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I'm confused. It's a class of mostly Labs and golden mixes, about 3 - 5 dogs plus Grimm. The trainer has all the other dogs in nylon buckle collars... I refused. Grimm needs the choke chain at this point, or he would attempt world dominion, he's not a Lab-- nor a pet-type GSD.
Anyway, the trainer KNOWS our main issue-- that Grimm has frustration on lead seeing other dogs, wants to initiate a party. I am doing pretty well with him in general with this, but the issue is still there-- hair stands on end often when we are near other dogs on the street. SO... the dangerous part: The dogs in the class, one by one, get to do an off-lead excersise. NONE of these dogs is ready. NONE of them is under sufficient control off-lead to be in a group situation. The initial off-lead few moments for each dog in turn (just 1 dog is offlead at a time) are often highlighted by the dogs suddenly getting the jubilant crazies, streaking about, having fun-- and RUNNING RIGHT UP into a leashed, sitting dog's space! This happened THREE times to us this class, and one the last class. Grimm himself even did it when he began his offlead send-away for retrieval of his dummy.
None of these dogs are truly aggressive, all are just excited, curious, social, greedy to say HI.
Even before the off-lead dogs charging us, (this is our second class, by the way) Grimm was insanely distracted, and didn't heel worth a darn. The second we left the place, he relaxed and heeled like a dream again.
Grimm needs to work around other dogs. He needs SOME class. There isn't another class (really) that I can go to here. Grimm kept trying to do what HE wanted to do during class, instead of listening to me as he usually does. He seems to think: No rules here. My corrections barely register with such extreme distractions and high distractability.
What can I say to the instructor, (or should I say anything?) so that I can have the other 3 classes that I paid for-- withOUT other dogs charging into Grimm's space like that? I want him to interact with CALM dogs-- the LAST thing I want is sudden, delightful, thrilling parties to suddenly happen whenever another dog is close!! Calm, quiet, and easy is what he needs to be around other dogs.. not having the problem exacerbated.
Okay, in truth, he had a companionable meet with the golden retriever girl when she twice playfully charged him. And, wonderfully, when Grimm himself had his off-lead few moments of insanity before doing a great job in his retrieval excersise, he too charges excitedly up to a dog-- who barked at him, and Grimm's response, thank God, was to apologeticly tuck his bum under, skid to a stop, and gallump away to do his retrieval.
Am I setting my dog back? Exacerbating a problem? Or, teaching Grimm that he can work around other dogs, and that other dogs are no big deal, by virtue of being around them for 3 more classes, just par for the course? He was not in a high state of freak-out during class, but overexcitement and distractability.. it was only our second class. And, after we got charged, each time afterwards he did respond to commands. Not great.. he was distracted fer shur.. but he did.
If the teacher offers no other options for Grimm and I, will the seeing-other-dogs and working-around-other-dogs be experiences that add up to taking the "wow factor" from seeing other dogs, so that his "gotta start a party" pulling/barking at dogs on lead will be lessened somewhat? I want benefit from this class.. even if it is not ideal. I wish she would offer us something different. I would like to ask for time for Grimm just to learn to lay down leashed by another dog for 20 mins in a down-stay. Or, a class where nobody is off-lead.. but there are none like that.
Your thoughts?
Anyway, the trainer KNOWS our main issue-- that Grimm has frustration on lead seeing other dogs, wants to initiate a party. I am doing pretty well with him in general with this, but the issue is still there-- hair stands on end often when we are near other dogs on the street. SO... the dangerous part: The dogs in the class, one by one, get to do an off-lead excersise. NONE of these dogs is ready. NONE of them is under sufficient control off-lead to be in a group situation. The initial off-lead few moments for each dog in turn (just 1 dog is offlead at a time) are often highlighted by the dogs suddenly getting the jubilant crazies, streaking about, having fun-- and RUNNING RIGHT UP into a leashed, sitting dog's space! This happened THREE times to us this class, and one the last class. Grimm himself even did it when he began his offlead send-away for retrieval of his dummy.
None of these dogs are truly aggressive, all are just excited, curious, social, greedy to say HI.
Even before the off-lead dogs charging us, (this is our second class, by the way) Grimm was insanely distracted, and didn't heel worth a darn. The second we left the place, he relaxed and heeled like a dream again.
Grimm needs to work around other dogs. He needs SOME class. There isn't another class (really) that I can go to here. Grimm kept trying to do what HE wanted to do during class, instead of listening to me as he usually does. He seems to think: No rules here. My corrections barely register with such extreme distractions and high distractability.
What can I say to the instructor, (or should I say anything?) so that I can have the other 3 classes that I paid for-- withOUT other dogs charging into Grimm's space like that? I want him to interact with CALM dogs-- the LAST thing I want is sudden, delightful, thrilling parties to suddenly happen whenever another dog is close!! Calm, quiet, and easy is what he needs to be around other dogs.. not having the problem exacerbated.

Okay, in truth, he had a companionable meet with the golden retriever girl when she twice playfully charged him. And, wonderfully, when Grimm himself had his off-lead few moments of insanity before doing a great job in his retrieval excersise, he too charges excitedly up to a dog-- who barked at him, and Grimm's response, thank God, was to apologeticly tuck his bum under, skid to a stop, and gallump away to do his retrieval.
Am I setting my dog back? Exacerbating a problem? Or, teaching Grimm that he can work around other dogs, and that other dogs are no big deal, by virtue of being around them for 3 more classes, just par for the course? He was not in a high state of freak-out during class, but overexcitement and distractability.. it was only our second class. And, after we got charged, each time afterwards he did respond to commands. Not great.. he was distracted fer shur.. but he did.
If the teacher offers no other options for Grimm and I, will the seeing-other-dogs and working-around-other-dogs be experiences that add up to taking the "wow factor" from seeing other dogs, so that his "gotta start a party" pulling/barking at dogs on lead will be lessened somewhat? I want benefit from this class.. even if it is not ideal. I wish she would offer us something different. I would like to ask for time for Grimm just to learn to lay down leashed by another dog for 20 mins in a down-stay. Or, a class where nobody is off-lead.. but there are none like that.

Your thoughts?