Puppy class from he-!-!

Spiritus · 01-22-2006, 09:05 PM

Today marked week 3 in my session of puppy class. I teach for my dog club.

I started the first day of class with four puppies. Small class, but nice for a change. Due to freezing rain, I didn't make it to class last week and had another instructor fill in for me. She registered two more puppies. That has us up to six. Still, a nice size class to work with. Today, our training director asked me to be at the building early to register ONE more puppy into class and get the owner up to speed on what we have been doing. Well, there was not just one other puppy, but THREE

! We are now up to nine puppies, nine novice owners, and nine spouses watching, throwing in their two cents.

Okay, now nine is not a bad class size. I prefer eight or under, but nine I can deal with. The BAD part is that now I have puppies that have had two classes, puppies that have had one class, and puppies that are just starting.

We have puppies that haven't been out out of their houses since moving to their new families, puppies that just got to their new families a few days ago, puppies that don't know their names, and then puppies already working on sit/stay that are on week three of class.

So, how do we make it fair? The poor four people who were there week one, and have been working with their dogs for three weeks are all set back to day one. I told the training director NO MORE PUPPIES IN MY CLASS! AND... I am extending the class session by at least one week, maybe two, whatever I feel I need to be fair to both pups and their families.

Next session I am taking a much needed break!

mrsgrubby · 01-23-2006, 08:27 AM

As a dog owner I would be really upset if I had signed up on time and more dogs kept entering the class. It is not fair to set the whole class back two weeks because some folks were not signed up on time, it would have been better to have told them to wait for next session or open another class.

I too prefer small classes and always ask how many dogs are signed up, before making my decision to sign up.

It is unfortunate that you were forced to allow pups to keep signing up. If I was one of the original people in the class I probably would have asked for a refund and gone somewhere else.

However, since it is a done deal now, maybe you could ask the folks who signed up late to either come early, or come on another day to get caught up so they are not holding up the rest of the class.

poodlesmom · 01-23-2006, 05:45 PM

Oh I can feel your pain having been in similiar situations in the past!

If the room is big enough to accomodate it I would for part of the class set the ones up that have been there the longest to do some independent practice on the sit/stay or heeling while you start the newer people on a couple of the basics. Then you can swap off & have them practice what they were just shown and work with the other group.

Hopefully within a couple of weeks the two groups will meld together and pretty much be at comparable levels so you can again combine them.

calgal · 01-23-2006, 06:37 PM

Maybe you could start your own training class after this one is finished. I'm sorry someone did this to you. That has to be hard.

D.Schäferhund · 01-23-2006, 07:14 PM

Oh i am sorry....

I am used to new puppies entering our classe, well the ones i used to help teaching. It supposed to be an 45 min deal but it gets longer usually, i don't know how you do it, if you show and explain all together and start practicing then, we used to have 1-o-1 training in the groupclass.
We involved the pupps that are longer there .They could show off what they have learned and got over new stuff one on one. sop nobody was left out.

On the other hand we usually had two or three people to help one main teacher.
i have to admit if i would be in class and new pupps keep coming i would be upset, if it is a course and has an end and an beginning. But i would take the advanced into priority and have the newcommers wait, go with your program and towards the end or when the others are practicing take care of the new ones.
I would be glad on the other hand if i would be taken in late. I belive in puppyclass to start at 8 weeks on age, but I couldn't attend the last one because they had to be 12 weeks and by that time there were just 2 lessons left. i sn't interested in the training but i belive that the socialisation at that age is a great deal, I would have accepted to be set back adn ait because I entered late. Maybe if you explain that, the late ones will understand.

