# Really Promoting C.L.A.S.S.



## Cindi (Sep 5, 2011)

Mojo and I have started the second (“Master’s) of the three C.L.A.S.S. sessions. This week our instructor scheduled an extra class. We all met at the training center, put our dog mats down on the floor in a circle. And then WE sat down on them. For the next hour, we sat and observed our dogs. We did no formal training exercises. The dogs were free to wander around the room, interact with each other, interact with us. We all watched carefully, discussing their “conversations” with each other and us. After an initial “okay, what’s all this about” excitement, all the dogs were calm and well behaved. They’d play a bit with each other, but were more interested in what the people were doing on the ground. They’d make the rounds of us and quickly figured out that doing a trick or two would earn them a treat. All of them kept checking in with their person and periodically you’d find all of them lying next to a person (who might or might not have been may their person) on a mat. I am so loving this series!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

It really sounds neat, Cindi! I do a lot of training aith Kodi, and we both love it. But your class sounds like it would be a fun change from the kinds of stuff we usually do!


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

Good stuff, glad you're enjoying it. Soon you'll have a Dr. in the house.


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## TilliesMom (Sep 30, 2010)

wow, this class sounds amazing!!!


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## CarolWCamelo (Feb 15, 2012)

Cindi said:


> Mojo and I have started the second ("Master's) of the three C.L.A.S.S. sessions. This week our instructor scheduled an extra class. We all met at the training center, put our dog mats down on the floor in a circle. And then WE sat down on them. For the next hour, we sat and observed our dogs. We did no formal training exercises. The dogs were free to wander around the room, interact with each other, interact with us. We all watched carefully, discussing their "conversations" with each other and us. After an initial "okay, what's all this about" excitement, all the dogs were calm and well behaved. They'd play a bit with each other, but were more interested in what the people were doing on the ground. They'd make the rounds of us and quickly figured out that doing a trick or two would earn them a treat. All of them kept checking in with their person and periodically you'd find all of them lying next to a person (who might or might not have been may their person) on a mat. I am so loving this series!


Sounds like a fabulous class, Cindi! I'm guessing the instructor was familiar with all the dogs, and knew there wouldn't be any problems. I've done similar stuff, but with a BIG difference - people sitting in chairs around the edge of the room. I really like the mat idea! And your description was just beautiful. Thanks for sharing!

Sat, 21 Apr 2012 20:52:30 (PDT)


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## Cindi (Sep 5, 2011)

Carol,
You are correct: she does know all the dogs well from multiple classes before this one. Because this series of classes is a brand new offering and her first time teaching it (although she’s trained for a long time), she “stacked the deck” with people and dogs that would work well together. 
Karen,
I do wish you and Kodi (and a whole lot of this forum’s members) lived closer! You two would be a fabulous fit! I get to use everything we’ve learned in Rally and the traditional obedience classes, just in a different way. Mojo still has to practice “stay” and “wait” exercises: now he just does them either sitting at a door or on the seat of my car when I open that door. Our homework this week is to take the dogs somewhere they have never been before, outside, and have them practice settling on their mat while just watching what is going on around them. Wish me luck with that one!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Cindi said:


> Carol,
> You are correct: she does know all the dogs well from multiple classes before this one. Because this series of classes is a brand new offering and her first time teaching it (although she's trained for a long time), she "stacked the deck" with people and dogs that would work well together.
> Karen,
> I do wish you and Kodi (and a whole lot of this forum's members) lived closer! You two would be a fabulous fit! I get to use everything we've learned in Rally and the traditional obedience classes, just in a different way. Mojo still has to practice "stay" and "wait" exercises: now he just does them either sitting at a door or on the seat of my car when I open that door. Our homework this week is to take the dogs somewhere they have never been before, outside, and have them practice settling on their mat while just watching what is going on around them. Wish me luck with that one!


Kodi is good about waiting at an open door and waiting in the car (with the door open) until I give him the OK to get out, but we've never worked on settling on a mat. So that's something we can try!


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## RitaandRiley (Feb 27, 2012)

We'll be starting CLASS class (lol) next wednesday evening. Really looking forward to it. I can't find a CGC class to suit my schedule till the fall. Riley LOVES working for treats and I enjoy the classes and learning from the trainers as well. I just taught him to ring the bells to go out today, took about an hour for him to learn it, then we went out about 8 times in the next half hour! He seems to be tiring of it now. It's so much fun to train when they learn so easily!


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

good for you Rita, it is fun watching them learn.


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## Cindi (Sep 5, 2011)

Rita,

Hope you like this series as much as "we" have. We just finished the Masters (haven't tested yet because we were on vacation and Mojo had quite the hedonistic time at camp while we were gone!). 

For our PhD class series (all five of the dogs have been together since the start, so both people and dogs are comfortable together) we are going to circulate between each others houses and neighborhoods as well as public places. We're going to focus on the CLASS material, but also what each individual needs at home. I'm very excited about this because I'll get to have all these different people ring my doorbell and come in, walk past my screen door, stroll through my backyard -- all the things that happen every day in real life. And Mojo gets to practice with people who know what to do to help him learn. 

If you would have told me a year ago that my little guy would turn his back on someone feeding him and come running when I called, I would never have believed it. Now, it's time to get it to generalize to real life instead of the training room.

Have fun!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Cindi said:


> Rita,
> 
> Hope you like this series as much as "we" have. We just finished the Masters (haven't tested yet because we were on vacation and Mojo had quite the hedonistic time at camp while we were gone!).
> 
> ...


It really sounds like a wonderful program, Cindi!


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

Great stuff Cindi , congratulations. See how much fun this will be Rita.


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## Cindi (Sep 5, 2011)

I think it's the instructor! This woman really listens to what her students are saying they need .... then she tailors what we practice around that in such a way that we meet the test criteria when it comes time. There is one dog that doesn't quite "fit" with the class. Instead of keeping her in there and disrupting the flow, she has her assistant work with this couple and their dog in a different room for half the class and then they join us for the last half. And the assistant stays with the couple and their dog. She is constantly monitoring Mojo for any kind of stress behavior -- and she has me take him out for a breather the minute she sees it developing. I am very curious to see how we all progress in the home/neighborhood setting.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

I just went and looked at what they teach for the various levels. What a great class! Kodi can do most of what they ask for, but I'm not sure about that recall with someone distracting the dog with food! That seems above and beyond the call of duty!:biggrin1:

And I LOVE that your instructor is taking "the show on the road" to allow you all to practice at your homes. When Kodi was about a year old, we did a "real life obedience" class, where the classes were held in different locations,,like, parks, malls, etc. that was great, but it would have been fun to practice at home too!

It was funny last weekend when Dave came with me to a Rally Obedience trial for the first time. I think he really thought Kodi was "different" than most dogs because he's so well behaved. He was pleasantly surprised that when you go to an obediance trial, MOST of the dogs are well behaved. I pointed out to him that that is the PURPOSE of O B E D I A N C E ! ! !


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