[PeggyTheParti]

Welcome!

Hard to say without seeing him or knowing more about his life experiences, but it sounds to me like he’s anxious. Is your trainer CPDT certified or similar? They should be helping you to assess his emotional state and adapt the lessons/learning environment accordingly.

Same is true if he’s just over-excited or over-stimulated. Your trainer should be helping you to keep him under threshold so he can listen to you and learn. This can mean putting up physical barriers or even having you work at a distance from the rest of the class.

If he’s not stressed and simply enjoying watching all the action, that’s okay in moderation, but then your trainer should be helping you to be the most exciting thing in the room.

All of these scenarios would require you to practice at home and in other locations, ideally with “homework” that’s tailored to where you and your pup are at.

 

[PeggyTheParti]

The instructor said she would help me, but did not.

This is the part that concerns me. Our trainer’s certification demonstrates to me her commitment to her students and her commitment to continuing education, and seeking those trainers in your community can be a good way to narrow down your options.

Of course, this is assuming this is an ongoing issue and not just a single class where you were struggling with your pup and struggling to get help. You did say “dog classes” plural. If I had multiple classes where I couldn’t get help from the instructor, I’d be considering a move.