I am really upset w/ pebbles trainer and I need to VENT!!! please give advise - Page 3 - YorkieTalk.com Forums

diach · 07-23-2008, 06:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lulababy

how sad is it when you feel your trainer doesnt like you?! youd think theyd have better "bedside manner"

I am going to call tomorrow and try and get a refund. Then after I get my money back I will talk to the manager about this woman. I hope they do not give me a hard time because the class was postponed a month, and try to say my two class days have passed

I will be really mad then.

I know she will know it was me who complained though. It will be obvious--she will not see me back in class. But whatever, its not like we were best friends anyway

Good luck. Let me know how you make out.

lulababy · 07-23-2008, 06:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yorkiegirl83

I would go elsewhere and ask for a refund. This "trainer" doesn't seem very knowledgable in dog training. I have always been told you should NEVER force your dog into a sit or any other position. Once they sit on their own, you praise like crazy and treat.

Can I give you some advice you could work on w/your baby that worked w/mine? Mckenzie is very hard to train and I read this in the book "The Loved Dog" by Tamar Gellar, I believe.

You go into a smaller room w/no distractions like a bathroom and just sit there with treats. Once your furbaby sits, lays, or whatever you want them to do on their own w/o any instruction you praise like crazy saying sit sit sit or down down down or whatever the command is and treat.

There's no force and they did the action on their own, and they will connect that sitting, ect = treat.

I really hope you can get your money back. It seems like the trainer isn't addressing the needs of all the dogs in the class and isn't interested in making the owners comfortable.

I will try that. So you dont do anything? Just wait for them to do something and then say the command and give a treat? I will try it but I feel like I will be waiting forever! The way I learned from my books was to lead them into the postion with the treats. After I couldnt get her to lay because she was already close enough to the ground to get the treat, I kinda gave up. She knows how to "sit pretty" though

lulababy · 07-23-2008, 06:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JRo

I agree with not going back...it just doesn't sound like a safe and nurturing way to learn.

As far as treats go, Tucker is insanely picky, too. He hates all biscuit type treats. I spent lots and lots of money trying to find treats that were healthy and motivating. What finally worked are Dogswell Chicken Breast strips (they come in duck and liver, too, if your little one is sensitive to chicken). I break them into tiny pieces and he goes NUTS for them!

Good luck!

Pebbles hates biscuit treats too. Well basically any hard kind of treat I have found/tried. She only tolerates the really soft gummy-esque type ones. I will try these out. They sound like they will work, as she really likes the dried meat, like bully sticks. Bully sticks are the only food/treat ive seen her really like.

yorkiegirl83 · 07-23-2008, 07:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lulababy

I will try that. So you dont do anything? Just wait for them to do something and then say the command and give a treat? I will try it but I feel like I will be waiting forever! The way I learned from my books was to lead them into the postion with the treats. After I couldnt get her to lay because she was already close enough to the ground to get the treat, I kinda gave up. She knows how to "sit pretty" though

Yup that is what I read! Just sit in a room w/no distractions and eventually they will sit or lie down. It mostly works for those two commands I think

Good luck w/everything!

Wylie's Mom · 07-23-2008, 07:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lulababy

LOL please come fly here and do it. She is a rather large woman and I am small

I am small too, but since she treated you poorly - it gives me the strength of a GORILLA! Seriously, thinking of her just ignoring you - makes my blood boil - especially given the fact that you seem like a TOTAL sweetheart, and then look at little Pebbles! Grrrrr....I do not like this trainer....

Wylie's Mom · 07-23-2008, 07:15 PM

Btw, there is a member on here - I think "ScootieBootie" and she is a trainer and has really been helpful to others in tough situations. You should PM her!

Gypsy & Me · 07-23-2008, 07:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xxmxaxrxyxx

yes i do...hehe...

