I would love something like this near me sounds great.
Bear's Teenage Training Log
- Thread starter Natalie
- Start date
So, a bit of an update.
We finished our ten week course, we made nine out of ten of them. A few issues came up. What made the class so appealing from a covid safe / space point of view outside became a difficult management issue - by 8pm on a Wednesday at least forty dogs had been on the grass that day and the smells for him are overwhelming. So a lot of the lesson is spent trying to get his focus and attention on me not the smelly grass.
We had some good sessions, but unfortunately on week nine he was bonkers (in fact most of the dogs in our group had an off day) he couldn't am manage a sit stay for any more than ten seconds - even though he's managed just about a minute by week five/six. So we weren't put in for our bronze test. Not that it bothered me much - the lessons had become a bit about passing the test rather than general training. However on the last session we did lots of games instead which was so much more fun.
We were left without a class for a few weeks and I was a bit unsure about what to do next with him, - then out of the blue we got an email to register on a different eight week course, and lo and behold we are now working towards Silver, somehow?! The exercises are actually more interesting, and focus on being calm around other dogs and people which is what I wanted - whether we will be ready to pass in eight weeks though, I'm really not sure. If we don't maybe we'll be working towards Gold by Christmas
.
One thing I have noticed, and another owner commented - 8pm is quite late for some dogs - in fact Bear is often asleep by then at home. I wonder if their concentration would be a bit better if it were earlier. Also, he hates me examining him at the class -especially his teeth and ears . But at home, I can do this no problem at all. I assume this is just to do with his general high levels of excitement at the training ground.
We finished our ten week course, we made nine out of ten of them. A few issues came up. What made the class so appealing from a covid safe / space point of view outside became a difficult management issue - by 8pm on a Wednesday at least forty dogs had been on the grass that day and the smells for him are overwhelming. So a lot of the lesson is spent trying to get his focus and attention on me not the smelly grass.
We had some good sessions, but unfortunately on week nine he was bonkers (in fact most of the dogs in our group had an off day) he couldn't am manage a sit stay for any more than ten seconds - even though he's managed just about a minute by week five/six. So we weren't put in for our bronze test. Not that it bothered me much - the lessons had become a bit about passing the test rather than general training. However on the last session we did lots of games instead which was so much more fun.
We were left without a class for a few weeks and I was a bit unsure about what to do next with him, - then out of the blue we got an email to register on a different eight week course, and lo and behold we are now working towards Silver, somehow?! The exercises are actually more interesting, and focus on being calm around other dogs and people which is what I wanted - whether we will be ready to pass in eight weeks though, I'm really not sure. If we don't maybe we'll be working towards Gold by Christmas
.One thing I have noticed, and another owner commented - 8pm is quite late for some dogs - in fact Bear is often asleep by then at home. I wonder if their concentration would be a bit better if it were earlier. Also, he hates me examining him at the class -especially his teeth and ears . But at home, I can do this no problem at all. I assume this is just to do with his general high levels of excitement at the training ground.
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well for teenage dogs sniffing other dog smells is v high priority so if you can get his attention in this situation then you are really winning! and other areas out and about in the rest of the world will be much easier. Sit/stays where dog and owner stand and stare at each other slightly separated are over-rated and boring. Cola has to do a 2 min sit/stay for his grade 2 gundog test coming up soon but I have only done it once with him when we did a dress rehearsal a few weeks ago - he is OK to sit/stay while I go and put things out or set stuff up which is probably for more than a few minutes but less so when I just stand and stare at him! The training sessions are the most important to enjoy not the test. PS I could never 'examine' cola in a group situation like I can at home - but I am working on training him to stand still on a platform for his front and back feet and then I can do some examining (actually this is more for the vet I hope longer term since he is a bit of a wriggle monster - a BIG STRONG wriggle monster !!)So, a bit of an update.
We finished our ten week course, we made nine out of ten of them. A few issues came up. What made the class so appealing from a covid safe / space point of view outside became a difficult management issue - by 8pm on a Wednesday at least forty dogs had been on the grass that day and the smells for him are overwhelming. So a lot of the lesson is spent trying to get his focus and attention on me not the smelly grass.
