Kicked out of Puppy Class

Doberluv

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#22
No he doesn't have that right, but he's taking it. He needs to be exposed and those unknowing customers and potential customers need to be informed. He should be reported and stopped from doing this to other dogs. What a shame that there are still trainers out there like this!
 

Angelique

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#23
There is no justification to lift a dog completely off the ground. Even when breaking off an attack, the most even the advanced guard dog trainers do is lift the dog's front end up a bit.

Hanging a dog in mid air, is just a cruel act by someone who can't control their temper. A good trainer would never do this, regardless of their choice of method.

I'm sorry you and Leo had to experience this.
 
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#24
I don't think the trainer did anything wrong. This dog directly has a historry of being dog two dog aggressive and that's actually a good way to handle dog aggression when the dog's small enough. The trainer HAS the right to break up fights whether that means picking the dog up. Leo picked a fight and was disceplined just fine for it. Chows are known for dog aggression, so the trainer reacted harsher than he would like a bloodhound I bet. Since Leo picked a fight, the trainer punished him by lifting him off the ground. I would have done the same thing if I was the trainer and ran into Leo picking a fight whether or not I knew if he had a history of it.
 
Y

yuckaduck

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#25
gaddylovesdogs said:
What a jerk!! He has no right to abuse your puppy like that.

Wait he abused your puppy? I thought he just picked him up!

From what I read I would have done the same thing. A dog that picks a fight needs to learn fast that is unacceptable behaviour.
 

Gempress

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#26
kitcatak said:
The trainer immedietly grabbed Leo by the collar and held him up in the air.
I think that the trainer was dangling him in the air by his collar, like a hangman's noose. I think that's completely unacceptable.
 

Angelique

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#27
Nope, sorry...but all fours off the ground, by the neck, is not appropriate. As I said, in certain situations a well schooled guard dog or advanced obedience trainer will lift the front end of a dog off the ground, IF they attack another dog or are completely out of control.

This guy needs to throw away his old, outdated Koehler guard dog training book, get hold of his temper, and learn a better way to handle the situation, period.

This is coming from a balanced method dog rehabilitator, me.:)
 

kitcatak

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#28
This dog directly has a historry of being dog two dog aggressive
Huh? Who said? Leo doesn't have a history of being dog aggressive. He plays just fine with all the dogs here in the neighborhood. He has played fine with the dogs at class until this weeks class. I don't feel that hanging a dog by his collar is going to do anything but damage him.

Yuckaduck- The trainer lifted him off the ground completely by his collar and held him there until I grabbed him away. I have no problem with lifting his front legs of the ground, or pulling him back with a jerk, but hanging is a bit much.

Don't forget folks, he is a PUPPY. 4 months old. Would you really treat your dog that way?
 
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#29
kitcatak said:
Huh? Who said? Leo doesn't have a history of being dog aggressive. He plays just fine with all the dogs here in the neighborhood. He has played fine with the dogs at class until this weeks class. I don't feel that hanging a dog by his collar is going to do anything but damage him.

Yuckaduck- The trainer lifted him off the ground completely by his collar and held him there until I grabbed him away. I have no problem with lifting his front legs of the ground, or pulling him back with a jerk, but hanging is a bit much.

Don't forget folks, he is a PUPPY. 4 months old. Would you really treat your dog that way?
Well, I think that needed to be done or YOU could have left early if you know he's dog to dog aggressive....From your posts, it seemed like he has a history of being dog to dog aggressive. What would you have dxone as the trainer? You have a dog who is dog aggressive...ALL things you heard are immediately,m automatically, and completely meaningless. I've hadto walk a dog who fought with the other dogs one time. I learned after this that it wasn't normal, but I didn't care. That's probably what the trainer felt about Leo. Once the dog gets into a fight, it's hard to trust the owner unless they know the dog from before the dog was in a fight...it's hard then too.
 

kitcatak

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#30
I don't know how you got the idea that Leo is dog aggressive. I have never posted anything like that before. He isn't dog aggressive. He is puppy playful. HUGE difference. What would I have done as the trainer? I wouldn't have allowed chows in my class if I had issues with them. I don't like ALL dogs, but that is because of the dog, not the breed. He obviously can't distinguish between the two. If he grabbed Leo by the collar to get him out of the situation, that would be fine. He didn't. He grabbed him and held him suspended in the air by his collar until I reached him and grabbed Leo.

You are intitled to your opinions. Leo is not dog or people aggressive. If he was I would be desperately trying to find a GOOD trainer to help with the issue. Instead of sitting here posting about a bad trainer, I would be posting about what to do with my aggressive animal. I don't allow my children to be rude or disrespectful and my dog won't be either!
 

dogmom72

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#31
Okay, I rarely post because I really do NOT like getting into pointless debates, but this one is hardly POINTLESS! I've seen nothing that has ever insinuated your puppy is aggressive at all! And if this guy had a problem with chows he should have said that up front. Yes, if not properly socialized there can be a problem with chows... as there can be with ANY dog... sounds to me like normal puppy-pecking order and nothing to be concerned about. You are obviously on top of it and the trainer is a brainless chow hating idiot!
 

Angelique

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#33
Fuzz Puppy said:
Well, I think that needed to be done or YOU could have left early if you know he's dog to dog aggressive...
No, I don't agree with lifting a four month old puppy off all fours.

