw someone who looked like my mum, and wouldn't stop looking and pulling at her the entire lesson. She only stopped when we walked by the lady, and Bonnie realized that it wasn't my mum. So during class I make my mum sit in the car, she watches us and tells me how we went from her point of view.

My mum just tells me to keep persisting with the obedience classes, because she knows that we're getting even closer to starting agility. We failed our agility assessment because our offlead heeling was too wide and slow. We have to get assessed by the head trainer, he made me and Bonnie heel offlead and then do a recall. We could do it, but because Bon doesn't enjoy obedience she did everything slowly. So the trainer said that because Bonnie is too slow, we can't do agility. So my mum thinks it'll be worth it to suck it up for a few more weeks, and then we'll be finally doing agility classes. We've only had four classes anyway, so I can't really expect to get into agility straight away. My parents are happy to take me to classes, but they don't think that I should give up so easily.

[emilymarston]

today's training session. yes I know that chair thing isn't ideal for contact training, but it's all I've got.

Bonnie just loved it today. I don't know if you can tell, but she was really happy and so excited that she kept barking trying to hit that contact. that's why I still do agility

I just watched your video...& I don't want to sound harsh...but I didn't see you reinforcing those lovely contacts with either food or a toy. Our dogs should not be expected to keep working for free, just like you or I wouldn't want to keep working for free. Keep the rate of reinforcement high & stagger it. Have you done any Clicker Work with her ??? :) If you want to know more about Clicker work check out this link & go to the PDF file & download it Introduction to Clicker Training. It's a lot of fun & everything my young guy knows has been taught with the clicker & he just loves his agility & obedience training. My older girl, I didn't start with the clicker till she was nearly three & I so wish I had started her earlier. :)

I had a big hot dog in my pocket and was clicking when she hit the contact :) you just couldn't see it. The camera didn't see me rewarding Bonnie, so it looks like I was making her work for nothing. I'm pretty sure the neighbors could hear me screaming out "GOOD GIRL! GOOD GIRL! YES! YES! YES! GOOD GIRL!" I'm a big fan of positive reinforcement and clicker training. The only time I didn't reward her, was when she missed the contact. She still got a lot of verbal praise, but I didn't give her a treat. Otherwise she got a nice chunk of hot dog and hugs for each contact she hit.

[sheena]

today's training session. yes I know that chair thing isn't ideal for contact training, but it's all I've got.

Bonnie just loved it today. I don't know if you can tell, but she was really happy and so excited that she kept barking trying to hit that contact. that's why I still do agility

I just watched your video...& I don't want to sound harsh...but I didn't see you reinforcing those lovely contacts with either food or a toy. Our dogs should not be expected to keep working for free, just like you or I wouldn't want to keep working for free. Keep the rate of reinforcement high & stagger it. Have you done any Clicker Work with her ??? :) If you want to know more about Clicker work check out this link & go to the PDF file & download it Introduction to Clicker Training. It's a lot of fun & everything my young guy knows has been taught with the clicker & he just loves his agility & obedience training. My older girl, I didn't start with the clicker till she was nearly three & I so wish I had started her earlier. :)

I had a big hot dog in my pocket and was clicking when she hit the contact :) you just couldn't see it. The camera didn't see me rewarding Bonnie, so it looks like I was making her work for nothing. I'm pretty sure the neighbors could hear me screaming out "GOOD GIRL! GOOD GIRL! YES! YES! YES! GOOD GIRL!" I'm a big fan of positive reinforcement and clicker training. The only time I didn't reward her, was when she missed the contact. She still got a lot of verbal praise, but I didn't give her a treat. Otherwise she got a nice chunk of hot dog and hugs for each contact she hit.

Good...just remember that EVERY TIME you click you must reward She looks like she is going great. You don't need to have giant treats though. Usually they are about the size of a pea & then if you want to, for a job well done, you can give her several...one at a time. We call this "silver service" treating. Good luck & don't give up...she is picking up on your nerves when you are at training. :)

[huski]

The problem is I talk to my parents about dog training too much. About 90% of the things I say to them are dog related. My parents can see that I'm really involved with dogs and dog training, I've been like this since I got Bonnie (which was 4 years ago). If I want to show something to my mum, she always asks "Is it about dogs again?". I spent half my birthday money on dog toys and training equipment this year, and my gift from my parents were agility classes at Altona (but we haven't started the classes yet). I even quit my tennis lessons to take agility classes. So I think my parents can see that dogs are my thing.

