First the good.  Boomer is doing very good!  My husband and I switch back and forth with who works with him during the class on any given week.  Yesterday was my husband's week, so I was observing.  I was such a proud mama!  The instructor also used Boomer as a demo dog once to show the rest of the class how to do something.  She also told us what a great dog he is.  Of course, we know that already.  :)  He seems to really like training, and he's really responsive.  He didn't do so well the first class I guess b/c of the excitement and distraction of other dogs around, but this time he was much better.

So I was feeling all good and happy until we had a problem.  Now first I'll say that the training class really frustrates my husband and I b/c some of the other people in the class just don't follow the rules.  We had an orientation before the class started.  The rules were given verablly, and we all received a manual which explained how the class would work.  So it's against the rules for spectators to walk around the room.  It's against the rules for people to walk their dogs around the room and allow them to greet other dogs and people.  If children are in the audience, they are suppsoed to remain quiet and sit still.  These rules are broken to varying degrees throughout the class.  So yesterday, there were 2 young children in the audience without an adult.  I guess the older one was between 6 and 8 and the younger one between 3 and 5.  Their mom was training a dog.  Well, the two of them walked by Boomer and my husband to get to the bathroom, which is in the next room over, and Boomer barked and growled at them.     It sounded so mean and snarly too.  I don't know how to feel about it.  On one hand I feel really awful that it happened and am embarrassed to face the mother.  On the other hand, I'm not happy that the kids were walking around the room by themselves b/c it states in the manual that they aren't supposed to be.  The mom, kids, and her dog left the class early, either b/c the kids were upset, the mom was mad that the instructor kind of called her out for not having another adult there, or b/c the class ran a bit late. 

There was another kid in the audience, sitting next to me with his grandfather, watching his grandmother train her dog.  I overheard the kid tell the instructor that the grandma's dog had bitten him twice.  Near the very end of the class, the grandmother came up to the grandson (yes, walking into the audience with ehr dog, past all the other dogs) and said "Stay away from that Doberman.  He doesn't like children."  Then another lady came up with her dog, and I guess tried to soften it a little, and said "It's not that he doesn't like children.  He's afraid of them."  I was sitting right there!  I don't know if the grandma didn't know I was with Boomer or purposely wanted to make me feel bad.  I really wanted to say, "Boomer has never bitten anyone, but your little yappy dog has bitten your grandson twice."  Not that I blame the dog.  The grandfather was letting the kid go up to the dog during the class, and he was annoying the dog, picking up her back legs, bothering her etc.

So what do you guys think?  Boomer has never barked or growled at a child before, but he is not around them often.  He has met my husband's friend's daughter and a couple kids at the dog park.  Then again those kids all had good dog manners.  I know it's not realistic to expect all kids to be like that.  In fact I know I'll have to make sure certain friends' kids understand that he's a different dog than Clyde, who didn't mind kids walking right up and petting him.

Thanks to anyone who read this far!  I just wish people would follow the rules.  They are there for a reason, and the reasons were explained to everyone.  Ugh.