# Phoebe learns!



## PowersPup (Aug 28, 2020)

I am so happy for you!! And I'm glad you shared your brag. Puppies can be so challenging, so it's wonderful to see your pup think something through and make the "right" choice!


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

Yes! Good job, Phoebe! And good job, humans, for working so hard to learn fluent poodle.


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## 94Magna_Tom (Feb 23, 2021)

Aren't they the best! [emoji847][emoji122]


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## Starla (Nov 5, 2020)

I’m really bad at shaping. I’m sure she would know even more/be more advanced with someone with more experienced. She is very eager to learn.


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## 94Magna_Tom (Feb 23, 2021)

Starla said:


> This is a brag post.
> I brought her in from a potty break and didn’t tether her to me. I sat in a recliner and Phoebe went in her expen all by herself to relax. ?!?!!! I could have cried.


BUT!!!
If someone else was training her, you wouldn't get any of this^^^^
It's not only about her!


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## Basil_the_Spoo (Sep 1, 2020)

Niceee. That's heartwarming to hear, thank you for sharing.


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## Rose n Poos (Sep 22, 2017)

Ahhhhmazing, the things these pups surprise us with .


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

How charming and fun to see Phoebe being so smart!


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## Starla (Nov 5, 2020)




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## Liz (Oct 2, 2010)

Congratulations to you and your four legged scholar!


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## 94Magna_Tom (Feb 23, 2021)

Good work phoebe! Congratulations!


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## EVpoodle (Sep 25, 2018)

Congratulations and good job to you and Phoebe.


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## Rose n Poos (Sep 22, 2017)

🏆


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## Starla (Nov 5, 2020)

I have been mulling this over so decided to get your thoughts. Petco promotes positive training, but my trainer says some things, “teaches things” sometimes that just seem not right to me. For example yesterday Phoebe was pretty squirrelly. She has been “spooky” lately, which is weird for my confident dog, but age appropriate. Yesterday the store was so loud. They were rolling carts all over the place and the store was so busy. She did not want to focus in the small training area. I voiced my concerns and he kind of brushed them off. Then we went out in the store to work on the basics in public. Walking fast to the training area, she was fine, but he fussed at me for not rewarding her. To me, getting her moving was helpful for her. To him, I wasn’t rewarding her for walking correctly. Then he was trying to talk to us (me and the other puppy owner) and obnoxious teens kept squealing over Phoebe and trying to get me engaged in conversation. The teens had a young puppy who peed in the aisle. I didn’t realize it had peed at first but Phoebe’s whole demeanor changed. Her tail went straight down (as close to tucked as I’ve ever seen it) and it was like having a wild animal on the end of the leash, jumping all around. When I tried to give her a treat she snatched it and threw it on the ground. I said “she needs to potty” and made a hasty exit. I don’t know why another dogs pee being inside would make her so upset, considering she doesn’t mind peeing inside herself! Though she never has in a store. She did pee outside and I took a 5 minute breather to just let her wander around and sniff the grass islands a bit. We went back in and she wasn’t “normal” but was better. So the trainer came over to talk to me and she was leaning against my leg very slightly and had her toe on my toe, very little overlap. So I was standing. She was between us, as we had our backs against the aisle wall to not block the entire aisle, and she barely and lightly had her foot on my food. He said “oh don’t let her do that! She’s dominating you.” That is what I keep thinking about. I feel like I had a nervous dog who was calming down very well, who was calmly watching the the goings-on in the store while also keeping tabs on me, and he felt like she is trying to be dominant. I don’t know how you can know dogs and not see the difference between “dominant” behavior and “unsure” behavior. He’s also said stuff like ‘don’t let her put your fingers in her mouth, she’s treating you like a litter mate’, ‘don’t let your dog lead you, they will think they’re in charge’. Those things seem so old-school and not in line with positive training, which is what the program is called. Is it just me? Am I being too sensitive? Should I really worry about her having her foot on my foot? I am already signed up for (and paid for) puppy 2 with the same trainer, and the other times with different trainers won’t fit in our family schedule.


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## Rose n Poos (Sep 22, 2017)

I don't think you're being too sensitive.


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## Rose n Poos (Sep 22, 2017)

Elaborating a bit to say that it sounds to me like that particular trainer isn't up to date on current practices, isn't reading dog body language within the context of the situation and doesn't seem to know how to keep his clients from being interrupted by outsiders while in training.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

It sounds like he is following a script given to him by the local Petco "trainer of trainers." There are times and teams with which to follow that script and other times and other teams where the script isn't the best routine to follow, but a "green" trainer won't know the difference. I think the chains often have some good trainers, but many of them are very young and inexperienced. Lily and I plus BF and Peeves did puppy K at PetSmart and had a good experience there. Both dogs, myself and my mom did an intermediate there too but by the time Javelin was a puppy my goals had far outstripped what an in store class could provide. I took him to big box stores to train him to pass a CGC using the aisles as I needed. I am thinking about a return to some in store training to help Javelin remain focused and able to recover from heavy distractions in stores with the late part of my summer break.. It was the front of PetSmart where I taught Lily to do stand stays too. What's good for the goose should be good for the gander.


