Training In Public

[Seita]

So I went out in search of a busy spot this afternoon to do some training with distractions. Found a great spot with kids playing footy, other kids running around a couple of people standing nearby and lots of people walking past. I start working with Ella and realise that everyone who walks past and the people standing nearby are all of course watching me... certainly felt a bit self concious and on my way home I wondered how other people feel when they are out training in public!?

Do you like the attention, feel self concious like me, wonder what other people are thinking of you, feel like your showing off?

[Erny]

I think I'm just used to it now. But I used to feel self-conscious about it. Then found that some of the regular passer-by'ers who were some of the ones who watched and gave funny looks were some of the same ones who further down the track would say things in passing like "wish my dog was as well behaved as yours".

I think much of the time, people aren't so much laughing at you or thinking you are silly as they are just being curious to what you are doing and/or admiring what you are doing.

Tune out to them Seita, and keep up the good work. You do become immune to acting like a clown in public. Your dog isn't judging you for it and that's the main thing .

[Seita]

Thanks Erny... I used to do alot of work out in public last year when I was prepping Ella for competition but haven't done a lot this year and it got me thinking this afternoon! I'm not too worried about it but was curious what others thought!

I think I got a round of applause this afternoon after a particularly nice change of positions!!

[ness]

I do as I am told which meant going and training outside the local shopping centre prior to the Royal. I am well and truely over it and just get on with whatever I had planned. The little kids always think its so cute to see the dog working and I usually end up doing some specky tricks after I have done what I had otherwise planned and will let them do tricks with her. Although a sure fire way to kill my well planned training session is a kid coming over and wanting to see tricks - hmmmmmm ok maybe I don't mind showing off .

Pet expo was a classic we had been allocated an area for our demos but since we were pretty much the only ones using the area and I had taken some UD type gear along - were doing mini agility demos I spent a couple of odd moments going through some UD exercises (she was only in the learning stages) and basically just ran myself through a training session. I think I ended up with more of a crowd for some of it then the actual demo time .

But aside from that I will train wherever and whenever and not worry about what is around. Although I am slightly more careful with my younger girl as I am more concerned about overfacing her and unexpected things happening whereas my older girl is bomb proof.

Slightly different but we headed into a public park in town (also my club training grounds) and had set up some agility gear a few weeks ago. We hadn't gone for any sort of distraction purpose but just somewhere to meet with a friend to train. Any way some Asian stopped and asked if it was ok if he could practice his photography on the dogs while we were training. I did feel a bit guilty in this situation when I had trained what I had planned and felt I had to keep doing stuff because he was there watching and photo taking .

[Tilly]

I felt like an idiot this morning when I took my pup to a busy shopping centre carpark and did some obedience with him and were weaving in and out of cars. People were looking at me strangely as a carpark is not a place you normally take a pup to do training.

Later on we walked down a street on bin day and the pup got a a little spooked by the lid of the rubbish bin which was blowing in the wind ... here I was playing with the lid of the smelly bin, making an idiot of myself trying to make it something fun.

Edited October 23, 2009 by Tilly

[jesomil]

Many years ago I received an unexpected bonus from training in public.

I used to train my old girl (RIP) at an oval and one day I was being watched by someone who came over and I ended up working for them for the next two years training and had a great time!!

I always feel a bit shy training in public. I regularly put my dogs through their routines at the park and every time people stop and watch. Its ok but I start to feel very self conscious and find it hard to concentrate on actually working the dog.

[Tiggy]

Good post. I thought it was only me .

[dogdude]

I rarely have the problem, as most people steer well clear of an off lead bull breed, particulary when we are working, and the dog starts to engage with the prey item. I think they may think that I am attack training or something.

Last week I did have a couple sit and watch (had a couple of amstaffs or pitbulls on lead), but its usually only fellow staffy owners who occasionally approach us.

[MonElite]

I got used to it, but I still feel silly when Im putting a track on with lots of food on it.

