# 1st Day and Last Day At Puppy Class



## whitzend (Dec 1, 2011)

Cooper had 1 day of puppy school today for 2 hours. I hate to say it but I was not too happy. He did great but one of the other puppies was a pit bull and was trying so hard to get Cooper. Not to play but to get at him  of course that set the pace of the class. The trainer was informative and helped us with any problems we were having at home. She showed us many things and all based around reward reinforcement, which is fine, I do that at home. The problem was Cooper is so small he gave up taking the treats and had a sick look on his little furry face. So when we finally got home he slept and now tonight he has runny poops and has been sleeping way too long. Doesn't even want to play. I am hoping he will be himself by tomorrow?

We have decided not to return next week. Wasn't what I was expecting and am very disappointed. We figured we learned the ins and outs of any minor problems we are having with Cooper and will not put him through that experience again. 

I have learned more here about potty training etc. I printed some of the info out so hubby can read it and understand what I am doing. So after a day from he(2 toothpicks) I want to say thank you all for the information,devotion and understanding you all give to people that are new to the wonderful little Havanese breed.

Big Thank You :whoo:


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## juliav (Nov 21, 2006)

I am sorry your little one has had such a negative experience in puppy class. He really does need puppy socialization. I would do two things: 

1. Ask for a refund
2. Find a puppy training class dedicated to small breed dogs only. 

I live in S.F. and I know that SPCA here offers a puppy class just for small dogs. It's suppose to be wonderful. Can you check your local SPCA or Humane society to see if they offer one like that or search for independent training classes that offer small dogs only classes.

Good luck to you.


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## Cheryls (Aug 9, 2007)

Poor Cooper. He probably had too many treats. Two hours seems like a long class for puppies. Hope he feels better soon.


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## The Laughing Magpie (Aug 20, 2009)

2 hours is too long for a puppy, that is even too long for my guys. An hour is about right, occasionally we do a private class and have found an hour one on one is too long, it exhausts my guys, they love training and they are not puppies. If you feel that another dog is unfairly targeting your dog, speak up poliely and firmly tell the other person you feel their dog is a bid aggressive for your dog and you want to set your dog up for success, then keep your dog at the other end of the room. There are often dogs who's owners can not quite understand that it is their responsibility to insure their dog/puppy plays nice in the beginner classes. Do not let it ruin your time with your puppy, the early classes are where you can build a strong bond with your dog as you experience a new very different environment together. Also a beginner class is often the only time your dog will be exposed to so many different dogs at one time (unless you compete in a sport). If you feel you learned enough that is a different matter, but if you feel you want to get more out of training try it again, often after the first class or two people start dropping out.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

I agree completely with Robbie!!! 

A small dog class might be nice, but it can work with mixed size puppies too, if it is well-handled by the trainer. 

I was at a seminar Sat. where we had the dogs out working for two one-hour sessions, with a rest and potty break in between. Kodi is an experienced adult show dog, who does classes 3 days per week. He was EXHAUSTED when we came home from the seminar. He climbed into his crate and slept all evening. As others have said, two hours is WAY too long for a puppy class.


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## motherslittlehelper (Mar 18, 2010)

Sorry to hear your puppy school wasn't a positive experience. I agree wholeheartedly that two hours is much too long. Augie and I did back-to-back classes of one hour each with a break in between for a session this summer - much too long for the BOTH of us. Won't do it again. And, he has quite a few classes under his belt (collar?) and is older than puppy age. I think your trainer dropped the ball there. She should have noticed what was going on and separated them. I hope you won't give up on classes. I remember the first time Augie and Finn were in classes. The first class was pretty chaotic, but it was amazing to see the difference by the last class of the session. 

We didn't know better for Augie's first class. I was giving treats that were too large - and it resulted in him throwing up on the way home and runny poops.  I make them teeny sized these days. Also, the first couple of classes, he wanted to stand between my legs - he was a bit overwhelmed. There were large dogs, barking dogs, etc. But classes have given him so much more confidence.


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## HavaneseSoon (Nov 4, 2008)

I did not have a great experience either. Havs are sooooooooooo small compared to other puppies, but I did stick it out. Keep up the training.


