# Kicked out of puppy class



## CalliMotherRunner (May 19, 2014)

Hello, I'm new here and also a new owner of Bella, my 7 month old GSD/Akita mix. I rescued her a little over a month ago. 

So, I had my honeymoon phase where she was awesome on the leash. Now, she is very reactive. Barks and lunges and other dogs. I am already embarrassed because people give me dirty looks and act as if I own Cujo. The really judgmental people are dog owners themselves. She is great off leash at the dog park because she is off leash. She is awesome at home with my husband, 3 yr old daughter and 10 month old son.

I signed up for puppy class at our local pet store. My pet store also has a clinic where we can take our animals there for vaccinations. 
When I first went in with Bella she was of course, barking and lunging at every dog there. The trainer of the puppy class I signed up for happened to be there as well. She reassured me that her class would be helpful and that I bring lots of treats. She also said that because Bella has reactive issues, we will be behind a carpeted wall.

Fast forward to our first training. Bella barked 80% of the time. She was so stressed out. We were behind a wall and didn't get the attention that others were getting. People complained. Bella was way too stressed out. 
They asked that I come back on another day separate from the class. 

I went in the store again for 2nd round of vacs and Bella was terrified and barking at everything. I emailed the trainer to cancel the training all together. 

The trainer said that Bella has serious issues and should be medicated.
Medication...really? As a trainer, she should have known that class training would not be a good fit. She put us in a bad predicament. 

I found another trainer that will come to my house. All of the reviews rave about him and they all had dogs with behavior issues like Bella. 

I am just writing because I feel very defeated and alone.


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## MichaelE (Dec 15, 2012)

I don't know your dog, but if I had to guess, she's not getting enough exercise. She might also be a nerve bag and there's not a lot you can do about that except learn to manage her.

I don't know anything about Akita's.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Sounds like a 7 mth old puppy with no manners. IME, Akita's are calmer, watchful dogs. I believe they are a guardian breed? 

Pet store classes are not the place for reactive dogs. AND, pet store trainers are rarely experienced. Any trainer that comes out with "that puppy needs drugs" is probably not very experienced. A good trainer would have taught you how to get and keep her focus on you.

My puppy started that when he was about 7 months, just being a punk because he was excited. I"m guessing it's the same for you since she's good off leash with other dogs and seems to primarily happen when she's on leash. Find a trainer that will show you how to shut that down quickly and teach methods to modify her behavior.

Where are you located at? Maybe someone can recommend a trainer.


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## Shade (Feb 20, 2012)

It sounds like you need an experience trainer who will work WITH you and encourage you. I agree with Michelle, let us know your general location and hopefully someone can pop in with a name or two

Reactivity is not uncommon in GSD's so don't feel like you are alone, look at LAT and BAT dog training and don't give up. They're both great tools


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## Springbrz (Aug 13, 2013)

I'm by no means a training expert. I just want to give you support. You are not alone by any means. Many on this forum have leash reactive dogs. Hopefully, they will come and share with you their experiences and training techniques.

Personally, when my GSD was just a 6 month old pup, I thought she was becoming leash/dog aggressive. Fortunately, I found a great trainer and he told me she was not leash/dog aggressive at all. She was just excited and hadn't learned proper manners.

Step back, find a good trainer in your area (if you let us know your general area you will likely get trainer recommendations). With proper training, it is likely things will get much better for you and your dog.

Thank you for rescuing!


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## ken k (Apr 3, 2006)

if you have a barker in class, and the trainer does not know what to do, buy a spray bottle of "bitter apple", when your pup starts barking, open her mouth and give a little squirt, she'll stop after a few or sooner


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## Jelpy (Nov 8, 2009)

I got kicked out of puppy class as well.  Fortunately the trainer was willing to let me take private classes and that worked a lot better. Word of warning....you will have to keep up with her training even once you leave classes or it does you no good. Meanwhile, don't be too embarrassed about having an obedience school drop out. It happens. Some dogs just need a bit more structure than others. If you'd like I'll send you links about my travails with Lycan. 

