OKay so I just got back from pebbles first obedience class at PETCO and I am verry upset. It has been postponed for more than a month, and so far all weve done is socalization with other dogs. So today was the first actual class...It was all puppies but pebbles was the oldest AND smallest there at 3lbs and 7 1/2 months.
I swear I am beginning to hate this trainer and I need to know if I should cancel this class and get my money back because i only have until the 2nd class (next wed) to decide if i want to stay.
FIRSTLY there are two large breed puppies in the class that are around 3 months old, and all the others are small breed dogs, however they are a lot larger than pebbles (the small breed dogs). The large breed puppies are OUT OF CONTROL! I mean, these are great dane puppies. They were pouncing on all the little dogs with their huge paws during meet and greet and the dogs were YELPING in pain!! Pebbles got hit twice and I was cowering in the corner with her soothing her and was so angry. Pebbles was scared. The trainer kept saying, "oh they'll learn. Give them 2 weeks!! They'll all be best friends!" I think everyone was trying to hint at her that she needed to do something asap but it took her a while to get the hint, at least 15 minutes. Eventually she got out a spray bottle and said
next time they do it she will spray them. They kept jumping on this baby maltese and the big dogs just tried to drink the water when she sprayed at them. The little maltese baby was crying. This is when I started to get angry.
Later we were learning to sit. Now pebbles is not very food motivated for anything. This is why i was having trouble at home and why i decided to take her to
a class with
a trainer. She is a picky eater and I brought her favorite peanut butter treat and after 5 minutes she was not having any more. She lost interest and I was giving her verrry tiny portions knowing she could get full. She was so hyper with the people in the store and trying to run to them that she was not paying attention to me. I followed this womans directions and was obviously the person having the most difficult time besides the young maltese puppy but she
completely ignored me!!! She said to push pebbles down to sit and and say good sit good girl and eventually she will get it. The whole entire rest of the class pebbles did not listen to anything--she just wanted to run around the store. She didnt want any food/ was full and was like NO im not doing what you say!! If she was a decent dog trainer you would think she would know what to do and would have helped me. But NO!!! she told me to go practice at home. AT HOME! why am i coming to class. I could teach her to sit by myself AT HOME. arghh!!!!! and there are only 6 dogs in the class
Was everyone elses obedience class like this?! Do I need to toughen up or is PETCO just below standard?! Was it all different sizes and did you feel you got enough individual attention?? I am upset because she seemed to give me the least attention when i was the one having the most problems. I am considering trying to find some kinda yorkie group around here and see if they have classes. Has anyone else done this? I dont even know if (just) yorkie training classes are available, but pebbles obviously has a different personality and needs to be approached in a different, non food motivated way. If any of this seems normal to you please let me know. I need to know if I should stick with this woman or let this class go and find another!! please help and tell me your experiences. I am sitting here steaming.
