Liam's new puppy class - round 2

[ghggp]

Ok, as many of you know I am taking Liam to puppy classes.

I am afraid I was a puppy class drop out for the first class. The heat here was terrible and we did not make the last two classes - over 95 and humid. Too hot for an hour-long class with no A/C in the building. Not a great start I know, BAD MOM!

So, on to the second puppy class. This class is structured so much differently. We sit more than we are active. Go figure, a polar opposite of the last class. We are working on down stays, sit, and having the dog do a down while we stand next to them. We do a DOWN STAY while we sit in the chair next to them, the trainer walks by the first time as a distraction, the second time he walks by bouncing a ball. As it happens, Liam LOVES to play with all sorts of balls. On the first DOWN STAY, Liam did just fine. However, in the second round when the trainer came by Liam got totally spooked and dove under my chair in fear! I can't believe this as he is the total opposite at home, bold and a playing maniac!

We will be working on heeling next week. I really need to get him out more! He is totally freaked out with any new noise. He seems so amped up. Hyper-sensitive to sound and movement. Any ideas on how long this fearful stage may last? We have 4 more sessions at this class and then I have enrolled in another puppy class next month and an Introduction to Dog Obedience class the month after.

I hope exposing him to more will pay off in the end...
Again, like in the first class, he whined for the whole hour-long class! The other class he did not seem to do that. I am thinking it was because he was moving more and this class is more watching the trainer and then doing the exercises. I asked the trainer about it and he recommended just patting his head once or twice and then tell him he is OK and then he should stop. So far that has not worked... It is very annoying... anyone else have this issue? Any ideas on how to discourage it?

 

[Piper's mom]

I totally understand missing classes due to the heat...when I'd had Piper in puppy classes they were outside and it was hot and the mosquitos were awful! I was too bothered with mosquitos for him to learn anything!

I don't understand nor do I see the value in doing such a distraction on a puppy that's just learning!
Absolutely, once the puppy learns something new you want to increase the distractions but not right off the hop! Initially it should learn with no distractions (did anyone ever learn anything when the teacher was looking over your shoulder lol). We never had any bouncing balls or other loud noises until they had a solid understanding of the stay.
While it wouldn't hurt to take Liam out more Gloria, no way you could've prepared Liam for that.

 

[ghggp]

Thanks for the moral support, Lisa! I guess I am expecting a bit too much for a puppy! I just don't want him to be so fearful. Laddie was like that his whole life. Just don't want Liam to turn out like that.

 

[Piper's mom]

I think that's why it's so important to expose them to as many things as possible but at the same time you don't want to frighten them with something and set them back. Slow and steady is the key. I'd have a talk with the trainer, perhaps they don't have much experience with Shelties and need to rethink their methods...especially the first class when your pup is just getting used to it.
I'm sure though by the second class Liam will be better, he's still young. Finnie was quite fearful at that age but now he's afraid of nothing (although he was barking at people when I stopped to get gas last week lol, that was new).
Just keep doing what you've been doing, but if he's doing good with his obedience work at home maybe try doing it outside or where there are slightly more distractions...that'll help to get him used to doing them in a class setting.