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## Trish (Jan 15, 2008)

I am a resident of Westfield, MA and I have brought my three pups to Sandy Meadow Farms with trainer Missy Kielbasa also in Westfield for their puppy training and beyond. I am not sure where you reside, but would recommend talking to her about her classes. We were very pleased with her training sessions and my pups did too! Her number is 413 572-4936 and her e-mail is [email protected]. Her website is sandymeadowfarm.com. Her classes usually include 8-10 puppies and one hour long. Hope this can help you with Cooper if you live close to Westfield. Trish


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## whitzend (Dec 1, 2011)

Trish said:


> I am a resident of Westfield, MA and I have brought my three pups to Sandy Meadow Farms with trainer Missy Kielbasa also in Westfield for their puppy training and beyond. I am not sure where you reside, but would recommend talking to her about her classes. We were very pleased with her training sessions and my pups did too! Her number is 413 572-4936 and her e-mail is [email protected]. Her website is sandymeadowfarm.com. Her classes usually include 8-10 puppies and one hour long. Hope this can help you with Cooper if you live close to Westfield. Trish


Thanks Trish I do live near Westfield so that wouldn't be a problem. I do want to continue classes but not where we went yesterday. Thanks again


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## TilliesMom (Sep 30, 2010)

so sorry you had a rough experience!!! 
we went to 2 different classes about a month ago, given by the same trainers and I was NOT happy and neither was Tillie. The first class we tried was a puppy class. All was good until the end. We should have left, but didn't and they had off leash play... it started out good as they let the puppies off one by one starting with the small ones... then they let the lab mix puppies off... and they SWARMED Tillie, not meaning ANY harm, just wanting to investigate and say HI but Tillie PANIC'd and was CRYING and snapping at them, meanwhile the stupid trainier was squirting her in the face telling me to NOT pick her up ... ya, that SURE helped her fear of bigger dogs!? WTH!!!????
SO, then the following week the trainer wanted us to come to the older dog class, so we did. No off leash, etc. BUT the damage had already been done, or furthered as she was SO scared, tail tucked, would NOT even walk on leash but was frozen... OH and because of what happened with the puppy class they had her "labeled" as an agressive dog with a stupid red bandana and away from the other dogs!!!
The whole REASON for the class was to get her around other dogs in a SAFE environment. Freaking rediculous. I am considering signing her up for classes at PetSmart again, (she took puppy classes there when she was little) I REALLY love the trainer and more importantly the trainer LOVES Tillie. I felt like these other trainers hated her. sigh...
on the other hand we have Tillie "trained" just the way we want her ... why stress her out!!!!?? sigh...


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

TilliesMom said:


> so sorry you had a rough experience!!!
> we went to 2 different classes about a month ago, given by the same trainers and I was NOT happy and neither was Tillie. The first class we tried was a puppy class. All was good until the end. We should have left, but didn't and they had off leash play... it started out good as they let the puppies off one by one starting with the small ones... then they let the lab mix puppies off... and they SWARMED Tillie, not meaning ANY harm, just wanting to investigate and say HI but Tillie PANIC'd and was CRYING and snapping at them, meanwhile the stupid trainier was squirting her in the face telling me to NOT pick her up ... ya, that SURE helped her fear of bigger dogs!? WTH!!!????
> SO, then the following week the trainer wanted us to come to the older dog class, so we did. No off leash, etc. BUT the damage had already been done, or furthered as she was SO scared, tail tucked, would NOT even walk on leash but was frozen... OH and because of what happened with the puppy class they had her "labeled" as an agressive dog with a stupid red bandana and away from the other dogs!!!
> The whole REASON for the class was to get her around other dogs in a SAFE environment. Freaking rediculous. I am considering signing her up for classes at PetSmart again, (she took puppy classes there when she was little) I REALLY love the trainer and more importantly the trainer LOVES Tillie. I felt like these other trainers hated her. sigh...
> on the other hand we have Tillie "trained" just the way we want her ... why stress her out!!!!?? sigh...


Wow! That is totally unbelievable! I can't imagine having a trainer squirting water in a dog's face! Also, WHY would they put Tillie in a puppy class? She is NOT a puppy, even though she's small, and will have different reactions than a puppy would. I would have picked her up an left that instant, and NOT gone back!

