What the Fluff is up with Group Classes?

Group Classes

Why should I still go if I can train my dog myself, or hire a private trainer?

Every Thursday evening for six years, I (Amy) would go to the armory in Cambridge, Massachusetts to teach dog training classes for the oldest AKC club in America, the New England Dog Training Club (NEDTC). Founded in 1936, the club has gone through a number of changes over the years, always flexing to keep teaching dogs good manners. When I was teaching there from 2012 - 2018, we had a very successful steps program that taught me the best of what group dog training classes would be. Every Thursday night as many as 100 dogs came to class with their person, and both learned how to work better together. We had 630,730, and 830 PM time slots (four different classes going on at each of these hours). Anyone bringing a new puppy or new adult dog for the first time could witness the advanced level dogs working just on the other side of the large gym. The set-up was killer, (and always took at least 8 of us 30 minutes pre- and post-class to roll out carpet and tarps, set up ring gates to create the different classes, get out water bowls, post signs, strategize entering and exiting) but the space and set-up was perfectly conducive to churning out tens of wonderfully trained dogs every few months. 

This step program created a way for a dog/person team to advance at their own pace through a number of skills and set-ups, advancing from Step 1 (beginner) to Step 4 where a dog could sit for the Canine Good Citizen exam (CGC). The CGC is a well-respected AKC test that allows dogs to become therapy dogs, keeps insurance down in certain home-owners associations, and is generally the big gold STAR of the pet dog world. 

I can still remember the disbelief on many a newbie’s faces watching dogs in the far ring do a distance-down-stay off-leash for 3 minutes. I always smiled and said, “if you stick with this, your dog can be doing that in a year or two”. And many dogs/people did stick with it and did get to see just what I was talking about. For me as a trainer, I saw weekly humans realizing the huge potential that lies in their own dog for great body control, cooperative listening, and what those in the Boston area would call “wicked smarts.” 

A huge part of the draw and the success of these classes (we always had a waitlist) was that dogs were learning their skills in a distracting environment and when dogs can work amidst big distractions, they can work anywhere. And while group classes are giving the dog the ability to learn how to concentrate through the distractions, they are offering the people the time and the training to understand their own dog’s unique mix of challenges/skills. Still, group classes are not for those who easily give up. On occasion, I’d see a dog struggling in Step 1 and the person would choose to not come back because it was frustrating to see/experience. But for the most part, some encouragement kept them coming back and we (the staff) got to witness dog/human pairs improving in leaps and bounds.

I’m excited to bring the group training experience to BehaveAtlanta, but it requires a little creativity and teamwork, because we don’t have a dedicated space to hold them (and if we did have a space, Covid-19 would have forced us outside anyways!). So it’s a great time to be offering outdoor classes in varied locations! We were grateful to run a small puppy class this month thanks to an email from an interested person who offered us an outdoor space in her neighborhood, and helped gather other puppy parents by advertising on neighborhood social media like Next Door. We are looking to offer more classes in the late Summer/Fall. Please respond to this by leaving a comment or contact us using our contact form on our website to let us know you’re interested! 

*Group classes are not for every dog and that’s absolutely OK. They are not a good fit for your dog if your dog has stranger danger (is fearful/reactive/aggressive to people) or dog reactivity (is fearful/aggressive/reactive to other dogs). In those cases, we offer private sessions! 

Group classes offer you and your dog these benefits: 

• You see others work and learn from other dog owners;

• You have a weekly deposit in your skills bank and keep moving forward on your goal of being a better dog/person pair;

• You have immediate access to a trainer who’s able to answer questions;

• Classes are more affordable than private training;

• Dogs need to learn how to ignore other dogs;

• Dogs need to learn how to work in a distracted environment;

• There’s a lot to this thing that we call “positive reinforcement dog training” that most don’t ever learn (such as how to fade treats and keep strong commands);

• A trainer is there to assess your dog’s learning style and how to help them learn better;

• You can also improve on your training style by getting tips on how to give commands, marks and rewards;

• The benefits of  spending time with other person and dog teams who are working on similar goals;

• Your dog will enjoy it and it’s a nice weekly thing you can do together.

Puppy Socialization & COVID

COVID-19 is making everything complicated, and puppy socialization is no different! Puppies that are socialized during their critical period (between 8-12 weeks-ish) are less likely to develop behavioral problems involving fear or aggression than those who aren't. So what's the problem? Their vaccines aren't completed by that time, so taking them out in the world can be scary. You want them to to see the world, but not get diseases from the world. And that was when we were just worried about our dogs getting viruses, let alone ourselves! So why not wait until dogs are fully vaccinated and coronavirus is under control? Because the risks of behavioral problems from under-socialization outweigh the risks of disease if you socialize carefully. The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior has a statement explaining this clearly if you’d like to read more (we link to it on our resources page)!

Back in the day (AKA a few months ago), you could carefully socialize your pup by ⁠avoiding places frequented by unknown (potentially unvaccinated or sick) dogs, while exposing your pup to healthy dogs and environments. This could be done by taking them to puppy classes that specialize in socialization, and setting up playdates with healthy/vaccinated/puppy-friendly dogs at your home or a friend’s home. So what do you do when you can't go to puppy class or friend's houses? We came up with some ideas for socializing your pup in the time of COVID-19.

