Puppy class

[MontanaRott]

So tomorrow morning Stevie starts puppy class. We talked to our trainer and thought about it and even though he has the basics down, we decided puppy class would be the place to start him. So we shall see about teaching old dogs new tricks!
He is pretty much oblivious to strangers, so people are not going to get him upset, but we are not sure how he is going to react to the building. We are going to get there about 30 minutes before class is set to begin, let him walk around the building and settle down and meet the trainer before everyone else gets there.
Our trainer has tons of Rottweiler experience and has worked with dogs with issues quite a bit and is looking forward to meeting Stevie and seeing how he does in class.
This boy has tons of potential and we think he is really going to enjoy working!
Wish us luck!

[SonnyRott]

Can't wait to hear how he does in class.

I don't think you'll need much luck though, as you sound like great people who have a great handle on this dog and his needs.

Have a great time!

[Ilovemypuppy]

Stevie starts school Great idea to take him a little early so he can sniff the place out and get his bearings. I am sure he will make you so proud and look forward to a full report Best wishes !

[debbiej]

Oh Boy! Stevie's first day at school. I bet he does well. you'll have to tell us all about it!

[MontanaRott]

A full report will be given! The building is dark, other wise I would try to get pics of the old mans first day at school. I think he will do well, as long as he can settle down and focus!

[Bucky's Mom]

Go STEVIE GO STEVIE - don't forget to bring an apple for the teacher. I KNOW he will do fine - look who is taking him :)

[danyp1]

Way to go Stevie. I hope he is doing well at class.

[Vista]

Does anyone have any tips for older rescue dogs who are going to a first training class? If not, this thread belongs in Chit Chat.

[dmoniz]

what helped my fearful rescue a lot was taking my other dogs with and allowing them to play in the training area together and with me, playng fetch and such. I didn't do this the first day, but I should have. He relaxed a lot more after that. I then started and ended every training session with play in the yard. He has improved greatly since then.

[flyballmom]

It may be too late for tips for the class today, but I'd make sure to be armed with tons of really yummy stinky treats and a clicker. C/T every time he looked at me. And rather than allowing pell-mell play time with the "other" puppies, I'd watch body language, and if all seemed well, let him do some sniffing, nose touching, etc.

[MontanaRott]

Well, we are back and all went great. We got there early and let him see the building and the area that class would be held in. Introduced him to the trainer and that went great. He walked right up to Erin and did his flirty, bouncey greeting.
We took cheese and smoked sausage, and that kept his focus pretty well. There were 5 other dogs in the class with him and for the first few minutes Phil kept him well off to the side. As the class progressed they moved closer and Stevie was fine. He showed ZERO aggression towards the other dogs and handlers.
He did show tons of interest in them and would have loved to have been able to go and sniff them.
He allowed Erin to use him for a couple of demonstrations and she was able to touch him on the head and side and he just grinned at her. When that happened I got weepy, it was such a big step for him to let someone just pat and touch him and not get tense.
Half way through he needed to settle and refocus, so Phil took him outside, let him walk around a bit and pee, and brought him back in and he went back to work and was fine for the rest of the class. His body language was totally relaxed during the class and his eyes stayed normal and did not get wild and stressed looking. Lots of panting but it was warm and he was very excited.
The last 2 weeks of class will be devoted to getting the dogs ready to pass the CGC and if Stevie does well with that we will try and put one on him.
He was actually like having a 4 month old puppy, more then an 8 year old adult in the class.
And he got a cheeseburger on the way home for being such a good boy.
Vista, I was not too sure where to put this, sorry if it should have been in chit chat!

[MontanaRott]

Originally Posted by flyballmom

It may be too late for tips for the class today, but I'd make sure to be armed with tons of really yummy stinky treats and a clicker. C/T every time he looked at me. And rather than allowing pell-mell play time with the "other" puppies, I'd watch body language, and if all seemed well, let him do some sniffing, nose touching, etc.

A CLICKER!!! Good idea Beth! We will take one of those next week and see if that helps even more with getting him to stay focused. Nose sniffing maybe allowed next week and you are right there will be no just diving right in play sessions!

[JDUCE]

MR
Congratulations!! This is great news. I may have missed this in your post, but I am sure the other puppies and their owners know of his blindness and "oldness". It sounds as though things are coming together.

When we took Duce we liked to be the first one there to let him relax and check things out.

[Judi W]

In general, I'd probably rather such a dog be in an advanced beginner than in a strict beginner or puppy level because the other dogs are more organized and settled so that they are not providing so much stimulation. Just my little thought on the subject.

[MontanaRott]

Thanks Jo. Yes we knew everyone in the class and they all were aware of his history. There was only one puppy in the class! The other dogs ranged in age from 12yrs to 3yrs! I am amazed at how far this guy has come.