Questioning Instructors...

wildo · 03-07-2011, 10:42 PM

Well I've done it. I didn't want to, but I decided to question my instructor on why we won't be advancing to Beginner II. I'm trying hard not to create yet another rant thread (of which are so popular on this forum), but man- tonight's class was pathetic. I've never seen so many pathetic dogs with pathetic owners trying to force the pathetic dogs to "do agility." This one chick in class literally alpha rolls her dog after every obstacle. Tonight, we had to pause class multiple times, for many minutes each time because the dog would no longer come to her. When it finally did mousy on over to her, sure enough it had ears back, a backwards posture, and tail tucked. And yes- alpha roll, every time. Ugh!

And then this other lady's dog has absolutely zero obedience. None- what so ever. I've never seen a dog with a 0% recall. Seriously- this dog can't be trusted off lead, and pulls so hard on lead the owner can't contain him. Multiple times tonight we stopped class to try to fetch the "runaway" dog. Ugh!

Ok, so I guess this did turn into a rant thread. Well- whatever. I'm frustrated. I'm frustrated to have to wait so long for my turn while these other unfocused dogs are screwing around. Go train your bleppity-bleepin' dogs people. THEN come back and think about agility. I'm ready to move into a class with some more serious folk.

So anywho.... Yeah, I asked my instructor specifically where it is we need to put in more work in order to set ourselves up for advancement. I think I've said it before on here- I am in no hurry. But I do want to be rewarded for hard work, and time spent... We'll see what she says. Tonight was such a pathetic class........

KZoppa · 03-07-2011, 10:45 PM

wonder if the instructor even wants to bump you guys up. You seem to have a clue. Without you there.... how can they say they're doing a good job? Hope everything works out and you get bumped to a better class that has their stuff together. that sounds really frustrating!

wildo · 03-07-2011, 10:47 PM

On a lighter note- Pimg got to (finally) try a dog walk for the first time ever. It was set kinda high for the first time- probably around five feet. Pimg hesitated only in the very center for only a split second. Otherwise she was confident and composed. She also got to take some more runs across the teeter (which she is truly rocking) and the A-Frame (which she is rather carelessly sprinting across- we need to work on this for focus and purpose). All said, she's showing really great stuff when it comes to contacts. I'm very proud of her!

**JakodaCD OA** · 03-08-2011, 07:36 AM

it sounds like your instructors are not getting to 'involved' with their students.

For one, the alpha rolling thing, would NOT take place in any class I've been to or instructed

There is no reason to correct a dog in agility where things are supposed to be FUN and upbeat to alpha roll a dog...BAD INSTRUCTOR !!

second,,sure dogs occasionally are going to blow off their owners, however a dog with NO recall, belongs ON leash and/or should be required to take an obedience class.

Third, Pimg should NOT have done a full height dogwalk for her first venture..Again, BAD INSTRUCTOR!!

I feel your frustration, I would be mighty frustrated to. Do you have any other agility classes in your area?

Check this site, I believe they have listings for agility classes in different areas.
www.cleanrun.com and/or www.matchshowbulletin.com

BlackPuppy · 03-08-2011, 07:56 AM

Is this the only place in your area for agility classes? I don't see how this can be a positive experience for anybody.

Rott-n-GSDs · 03-08-2011, 09:49 AM

If that was the quality of the agility classes in my area, I'd much rather do it on my own. You can create your own DIY agility course and teach the obstacles at your own pace.

My agility instructor would've kicked out that idiot alpha-rolling owner a long, long time ago. PR training is SO important in agility, IMO. You want the dog to WANT to do agility. Pushing them too hard or too fast can be disasterous.