Jelpy


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Akitas and German Shepherds are both big powerful breeds, and both can be reactive to other dogs. I have no idea what Akitas are like as puppies, but with the behavior you are describing, I think that while it is not caused by the dog park, it can be making it a lot more difficult for you to manage him away from that setting.

Your puppy wants to run and play with other dogs, but the leash is giving him mixed signals. He may feel like he has to guard what he is connected to. He may feel some anxiety because he is smart enough that he knows he cannot run if a dog does challenge him. Usually he has two choices, fight or flight. And, when they know that flight is no longer an option, the only thing left is fight, so they tend to react before they figure out whether or not the other dog is a threat.

Also, he is feeling your anxiety -- how is he going to act, will I be able to hold him, is he going to try and attack those other dogs, what will they think about him, why is he making so much noise, and is this going to get even worse? This is all being transmitted down the lead. And when you tighten the lead and hold him in a death grip, he feels that much more anxious.

At this point your dog isn't a candidate for puppy classes. If he needs to go to any classes, he would be ready for basic obedience or basic household manners. Puppy classes are for dogs that are between 10 weeks and 5 months -- usually starting before the dog dog is five months old. Of course other puppy owners are concerned when a dog that looks grown and is big and is acting like a nut is in the class with their puppies, because a bad experience your dog can be really bad for their puppies.

On the other hand, I agree that your dog is probably just a large, over-grown puppy, that needs boot camp. 

I think that your puppy will improve if you do a few things:

Management: If you are having trouble controlling his size, then muzzle him in public and use a prong collar so that he does not drag you into other dogs. 

Leadership: Look up NILIF (Nothing In Life Is Free). Read through it, and change your leadership style so that he is VERY clear that you are a strong leader and can protect him, give him directions, and that he can look to you when he is unsure. 

Exercise: Right now he is full of energy. Before training get him out and throw that ball for 20-25 minutes, then go for a walk. Several times a day tire his butt out. Then do five minutes of training. Exercise his mind and body. A tired puppy is a good puppy. If you need a muzzle and prong collar to walk the dog, it is far better for him to get the exercise. Use a basket muzzle if necessary so he can pant, etc.

Training: You need to do regular training with this dog all the time. Lots of praise, lots of treats. Everything he gets, he should do something for it. Make him SIT before opening the door to go out. Make him lie down before you give him his bowl of food. Train him to WATCH you and give him treats for doing so. Train him at home with no distractions. Get good at the basics. Build the bond. Add in distractions slowly. Start with walks in low traffic areas. Then increase it. Start with the distance between what he reacts to as pretty far away, then reduce it. Try to stay under his threshold if at all possible. Call in a professional trainer to work with you and him alone, and possibly with a dog that he brings. Then after he is showing good progress, a group class would be beneficial.


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## eddie1976E (Nov 7, 2010)

ken k said:


> if you have a barker in class, and the trainer does not know what to do, buy a spray bottle of "bitter apple", when your pup starts barking, open her mouth and give a little squirt, she'll stop after a few or sooner


I have never heard of this....is this a common practice? Mine wouldn't stop barking at the first class (almost 3 weeks ago). His only interaction with other dogs was at a socialization hour and it was all off leash. In his mind, when he saw other dogs he had to play with them. Now we are teaching him to look at the dogs, ignore them and look at us, he gets a treat every time he does this. He has gotten much better in class, but not perfect.


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## Atika (Jun 10, 2014)

Hi Calli - I am not a trainer, but I had an Akita for 10yrs (RIP). She was very calm and sweet. As a pup, she was much like your mix. I began walking her first with very little distraction and building up to walking with noise and distractions near by. It helped to acclimate her to busy surroundings and other pets. Can't wait to see pictures of your rescue!


