So frustrated with training facilities

[Tbarrios333]

I finally found an agility center just a few BLOCKs away from my house. It is literally a 5 minute drive. I was super excited! The place has equipment outside and inside and is fully loaded. They offer tons of classes from beginner OB to advanced agility.
Then... I got in contact with the owner(?) and she was totally rude and snobby.
I simply told her that I wanted the distractions that the training session offered as well as a new area in which to train, but that I wanted to work on engagement with my puppy. In other words, I didn't want to do the sit/down/stand drills with her because I know the puppy would be totally bored with that and I want to get past pet training into more advanced training; engagement is important to me. I politely asked her if there was any flexibility during the training if I wanted to practice other things with her besides the drills.
She completely turned into a snob and asked "What method are you using?" I said "Well, it's a method I've research a lot based off Michael Ellis' techniques and it is working well for me. I want to train engagement/focus before I teach her anything else." She said "I don't see why you would have to do that to work on focus; after a few weeks in the class the puppies start learning how to focus on the handler anyway. The puppy isn't going to do well if you use two methods." I was never planning on using both methods, just mine.
This annoyed me because the puppy is already at a point where she will focus on me for a decent amount of time with some distractions. I just wanted to work in an area where there are even more distractions so that we can have the socialization aspect + more engagement training with distractions. The fact that this lady was totally rude is making me not want to shell out $150 for BEGINNER OB (does this sound super high to anyone else??).

I'm having a hard time finding another dog sports club other than Sarasota Obedience Training Club - Welcome! which sounds totally awesome except it's super far from me.

[BlackthornGSD]

Maybe see if she'll meet with you for a private "lesson" and show her what you are working on. If she's just unsure because she's seen too many people who don't know what they're doing, she might be "converted" after getting to see you work with your pup.

And if not, you know right then that you don't want to do her obed class.

[Cassidy's Mom]

What methods does she use? While I wouldn't use two conflicting training methods at the same time, (that would just confuse the dog), as long as she's using motivational reward based methods vs choke chains and corrections and so are you I don't think it would be a big deal to take the class. Mix up the boring drills with engagement - usually there's some down time between exercises, while the instructor is explaining the next exercise and maybe demonstrating it - I quietly mark and treat for focus while keeping an ear on what the trainer is saying, and have never had anyone give me a bad time about it because they can see that I know what I'm doing, and my puppy is under my control.

If my dog is ahead of where everyone else in class is with their puppies (which was often the case!), I move onto more advanced stuff while the trainer and assistants are helping other people. One time in one of Halo's puppy classes the trainer was going around the room doing a brief test with everyone one at a time, and I was getting close to running out of treats, so instead of clicking and treating for focus or working on stays or something, I started tugging with her, having her out the tug, and then releasing her to play again. We weren't in anyone's way, we weren't disrupting the class, and there wasn't anything in particular that I was supposed to be doing at that moment, so I did my own thing. I actually did my own thing a LOT in Halo's classes because most of the time she was either the best dog in the class or at the very least, one of the best 2 or 3. Rather than let everyone else hold me back, I just kept going, challenging her as much as I could. In a couple of her classes, the trainers were coming up with new challenges for her when they saw she could already do what they were starting to teach everyone else - they would suggest the next step to work on.

[Whiteshepherds]

She probably runs her class a certain way, and you going off and doing whatever you want to with your dog might be distracting to everyone else in the class, (unless this is private lessons?) especially if this is beginner obedience. If you don't want to follow her training methods I can see where that might not sit well with her.

[RazinKain]

Originally Posted by Whiteshepherds

She probably runs her class a certain way, and you going off and doing whatever you want to with your dog might be distracting to everyone else in the class, (unless this is private lessons?) especially if this is beginner obedience. If you don't want to follow her training methods I can see where that might not sit well with her.

Kinda what I was thinkin too. Her facility, Her methods.

[Tbarrios333]

Originally Posted by BlackthornGSD

Maybe see if she'll meet with you for a private "lesson" and show her what you are working on. If she's just unsure because she's seen too many people who don't know what they're doing, she might be "converted" after getting to see you work with your pup.

And if not, you know right then that you don't want to do her obed class.

Yes, I think that was the issue here. It sounded like she thought I was dumb for wanting to do my own thing. I'm sure she is used to having a lot of dog owners who just want to know the basics.
I'm going to give them one last shot and meet with the trainer.

[onyx'girl]

Usually when you go to a new place, you have to take a beginner OB class so the trainer(s) know your dog is of good temperament, etc....then you can do the drop in or other classes.
If you don't want to use a trainers instruction, maybe she'll let you "rent" the facility/equipment for a fee...though I bet she'd quote high. Though that won't help with the distractions of other dogs/people while you train.
Is she familiar with Michael Ellis? My AKC obedience trainer wasn't til I sent her links, along with a couple clips of Bart Bellon's obedience.

[Tbarrios333]

Originally Posted by Cassidy's Mom

What methods does she use?

She does use +R, but it sounds like they do drills in beginner OB. Sit, shove treat in mouth, down shove treat in mouth.
I like to move more than that and other than 'sit' there is nothing on queue.
I did drills with Denali and it totally sucked the fun out of it for both of us; now she hates OB.
Kinley is responding very well to the new training and it is fun for both of us.

[Tbarrios333]

Originally Posted by onyx'girl

Usually when you go to a new place, you have to take a beginner OB class so the trainer(s) know your dog is of good temperament, etc....then you can do the drop in or other classes.
If you don't want to use a trainers instruction, maybe she'll let you "rent" the facility/equipment for a fee...though I bet she'd quote high. Though that won't help with the distractions of other dogs/people while you train.
Is she familiar with Michael Ellis? My AKC obedience trainer wasn't til I sent her links, along with a couple clips of Bart Bellon's obedience.

No, when I told her about him she didn't know what I was talking about. She just reiterated her opinion that she didn't think it was a good idea and that I should go watch a class to see how it works.
I think I may have offended her by asking her to let me do my own thing and I see that now.
I did ask her if I could use the equipment etc. but she still did not like the idea of me doing my own thing

[JakodaCD OA]

I agree with it sounding like 'her place her methods'.

I would go watch the class your interested in and see what goes on.

When I did a +R puppy class, the trainer was totally 'do it my way or the highway', I DID do my own thing during the down time within the class, but ended up yanking Masi out, because it was a totally non productive class for us.