We had some good sessions, but unfortunately on week nine he was bonkers (in fact most of the dogs in our group had an off day) he couldn't am manage a sit stay for any more than ten seconds - even though he's managed just about a minute by week five/six. So we weren't put in for our bronze test. Not that it bothered me much - the lessons had become a bit about passing the test rather than general training. However on the last session we did lots of fund games instead which was so much more fun.
We were left without a class for a few weeks and I was a bit unsure about what to do next with him, - then out of the blue we got an email to register on a different eight week course, and lo and behold we are now working towards Silver, somehow?! The exercises are actually more interesting, and focus on being calm around other dogs and people which is what I wanted - whether we will be ready to pass in eight weeks though, I'm really not sure. If we don't maybe we'll be working towards Gold by Christmas
One thing I have noticed, and another owner commented - 8pm is quite late for some dogs - in fact Bear is often asleep by then at home. I wonder if their concentration would be a bit better if it were earlier. Also, he hates me examining him at the class -especially his teeth and ears . But at home, I can do this no problem at all. I assume this is just to do with his general high levels of excitement at the training ground.
Sounds like progress! I found the outdoor classes harder because it’s basically starting out in a high distraction place instead of building up it - we had a wooded area behind us and it was a nightmare for smells and sounds.
I think the time of class is important for young dogs but maybe not so much for older? Primrose put herself to sleep in one of our classes but also noticed she wasn’t as into it other days (I know she is younger than Bear) - the class fell right at her late morning nap time.
also fun fact - I was googling tips for managing teenage labs and an old post of yours from 2015 about Monty came up
I think the time of class is important for young dogs but maybe not so much for older? Primrose put herself to sleep in one of our classes but also noticed she wasn’t as into it other days (I know she is younger than Bear) - the class fell right at her late morning nap time.
also fun fact - I was googling tips for managing teenage labs and an old post of yours from 2015 about Monty came up
- Location
- SW London UK
8pm is getting late, by 8pm Homer was gearing up for us evening zombies when he was Bears age. When we did our awards tgey got an assessor when they could do H got his bronze the first time and then gold and silver at the same time a while later. Then I still took him to the classes after he had passed to keep up with practicing. It’s the mental stimulation and your bond that’s important not just passing the awards. If it takes longer than eight weeks then it takes longer and he’s had even more mental simulation. Sometimes us humans can get a bit competitive about passing the awards, rather than the process.
Oh I agree. And we too are now working on two minutes
. Not sure we'll ever get there.Yes, he's certainly shattered t the end of it. And I'm hoping we'll get to do some agility there one day.
I know, I couldn't help but be a bit disappointed. But only one of about six of us went through. And seeing Bear on week nine, no way would I have set us up to fail either.
Was it this one? Can't believe I said all those things about lovely Monty! I honestly only remember some of this.and an old post of yours from 2015 about Monty came up
But no way was Monty anything like as bad as Bear is. And @Oberon was the first to reply! 
- Location
- Canberra, Australia
Obi is still bringing me my shoes 
Usually just the left one…
Usually just the left one…
- Location
- East Sussex
I enjoyed reading about your training class @Natalie . I know some dogs pass the good Citizens Awards at young ages but Molly for one didn't get her bronze until she was two years old, but then passed silver and gold within the same year I think. I was a trainer for a GC Silver class for a while and I didn't like the pressure to get everyone through the test rather than focus on developing well-rounded dogs. Unless the rules have changed over the last couple of years, I think you have to pass bronze before you can be entered for silver (though you can take both on the same day.)
As regards the sniffing, if you have your own limited area to work in, I wonder if it would be worth spending the first ten minutes of each lesson just letting Bear sniff the whole patch very thoroughly. Obviously this is not going to be feasible if you are working across the whole field. I think you might find 'Train the Dog in Front of You' by Denise Fenzi helpful (it's available on Kindle). I'm just re-reading the section on handler-focused/environmental-focused dogs with relation to Rajah (friend's dog I train.)
And the old comments on Monty made me smile. We do forget what our dogs were like. I was looking back at posts I made on the other site about how Molly ran out of the ring at the first obedience show we attended - I just can't imagine her doing that now. One day Bear will be the perfect citizen!