AgileGSD · 03-08-2011, 01:39 PM

This is the reason I try to avoid entry level agility classes (or really, as of late any agility classes). I have had dogs who became reactive after attending entry level agility and being repeatedly run up and pounced on by poorly behaved dogs which had no business being in agility class. Always, if your dog is good and does well you get very little time while the owners with dogs who have no attention and won't come when called get the bulk of the class time. Most of the good instructors in my area started agility when I did and while they may have gotten more titles or noticed than me, I know just as well as they do how to train agility. The rest of the instructors are much newer to agility than me. I'm lucky enough to be able to train my dogs on my own in my back yard and work the dogs during free time at our training club or during the 4H classes I teach - not sure what I'd do if that wasn't the case!

It sounds to me that you might need to find a new training facility though, since you seem fairly disappointed in the class you are taking.

Lin · 03-08-2011, 01:46 PM

Is this at pawsitive?

Rerun · 03-08-2011, 01:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lin

Is this at pawsitive?

yes

Rerun · 03-08-2011, 02:00 PM

So frustrating. I really wanted to take classes with Dante, but it seems no one is worth going to for agility classes. I may just sign him up for it at FF and do it myself. I could build a course in the backyard but where's the fun in that? I like the group atmosphere.... I had high hopes wildos experience at PP would go well, sorry wildo, you were my guinea pig.....but it sounds like they aren't worth going to either.

03-07-2011, 10:42 PM	#1 (permalink)
wildo Knighted Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Indiana Posts: 3,229	Questioning Instructors... Well I've done it. I didn't want to, but I decided to question my instructor on why we won't be advancing to Beginner II. I'm trying hard not to create yet another rant thread (of which are so popular on this forum), but man- tonight's class was pathetic. I've never seen so many pathetic dogs with pathetic owners trying to force the pathetic dogs to "do agility." This one chick in class literally alpha rolls her dog after every obstacle. Tonight, we had to pause class multiple times, for many minutes each time because the dog would no longer come to her. When it finally did mousy on over to her, sure enough it had ears back, a backwards posture, and tail tucked. And yes- alpha roll, every time. Ugh! And then this other lady's dog has absolutely zero obedience. None- what so ever. I've never seen a dog with a 0% recall. Seriously- this dog can't be trusted off lead, and pulls so hard on lead the owner can't contain him. Multiple times tonight we stopped class to try to fetch the "runaway" dog. Ugh! Ok, so I guess this did turn into a rant thread. Well- whatever. I'm frustrated. I'm frustrated to have to wait so long for my turn while these other unfocused dogs are screwing around. Go train your bleppity-bleepin' dogs people. THEN come back and think about agility. I'm ready to move into a class with some more serious folk. So anywho.... Yeah, I asked my instructor specifically where it is we need to put in more work in order to set ourselves up for advancement. I think I've said it before on here- I am in no hurry. But I do want to be rewarded for hard work, and time spent... We'll see what she says. Tonight was such a pathetic class........ __________________ Willy Pimg - DOB: 2/06, CL1-R, CL1-S, CL1-F, CGC

03-07-2011, 10:45 PM	#2 (permalink)
KZoppa Crowned Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Maryland kinda missing CO Posts: 13,804	wonder if the instructor even wants to bump you guys up. You seem to have a clue. Without you there.... how can they say they're doing a good job? Hope everything works out and you get bumped to a better class that has their stuff together. that sounds really frustrating! __________________ The more people I meet and talk to,the more I love my dogs and their intelligence. www.krystalscollarcreations.weebly.com Riley GSD/BC 1/10/05 Zena GSD 6/1/03 Shasta GSD 5/5/10

03-07-2011, 10:47 PM	#3 (permalink)
wildo Knighted Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Indiana Posts: 3,229	On a lighter note- Pimg got to (finally) try a dog walk for the first time ever. It was set kinda high for the first time- probably around five feet. Pimg hesitated only in the very center for only a split second. Otherwise she was confident and composed. She also got to take some more runs across the teeter (which she is truly rocking) and the A-Frame (which she is rather carelessly sprinting across- we need to work on this for focus and purpose). All said, she's showing really great stuff when it comes to contacts. I'm very proud of her! __________________ Willy Pimg - DOB: 2/06, CL1-R, CL1-S, CL1-F, CGC

