Crazy Lady & Her GSD @ Class

Wasn't sure where to post this, so please move if necessary.

Our first day of Advanced Class, we had to take at test to make sure we knew the basics to be able to move on. While we were waiting for our turn, a lady (with a broken arm) and her GSD are sittin on the bench and just about every dog that walked by, her GSD would bark, lunge and freak out. This lady is one of those ladies that you look at and can just tell is a rotten old witch - snarl on her face, so no wonder her dog has issues. My biggest problem was how she corrected this dog - she's on a prong and everytime the dog didn't do what she asked, she would jerk that leash Cesar Milan style, and several times as well as yelling at the dog and constantly saying "sit! sit! I SAID TO SIT!" and "NO YOU STOP IT! I SAID STOP IT!"

Since then, I've been a lil leary of this lady and her dog, so we always stay away from her. Grady does enough tryin to get all the other dogs to play, I don't need him trying to entice her before class and have him get snapped at....or have this lady jerk her dog til it's neck breaks. But now it seems this dog just has "moments" where most of the time she's interested in other dogs, trying to get them to play and sniff, it seems to react after she's been correcting the dog for not doing what she told it to.

Today in class, we were working on our finishes. The instructor was going around to each dog, one at a time and watching everyone individually. The assistant was working with a couple of dogs that missed class last week, and nasty GSD lady was about 2 dogs away from me. While the instructor was on the other side of the ring, her GSD wasn't keeping focus on the nasty witch (can't say I blame her, I don't like looking at her either, lol), so the lady grabs the dog by the face after jerking on the prong collar several times (not the leash), yelling at her several times, "I SAID TO LOOK AT ME!!!" It seems that everytime she lashes out on this dog, it's while she thinks no one is looking, but today I noticed everyone, even in the ring next to us noticed what she was doing.

Then, as we went to walk around the ring, we passed by the ring next to us, and her GSD "got ugly" with the dogs in the other ring. The lady jerked and kept walking, but I don't even think our trainer noticed cuz she was talking to another student.

My dilema is whether or not to get involved. I HATE seeing this dog being "forced" to do anything, especially when it's obvious she just doesn't know what the witch wants. Nasty witch doesn't have a clue regarding training or rewards and I'm really not even sure how she made it into this class (I thought she failed the test). I'm not one for confrontation, so I won't say anything to her - altho I did kinda say summin last week when I walked by and she jerked on her dog for not doing anything. But I'm tempted to email the instructor and just maybe suggest she keeps an eye on this lady and her dog. If Grady doesn't do something, I don't jerk his collar several times, push him around and scream in his face - which is what she does and she wonders why she gets no results and is frustrated in class. I just fear that her agression towards this dog is part of the reason why she's lashing out at other dogs, and I REALLY don't like the way she's being treated. I think some in the class don't really think much of it....but the witch definitely got some looks from across the building today. I'm hoping I'm not alone in this being the WRONG way to train. I kinda blame our trainer for not noticing this either. Granted there are 12 dogs in our class and it's ALOT to focus on....but it's EVERY class this woman gets nasty then as a results her dog gets nasty....someone's gotta be pickin up on this....even instructors in other classes??

Should I email our trainer? Any nice, subtle ways to put it? I really don't want to come off as a witch, I certainly don't know everything.....but I know when someone is too frustrated to work their dog and is taking it out on them. I'm concerned for this GSD girl - and my heart for GSDs is making it more and more difficult to watch. The first dog I ever took to obedience classes was a GSD and even tho Jomer was a wild child and never wanted to do anything, we got "Most Improved Dog" out of all the classes and it wasn't from me jerking his collar and screaming in his face and pushing him around to get him to do what I wanted. Patience is not a virtue with this woman. And it's really bothering me in class.

Sorry so long, it just really bothered me today and I can't get it out of my head what may be going on at home, when there isn't 50 other people standing around watching.


Welcome, Guest. Please login or register. July 31, 2010, 11:51:45 AM