Allyandbonnie I just wanted to say you remind me so much of myself, I have always been 'dog crazy' and even now I am an adult, have lived out of home for years and work full time in the industry my mum will still say 'can we stop talking about dogs for two minutes' :laugh: :laugh: You show great initiative and passion, stick with it and it won't be long before you have a bit more independence and can learn more and do more things

[Kavik]

The problem is I talk to my parents about dog training too much. About 90% of the things I say to them are dog related. My parents can see that I'm really involved with dogs and dog training, I've been like this since I got Bonnie (which was 4 years ago). If I want to show something to my mum, she always asks "Is it about dogs again?". I spent half my birthday money on dog toys and training equipment this year, and my gift from my parents were agility classes at Altona (but we haven't started the classes yet). I even quit my tennis lessons to take agility classes. So I think my parents can see that dogs are my thing.

Allyandbonnie I just wanted to say you remind me so much of myself, I have always been 'dog crazy' and even now I am an adult, have lived out of home for years and work full time in the industry my mum will still say 'can we stop talking about dogs for two minutes' :laugh: :laugh: You show great initiative and passion, stick with it and it won't be long before you have a bit more independence and can learn more and do more things

Me too, I am the same :laugh: OH puts up with me talking about dogs all the time :laugh:

[huski]

The problem is I talk to my parents about dog training too much. About 90% of the things I say to them are dog related. My parents can see that I'm really involved with dogs and dog training, I've been like this since I got Bonnie (which was 4 years ago). If I want to show something to my mum, she always asks "Is it about dogs again?". I spent half my birthday money on dog toys and training equipment this year, and my gift from my parents were agility classes at Altona (but we haven't started the classes yet). I even quit my tennis lessons to take agility classes. So I think my parents can see that dogs are my thing.

Allyandbonnie I just wanted to say you remind me so much of myself, I have always been 'dog crazy' and even now I am an adult, have lived out of home for years and work full time in the industry my mum will still say 'can we stop talking about dogs for two minutes' :laugh: :laugh: You show great initiative and passion, stick with it and it won't be long before you have a bit more independence and can learn more and do more things

Me too, I am the same :laugh: OH puts up with me talking about dogs all the time :laugh:

The only difference now is that I have a tiny bit more self control when it comes to talking about dogs with people who aren't also crazy dog people :laugh:

[aussielover]

Have you talked to the instructors maybe show them the videos you put on here?

Perhaps they could work with you separately or make an exception for you. Would be a shame to exclude you from agility classes, if anything young people should be encouraged into the activity!

I don't understand many clubs insistence on attaining a certain level of obedience through their program. Whilst I understand you can't have out of control dogs running around in agility surely a basic obedience test (come sit stay informal heel etc) would suffice in most cases? If dogs fail this test them obedience classes could be recommended.

Personally I find obedience quite boring and I know my dog picks up on this. If possible keep training sessions short. I find rewarding with a toy brings much more enthusiasm- in some ways it seems odd because my dog is normally very food obsessed. She is also a gundog breed, and a bit prone to distraction (especially smells) but I find if I have a ball I usually get super focus! Can be a bit hard to do this on group situations though.

ETA- I'm also a crazy dog person! I have to remind my self not to just talk about dogs to "normal" people . Luckily in my job I pretty much get to talk about dogs all day! And then I go spend my spare time with other dog people at agility lol.

Edited April 17, 2014 by aussielover

[sheena]

At our club the dogs have to do what we call "Canine College" which is just very basic obedience, before they can join the agility classes. But we do make exceptions for any dog that can be shown to have those basic skills. Basically we require that a dog can work safely off lead around other dogs, & can do a stay & a drop. But if you saw some of the dogs that come through to our agility class you would be forgiven if you thought they had never had an obedience lesson in their life

Have you ever thought of making a career out of your love of dogs :)

[emilymarston]

Have you ever thought of making a career out of your love of dogs :)

I'd love to become a Vet, that's been my dream for as long as I can remember. I'm doing work experience at my local vet next year.

If I can't become a Vet, I'd like to start my own dog training or dog photography business. Or even a Vet tech if I can't be a vet.

I'm pretty good at science and maths, I just need to keep my grades up and hopefully it all goes to plan :)