Ha, that's cool! Bi-lingual dogs... my Kayla struggles with English nevermind another language.

mizzwanned · 07-23-2008, 07:36 PM

I am sorry about your experience, yes i have heard Petco is below standard and not to take your dog there. A lot of ppl here have complained about Petco, i would take Pebbles somewhere else, she can get hurt by the bigger dogs

lulababy · 07-23-2008, 07:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wylie's Mom

Btw, there is a member on here - I think "ScootieBootie" and she is a trainer and has really been helpful to others in tough situations. You should PM her!

thank you

you are very sweet. i will send them a PM... and yeah that trainer is mean. It is sad but I find some people just dont like other people because they are nice. It doesnt make any sense but it seems to be the case sometimes :

delisa2850 · 07-23-2008, 09:59 PM

You poor dears! I LOVE our trainer. Jane has her own business - it is called One Dog Makes A Difference (ODMAD) and she really does believe that. She has over 2 decades of training experience, has done tons of research into several training methods, and truly does love our dogs. She has told us that you need to find what best motivates YOUR dog - whether it is tons of praise, food, playing with a toy - whatever gets YOUR dog excited is what you need to use for your training reward. Every week she gives us handouts - puppy psychology type lessons. We have learned about pack leadership, pros and cons of clicker training, rewards vs. bribes, etc....

I can totally relate to your frustration with Pebbles not paying attention. I truly believe that Roxy has ADHD. My class laughs when I say this, but I am serious!! This last Monday, Jane's words were, "she (Roxy) has the attention span of a gnat, doesn't she?" (I think in a contest the gnat would win....) Fortunately for me, Roxy IS food motivated, but even at that, during her exciting classtime, I am the last thing she is interested in - even with yummy treats that she never gets except during training. During puppy kindergarten class all she had to do was look my way and she would get a treat. She did not get one treat for looking my way. She loves to socialize. (Then again, she is an only dog.) For us, having Roxy actually do what the lesson is during class time just doesn't really happen, but at home, she really will work with me. Last week we learned a game called "catch me." We kept backing away and telling our dogs "catch me!" and as they came toward us and paid attention to us, they got treats. During class, we were not much more successful than usual, but at home, she was wonderful. So this last Monday night, Jane had us play the "catch me" game, and I kept backing Roxy further from the group, and she must have remembered the home practise, because she WON the game!!! She even beat the border collie and got a HUGE bag of Pupperoni's - so there is hope! (Janes comment was "who would've thunk it??!!" Certainly not me!! )

Another thing that Jane has emphasized is that since Roxy DOES like treats, but even with treats she is ADHD during class, I need to use "premium" treats. For Kindergarten graduation, I was sure that Roxy would flunk because the week before she would not do anything for me. Scott (my 18 year old son and Roxy's "Daddy") grilled a sirloin steak for her. I cut it into slivers so small it was pretty much shredded for her treat rewards. Not only did she graduate, she kicked butt! It was amazing. We haven't used sirloin since - I am saving it for puppy graduation just to be on the safe side!

Before class, I give Roxy a bath to try to make her tired so she won't be so hyper. It helps a little, but not like I had hoped.

I don't know how you would find a "Jane" in your area. She is one of the main trainers for agility in our area. Maybe your local kennel club could help guide you to someone who is better suited for Pebbles needs. Just like not every teacher is for every child, not every trainer is for every puppy either. It does not mean that you are too easy. Pebbles just has a different learning style and she needs someone with enough experience to help you identify her style and then capitalize on it.

I wish I could box Jane up and ship her your way. She would give you the confidence to know that with your love and patience, Pebbles is going to do just fine. And that just by caring enough to get involved with Pebbles training, YOU are doing just fine. Don't get discouraged.

Good luck, and keep us posted!

lulababy · 07-23-2008, 10:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by delisa2850

You poor dears! I LOVE our trainer. Jane has her own business - it is called One Dog Makes A Difference (ODMAD) and she really does believe that. She has over 2 decades of training experience, has done tons of research into several training methods, and truly does love our dogs. She has told us that you need to find what best motivates YOUR dog - whether it is tons of praise, food, playing with a toy - whatever gets YOUR dog excited is what you need to use for your training reward. Every week she gives us handouts - puppy psychology type lessons. We have learned about pack leadership, pros and cons of clicker training, rewards vs. bribes, etc....