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## DutchKarin (Nov 23, 2013)

My personal experience with a difficult dog is to find the best trainer you can (my preference is that he or she has protection breeds as their own dogs) and pay for private lessons. I had nightmare experiences in group classes. Now I can walk my dog in town and constantly get praised by strangers about how well trained he is. Now mind you we are not perfect but out of the group classes I got next to nothing. My trainer now is awesome, can read my Dutch Shep amazingly well and can tailor classes to what we need and what we want to accomplish.
Good luck, it is worth the investment. Sometimes you can find good trainers by contacting Schutzhund clubs or even law enforcement K9 units.


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## CalliMotherRunner (May 19, 2014)

*Thank you!*

First off, since I am new, I have no idea how to put a picture up next to my name. So I did post some pictures if you go to my account.

I am lucky to be able to work remotely. So I get to take her out on walk twice a day with a doggy back pack (for which I got the idea on the forums here) We have a back yard where we throw the ball around. I only have time to do weekend runs with her. 

My guess is that whoever had her when she was young didn't socialize her well or maybe she got bit on a leash. They also didn't feed her well either because she was really scrawny . 

I live in the San Francisco Bay area. I found a trainer on Yelp and he'll be coming over in a few weeks. He has 68 reviews, all 5 stars. All of the dogs he trained seemed to have issues like mine, so i am very excited that an experienced trainer will be taking care of us. 

I am just put off at the trainer from the store. She is the professional and should know better. She met my dog and saw how she reacted to other dogs in the store. That should have indicated that humm.....maybe Bella would not be a good fit for her class. I was nervous about going to class and should have just trusted my gut. But nope, the trainer assured me that it would be fine. 
Anyway, if you can, take a look at some pics of Bella. They told me she was a GSD, but the way her tail curls up, she has some Akita in her. 

Thanks again.


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## Shade (Feb 20, 2012)

I think I should mention that Delgado did get bored often in class, I brought a small blanket and taught him that I expected him to stay on the blanket quietly while we weren't actively doing something. If I saw him get fidgety I'd quietly work on puppy pushups (sit, down, sit, etc) or anything else to keep his mind occupied (gotta love that puppy brain lol) I also brought a tug so we could quietly play while the teacher was speaking. He realized that I had treats and the toy and was much more exciting then the other dogs sitting in class and I rewarded eye contact and quiet so he learned that was what I wanted.


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## ken k (Apr 3, 2006)

eddie1976E said:


> I have never heard of this....is this a common practice?


depends on the trainer, thats where i learned if from, actually done it to mine the first few class`s he wouldn't stop barking, he didnt have "issues" just over excited puppy


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

My male GSD was real dog reactive when I got him. First I got him evaluated by a trainer. I worked with him for about a month, then attempted a class with barricades and that was not good. So I took the next two months to train him on my own. I started using a prong which helped a lot. Then I spent hours at parks and at the entrances of the pet store, never pushing him past his threshold. After a couple months of that I had evaluated again, that time he ripped open the trainers arm trying to get to another dog. She recommended personal training and I refused. He needed to be in a class setting to learn. The next day I went to the GSD club where he was evaluated again. He was allowed in the class and has not reacted since. Within a month after he started training he got his CGC and became a certified therapy dog. It took several months and several different training methods but we did it. You have to have an open mind to training , use different methods and figure out how to combine them. We did the prong and positive training.


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## Pax8 (Apr 8, 2014)

CalliMotherRunner said:


> Anyway, if you can, take a look at some pics of Bella. They told me she was a GSD, but the way her tail curls up, she has some Akita in her.
> 
> Thanks again.


She looks like she's mostly if not all shepherd. Maybe a little akita, like an akita mix parent, but she looks very close to a purebred shepherd. And my last shepherd's tail did the extreme curl like that. Apparently it's called a gay tail. So just because it curls doesn't necessarily mean she's not all shepherd.


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