But first, we must issue a disclaimer: Always discuss these choices with vet and use your best judgement. Do what you are comfortable with both for your puppy and for yourself. Follow CDC & WHO protocols when going out in public, and WASH YOUR HANDS.

Okay so ideas:

1. First things first, expose your dog (in your home) to humans in face masks and/or gloves, and any other protective gear you may wear. People are going to be wearing all sorts of weird things on their heads for the coming months (plus hats and scarves in winter), and it’ll be really hard if your dog is afraid of/barks at all of them. So before you even go out the door, make sure you give them lots of treats and gentle exposure to you and/or other family members in a variety of corona inspired fashion choices!

2. If you aren’t sick or showing symptoms, take your dog out in your neighborhood or another safe environment and reward them in the presence of different sites and sounds (remember, avoid places that are popular with unknown dogs because some diseases can be transferred via surfaces like grass). If you don’t want to leave your driveway, you can sit out there and reward your pup for staying calm as people of all shapes and sizes pass by on bikes, skateboards, in trucks, etc. Roll the garbage can down the driveway, enlist your children to walk down the street in disguise. Get creative!

⁠ 3. If you feel comfortable, arrange a socially distance appropriate outdoor play date with a friend who has a fully vaccinated and puppy-friendly dog, or a puppy of the same age & vaccination level. Humans can be 6-feet apart, and dogs can interact. Try your best only to interact with your own dog and⁠ wash your hands before and after! If you’re very concerned, you could even give your pup a little bath when they get home. (Baths should be a positive experience as well, so load up on treats and go slow!).

We wish we had recommendations for socialization that involved zero risk of disease contraction for humans or dogs, but unfortunately we haven’t found any yet. However, we also know that the risks of behavioral issues associated with avoiding socialization entirely during a puppy’s critical period can be very serious. So PLEASE try to find a way to socialize your pet in a way that feels comfortable for you! We are here for suggestions if you need us. Minimize risk as much as possible by following CDC and WHO guidelines, avoiding high traffic dog and human areas, and using your best judgement.

Are you wondering why we named our business Behave Atlanta?

Have you ever been walking your dog and encountered another dog pulling fiercely towards your dog, hackles up? You expect a warning or apology and instead you hear a straining voice say, “he’s friendly” from the other end of the leash. Have you ever been at a friend’s house and the friend told you that it’s fine to pick up her terrified looking cat, saying something like, “Oh she loves it once she’s in your arms”? Have you ever seen your own dog who you know to be a gentle, sweet spirit raise up and bark aggressively at a dog on the other side of a fence? 

In the first two examples, there is a natural impulse to judge the pet owner’s claims as inaccurate, but what about the third? When it comes to your own cat or dog, do you shake their behavior off as a fluke and find yourself making a similar assertion? For whatever reason, this is a common experience in our culture. We believe that our own dogs/cats (even kids) are allowed to have slip-ups without it affecting their inner worth, but when it comes to others, we are not so generous.

In truth, each of the above circumstances reflects what is often described as “bad” behavior, and bad behavior is perpetrated by “bad” animals (and people) right? For us as trainers and behaviorists, the answer is an unwavering, unquestioning, absolute NO.  The word “bad” is well… a bad way to describe behavior.

Why? First of all, it’s vague and it’s subjective. Behavior itself can’t be bad or good. Behavior just is. There is an appropriate time and place for most behaviors. We start using descriptors like “bad” when behaviors are happening in an inappropriate context, and even that isn’t always clear! Barking is good if you want a guard dog, but not if you don’t. And it depends on how much barking, at whom, etc. Domestic animals have an especially tough time because by bringing them into our homes, we make it even harder for them to find appropriate outlets for their natural behaviors. Digging, chewing, barking, and scratching were once essential survival skills!

It’s important to help our pets find places and times to do the things they are so good at, not judge them for doing it. The same lack of judgment should be applied to your own behavior. Most pet owners are afraid to tell us the strategies they’ve used to train their pets so far. While many of the old-school methods can be more harmful than helpful, we don’t blame you or judge you for them. Just like your pet, you were trying to accomplish something, and you did what you thought worked.

So why did we name ourselves Behave Atlanta? Because that’s what we do, it’s what your pet does, it’s what you’re doing. We observe it, dissect it, and sometimes try to change it, redirect it, or channel it. We rely on behaviorism, the science of studying observable actions. So when we see a dog pulling on leash towards another dog, a cat slinking decisively towards a stranger, or a dog barking at a fence, we see behavioral sequences which begin our work. It’s these observable actions that we look at and begin to unwind. 

While we can’t speak for all animal behaviorists and trainers, we at Behave Atlanta believe in the inner goodness and worth of each individual we work with, regardless of species. Each dog or cat or person who decides to work on their behavior at Behave Atlanta is viewed and valued as a good being from the beginning.  Then we work towards more appropriate behaviors that work better for everyone, in turn creating better relationships, happier animals, and more harmonious homes.