I can totally relate to your frustration with Pebbles not paying attention. I truly believe that Roxy has ADHD. My class laughs when I say this, but I am serious!! This last Monday, Jane's words were, "she (Roxy) has the attention span of a gnat, doesn't she?" (I think in a contest the gnat would win....) Fortunately for me, Roxy IS food motivated, but even at that, during her exciting classtime, I am the last thing she is interested in - even with yummy treats that she never gets except during training. During puppy kindergarten class all she had to do was look my way and she would get a treat. She did not get one treat for looking my way. She loves to socialize. (Then again, she is an only dog.) For us, having Roxy actually do what the lesson is during class time just doesn't really happen, but at home, she really will work with me. Last week we learned a game called "catch me." We kept backing away and telling our dogs "catch me!" and as they came toward us and paid attention to us, they got treats. During class, we were not much more successful than usual, but at home, she was wonderful. So this last Monday night, Jane had us play the "catch me" game, and I kept backing Roxy further from the group, and she must have remembered the home practise, because she WON the game!!! She even beat the border collie and got a HUGE bag of Pupperoni's - so there is hope! (Janes comment was "who would've thunk it??!!" Certainly not me!! )

Another thing that Jane has emphasized is that since Roxy DOES like treats, but even with treats she is ADHD during class, I need to use "premium" treats. For Kindergarten graduation, I was sure that Roxy would flunk because the week before she would not do anything for me. Scott (my 18 year old son and Roxy's "Daddy") grilled a sirloin steak for her. I cut it into slivers so small it was pretty much shredded for her treat rewards. Not only did she graduate, she kicked butt! It was amazing. We haven't used sirloin since - I am saving it for puppy graduation just to be on the safe side!

Before class, I give Roxy a bath to try to make her tired so she won't be so hyper. It helps a little, but not like I had hoped.

I don't know how you would find a "Jane" in your area. She is one of the main trainers for agility in our area. Maybe your local kennel club could help guide you to someone who is better suited for Pebbles needs. Just like not every teacher is for every child, not every trainer is for every puppy either. It does not mean that you are too easy. Pebbles just has a different learning style and she needs someone with enough experience to help you identify her style and then capitalize on it.

I wish I could box Jane up and ship her your way. She would give you the confidence to know that with your love and patience, Pebbles is going to do just fine. And that just by caring enough to get involved with Pebbles training, YOU are doing just fine. Don't get discouraged.

Good luck, and keep us posted!

that was a really great post. thanks for that. it gives me some hope

roxies_mom · 07-24-2008, 04:13 AM

It sounds like you need more one on one and less distractions at first. I know I have a hard time getting Roxie to listen when there is any other animal around. She just gets too excited and worried they will get her treat. I don't know if anyone has tried the puperoni treats but she just loves those. I always get the beef flavored ones because one time I had switched to the chicken flavor and it really took her aback. She spit it out on the floor and just looked at it like what's wrong with that. After a few times she tried it but her favorite is the beef. They are chewy and moist. My puppy also doesn't like the hard biscuits. My sister in law lives in Florida and works for an awsome dog groomer, if I knew which part you live in I could ask if they know of any good trainers in your area.

roxies_mom · 07-24-2008, 04:24 AM

delisa, that was a very encouraging post. i enjoyed reading it and loved the gnat part lol!!

ScootieBootie · 07-24-2008, 04:32 AM

The socialization she is allowing to happen will only work against you. This will cause your dog, and the other small dogs, to fear larger dogs and can lead to fear and anxiety problems. This is a big red flag, in my book.

My advice to you would be to ask your vet for the name of a trainer he/she feels would be more beneficial.

Also, I train using mostly positive techniques, however there are times that I get a dog who does NOT respond to this. Sometimes, I do use physical manipulation to get the dog into the position. Dogs are individuals, just like people, so many not always respond to the same training.

