A little upset :(

Tonight at class it all seemed to be going fine, until the instructor wanted to take Otis off us so he could go through a tunnel, we were just going through some fun stuff.
Well he was very nervous and pulls away and hides under a chair. I wish I could describe what happened better but there was nothing but nervousness shown at being quickly taken away from my OH.

At the end she pulled us and we began to talk and then said I wouldn't normally say this but I think this being head shy and not wanting to go to other people is a problem and the fact that he growled at me when I went to take him does worry me with regards to children and so forth.
I was like I watched the whole event unfold and I did not hear or see anything that was remotely nervous aggression... I was so upset... I am not the type of person to dispute but she has it in her head he growled My OH was handling him tonight and he even said that nothing like that happened. I'm not sure if she gets confused between the dogs as she was dealing with another black dog not long before who didn't want to play the game.

She also mentioned that our bond with Otis may be a problem also as he doesn't want to do things without us... When another lady said we were great with coaxing Otis through the tunnel between myself and the OH and said we looked like we had fun and had a great bond with him... Maybe I have babied him a little.

I really want to improve his nervousness about being taken from us and being happy to be with someone else, but he is young and it's not something we have worked on doing and his nature is to be shy until he gets to know the person, the assistant at the end let Otis come to her and he was brilliant, but the main instructor doesn't give him that chance. My friend has recently got a dog and wants to go out for walks so I  am thinking we may be able to swap dogs for a period on a walk and work on this.

I know this sounds petty but I am just disheartened and want to implement methods so that we can work on all this over time.  
Thanks for reading I just wanted to share and get some advice and views...

Oh that's awful it does make you upset, cant give much advice but going on my experience with puppy classes I also felt a little segregated. Funny thing was Vinnie was the most trained and well behaved there! Hope it goes better next time:D

Trainer sounds like they are talking out to their * so don't worry . Nothing at all wrong in having a tight bond with your dog , they are our babies after all. Though I think your idea about swapping dogs etc is a great idea as you do need to think about what ifs , eg you are poorly and can't get out but he won't walk with someone else

Yet again another reason i can't stand puppy classes and dog trainers in general

Sounds to me like she's trying to create a problem where there isn't one, don't let her get to you

I hate it when trainers think they can just walk up & take your dog away from you! The poor dog must wonder what the hell's going on!

Dempsey loves tunnels - when I took him to training classes to get him used to being in a room full of dogs (we were going to show him) the trainer got some agility equipment out. Dempsey loved it & was happy for the trainer to hold him while I went to the other side of the tunnel to call him. BUT. He didn't lead him away, he just held on to his lead. I doubt that he'd put up with it at all, now!

What are your trainer's qualifications? I'm not running them down, just interested.

Tbh, I'd go with your gut. You know your dog. Most dogs don't like being pulled away from their owners by a stranger, and I doubt it was a growl. If it wasn't loud enough for you to hear, it was more likely just a huff or a grumble - normal noises for a dog.

It sounds to me like the trainer just doesn't have a clue, but by all means, if you feel that he'd benefit from some walk-swapping like you mentioned, go for it. Make sure it's very gradual, as you wouldn't want to scare him. But I wouldn't worry if I were you - dogs don't need to be happy about wandering off with a stranger!

Hmmm she should not be saying he growled if he didn't, it not fair
I can understand your worry about his nervousness and it's certainly something you can work on, did the trainer not recommend anything?
I would definitely say, try spending more time around other people with Otis, allowing time to try to distance yourself from him to build his confidence with other people, just one step at a time so he doesn't get distressed, walks with your friend sounds like a good idea to me too
Try not to be too upset, we all have our issues to get around xx

It sounds like she's talking out of her a*** of course you have a close bond he's your baby, the idea of walking with a friend is great though and will give him a Friend too

I also don't understand what she means by saying 'head shy'.

A head shy dog is one that shies away when you put your hand towards its head - ie one that has been beaten/hit and expects any hand near its head to hit again!

I'd question whether you ought to be looking for another trainer.

I was just upset that she thought that he growled as he has never growled in such a way all the time we have had him apart from in play... She is a lovely lady and we have found her to be very friendly and helpful.

