In case there are any other newbies (like me) to dog training on the forum with a similar situation, I thought I would share this experience.

I purchased a bunch of the Michael Ellis videos from LB before and after bringing home our GSD puppy. They are awesome- he is a great teacher and the videos are totally worth it. I also did some research on local training options but didn't really see anything that I thought fit the same training style.

Fast forward 6 months- Greta goes bonkers when we're around other large dogs; she gets excited and exhibits signs of wanting to play as well as barks her frustration when I hold her back. All the other stuff is going well, but without places to train around other leashed dogs this a problem.

I finally signed us up for a puppy class at a local facility which uses a training method fairly close to what we've been using- maybe 85% similar. It's geared for puppies 5-9 months. We had our first class last night. As expected it was pretty much chaos the first 10 minutes or so (barking, totally not paying attention to owners, etc). I was pleased that once we started working on focus with treats Greta settled in- as did most of the other pups. Wish I had signed up for one sooner just to have a group environment to practice in.

The teacher seemed competent; although he kept an eye on us, he didn't interact with us very much since the focus of the class was "sit" and Greta has the basics of that down. I'm hoping that he remains open to us doing things a tiny bit differently as we move forward.

Anyway - food for thought

You association with other dogs in a class room situation should only get better as long as the instructor understands dogs and not just "teaching" a class.

As to doing things "a tiny bit different" you should discuss this with him.

Some instructors are open to it and some are "It's my way or the highway".

What Bob said.

I've worked with accommodating instructors. And I've been in the presence of those who think theirs is the only approach, and why would someone who is taking their course have the temerity to offer training suggestions. I appreciate the former, and disassociate myself from the later.

That noted, I have learned from the approaches of others, if only that I didn't want to follow their lead.

Then again, I am am way too overly opinionated.

Bob is right on in suggesting you approach the instructor. Better to be up front than frustrated, or follow a path you really don't want to go down. Your dog, your rules.

Good points, Bob & Mike. I should have mentioned that I was brief, but up-front about my goals for the class when we checked in. Stated that she was doing well with marker-training at home but that we signed up for the class because she needed exposure to other dogs and people; he seemed fine with that at the time.

I didn't want to get into a long discussion about the finer points of training because I'm such a beginner myself and because it's a puppy class. I think half of the class was new to markers in general. If this was more advanced training or training for a specific sport I think it would be a whole different discussion. I also didn't want to come across as someone who thought they knew it all; I'm sure I will also learn other new things that are helpful so I tend to keep my mouth closed and ears open Glad you both chimed in-

Best- C

 Quote: Carolyn Pike Roman

Good points, Bob & Mike. I should have mentioned that I was brief, but up-front about my goals for the class when we checked in. Stated that she was doing well with marker-training at home but that we signed up for the class because she needed exposure to other dogs and people; he seemed fine with that at the time.

I didn't want to get into a long discussion about the finer points of training because I'm such a beginner myself and because it's a puppy class. I think half of the class was new to markers in general. If this was more advanced training or training for a specific sport I think it would be a whole different discussion. I also didn't want to come across as someone who thought they knew it all; I'm sure I will also learn other new things that are helpful so I tend to keep my mouth closed and ears open Glad you both chimed in-

Best- C

I, too, agree with the comments made by Bob and Mike. I think you handled things with your instructor perfectly. It is a dilemma for a lot of us who get a young pup or newly adopted adult to find safe opportunities for socialization. In this context, I don't mean socialization in terms of playing with other dogs but just allowing them to be in the presence of other dogs and learning to ignore the distractions and focus on their handler.

I'm sure I will do the same thing if/when I get another dog. It sounds like you got lucky with your class and instructor. I believe there is always a little wiggle room for differences in training philosophies and methods -- after all, no two trainers are exactly alike -- but as long as the instructor is flexible with your particular preferences and you are comfortable with what goes on in the class, then it sounds like a good fit.