This is what I would do:
1. Ask the vet for a recommendation.
2. Talk to the trainer and ask what dogs she has experience with.
3. Ask for client referrals.
4. Ask what the trainer thinks of the "socialization" your pup is getting...without saying where, to see what her take is on that situation.

Good luck!

roxies_mom · 07-24-2008, 04:51 AM

My sister in law works for a very good groomer in Florida. When I got Roxie she really helped me out with alot of things. She put together a care package for me with all kinds of stuff in it that we should use including shampoo. It's worked wonderfully and I've had no problem with it washing off Roxie's Advantyx and she's been bathed 2-3 times since I put it on her. I use Bio-Groom So-Gentle hypo-allergenic tearless shampoo. I've been using it on her since she was a puppy and it's never irriated her skin. But....I was using human conditioner on her and that was making her itch like crazy. So I found a good puppy cond. called Spa Vitamin Conditioner. Her skin is very healthy and no bugs or itchies. I can see where human shampoos can strip off your flea preventative. I'm a hairstylist and I know some shampoos can strip off any color you might use on your own hair.

07-23-2008, 07:15 PM	#36
Wylie's Mom Furbutts = LOVE Donating Member Moderator Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 35,889 Blog Entries: 2	Btw, there is a member on here - I think "ScootieBootie" and she is a trainer and has really been helpful to others in tough situations. You should PM her! __________________ ~ A friend told me I was delusional. I nearly fell off my unicorn. ~ °¨¨¨°ºOº°¨¨¨° Ann \| Pfeiffer \| Marcel Verdel Purcell \| Wylie \| Artie °¨¨¨°ºOº°¨¨¨°

07-23-2008, 07:36 PM	#38
mizzwanned Donating YT 11K Club Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: new york Posts: 14,007 Blog Entries: 2	I am sorry about your experience, yes i have heard Petco is below standard and not to take your dog there. A lot of ppl here have complained about Petco, i would take Pebbles somewhere else, she can get hurt by the bigger dogs __________________ Primrose, Teddy..RIP, Livie..RIP, And can never forget my duo Sophie and London, Run in Peace <3

07-23-2008, 09:59 PM	#40
delisa2850 YT Addict Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Pocatello, ID, USA Posts: 414	You poor dears! I LOVE our trainer. Jane has her own business - it is called One Dog Makes A Difference (ODMAD) and she really does believe that. She has over 2 decades of training experience, has done tons of research into several training methods, and truly does love our dogs. She has told us that you need to find what best motivates YOUR dog - whether it is tons of praise, food, playing with a toy - whatever gets YOUR dog excited is what you need to use for your training reward. Every week she gives us handouts - puppy psychology type lessons. We have learned about pack leadership, pros and cons of clicker training, rewards vs. bribes, etc.... I can totally relate to your frustration with Pebbles not paying attention. I truly believe that Roxy has ADHD. My class laughs when I say this, but I am serious!! This last Monday, Jane's words were, "she (Roxy) has the attention span of a gnat, doesn't she?" (I think in a contest the gnat would win....) Fortunately for me, Roxy IS food motivated, but even at that, during her exciting classtime, I am the last thing she is interested in - even with yummy treats that she never gets except during training. During puppy kindergarten class all she had to do was look my way and she would get a treat. She did not get one treat for looking my way. She loves to socialize. (Then again, she is an only dog.) For us, having Roxy actually do what the lesson is during class time just doesn't really happen, but at home, she really will work with me. Last week we learned a game called "catch me." We kept backing away and telling our dogs "catch me!" and as they came toward us and paid attention to us, they got treats. During class, we were not much more successful than usual, but at home, she was wonderful. So this last Monday night, Jane had us play the "catch me" game, and I kept backing Roxy further from the group, and she must have remembered the home practise, because she WON the game!!! She even beat the border collie and got a HUGE bag of Pupperoni's - so there is hope! (Janes comment was "who would've thunk it??!!" Certainly not me!! ) Another thing that Jane has emphasized is that since Roxy DOES like treats, but even with treats she is ADHD during class, I need to use "premium" treats. For Kindergarten graduation, I was sure that Roxy would flunk because the week before she would not do anything for me. Scott (my 18 year old son and Roxy's "Daddy") grilled a sirloin steak for her. I cut it into slivers so small it was pretty much shredded for her treat rewards. Not only did she graduate, she kicked butt! It was amazing. We haven't used sirloin since - I am saving it for puppy graduation just to be on the safe side! Before class, I give Roxy a bath to try to make her tired so she won't be so hyper. It helps a little, but not like I had hoped. I don't know how you would find a "Jane" in your area. She is one of the main trainers for agility in our area. Maybe your local kennel club could help guide you to someone who is better suited for Pebbles needs. Just like not every teacher is for every child, not every trainer is for every puppy either. It does not mean that you are too easy. Pebbles just has a different learning style and she needs someone with enough experience to help you identify her style and then capitalize on it. I wish I could box Jane up and ship her your way. She would give you the confidence to know that with your love and patience, Pebbles is going to do just fine. And that just by caring enough to get involved with Pebbles training, YOU are doing just fine. Don't get discouraged. Good luck, and keep us posted! __________________ DeLisa Roxy and Oakley

