When You're the "bad dog" at puppy class :(

[windycanyon]

thats crazy,he's a puppy,not a bad dog.I brought packer to training at petco(bad mistake)it was him and another mixed breed puppy roughly the same size,the trainer kept saying that they are playing and the behavior they were displaying was normal play,but I noticed my dog started showing his teeth midway thru the class,I thought nothing of it as the trainer kept bullsh*tting with the other dogs owner as i kept watching the dogs,I thought nothing of it until I got home and saw a patch of fur missing on his jowel and a nice pucture wound with blood ,then I realized why he started showing his teeth,I immediately called petco ,got the trainer on the phone,she appologized up and down and got my dog out of that class,when the trainer was talking to the other dogs owners I overheard the owner telling the trainer how when they bring their dog to the dog park other dog owners complained about their dog,now i saw why,so thats a bad dog,or at the very least bad owners ,your guy just has alot of energy so if they called it a bad dog time to change trainers because it's obvious they know nothing about the breedAttachment 3050

Which is why I prefer taking my pups to class to WORK, not play. With the OP being new to the area, I'd hope that maybe by taking a class, she could meet some of the dog owners whose dogs are a good match for hers, and get together for a play session outside the class. Having taught classes myself, there is nothing worse than dogs/owners who want to play while I'm trying to teach, or allowing play at times where others are bothered anyhow (like blocking the entrance / exit to the building w/ play,etc).

In the end, when mine are on leash, I expect them to know it's time to behave. On Friday I took 4 of my labs to the vet for a weigh in, and it was a chore to navigate thru the dogs (and kids) in the reception area. I think there is a time and place for play, but that's not it. I took the 4mo old in last and I was so proud of her good behavior and ability to weave thru the chaos and "leave it". That's what taking puppy classes to me is for... everyday useful manners. I think w/ having a playful, social breed, we have to work even harder on manners when young.

[kellymccoy]

My professional advice is to do everything in your power to build food drive you cannot progress without that, it can be done but you must actively work at it in puppies that show little interest, in Labs it is rare for one to have no food drive its usually the result of inadvertent handler error

[kellymccoy]

this puppy had no food drive at all I tried everything under the sun I was starting to think he was Autistic! I finally found he liked the Orijen dry who knew and once I got past the drive issue he was amazing

[zd262]

Thanks for the advice kellymccoy! We have been working on building his food drive. Particular now he either gets his food from my hand during training, or through a kong wobbler which he loves. His food drive has been improving through this and then also I think through age. He wasn't eating a ton when we first got him, puppy nerves I would guess, but he is eating better now.

We've ended deciding to find a trainer to work with 1:1 and it's been really great. She relates everything back to science, like these are the chemicals that are being released in the dogs brain right now that are making them act this way. It's been very interesting! I am going out of the country for a week tomorrow and we are leaving Bubba with her so we're hoping on some "house manner" improvement when we get him back, particularly the biting.