Well this is going to sound very non-pc ( my excuse a bad day and a bottle of cava...) but every agility trainer I have met is weird, their dogs weird and unsociable...blimey they can't even make eye contact for all their nervous twitching and that's the trainers. The constant barking and frantic waving of tuggies is probably very meaningful but Disney really float my boat.
Don't? maybe? There's definately a lot of different personalities in agility. Ive found the really full on dog dance free stylers to be very "focused" too.
As Stephanie I'm sorry to here this. Poor you. Poor Ripple. She clearly isn't a trainer here, rather the keeper of the equipment. I hope you manage to find your niche. We will have to get out for a walk again soon (Been a bit occupied of late only managed to Tentsmuir once in the last few months)
I think we need to try and organise a “grand day out” or weekend or something. A spot of forum camping (glamping where necessary) to get some of these little pockets of forum walks together. I can see the marshmallows being toasted while we get sozzled on gin and exchange tales of sossidge-gate and every other wonderfully embarrassing thing our Labs (or Lab wannabes) have ever done. Where do I sign up?!
I would spend the entire time chasing devil dog around trying to stop him jumping on all of his forum friends heads
I would bring Squidge. Shadow would be happier left at home. Squidge would jump on heads and love having hers jumped on in return. Stanley would learn the most efficient techniques of head-jumpage in a multi-lingual and multi-cultural format.
Hmmm I might actually know a place where this could happen. I have a friend who rents out her 3 bed ginormous caravan and allows dogs within her grounds. Plus a further 2 big bedrooms with en suites. She has a big cottage with her own 3 GRs, plus huge garden for camping with its own access to river and small woods. 20 min drive from dog friendly beach. Just sayin.
I'm really sorry to hear that your trainer was so incompetent. Swampdonkey's right, there ought to be a variety of different classes to suit the different dogs. A quick squizz at my local agility group shows that they have a foundation class, a level 1+2 class, and a competition class. You shouldn't be mixing the super serious dogs with the "just learning/having some fun" dogs. I hope that you manage to find something more suitable - flygility, flyball, agility - there's so much variety out there now.
It’s not at all fair - she really ought to return your money. I hope you manage to find something better that you and Ripple can both enjoy.
Cass says bring it on She might be 2 and maturing but those days are not gone. The lovely estate where I am lucky enough to live is up for sale --- the perfect Labrador en masse venue, could we have a forum whip round? Crowd funding? Call it what you will. There's a lake, streams woods, a large house and cottages and -- I kid you not- a Private Pub . Imagine it ! @SteffiS , so sorry to about poor lovely Ripple being banned from his agility class. What is wrong with people? I hope you can find a fun class that is accessible for you both. I totally get your feeling of defensiveness over Ripple, I get like that with Cassie. When she got labelled "immature" recently I decided to leave that particular class. We are going to sample our first agility class later today -- wish me luck
Thanks everyone, I feel so much better now. When I first got her Facebook message I was really upset, then cross, then upset again. Now I can see, with the trainer's attitude to Ripple, it was always unlikely to work out. Looking at her timetable she runs virtually all puppy / beginners classes, mine was the only intermediate group with only 3 of us in it. It would appear not many people go back after the initial classes. My beginners group were really tolerant towards Ripple and we worked well together, there was a Collie in that group who had problems with several other dogs so we all stood outside the area when it was on the course to give the owner a fair chance. She is obviously unable to adjust to working with challenging dogs, or maybe just isn't interested in them. Yes, it's a shame for Ripple, but I'm sure we will find another challenge for him. I shall be getting my money back, I shan't let that drop. And I love this forum , you have all helped so much over this.
Or I could send Casper round, with dark sunglasses, his scary lion outfit...minus the horses head of course
It sounds like you are better off out of there. I have recently stopped going to agility due to the trainer not intervening when dogs were being dragged by their collar with their front feet unable to touch the ground, and then the trainer telling him that he needs to show the dog who is boss!