I have to wait now till end of Feb, when my pupps are almost 6 month to get to go to puppyclass, because they don't do that that often. and they didn't take me in when I wanted too. It was bad for the pupps.
Maybe i don't know how your timelimit and willimngness to work longer is, maybe you can make to classes out of one. if they don't understand.

anyways this are my two cents and i really wish that everyhting works out fine and everybody gets their share of your knowledge.
I am the person who would be weak to and let pupps in I have to admit, because I think this is something very important. but If there are courses going on one after the other... hmmm maybe I would let them wait...
I honestly couldn't tell for sure...

flyndog · 01-23-2006, 10:41 PM

Yep that is rough. Is there anyone from the "veterens" you can use as a helper with the rookies? Maybe instead of trying to follow the original plan, you might just let the training become self-paced, but still do a lot of exercises together as a group. When the classes are self-paced and you can use veterens from the first week to help, you can have drop ins with minimal frustration. In theory.

Spiritus · 01-24-2006, 08:25 PM

Thanks for all the suggestions and comments everyone.

I am with those that would be irritated at all the new puppies coming and coming and coming. It's not fair to those that started, which is part of my frustration. I have been with this dog club for four years, teaching classes for them for two... this is the first time that this situation has come up. I think I am going to see if I can find someone to come help me with the class and give people more individual time. Our building isn't quite large enough to divide the class up, but the way classes work, people can work where they are if desired.

mrsgrubby · 01-25-2006, 07:25 AM

Sounds like you have a great idea to get a helper. Hopefully that would make it easier on all.

Hang in there, it is sweet of you to help all these puppies get their owners trained.

01-22-2006, 09:05 PM	#1 (permalink)
Spiritus Trust the Force... Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Saskatchewan, Canada Posts: 513 Rep Power: 81	Puppy class from he-!-! Today marked week 3 in my session of puppy class. I teach for my dog club. I started the first day of class with four puppies. Small class, but nice for a change. Due to freezing rain, I didn't make it to class last week and had another instructor fill in for me. She registered two more puppies. That has us up to six. Still, a nice size class to work with. Today, our training director asked me to be at the building early to register ONE more puppy into class and get the owner up to speed on what we have been doing. Well, there was not just one other puppy, but THREE ! We are now up to nine puppies, nine novice owners, and nine spouses watching, throwing in their two cents. Okay, now nine is not a bad class size. I prefer eight or under, but nine I can deal with. The BAD part is that now I have puppies that have had two classes, puppies that have had one class, and puppies that are just starting. We have puppies that haven't been out out of their houses since moving to their new families, puppies that just got to their new families a few days ago, puppies that don't know their names, and then puppies already working on sit/stay that are on week three of class. So, how do we make it fair? The poor four people who were there week one, and have been working with their dogs for three weeks are all set back to day one. I told the training director NO MORE PUPPIES IN MY CLASS! AND... I am extending the class session by at least one week, maybe two, whatever I feel I need to be fair to both pups and their families. Next session I am taking a much needed break!
	__________________ Spiritus Belgian Shepherds U-CD Can. CH. Shay CD CGN HIC UKC/Can. CH. Trouble, Lexi, Jesse CGN, and youngsters Constantine and Deja .... and coming soon, our Valentine Litter * R.I.P. BOSS CH. Wren, and much loved puppy Tally *

01-23-2006, 05:45 PM	#3 (permalink)
poodlesmom Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: upstate NY Posts: 1,389 Rep Power: 112	Oh I can feel your pain having been in similiar situations in the past! If the room is big enough to accomodate it I would for part of the class set the ones up that have been there the longest to do some independent practice on the sit/stay or heeling while you start the newer people on a couple of the basics. Then you can swap off & have them practice what they were just shown and work with the other group. Hopefully within a couple of weeks the two groups will meld together and pretty much be at comparable levels so you can again combine them.
	__________________ Denise a/k/a Poodlesmom

01-23-2006, 10:41 PM	#6 (permalink)
flyndog Unleash The Possibilities Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Marfa, TX Posts: 3,969 Rep Power: 183	Yep that is rough. Is there anyone from the "veterens" you can use as a helper with the rookies? Maybe instead of trying to follow the original plan, you might just let the training become self-paced, but still do a lot of exercises together as a group. When the classes are self-paced and you can use veterens from the first week to help, you can have drop ins with minimal frustration. In theory.
	__________________ mARFa Dog Training and Behavior

