Last night was Blackie's very first obedience lesson. Mom and I didn't really know how well things were going to go since Blackie has some dog aggresion issues. Well, Blackie was one of the best dogs in the class! 
(Which is actually pretty sad, but....lol)
We took him into the building and he semi-ignored all of the other dogs. He was whining (that is what he does when he wants to go after a dog, but he knows he isn't supposed to) but aside from that he didn't do anything. We worked on heeling and our sits last night and he did very well. He only tried to go after a HUGE Golden (actually, it looked more like brown) Retriever but I corrected him, and he didn't try to do it again.
He did a very good job of sitting when I told him too, and he kinda got the concept of heeling toward the end of the lesson. (Either that, or he was just sleepy. lol) But I was having trouble remembering to say 'heel' unstead of 'let's go'. lol I got confused and I was like, "Let's heel'. lol
And also, at the end when our instructor was talking to us, he actually laid down and wanted me to scratch his belly! (I was shocked because for him to lay down, belly up, around other dogs was amazing.)
Ok, so that was my brag about my old puppy. lol Now here is my thoughts on the other dogs that were there. *grins evily*
There were about 3 Goldens, 5 labs (counting Blackie), a beautiful Rottie, a Wire Haired Pointing Griffon (or a Liver collored Schnauzer that wasn't docked or cropped...), a Border Collie mix, a Papillon, a Maltese, a Mini Schnauzer, 2 JRTs, and a Corgi. (I think that was about all.....oh wait, there was a Aussie mix, a GSD/Husky mix, and if there where anymore, I sure wasn't concentrating on them...their was a merle beagle [I swear that was it's coloring] but I don't know if it ever joined in....I just saw it sitting toward the edge of the building with a parent holding the leash...)
And man, I thought Blackie was going to be bad, all of the little dogs (except the Maltese and the Corgi) where BRATS! At least one of them was yipping the whole time, and then the Papillon, the Schanuzer, and one of the JRTs kept trying to attack the other dogs. (That Papillon tried to take on the Rottie! ) Of course, the smaller dogs were handled by younger kids who knew squat, so that probably had something to do with it.
And about halfway through the lesson, I was about ready to give Blackie to my mom and go over to the girl with the Schanuzer and tell her to praise her dog. We would be in a sit, and her Schnauzer would stand up. I'd hear "NO. Sam, sit." She'd push down on his butt, he'd sit. Not a word. The Schanuzer'd pop up agian. "NO! Sam, SIT!" The dog would sit, not a word. That was really irking me. She had no problem telling the dog no, but wouldn't praise him when he did what she wanted to, even though the trainers were telling us, "When your dog does something you want him to, Praise him!"
So to sum it all up, I had a good time, Blackie had a good time (although he was pooped toward the end), and the trainers were pretty good. (Not the best, but good.) What they seemed to stress the most was, "When your dog does something you like, praise him, when he does something you don't like, correct him, and do NOT tolorate them going after the other dogs or him ignoring your commands."
(Oh, and Blackie was put through torture. He couldn't pee on anything for 45 min. strait! lol As soon as we stepped out the door, he went to the nearest vertical object and peed a flood. lol Crazy dog.... )
(Which is actually pretty sad, but....lol) We took him into the building and he semi-ignored all of the other dogs. He was whining (that is what he does when he wants to go after a dog, but he knows he isn't supposed to) but aside from that he didn't do anything. We worked on heeling and our sits last night and he did very well. He only tried to go after a HUGE Golden (actually, it looked more like brown) Retriever but I corrected him, and he didn't try to do it again.
He did a very good job of sitting when I told him too, and he kinda got the concept of heeling toward the end of the lesson. (Either that, or he was just sleepy. lol) But I was having trouble remembering to say 'heel' unstead of 'let's go'. lol I got confused and I was like, "Let's heel'. lol
And also, at the end when our instructor was talking to us, he actually laid down and wanted me to scratch his belly! (I was shocked because for him to lay down, belly up, around other dogs was amazing.)
Ok, so that was my brag about my old puppy. lol Now here is my thoughts on the other dogs that were there. *grins evily*
There were about 3 Goldens, 5 labs (counting Blackie), a beautiful Rottie, a Wire Haired Pointing Griffon (or a Liver collored Schnauzer that wasn't docked or cropped...), a Border Collie mix, a Papillon, a Maltese, a Mini Schnauzer, 2 JRTs, and a Corgi. (I think that was about all.....oh wait, there was a Aussie mix, a GSD/Husky mix, and if there where anymore, I sure wasn't concentrating on them...their was a merle beagle [I swear that was it's coloring] but I don't know if it ever joined in....I just saw it sitting toward the edge of the building with a parent holding the leash...)
And man, I thought Blackie was going to be bad, all of the little dogs (except the Maltese and the Corgi) where BRATS! At least one of them was yipping the whole time, and then the Papillon, the Schanuzer, and one of the JRTs kept trying to attack the other dogs. (That Papillon tried to take on the Rottie! ) Of course, the smaller dogs were handled by younger kids who knew squat, so that probably had something to do with it.
And about halfway through the lesson, I was about ready to give Blackie to my mom and go over to the girl with the Schanuzer and tell her to praise her dog. We would be in a sit, and her Schnauzer would stand up. I'd hear "NO. Sam, sit." She'd push down on his butt, he'd sit. Not a word. The Schanuzer'd pop up agian. "NO! Sam, SIT!" The dog would sit, not a word. That was really irking me. She had no problem telling the dog no, but wouldn't praise him when he did what she wanted to, even though the trainers were telling us, "When your dog does something you want him to, Praise him!"
So to sum it all up, I had a good time, Blackie had a good time (although he was pooped toward the end), and the trainers were pretty good. (Not the best, but good.) What they seemed to stress the most was, "When your dog does something you like, praise him, when he does something you don't like, correct him, and do NOT tolorate them going after the other dogs or him ignoring your commands."
(Oh, and Blackie was put through torture. He couldn't pee on anything for 45 min. strait!
lol As soon as we stepped out the door, he went to the nearest vertical object and peed a flood. lol Crazy dog.... )
