Obedience 2 Class

[Cherry Heart]

For thoes who have been to many class's, or who teach class, how big of a difference is OB 1 from OB 2 usually? After reading the 7 week agenda and listening to the teacher, I felt like I skipped OB 2 and went to like 4! The puppy class and OB 1 class we took with that school was very basic. Down, stay, heel, drop, leave it. They never touched on loose leash walking more then "Stop walking and wait till the dog stops pulling" or "Put a gental leader on it" (No prongs allowed, I will look for another school). Arwen is a very good dog for the most part, but the pulling has to stop.

It seems like this OB two class is more of a "Getting Ready to Show" bootcamp. There are only 3 dogs in class, so Arwen got alot of attention from the teachers this week (Which I really like) however she got the most attention because she was the worst behaved of the three dogs. The other two laid back and watched while she pulled and lunged to play with them.

Is it normal to go from a very laid back OB 1 to a very strict ob 2? I expected it to be more gradual not "Now that you know what sit means, do it PERFECT!". They said they don't offer this class often, so I am wondering if this drastic change is normal or they are over doing it.

[Ilovemypuppy]

In the classes I teach, OB Level One includes walking without pulling and all the basic commands. Obedience Level Two is where we start to work off leash beginning with long lines. You don't get into OB 2 here, unless your OB 1 skills are really good.

I don't understand all these 'trainers' who are so against pinch collars...they stop the pulling and get you and your dog down to serious training . You can't seriously train anything else unless the pulling has stopped so you can get your dog's attention on you.

I would also HOPE your trainer uses positive motivation with treats (pay check)....if not.... try to find a trainer who is up to date.

[BostonRott]

Around here, classes are really starting to be divided by name as to whether they are simply pet obedience (good manners, looser definitions of what is expected on a sit, a down or heeling) or competition obedience. Honestly, it is getting harder and harder to find competition classes. SOOOOO many people have migrated to agility, that what is left is mostly pet obedience.

The woman that I typically take classes from tends to taylor the class to the level of the dogs/handlers. So while Adv. Beginner is the next step up from Beginner, if the dogs/handlers are advanced, the class will be more challenging.

Enjoy being the "worst" in the class, as that means you've got some great examples of dogs/handlers to watch and learn from. You can learn a LOT from watching: see how they handle incorrectness (if that's a word?!) from their dog, how do they teach new things, what points do they focus on, what is the progression of teaching a new skill, etc.

[Cherry Heart]

Our teachers are very into treat and praise for reward. If the dog does not get it right, try the movment with the treat in your hand again as the treat is your "power steering". So basically, no treat in your hand, dog doesn't care WHAT you do or say. That was in Ob 1.

One of the dogs in class is a GSD who is a pet only but has been to class's MANY times. The other dog is an Australian Shepherd who is owned by one of their agility teachers. This dog is on the agility team that they use to do demo's and shows. I almost feel like I was put into a room of ringers!

We'll enjoy being the worst in class as last time the brat in class got all the focus and turned out MUCH better. The last class was a 4 week class but twice as long, still I walked away feeling like I didn't gain anything as there were 10 dogs in class and Arwen was one of the best behaved.