07-24-2008, 04:13 AM	#42
roxies_mom YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: central illinois Posts: 1,396 Blog Entries: 1	It sounds like you need more one on one and less distractions at first. I know I have a hard time getting Roxie to listen when there is any other animal around. She just gets too excited and worried they will get her treat. I don't know if anyone has tried the puperoni treats but she just loves those. I always get the beef flavored ones because one time I had switched to the chicken flavor and it really took her aback. She spit it out on the floor and just looked at it like what's wrong with that. After a few times she tried it but her favorite is the beef. They are chewy and moist. My puppy also doesn't like the hard biscuits. My sister in law lives in Florida and works for an awsome dog groomer, if I knew which part you live in I could ask if they know of any good trainers in your area.

07-24-2008, 04:24 AM	#43
roxies_mom YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: central illinois Posts: 1,396 Blog Entries: 1	delisa, that was a very encouraging post. i enjoyed reading it and loved the gnat part lol!!

07-24-2008, 04:32 AM	#44
ScootieBootie Donating Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: May 2008 Location: NC Posts: 285	The socialization she is allowing to happen will only work against you. This will cause your dog, and the other small dogs, to fear larger dogs and can lead to fear and anxiety problems. This is a big red flag, in my book. My advice to you would be to ask your vet for the name of a trainer he/she feels would be more beneficial. Also, I train using mostly positive techniques, however there are times that I get a dog who does NOT respond to this. Sometimes, I do use physical manipulation to get the dog into the position. Dogs are individuals, just like people, so many not always respond to the same training. This is what I would do: 1. Ask the vet for a recommendation. 2. Talk to the trainer and ask what dogs she has experience with. 3. Ask for client referrals. 4. Ask what the trainer thinks of the "socialization" your pup is getting...without saying where, to see what her take is on that situation. Good luck!

07-24-2008, 04:51 AM	#45
roxies_mom YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: central illinois Posts: 1,396 Blog Entries: 1	My sister in law works for a very good groomer in Florida. When I got Roxie she really helped me out with alot of things. She put together a care package for me with all kinds of stuff in it that we should use including shampoo. It's worked wonderfully and I've had no problem with it washing off Roxie's Advantyx and she's been bathed 2-3 times since I put it on her. I use Bio-Groom So-Gentle hypo-allergenic tearless shampoo. I've been using it on her since she was a puppy and it's never irriated her skin. But....I was using human conditioner on her and that was making her itch like crazy. So I found a good puppy cond. called Spa Vitamin Conditioner. Her skin is very healthy and no bugs or itchies. I can see where human shampoos can strip off your flea preventative. I'm a hairstylist and I know some shampoos can strip off any color you might use on your own hair.