I'm going to start teaching group training classes in the next couple of months, and now I'm in the process of designing the training class curriculum. It's a beginner level obedience class, but I'm trying to focus it more on the people who are actually serious about training and have aspirations for doing more work with their dog.... Basically I DON'T want John Q. Public who only wants his dog to quit mouthing and peeing in the house, and doesn't care about the rest of training.
Anyway, my problem is, I'm trying to decide whether to have dogs attend the first week or not. The whole thing will be 6-7 weeks, 1-1 1/2 hours per week (that's still in the planning stages as well). It will be, of course, primarily clicker training, and I want to focus on a lot of capturing and shaping behaviors, and minimal luring. So, the first week will be a lot of explaining and demo-ing how the process will work, and I'm just afraid that the dogs will only be a distraction and will be too much trouble for the amount of practice they will get to do in class. But, how do most people feel about not bringing their dog to training class? Would they feel like they'd be wasting their time?
I have taught training classes for several years, and did do one curriculum where people didn't bring their dogs the first week, but that was about 3 1/2 years ago, and I don't remember well enough to know if that would be a good idea to do again. Any of you who have been to or taught training class, have an opinion???
Anyway, my problem is, I'm trying to decide whether to have dogs attend the first week or not. The whole thing will be 6-7 weeks, 1-1 1/2 hours per week (that's still in the planning stages as well). It will be, of course, primarily clicker training, and I want to focus on a lot of capturing and shaping behaviors, and minimal luring. So, the first week will be a lot of explaining and demo-ing how the process will work, and I'm just afraid that the dogs will only be a distraction and will be too much trouble for the amount of practice they will get to do in class. But, how do most people feel about not bringing their dog to training class? Would they feel like they'd be wasting their time?
I have taught training classes for several years, and did do one curriculum where people didn't bring their dogs the first week, but that was about 3 1/2 years ago, and I don't remember well enough to know if that would be a good idea to do again. Any of you who have been to or taught training class, have an opinion???