Starting peg is huge, and if anyone wants to cross my track I run to them and ask them not to LOL

People often stop and watch me do it, dog is in the car so they think its some looney stepping in a weird way droppig something on the ground in each footstep

[Natsu chan]

I certainly do, but the fluffy one is a ham. She loves an audience and being a collie she draws attention anyway. I get the same funny looks followed by "I wish my dog would do that" or "it must be nice to have such a well behaved dog". There's not much you can do about it and at least if people see you out there training your lovely well behaved dog they can see just how much a dog can do with a bit of time and effort. Well okay a lot of time and effort Good free publicity for your breed too...or so I keep telling my self when people stop watching the under 18s soccer match and start watching us instead! Edited October 23, 2009 by Natsu chan

[J...]

I don't train in busy places much, I'd much prefer somewhere quiet where I hope no-ones dogs are going to bother us.

I have had quite a few people stop and watch us do agility work, particularly weaving. One elderly gentleman always walks his whippet around the outside of the fenced area where I usually train and he often stops to watch and applaud.

People watching doesn't bother me. I've had plenty of positive comments, one lady even asked if I took lessons or was setting up for a class.

[huski]

I try to train in similar places, Seita. I often walk Daisy down to our local sports field when there are tonnes of people around, several games going on, spectators, kids, other dogs etc. I feel a bit like an idiot and I'm sure some people think I'm nuts but I've also had some really lovely people walk past and say things like "Keep up the great work!" or "You're doing well with her!" or "What a well trained dog, wish mine was like that!" or I hear them commenting to each other about the well trained dog Or, like I got one day I had Micha out, "I've never seen such a well trained husky in my life!" (they must have seen some shocking Sibes!)

Edited October 23, 2009 by huski

[Adele]

I take my dog to our local oval to practice our obedience training. It's a fairly busy place with lots of dogs which is one of the reasons why we do our practice there and also during soccer season has lines that we can use for our heeling work. I get so involved with what I'm doing that I don't realise we have people watching until I look around! I've had a few people ask what I'm doing and I'm happy to talk to them but generally we get given a wide berth and I'm happy with that too!

[Ptolomy]

Shopping Centres are the best lots and lots and lots of distractions. The people shopping, the kids, the shopping trolleys, the cleaners, the delivery vans, the cars in the car park the list goes on and on and on. If your dog can cope in this situation a normal trail situation should be a breeze.

and lets face it most people are impressed by a well trained dog ;)

now how many times have people offered their dog for you to train ;)

[ness]

I honestly hope so Ptolomy - although maybe it is paying off I mean guess who can now do a SFE at training and I NEVER thought I'd get that to happen .

[TerraNik]

I hadn't even thought about people watching until this post!! Then again I've never trained out the front of a shopping centre before (usually crowded parks)!

I should go and do some shopping mall training though! That'd be fun!

[Jigsaw]

I do tend to get self conscious but more in front of other trainers! I've realised that if I'm flat my dog is flat so if I have to be the local idiot jumping around on the oval well so be it!!!! Our sporting ovals had soccer training, loudspeakers, cricket practice on the oval and in the nets and tennis players last week so I just have to make use of this more often. Due to circumstances today I was at a shopping centre today with Paxy so we slipped in a little bit of focus work. So on now to be the idiot at the shopping centre jumping around with the dog!!

[Bully]

I honestly hope so Ptolomy - although maybe it is paying off I mean guess who can now do a SFE at training and I NEVER thought I'd get that to happen .

So when's Kenzie's first trial?

[ness]

So when's Kenzie's first trial?

When Ptolomy tells me she is ready , which at the moment is when she learns to keep her back end in and stop heeling me in a crooked line ;) .

Edited October 23, 2009 by ness

[Diablo]

Shopping Centres are the best lots and lots and lots of distractions. The people shopping, the kids, the shopping trolleys, the cleaners, the delivery vans, the cars in the car park the list goes on and on and on. If your dog can cope in this situation a normal trail situation should be a breeze.

and lets face it most people are impressed by a well trained dog ;)

now how many times have people offered their dog for you to train ;)

Shopping centres are excellent places to train for maximum distraction. It's sad the amount of people that are impressed by a well trained dog which goes to show in the general community that most dogs are hardly trained at all like it's unusual to see a dog that is trained is the impression I get. The amount of times I get, "is that a police dog???" my boy being a GSD that can perform various tasks and manouvers, they have a strange look on their face when replying "he's just a pet".