Max's traumatic trip

Jen · Posted: Wed Apr 13, 2005 11:34 pm Post subject: Max's traumatic trip

Hi everyone, long time no chat... i've been having laptop problems Evil or Very Mad

I was reading through some of the threads and thought I would share a rather traumatic experience Max and I shared recently.

Max has a personal trainer who is part of the APDT and follows only reward based training methods which to date are working really well on Max... who is nearly 7 months now and truly into his teenage tantrums (3beds in 1 week). I heard about a dog training group that was running in the community centre in the next village and thought we would go down to have a look and boost Max's socialisation programme. I rang them up before hand and was told that we could go down and watch both the puppy classes and the more 'advanced training sessions'.

We set off that evening at aabout 7.30pm... Max is normally fast asleep by now so he wasn't too impressed when i sat him in the car Confused

When we arrived we went through into what was meant to be the puppy room but i was shocked to see the youngest dog was 18months and some of the dogs were over 2yrs old. They were all wearing choke chains and barking and jumping about like looneys... Max was half asleep before then but he soon woe up and seemed to be in a state of shock (he wasn't the only one). There were about 10 dogs altogether in the room and about 6 were wearing muzzles as they were growling and trying to bite... these included a weimeraner, a golden retriever and 2 border collies. As one of the border collies made a lunge for Max I saw a man smack it across the nose... i stood in shock and was amazed when I saw he was wearing a trainers badge and was actually the puppy trainer and the border collie was his own dog.

We were then moved onto the advanced training session room where again all the dogs were on choke chains and half on muzzles. Max and I took a seat at the back of the room where other people (who were apparently on the waiting list) were sat with their dogs. I watched in amazement as these dogs were dragged around in a circle and couldn't follow basic commands like wait! There was even a golden retriever wearing a muzzle and growling while its owner proudly pulled away on its choke chain. I have never had any experience with choke chains before but am now convinced they are often (not always perhaps) used to the detriment of the dogs and cause even the most placid of breeds to change their nature.

After 10 minutes I couldn't take any more and made a move for the door where yet another border collie made a lunge for Max, at that point the owner proudly told me that her dog would bite Max as she often bites and how she regularly bit the womans husband... and wouldn't believe it, but she was also wearing a trainers badge. As I pushed the door open a gentleman approached us and asked me if I would like to pay a £15 deposit to put Maxs name down to start in their puppy class... I told him that Max needed the loo and that I wasn't convinced it was what we were after...Just as I finished my sentence a golden labrador came pouncing through the door and jumped me.. to both mine and Max's horror... its owner followed proudly behind saying he was seven and that she hadn't been able to stop him jumping.... I smiled as I noticed she was proudly holding a framed picture of herself and dog with a trophy they had been awarded by the respective 'training school'...

I don't think we'll be going back Wink

This is exactly what happened to us 2 weeks ago, it was such a surreal experience I had to share it with you all,sorry it was such a long tale... I rang maxs trainer the next day and she told me that she had heard of the respective training class and would have advised me against going had I asked...oops!

Hope you're all well

Jen

bradleysmum · Posted: Thu Apr 14, 2005 6:25 am Post subject:

Hi Jen,

Nice to see you back Wink

As i've just been reading through your experience, i could see in my head the 'fiasco' that you & Max have been through, and i have to say it doesn't sound like a place i'd like to be either!

Whatever method the trainer was using to train the dogs doesn't seem like it works, and by the sounds of it - i can see why!

If i had been taking our lab Bradley and been told that there was puppy classes and then the more advanced training sessions, i would expect exactly that! With the advanced training session - surely they should have been taught how to 'stay' ?!!

I'm glad you got out of there as fast as you could..and i'm sure Max is too!

Perhaps some one ought to slip all those other people who attend with their dogs, the number of your trainer with the APDT Shocked

I hope all works out with Max, i'm sure it's difficult for you at the moment with the 'teenage' phase, you do need the patience of a saint sometimes hey!

Thanks for sharing your experience, and i look forward to hearing from you and Max again.

Regards

Julie

megaloo · Posted: Thu Apr 14, 2005 7:38 am Post subject:

Hi
I had seen these training classes some 30 or more years ago, particularly with Border Collie owners, but I did hope that this sort of training did not happen anymore.
I would very much like to see how the top obedience people with their collies now train. ??

Hersheys · Posted: Thu Apr 14, 2005 7:43 am Post subject:

What I would like to know is how do they get the people coming back to them I can understand people who have never had dogs and not sure what they should exoect but surely some of these people have had dogs before...

Reminds me of Barbara woodhouse and SITTTTTT.....

Karen · Posted: Thu Apr 14, 2005 8:21 am Post subject:

Sounds a nightmare - those people seem oblivious to the fact that the training methods are not working, despite the muzzles, etc! doh, 'hello?!' [waves frantically trying to show the people that they are paying money to get no results!]!!

Speaking of training - sounds like Corbie has managed to turn the TV on again, and he's probably laying on the sofa watching it as i type! Shocked

Cristina · Posted: Thu Apr 14, 2005 8:38 am Post subject:

Oh dear, What I can't understand is if you are going along to this class and you can see that the trainers have NO control over there own dogs, what would make them think that the so called trainers could offer any sort of advise and training for the their dogs........ Confused

I think you did the right thing when you made a quick exit, there are very good classes out there they just seem to take some looking for now... Sad

I know what you mean about the teenage tantrums as ben's bed no longer has a bottom.... Shocked

LOL

Cristina

Hersheys · Posted: Thu Apr 14, 2005 8:42 am Post subject:

Hershey chewed his bed up when he was young so I took it away and gave him a blanket only for a few months and then bought him a new huge bed with a fleece blanket and he hasnt chewed it once he loves his bed now Laughing

Probaly cos he lazy and needs tyo have his 18hours or he gets very grumpy hehehe Laughing

Jen · Posted: Thu Apr 14, 2005 9:15 am Post subject:

Thanks for replies everyone.... i totally hear what your all saying re everyone else not seeing what i could. I was riginally sat by 2 guys whose dogs were taking part in the advanced session and they were shocked when I asked Max to sit and wait while giving him hand signals and he obeyed straight away. One of the men told me he'd been coming for about 6 months and said that his dog hadn't quite mastered the stay command. I did tell him about deidre... our 'personal trainer' Laughing

and he just laughed... it was really quite odd Confused

As far as the Dog Beds go I have bought Max a hard bed and a blanket which he is only allowed at night when he is too tired to destroy it. Wink