The reason she says head shy is due to when she took him by the collar for a recall which I posted about, he wasn't happy and it unnerved him and also tonight when he scarpered off when she took his lead and tried to guide him through the tunnel. But as Caryll said head shy sounds to be the wrong term for him.

I agree that perhaps the fact he doesn't like strangers may not be a bad thing but I would like him to be calm. Think I may have made a mountain out of a molehill but I just want to ensure that we get over these little hiccups.

Don't let her upset you, can't stand "experts"

This is exactly why I hate puppy classes! Just shake it off! There is nothing wrong with you and your dog having a close bond! Gwen likes all people but she clearly favors me and my OH. I think if someone took her off us quickly like that she would also get a little scared..especially if she saw we weren't expecting it either!

Sorry to hear you had a bad experience at your class  If Otis is nervous and uncomfortable going with people he doesn't know then she shouldn't have tried to take him from you, and yes been head shy and not liking to be held by the collar are two different things - a lot of dogs don't like to be held or restrained by the collar, especially if they are a bit nervous and it's someone they don't know.
Did the trainer do any groundwork in the class on getting dogs to be comfortable being held/restrained by the collar? But again if he is nervous then she shouldn't have tried to do this with him in the first place. If he's worried by strangers then let him take things at his own pace and dictate what he's comfortable with, if he wants to approach someone, great, let him do it and reward him heavily for it. Or get the person to drop food for him if he approaches them. Maybe you could ask the other people in the class to toss some treats to Otis whenever they pass by.  Forcing a dog to interact with something or someone he's unsure about won't help them get over their fear and your trainer should have known this.

Don't be disheartened by the comments their word is not law and they can be wrong.. you and your dog are doing the best you can. He will continue to grow and develop so things will change. Just think of it as the older he gets the more confident he will become.. it's like leaving a baby at nursery, of course he will fret until he develops more. He sounds a little star to me..

otisthestafford wrote:I was just upset that she thought that he growled as he has never growled in such a way all the time we have had him apart from in play... She is a lovely lady and we have found her to be very friendly and helpful.

To be honest, it doesn't matter how lovely, friendly & helpful she is. She's not working with your dog, she's just trying to force him into something he isn't comfortable with. That's why I asked about her qualifications, because she sounds like she's using rather out of date training methods which are not suiting Otis!

otisthestafford wrote:
The reason she says head shy is due to when she took him by the collar for a recall which I posted about, he wasn't happy and it unnerved him and also tonight when he scarpered off when she took his lead and tried to guide him through the tunnel. But as Caryll said head shy sounds to be the wrong term for him.

He is not head shy, he's wary of strangers grabbing his collar/lead & that, with the amount of dog thefts that happen every day, is not a bad thing! He is your dog, and she shouldn't be expecting him to be comfortable with somebody else grabbing/holding him!

otisthestafford wrote:I agree that perhaps the fact he doesn't like strangers may not be a bad thing but I would like him to be calm. Think I may have made a mountain out of a molehill but I just want to ensure that we get over these little hiccups.

He's 11 months old, and I'm sorry, but this trainer is on the way to making him a nervous wreck!

I would certainly question her qualifications, and I would also advise you to either look around for another training class or buy a book and do it yourself.

Sounds like they may have got you confused with someone else at the class. Have a go at going with you friend on a walk and change over dogs to see how it works. I'm sure they were either confused or exaggerating.

Poor Otis! Probably just had a little freak out thinking someone else was taking him away from you! Rocky gets a bit of separation anxiety over me also. Im sure with a little practice of getting him used to other people he will be fine

The trainer should be teaching you how to train your dog not taking your dog from you for the purposes of demonstration. He's YOUR dog, YOU'RE his pack leader NOT her. At the very least she should have asked your permission to take your dog.

I think she is just making excuses for her own failings. If you lose confidence in the trainer change classes. You need to be sure the classes suit both you and your dog.

Luckily our classes are run by a Staffy person, for Staffies ( although other breeds are welcome ) so no prejudices and also great fun.