We've been to quite a few group classes over the last year and a half.
George did his initial puppy school at a daycare I thought he might go to. I learned a lot. The confidence-building and boundary games were particularly useful for us.
But it was quite short (4 weeks) and George didn't really warm to it until the 4th week. He just stuck to me like glue.
So we did another puppy school at another daycare on the potential list. This was also good with more of a focus on basic training skills (sit, down etc). Although George was old enough for the older puppy class, they advised we could go to the baby puppy class unless George was particularly confident. Which he was not!
He was timid at the beginning. He was using a travel crate in the car at that stage and that was his safe space so I brought it in to the class. He kept retreating to it if it got too much.
The trainers were excellent and never pushed it with him. They explained that just being in the environment and at a distance he is comfortable with is socialisation.
I felt like we both got a lot out of the classes. So when an opportunity came up to do the more advanced class, we took the opportunity. George was more confident in these classes and was mostly indifferent to the other dogs. He was such a foodie, he just sniffed around the room vacuuming up the spare treats. He loved people at that stage.
We also went to a Halloween training party (again George was indifferent to the dogs, liked the people, and LOVED the food).
The trainer invited us to a beginner's agility class which we went along to. George had started to become reactive to dogs in some situations at that stage, but not often. I mentioned this in advance and they helped to set up a screen we could use to block the visuals if needed. George didn't actually need it in the end and enjoyed the agility exercises although he was nervous of the tunnel.
George's reactivity worsened in the coming months. I didn't quite realise how bad it was initially and put it down to teenage behaviour.
So when a teenage dog class came up at his Monday daycare, we took the opportunity. It was a bit of a disaster. George really struggled. He was constantly over-threshold, barking and lunging at the other dogs despite there being quite a lot of space.
I was close to tears in the classes and started to dread going. I probably should have nipped it in the bud but I was still learning useful things in the sessions (at least when I got home and could read through the materials).
By the last class, the trainers had set up screens to block George's view of the other dogs and he did better. It was still exhausting though.
I realised George's reactivity was more serious than I had thought.
Overall, classes were very helpful for us in building up George's confidence and teaching him indifference around dogs and people, as well as receiving a huge amount of training information which we could apply at home.
But once we got to the stage where George's reactivity had progressed, it was no longer a safe space for him and we perhaps should have given up earlier.
At the moment, I can't imagine a situation where a group class would be suitable for George but I'm not ruling it out forever.