As regards the sniffing, if you have your own limited area to work in, I wonder if it would be worth spending the first ten minutes of each lesson just letting Bear sniff the whole patch very thoroughly. Obviously this is not going to be feasible if you are working across the whole field. I think you might find 'Train the Dog in Front of You' by Denise Fenzi helpful (it's available on Kindle). I'm just re-reading the section on handler-focused/environmental-focused dogs with relation to Rajah (friend's dog I train.)
And the old comments on Monty made me smile. We do forget what our dogs were like. I was looking back at posts I made on the other site about how Molly ran out of the ring at the first obedience show we attended - I just can't imagine her doing that now. One day Bear will be the perfect citizen!
- Location
- East Sussex
This is a short extract from Fenzi's "Train the Dog in Front of You":
"Can you imagine trying to learn a new skill when you are seeing the Grand Canyon for the first time? You would be so overwhelmed by what you’re seeing that learning is simply impossible. Acclimation often does wonders for these dogs as well, but you need to do it to the point of satiation, where the dog has worn off all of his excitement and is verging on boredom. This might mean waiting until he’s been at the Grand Canyon for a week, or it might mean moving so far away that he can barely glimpse the Grand Canyon through the trees. Better yet, start somewhere far less interesting than the Grand Canyon entirely!"
"Can you imagine trying to learn a new skill when you are seeing the Grand Canyon for the first time? You would be so overwhelmed by what you’re seeing that learning is simply impossible. Acclimation often does wonders for these dogs as well, but you need to do it to the point of satiation, where the dog has worn off all of his excitement and is verging on boredom. This might mean waiting until he’s been at the Grand Canyon for a week, or it might mean moving so far away that he can barely glimpse the Grand Canyon through the trees. Better yet, start somewhere far less interesting than the Grand Canyon entirely!"
Beanwood
Administrator
Wise words from @Joy
I am running adolescent classes right now. The class are amazing!
They all have 2 working areas set out with poles. Blue is closer to each other and is their " working" station. Green pole is set further out and where they pop a chair and a mat at the beginning of the class. If they need time out to relax during the class or in between exercises they head to the green zone. It also signals to me that their dogs need a break. I have a " sniffing zone" set out, for dogs to hunt for small treats. I rotate the dogs into this area between exercises.
Yup, whilst it is good to work on behaviours such as sit /stay/auto stop or whatever, the focus should be on the dog in front of you. Goals should be set for individual dogs, and they will be different than the dog next to them. When our class graduate next week, we start working on "live" stuff. Which is simply applying the skills their dog has learnt in class and at home and we all go out for a " Sniff and Stroll" .
Yes!
- Location
- Herefordshire, UK
I think this is so important when it comes to understanding training any individual dog, knowing what I know now. Once I realised and accepted that Cassie is "environment focused" it made a massive difference to how I worked with her and it improved our relationship. I feel looking back that I set myself up to fail by my expectations of how a Labrador would/should behave.
Sometimes I try to imagine what must be like in her world, and when she was adolescent just how intoxicating she found those smells that bombarded her.
Jacqui-S
Moderator
- Location
- Fife, Scotland
That's actually quite interesting - just been doing a module on "Emotional intelligence" and applying it to consultations.
It's pretty much the same
It's pretty much the same
- Location
- Herefordshire, UK
The same as what @Jacqui-S ?
Jacqui-S
Moderator
- Location
- Fife, Scotland
Training the dog in front of you.
You and your baggage + dog and its baggage + environmental factors ----> training plan
Dr and emotional baggage + patient and emotional baggage + outside factors eg service availability ----> negotiated plan
- Location
- Herefordshire, UK
Ah yes, I get it
Beanwood
Administrator
- Location
- Herefordshire, UK
I know what it was like for me, I doubt I'll forget!!
- Location
- Cornwall , UK
@Selina27 , you passed on to me some invaluable advice that your gundog trainer gave to you . I believe that Reuben is very much like Cassie , he used to take himself off sometimes for an alarmingly long time . I then began to implement the advice to give him permission to hunt/seek instead of it being forbidden fruits . It worked for him , and now ( most of the time ) he will not stray far because he knows he is allowed that freedom and for this I thank you xx