Whatever type of training you do, if like me your garden is not suitable, where do you manage to find to practice?

I will sometimes go to my local Park and try and find a quiet spot.  However, I always feel awkward and embarassed if people come by.  My dog is actually very good, but I tend to feel as though I am showing off or putting on a show.  I then find it difficult trying to concentrate on training.

Short of going to a Park at mid-night, do others face these same problems or feel self concious?

The thing is, training has to be done wherever it's likely to be needed. If a dog is only trained at a training class that's where it'll be obedient. It won't link the same command/action in a different place. So if you want your dog to recall in the park as well, then you have to train the recall in the park. If you want it to sit at the kerb, that's where you teach it, not only in your living room. Training should be done wherever you want your dog to obey.
:)

I dont mind doing obedience training in public (I use the local football field to practice stays, proper heelwork with corners and stuff like that) but show training in public can be a bit embarrassing :o

Supermarket car parks when the shops are shut or closing, local common land, racecourses basically anywhere its allowed

Anywhere I happen to be. ) Parks, tennis courts, woods, absolutely anywhere -and always at shows! I find that people are very good, I've often been told "I noticed you were training so I made sure my dog didn'''''t go up to you" for instance.

I use the Golf Club car park as a "ring" - it's all conveniently marked out - and if I'm up there early/late, I can use it with only the green staff to laugh at me!

Margot

I don't really mind being watched, so tend to do it mostly in the areas I walk, so quite a few different places, from field to forest :P

The worst bit is lugging poles etc around with me if I'm doing  a square.

Lindsay
x

I do some type of training in the house, tricks, sits, stays, find.  Sit stays in the house are quite good practice for disappearing out of sight into other rooms and testing the stays then.  I put her food in her bowl and she sits and waits for my 'ok' command before she eats it and I can leave the room and come back to do that with confidence. My garden is small and inadequate but can still do the same things as well as retrieve and 'finds' and when we go for walks it is one step on from in the house.  I don't much care what other people think but that's me.  Before I had a dog I used to be fascinated by people training in public and didn't think it was showing off but of people dedicated to their dogs so I suppose it's all down to personal perspective.  I have had dog owners remark how obedient my dog is (little do they know) or perhaps compared to their dogs she is, it's all down to perspective.  Don't worry about what other people think.          

hi there
we do most our training in the park, after a while you dont even notice other people looking at you as if you are crazy, also ringcraft classes
good luck and remember its for the good of your dog