While I'm not a great fan of dog classes at the "big box" stores because there is a lot of variability in the experience level of the trainers, if you found someone you liked there, and who worked well with Tillie, and you can get a class with her again, by all means go back! One of the nice things about PetsMart and Petco is that there are always plenty of other dogs around, most pretty well socialized. We never took Kodi there for lessons, but we did a LOT of training in both stores when he was younger.

The only thing you need to be careful of is the mats by the check out counters. One of the few places Kodi has had an accident was on one of these mats, and I'm SURE it was because other dogs had peed there first. Now I don't take any chances. When we go up to the register, I either keep him off the mat, or I put him in the carriage.


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## TilliesMom (Sep 30, 2010)

thanks, ya, it was really traumatic for all of us.. 
the reasoning for the puppy class was based soley on size. 
We had worked one on one several times in our home with one of the trainers (not the one squirting Tillie!) and I really liked her training methods and Tillie seemed to respond well to her. The crazy thing is that I had actually went out to this other ladies house last year because she does "in home" dog boarding. THE second I stepped in her house I picked Tillie up and wanted to run home, it SMELLED SO bad and all the dogs were in crates... IN her home, but IN crates and there were TONS of them. It was insane. Needless to say I wiped that from my memory and was surprised that this was the SAME lady! interesting... I would HATE to think what could have happened IF for some stupid reason I would have actually LEFT Tillie at her house!!! 

Ya, we go into Pet Smart often she hasn't ever had a problem, BUT I DO pick her up on the way IN and OUT, so she doesn't walk on those matts... I can't even imagine how nasty they are! ewwwwwww!!!


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## anaacosta (Sep 1, 2011)

My Leyla graduated from puppy class at petsmart in December. I loved loved loved her trainer Diane. I'll be signing her up for intermediate classes when i get back from vacation in the middle of February. I learned new things and was able to ask specific questions. It was a great experience. Then again; there was only one other puppy. So i'll have to see how she fares in a bigger class. Try Petsmart puppy classes before giving up. Good luck!


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

Hi Linda, sorry you had a bad experience. The trainer and owner probably weren't on top of things. Please don't give up. Here is what makes a good puppy class, by the guy that invented them. They should if possible have large and small puppies. http://www.dogstardaily.com/training/what-makes-good-puppy-class-dr-ian-dunbar Two hours is too long definitely.


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

here's more


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## The Laughing Magpie (Aug 20, 2009)

Great stuff Dave! This is what I mean by puppy class also, it is so much easier when they are young.


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## Suzi (Oct 27, 2010)

Tammie that sounds awful. My Puppy class only had four dogs two Labs and a Bernese mt dog  We had a really good trainer who let one dog off leash at a time. She had noticed Zoey was a bit afraid and waited to see how the three big dogs did and who out of the three wasn't as aggressive. She then choose the less aggressive the Bernease mt dog.  It was cute the two didn't play but just sniffed around. Zoe never did warm up to any of the other dogs but by the third time she was let of leash with the others and just did her own thing. Our class was only an hour. It has taken a long time but Zoey is finally okay with other dogs.


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## whitzend (Dec 1, 2011)

Found a free 1 day, small breed puppy only socializing at Petco Feb. 11th. We are going to try it and check out their training class/trainers. If it isn't what we are looking for I think I will make the trip to Westfield at the place Trish mentioned. We are not giving up. Figure it is never too late (age wise).
Can't believe we never had these road blocks with our other dogs. This little scamp is trying our patience ound: but love him anyway!


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## unjugetito (Jan 2, 2011)

That was a great ideo. I have never seen a puppy class taught offleash. I hae been taking Latte to one and since she is 14 weeks they want to move her up to basic next week which start at 16 weeks. Im alittle hesitant becasue she is ery utgoing and doesn't know her own size (3 lbs) Right now she is fearless even with the bigger puppies in her class. I do not want to start her in regular classes quite yet where older dogs could intimidate her or not put up with her energy and puppy play. 
Anyone know of any off leash puppy classes in NY?


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## Trish (Jan 15, 2008)

Looking forward to hearing about Cooper's puppy class on the 11th...keep us posted!


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