Any experience with puppy/basic/advanced obedience classes?

Workingdoglover

I'm thinking about starting to offer classes where I work, but I've only ever been to one person's class.  I was just wondering what kind of experiences you guys had and what was covered in each class.  I'm just interested in seeing if there are any different things that I might cover besides the "traditional" stuff.  :)

 

Here's what I cover in my basic classes: Skills: sit, lie down, stay, leave it, come, wait/stay, stand, loose leash walking, one or two tricks (usually stuff like paw, high five, roll over - we also do a separate tricks class) crate training.
Behavioral Health: food bowl safety (resource guarding prevention); house-training information; info on kids & dogs; preventing common problems such as nipping, jumping up, chewing; aggression prevention; equipment and how to use it & what not to use; polite greeting behavior, etc.  We use positive training and clicker training.  JMHO, but if you have only gone to one person's classes, I think you should go to a couple more, and attend some behavior seminars, too.  If you can't afford the seminars (some of them are quite pricey) you can get videos made by most of the major presenters online at Tawzer Dog Videos.  The most common questions you are likely to get from puppy & adolescent puppy owners: how to stop the pup from jumping up, how to house-train it, and how to keep it from nipping/chewing, and how to get it to come when called (they won't realize that the cute pup that follows them now will blow them off when he gets to be 8 months old LOL).  

Thanks for the info!  :)  I'm definitely planning on viewing any classes/seminars that I can get my hands on.  I've attended a Schutzhund seminar in person and watched one on DVD, but that won't do me much good for simple puppy/basic classes...lol!  I live in an area that doesn't have much dog stuff available (including items to purchase), unless I can take a day or two off of everything (work, college, puppy) and drive two to three hours, stay at a hotel, then drive back.  I don't get that chance very much, let alone make the money to afford it!  But I think I can offer people a lot of good information, especially since there isn't much offered around here.  There is, as far as I know, only one place that offers training (besides PetCo...  Our PetCo sucks really bad...no offense to those that may work at one, but ours just has people that don't know a thing about animals), and their classes are very very basic, and the head trainer likes to use prong collars (which I am fine with, in some cases), but he doesn't even use them correctly).  One of the trainers below him is the one I do my Schutzhund training with, and she knows how to use them correctly, but can't really go against what he teaches since he is her boss....its just all in all not too great.  I'd like to offer people a situation where they aren't "forced" to use prong collars.  I'm a big believer in positive reinforcement, though I do realize that there are times for corrections and that all dogs don't learn as well the same way as others.  I've read books upon books having to do with training and behavior, so I have a fairly good knowledge from that, and also, of course, from my own experience in training my dogs and friends' dogs.  I know I need a lot more experience to become a good trainer, but I think that these classes would benifit both me and the people in my area.

 Wow...that became a big long speech, eh?  lol!  Anyhoo...time for bed, obviously... 

Thanks again!

Ashley

I have taught all three for my dog clubs.  I have used material from just about everybody.  The best resource I have purchased to date (especially since I concentrate on advanced now) is Coaching People to Train Their Dogs  by Terry Ryan.  It is expensive but it covers everything.  I got mine from Dogwise.  Your other option is interlibrary loans.  All libraries are connected with respect to sharing resources.  It is even easier now with the 'Net.  A web search for your state library should bring it up.  The one in  Ohio is the Ohio Public Library Information Network.  Most of these sites have a searchable "card catalog".  You can then have the local library ship the book to your library.  You return it there as well.

You might want to also grab a copy of Pat Miller's "The Power of Positive Dog Training".  It flows along in a nice chronology, just as you might teach the classes.  If you are doing puppy classes, it also might help you to get Ian Dunbar's tape on puppy social development.  (I think Tawzer Dog videos still has that one).  

The one thing that has frustrated me to no end in obed. classes is the lack of solid recall work. Yes, it's always covered, but it is not hard to get a dog/puppy to come to you from 20 ft away in a closed class room. Add in some distractions, make the owner hide, and so on. recall work should be high on every dog owners priority list imo. and its just not hit enough in dog classes imo. 

The reality is no matter how intriguing the distractions in class are (and I use a lot) you will never get a rock solid recall in class.  Granted the class should provide you with a number of options for practice (descriptions of the how to set these up), in fact, I think I even found a handout on the web doing a search on "recall games"

Thank you for all your suggestions!  :)  I'll probably be asking more questions later on.  I'll be studying up a lot and maybe get the ball rolling soon. 

Kenya's breeder owns a training facility and teaches all the puppy classes.  She uses a Susan Garrett DVD called "Crate Games".  She said "Susan Garrett's Crate Games are ingenious for teaching self control and for building motivation.  I teach her crate games in my puppy class."  Might want to check that out.

That does sound pretty interesting.  I've never heard of it!  Thanks!  :)