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## Starla (Nov 5, 2020)

Thank you for your thoughts. He doesn’t seem young or inexperienced, but does seem to have the lab-dog-trainer mentality, and in my limited experience, it’s just not the same. The majority of dogs he sees are labs and lab-mixes he said, and he has a Great Dane/pit bull mix, so I see where his more limited experience might make him greener. I will continue to take his advice with a heaping helping of salt and do what I believe is best for her (including “potty-breaks” if she just needs a minute). I just wanted to make sure I wasn’t being a know-it-all and disregarding good advice because I think I know better.
@Rose n Poos he really does need to be better at managing his class outside of the little blocked off room. I feel like he should be the one to say “we are in class right now”. I said it, but I was a bit snippier than was warranted I’m sure.


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## Johanna (Jun 21, 2017)

Starla, if you can find an obedience club in your area I think you would much prefer their training to one at a pet store. I hope you do find one.


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## Starla (Nov 5, 2020)

Johanna said:


> Starla, if you can find an obedience club in your area I think you would much prefer their training to one at a pet store. I hope you do find one.


Yes, there is a facility about 20 mins away where I plan to continue her training after puppy classes. They focus on agility and obedience. Unfortunately they didn’t have any puppy classes starting until much later so I went ahead and went with petco for her puppy classes, and ever the deal-seeker, signed up for 2 at once for the discount. We have a couple weeks break, so I hope she comes out of this fear period before the next class begins. I am going to continue to work with her in the meantime, and if the first class or two is as unhelpful as the last one was, I will just cut my losses and pull her.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

You may be able to find a club near you here. .akc.org/club-search/#/


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## Starla (Nov 5, 2020)

We only have one week of puppy 2 class left. The last trainer quit working at petco and I LOVE our new trainer. She and I just jive and have so much in common. Plus she loves a bad dog (😉). Yesterday phoebe got to practice “come” on a long line in the store. Which was super easy for her because she can’t stand when I leave her! She was off like a rocket to get to me each time; it was really adorable and had our trainer in stitches. I was going to quit petco classes after this but now? I might continue , depending on what is available…


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

That’s great news! If you love your trainer, it doesn’t really matter where they’re teaching. I’m guessing Petco classes are pretty economical, too, compared to an independent facility?


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## Starla (Nov 5, 2020)

Phoebe graduated level 2 puppy class! We are going to do the CGC class at petco also because I do love our new trainer.


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## 94Magna_Tom (Feb 23, 2021)

Congratulations Phoebe!


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## Liz (Oct 2, 2010)

Felicitaciones!


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## Rose n Poos (Sep 22, 2017)

She looks very pleased . Congrats, Phoebe and Starla!


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## PowersPup (Aug 28, 2020)

Great work! Congratulations!


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

That is awesome and if you can take more classes with this trainer by all means do so. We took Lily and Peeves to Petsmart for their puppy class. Then my mom and I went for their intermediate class for both dogs with the same trainer. She was really good and we got lots out of both those classes before switching to my current obedience club for a CGC class and testing. Our original Petsmart trainer moved on so therefore we did too.


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## Skylar (Jul 29, 2016)

Congratulations team Phoebe.

I didn’t know Petco offers CGC training, the Petco near me only has a puppy class. It’s wonderful when you have a good trainer.


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## Starla (Nov 5, 2020)

She really is fantastic. She bred and showed Great Danes to Westminster and you can just feel the dog savvy coming off of her.


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## Starla (Nov 5, 2020)

We did a thing today! Phoebe did great at her TKN evaluation. I am so happy I elected to do it in person. I really liked the trainer who evaluated her, and she helped me choose to do a few different things to save some tricks for her TKI. We also might do a local fastcat together soon.


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## Liz (Oct 2, 2010)

Congratulations to you both!


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## Rose n Poos (Sep 22, 2017)

Way to go!!


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## For Want of Poodle (Feb 25, 2019)

Way to go Phoebe!!!


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## Minie (Oct 4, 2021)

Congratulations to you both. Wow


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

Yay! Good job!


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## Streetcar (Apr 13, 2014)

Good job!!


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Awesome I am thrilled for the two of you and I am happy you made a connection to a good trainer.


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## Skylar (Jul 29, 2016)

Congratulations, great teamwork team Phoebe.


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## 94Magna_Tom (Feb 23, 2021)

Yeeeaaaah! Good for you and Phoebe!


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## Kukla the Tpoo (11 mo ago)

Awesome news! Congratulations 👏


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