03-08-2011, 07:36 AM	#4 (permalink)
JakodaCD OA Moderator Join Date: May 2000 Location: Old Lyme, CT USA Posts: 14,235	it sounds like your instructors are not getting to 'involved' with their students. For one, the alpha rolling thing, would NOT take place in any class I've been to or instructed There is no reason to correct a dog in agility where things are supposed to be FUN and upbeat to alpha roll a dog...BAD INSTRUCTOR !! second,,sure dogs occasionally are going to blow off their owners, however a dog with NO recall, belongs ON leash and/or should be required to take an obedience class. Third, Pimg should NOT have done a full height dogwalk for her first venture..Again, BAD INSTRUCTOR!! I feel your frustration, I would be mighty frustrated to. Do you have any other agility classes in your area? Check this site, I believe they have listings for agility classes in different areas. www.cleanrun.com and/or www.matchshowbulletin.com __________________ Diane Danger Danger vom Kleinen Hain aka Masi "Angel" Jakoda's Bewitchen Sami CD OA OAJ OAC NGC OJC RS-O GS-N JS-O TT HIC CGC "Angel" Steinwald's Four x Four CGC HIC TT Harmonyhill's Hy Jynx NA NAJ NAC NJC RS-N JS-N HIC Jakoda's Jagged Edge

03-08-2011, 09:49 AM	#6 (permalink)
Rott-n-GSDs Master Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: South Range, WI Posts: 999	If that was the quality of the agility classes in my area, I'd much rather do it on my own. You can create your own DIY agility course and teach the obstacles at your own pace. My agility instructor would've kicked out that idiot alpha-rolling owner a long, long time ago. PR training is SO important in agility, IMO. You want the dog to WANT to do agility. Pushing them too hard or too fast can be disasterous. __________________ Luna, GSD (11/22/08) Nova, GSD (07/01/07) Apollo, Rottweiler (06/28/08)

03-08-2011, 07:56 AM	#5 (permalink)
BlackPuppy Crowned Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 4,420	Is this the only place in your area for agility classes? I don't see how this can be a positive experience for anybody.

03-08-2011, 01:39 PM	#7 (permalink)
AgileGSD Elite Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: NE Ohio Posts: 1,645	This is the reason I try to avoid entry level agility classes (or really, as of late any agility classes). I have had dogs who became reactive after attending entry level agility and being repeatedly run up and pounced on by poorly behaved dogs which had no business being in agility class. Always, if your dog is good and does well you get very little time while the owners with dogs who have no attention and won't come when called get the bulk of the class time. Most of the good instructors in my area started agility when I did and while they may have gotten more titles or noticed than me, I know just as well as they do how to train agility. The rest of the instructors are much newer to agility than me. I'm lucky enough to be able to train my dogs on my own in my back yard and work the dogs during free time at our training club or during the 4H classes I teach - not sure what I'd do if that wasn't the case! It sounds to me that you might need to find a new training facility though, since you seem fairly disappointed in the class you are taking.

03-08-2011, 01:46 PM	#8 (permalink)
Lin Knighted Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Indianapolis, Indiana Posts: 3,243	Is this at pawsitive? __________________ Sorry dude. I can't live up to your expectations all of the time. Sometimes I'm going drink six miniature bottles of rum and then draw horses. That's just the way the world works. - Allie Brosh

03-08-2011, 02:00 PM	#10 (permalink)
Rerun Crowned Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Indiana Posts: 5,608	So frustrating. I really wanted to take classes with Dante, but it seems no one is worth going to for agility classes. I may just sign him up for it at FF and do it myself. I could build a course in the backyard but where's the fun in that? I like the group atmosphere.... I had high hopes wildos experience at PP would go well, sorry wildo, you were my guinea pig.....but it sounds like they aren't worth going to either.

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