If you would like to back up your opinion with any documented justification for this action, in lew of other methods, I'm all ears...
 
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yuckaduck

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#34
Yuckaduck- The trainer lifted him off the ground completely by his collar and held him there until I grabbed him away. I have no problem with lifting his front legs of the ground, or pulling him back with a jerk, but hanging is a bit much.
So basically the puppy was gasping for air because to hold him by his collar it is a hanging. That is wrong wrong wrong. I thought it was by the scruff of the neck, that I would do for sure if any dog initiated a fight. Dog agressive or not it is a lesson to learn but hanging any animal is wrong. I would seriously complain about that trainer and I would be reporting him. Also did you get kicked out or leave voluntarily? If you were kicked out you better get some serious money back and that trainer is obviously an idiot. Most trainers would rather work on the issues not just throw you out. Been there though had many many toss Yukon out of classes, people aggressive, and they new ahead of time. I finally found a trainer who was willing to come to my house and then we joined classes with the group. He is now my trainer for any and all dogs that I deal with.
 
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#35
I no longer have my friends number in my cell, she is a trainer in Anchorage and has a couple of therapy dogs on top of her training. Short of digging online I might have to actually drive in to A-town to see if she has any puppy classes now or soon. Check and see if House of Critters has a bulliten board odd chance she might have a flyer up, I dont know how she advertizes, she is also a fish geek.
 

filarotten

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#36
There is no way I would tolerate anyone picking any of my dogs up by the collar and holding them in the air. That is so wrong. How do these idiots get to be trainers? From what I understand there was only growling going on and another dog initiated it. Why didn't he say something to the other dog owner.
He's an animal bigot.
I can't even imagine what I would have done while I was there. But you can bet, I would be at the owners office complaining. (Probably, after my husband got me out of jail.)
 

Zoom

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#37
It's good you got out of that class, for the sake of your pup. I have a sneaky suspicion that they guy was unconsciously trying to instill "typical chow" behavior in him so he could point him out later on and say "See, I was right!" There is nothing wrong with some initial growling, especially when the other dog was a boxer pup. Nothing against boxers, but they are very bouncy puppies! Chows are very laid back, or at least the ones I've met have been.

I supervise doggy daycare and there has to be a certain amount of initial posturing to figure out where the other stands. Otherwise, I'm constantly getting on these dogs because they feel they have to escalate each additional contact. Chances are, Leo would have either just gotten up and walked away, or started playing. Worse case senario is he would have snap/barked at the other dog and then walked away.
 
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#38
kitcatak said:
Well, Leo is 4 months old now and he has been going to puppy class since the middle of Oct. Last Mon night we went to class as usual, even though I didn't want to and my friend that brings her chow puppy (Leo's brother) didn't go. She thought the trainer was an idiot and a chow bigot. Class is an hour long and every week I get lectured about Leo. The class consisted of 2 chow's, 2 boxers and 1 labradoodle. The boxers are both hyper little things, but Ajax was the worst. He was constantly in Leo's face, bouncing on him. Ajax's trainer was worthless and had no control at all over him. Leo would get fed up and growl at him and then the trainer would lecture ME about not allowing my dog to behave that way. I was always giving Leo a quick pull on the leash and a "No" evertime he went for the boxer. The trainer constantly told me I wasn't doing enough, but when I asked what I was supposed to do, he just talked in circles. Anyway, there was a new puppy at class this week and the first thing he did was growl at Leo. When it was time to have "free play" Leo made a mad dash for the new dog (I think it was a brittany). There was growling and stuff and Leo jumped on the other dog. The trainer immedietly grabbed Leo by the collar and held him up in the air. I ran to him, grabbed Leo away and yelled that he was hurting my dog. He told me that Leo and I should sit out today. I started to tell him I was leaving and he interrupted me and told me I needed to go and I should contact him to get a refund. He said I had an aggressive dog and I was unwilling to deal with him. What I was unwilling to do was hang my puppy by the neck if he growled at another puppy. Leo plays with dogs in my neighborhood all the time, there is growling, nipping and rolling involved and they are all having a great time. I know many of you will say "Oh, he is a chow, that trainer is probably right", but you would be wrong. Leo is a puppy and he is acting like a puppy. He never shows any type of aggression here at home and I have a 2 year old that likes to try to ride him when I am not looking. Anyway, I am sure a bunch of you will slam me and say I better watch my chow, but my point is how can a trainer of any dog promote hanging? He even commented once that if one of his dogs (he breeds beautiful Goldens) ever growled at a person, he would have to have him put down. I don't think he should be around animals at all!!!!!

Tracy & Leo the Aggressive
Please read this post again (it's your first post and makes me think he's dog aggressive) you can disagree, but that's the source I used. The post that started this entire thread.
 
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#39
Angelique said:
No, I don't agree with lifting a four month old puppy off all fours.

If you would like to back up your opinion with any documented justification for this action, in lew of other methods, I'm all ears...
Well I just mennt that harsher disciplin should be done with chows than other dogs. If the dog ius known to be dog aggressive or the breed is known to be dog agressive than if the dog/breed aren't known to be dog aggressive. I would be happy to tell you a dog aggressive story from my past if you want me to so you can maybe see why I aggree with the trainer if you want.
 

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