Dal & Mad's Mom Posted June 15, 2006 Report Share Posted June 15, 2006 I know I put him in this class for the experience of seeing and hearing the chaos of other dogs but, tonight we were outside and the kennel dogs were barking Dal did nothing. This is a guy who can do agility off leash and he looked worse than everyone there. He wouldnt participate in any exercise you would swear he'd never even heard of heeling. To make it worse since that was my second class and I had my star pupil fall apart I started to fall apart. In the end I sat on the ground and he sat in my lap like a puppy but, we were able to be calm and watch. What a night Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beth G Posted June 15, 2006 Report Share Posted June 15, 2006 Oh man I'm sorry to hear that. Maybe he will do better next time? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kat's Dogs Posted June 15, 2006 Report Share Posted June 15, 2006 Sounds like he shut down. That tends to happen with BCs more then any other breed I know of. Maybe it was just to much. Dazzle used to shut down with the Agility teeter-totter but we just took a big step back and worked through it. If you have a good trainer they will understand and work on making the dog comfortable in the class, not try to make the dog heel when they are obviously stressed. When a dog shuts down it is a good idea to get them OUT and help the relax - then try again later. Training a dog while they are in that state will only make things worse and make Dal think that training isn't fun. Next class (the instructor allows) just play with him, make it 100% fun. If he isn't happy, get him outside and try again later. Hope it goes better next class. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lunar Posted June 15, 2006 Report Share Posted June 15, 2006 Even our instructor said that a lot of dogs hit a point where they just shut down for a bit and seem to forget everything they've ever know. She said it's really common and not to worry about it. And hey, even star pupils have bad days. I hope next week goes better for you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smileyzookie Posted June 15, 2006 Report Share Posted June 15, 2006 Our trainer said if a dog is stressed, excited, nervous whatever, all their training can go out the window. Particularly if they are are more than a few months if you get them. I dont know how old Dal was when you got him, but take comfort it happens to us all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dal & Mad's Mom Posted June 15, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 15, 2006 Dal was 7 months when I got him and come to find out after a long time that 2 other places tried him and returned him one may have been a very not nice family. (husbands dog wife hated him). I know our real purpose for being there was to let him see reactive dogs and such so I guess I failed him a bit. I just didnt expect him to fall apart one other problem I've noticed is that he gives trainers alpha power and is terrified of them. At one point she thought he was afraid to be touched but, it was her he was reacting too. He's afraid of my agility trainer too. She trying to make up with him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dixie_Girl Posted June 15, 2006 Report Share Posted June 15, 2006 Awww, Sheryl, you didn't fail him! Dogs are weird, and BCs are really good at it! Look what Jackson did that one time! Even my trainer thought he was never going to work stock. He acted like she was the creature from the black lagoon and the sheep were devils! If Dal has had some bad experience with a home he was in, it will take a while to "unlearn" that. I know how you are feeling. Just love him, he will come around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobh Posted June 15, 2006 Report Share Posted June 15, 2006 Sheryl, I would not make abig deal out of this > It sounds like you Moved to a new place and add the barking dogs . This may have been to many new and diferent thinks going on for your dog. how close are the kennel dogs You should read Shaping Success by Susan Garrett It talks about how she had to desensitize her dog Buzz so she could include him in agility. In one of my classes we had a bc that would not perform because my Bc was to close and was puting pressure on the other BC so all I did was move my dog 2 more feet away and this small movement allowed the other Bc to do his thing. so you where in a new enviorment with loud barking dogs . I agree with Kats next class just work on fun and if the instructor does not agree than it may be time to change instructors. I think with time your dog will do well maybe the instructor can do something about the kennel dogs barking !! bobh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dal & Mad's Mom Posted June 15, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 15, 2006 I have to say it was chaos matt nipped another dog, a woman who works at the kennel came in wheeling a rolling cooler. Poor Dal thought monsters. It's tough 1/2 the dogs are rescues and the other half are young and have some form of behavior problems. The trainer only works for the kennel and it was full of boarded dogs. Once the lesson ended and the dogs were let out into the kennels Dal was much better it was almost as if he could see them they werent monsters either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobh Posted June 15, 2006 Report Share Posted June 15, 2006 Sheryl , even more distractions .WOW!! You may only beable to use this class to work on distractions and not do actual exercises, The way you discribe the class I would be stressed not to mention my dog being stressed . if this is to much for you ,your dog or both. you may want to go to a less crazzy class. I am surprized that the Instructor would allow so many distraction on only the second class!! I would not feel that any of this is your fault ! Let the Instructor Tone DOWN the distractions. bobh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Root Beer Posted June 15, 2006 Report Share Posted June 15, 2006 I know our real purpose for being there was to let him see reactive dogs and such so I guess I failed him a bit. I just didnt expect him to fall apartIt is frustrating and upsetting, isn't it? When you KNOW what your dog can do and how well he can do it and then he just seems to crumble mentally . . . This past winter Speedy developed an intense German Shepherd phobia. And all of a sudden it seemed like everywhere we went, there were German Shepherds! We quit Rally because there was a German Shepherd in the class and started Freestlye. And lo and behold, a there was yet another German Shepherd in the class. I made up my mind at that point that training was done for a while (except at home) and we would just try to work through the phobia. He spent most of those seven weeks of class shut down on the sidelines. We just sat together and I fed him treats and gave him time to work through things. When he got into a frame of mind where he could work, we worked - wherever he was comfortable (which was usually by the bathroom door off to the side). He never got really comfortable with that dog in there, but he got more comfortable. By the end of the seven weeks, he could train on the main floor in the presence of the dog that he feared (which was really a very soft, non-threatening dog!) for much of each class. You didn't fail your dog, though. There really isn't any way for us to have a perfect response to these situations every time. When things like this happen with Speedy, I try to chalk it up to experience and move ahead however we need to. The good days come at some point and they make it worth it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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