01-24-2006, 08:25 PM	#7 (permalink)
Spiritus Trust the Force... Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Saskatchewan, Canada Posts: 513 Rep Power: 81	Thanks for all the suggestions and comments everyone. I am with those that would be irritated at all the new puppies coming and coming and coming. It's not fair to those that started, which is part of my frustration. I have been with this dog club for four years, teaching classes for them for two... this is the first time that this situation has come up. I think I am going to see if I can find someone to come help me with the class and give people more individual time. Our building isn't quite large enough to divide the class up, but the way classes work, people can work where they are if desired.
	__________________ Spiritus Belgian Shepherds U-CD Can. CH. Shay CD CGN HIC UKC/Can. CH. Trouble, Lexi, Jesse CGN, and youngsters Constantine and Deja .... and coming soon, our Valentine Litter * R.I.P. BOSS CH. Wren, and much loved puppy Tally *

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01-23-2006, 08:27 AM	#2 (permalink)
mrsgrubby Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Michigan Posts: 2,476 Rep Power: 144	As a dog owner I would be really upset if I had signed up on time and more dogs kept entering the class. It is not fair to set the whole class back two weeks because some folks were not signed up on time, it would have been better to have told them to wait for next session or open another class. I too prefer small classes and always ask how many dogs are signed up, before making my decision to sign up. It is unfortunate that you were forced to allow pups to keep signing up. If I was one of the original people in the class I probably would have asked for a refund and gone somewhere else. However, since it is a done deal now, maybe you could ask the folks who signed up late to either come early, or come on another day to get caught up so they are not holding up the rest of the class.

01-23-2006, 06:37 PM	#4 (permalink)
calgal My Yorkster kids! Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: central ca. coast Posts: 6,803 Rep Power: 230	Maybe you could start your own training class after this one is finished. I'm sorry someone did this to you. That has to be hard.

01-23-2006, 07:14 PM	#5 (permalink)
D.Schäferhund let's work Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Kansas Posts: 1,801 Blog Entries: 1 Rep Power: 114	Oh i am sorry.... I am used to new puppies entering our classe, well the ones i used to help teaching. It supposed to be an 45 min deal but it gets longer usually, i don't know how you do it, if you show and explain all together and start practicing then, we used to have 1-o-1 training in the groupclass. We involved the pupps that are longer there .They could show off what they have learned and got over new stuff one on one. sop nobody was left out. On the other hand we usually had two or three people to help one main teacher. i have to admit if i would be in class and new pupps keep coming i would be upset, if it is a course and has an end and an beginning. But i would take the advanced into priority and have the newcommers wait, go with your program and towards the end or when the others are practicing take care of the new ones. I would be glad on the other hand if i would be taken in late. I belive in puppyclass to start at 8 weeks on age, but I couldn't attend the last one because they had to be 12 weeks and by that time there were just 2 lessons left. i sn't interested in the training but i belive that the socialisation at that age is a great deal, I would have accepted to be set back adn ait because I entered late. Maybe if you explain that, the late ones will understand. I have to wait now till end of Feb, when my pupps are almost 6 month to get to go to puppyclass, because they don't do that that often. and they didn't take me in when I wanted too. It was bad for the pupps. Maybe i don't know how your timelimit and willimngness to work longer is, maybe you can make to classes out of one. if they don't understand. anyways this are my two cents and i really wish that everyhting works out fine and everybody gets their share of your knowledge. I am the person who would be weak to and let pupps in I have to admit, because I think this is something very important. but If there are courses going on one after the other... hmmm maybe I would let them wait... I honestly couldn't tell for sure...

01-25-2006, 07:25 AM	#8 (permalink)
mrsgrubby Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Michigan Posts: 2,476 Rep Power: 144	Sounds like you have a great idea to get a helper. Hopefully that would make it easier on all. Hang in there, it is sweet of you to help all these puppies get their owners trained.

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