Good and Bad Things About Your Dog

[chene]

I was inspired from a few recent threads to thinking that when things are rough, it's hard to remember all the great things that your dog is doing, and how when you meet a perfect dog, it's hard to picture the little terror that they might be sometimes (and vice versa when you meet a crazy dog).

So...for everyone's sakes, tell me about the problems your dogs have, and then tell me about the things that your dogs do amazingly. In that order. I think it'll be nice to see that even amazing trainers have dogs with problems and even us beginners sometimes manage to do something right!

 

Of course plenty or all of the things Aed does wrong are training errors, but that doesn't make them any less disheartening.

 

Problems with Aed: Potty training is still not done, he resource guards food and toys, he nips when he gets really excited, he jumps up once before he remembers himself, he has a short attention span for people, and he often doesn't care for food unless there's something yummy on it.

 

Things Aed is good at: He can be left alone in a house without destroying anything, he has fantastic impulse control, he is friendly towards everyone, he isn't scared of anything, he likes to cuddle, and he never goes out of sight off-leash (or when he does he checks back often).

 

 

[CptJack]

Problems with Molly: She is leash reactive as heck with other dogs and (almost only on leash) is pretty fearful of strangers.

What she's good at? She's off leash reliable, her recall is stunning, she's got beautiful house manners, she plays appropriately and well (and enthusiastically) but has no problems turning off and napping on the couch when play time is done. She loves to be with me and work with me. She will play in any environment ever. She's got a lot of fun pet tricks and basic obedience skills.

 

And the rest aren't border collies, but.

Bug's problem: She's pretty much really good at turning her back so you can't tell her what to do (she's deaf), and definitely wants to do what she wants to do when she wants to do it.

 

Bug's awesome at: She's the most temperamentally stable dog I have ever seen. She's 8 but she's got a ton of energy and play drive, loves everyone and every thing, and is the best snuggle butt for sleeping with in the world.

 

Jack's problem: He hates training. Hates it. Does not enjoy learning at all, and even if he did he's about as bright as a box of rocks.

 

Jack is awesome at: Everything he knows, he knows 200%. He will never blow a recall, he will never ignore a command, he will never break a stay. He is completely solid temperament wise, and really my ideal in being tolerant and non-fearful but not effusive. He's also a very sweet, gentle guy unless you're a rodent and in that case it is on (which is also awesome; he's great at killing things).

 

Kylie's problem: She... is mildly shy and a little soft, I guess? We're working on building toy/play drive.

 

She's awesome at: literally everything else. She's a really, really, good dog. She never misbehaves, she learns anything you care to teach her, she will try anything you point her at.

Thud's problem: ...He's Thud? No, that's not a problem. He goes over the top with drive very easily. Otherwise he's just him. Oh, and his leash skills kind of suck sometimes, but that's related to over the top prey-drive response and is getting better.

Thud's awesome at: ...Being happy and being Thud? Making me work for everything I get from him? He's a really good dog and good at being a good dog, but he is not the most obedient, biddable, creature in the world. I can't call those problems. They're just part of his make-up. So I'm calling them part of the awesome. He's good at being what he is, with enthusiasm and heart and determination and total commitment.

[Gideon's girl]

Gideon is sound reactive and he thinks every sound means bite Micah. He's a little soft and I wish he had a little more confidence, but other than that, he's perfect in every way. He listens really well and almost always understands what I'm asking. He's willing to try anything. And he's just a great companion.

 

Micah has food allergies that seem to take over my life some days. I wish he was just a little bit more sensitive to me. But he's a very strong worker. He just suddenly overcame his fear of the dog walk and now he gives 110% there too. He has recently started picking up on following my directions even though I'm always telling him things he wasn't trained for. And he's getting better at reading stock and working in a serious manner.

[GoodbyeHalcyonDays]

It's just a case of "grass is always greener." Whenever I meet someone new, people are always commenting on how well behaved Caleb is, but they don't know all the baggage that comes with him, and in turn, although I comment about how outgoing/smart/playful their dog is, I don't know what goes on behind closed doors either.

 

Con #1: He's extremely sensitive and needs to be treated gently or else he'll shut down.

Pro: It teaches me to be calm when I normally would be upset. This translates to people very well.

 

Con #2: He won't play with other dogs 95% of the time, and will just sit next to me in the dog park the entire time.

Pro: I don't rely on other dogs to exercise my own like so many people. I grab a frisbee, ball, or flirt pole, and I'm good to go.

 

Con #3: He won't really "try" new things unless I use a clicker to show him that it's totally okay for him to do it. In turn, we end up repeating a lot of our everyday routine.

Pro: He isn't destructive, and I enjoy routines.

 

Con #4: He refuses to bring the ball to me unless we're totally alone in the park, and will opt to bring it to others, or just lie down.

Pro: He's friendly.

 

 

All of these problems stem from him being sensitive, needy, and not having too much self confidence. I'm sure if he gained more confidence, these problems would be gone, but then I might be faced with other problems. That doesn't mean I don't try to help him with it, but that's just who he is.

[ourwully]

When Juno gets excited she forgets everything she has learned. She loves meeting people and other dogs and that's when she gets really excited. The end result is she jumps on people if she is off leash if I don't get to her first. Her attention span at these times seems to disappear. I am working daily with her to make improvements here.

 

On a positive note she is friendly and loves to play with everyone. Off leash, her recall is getting better daily, she always keeps me in sight and doesn't go too far from me so I am able to get her before she jumps on anyone. On a really positive note she rushes to her crate/house when called and sleeps for hours if needed, and sleeps all through the night. And the best thing is she is always around making everything better!

 

Bill

[kcooper]

Bowie. *insert long sigh here* He's a work in progress. He's not quite 1 1/2. Patience is a virtue is all I can say.

 

The bad:

 

Shoes. He is a certified shoe theif. Naturally only when were not home to catch him. Well, to be completely honest, he has an obsession with fabric in general. Dish towels and bath mats also fall into this list. I can't tell you how many dish towels we've gone through. When we're home. It's a non issue. Only when we're out does he hoard these items. Uggs for some reason are his personal favourite. We now hide these items away when we leave. We've tried to put an end to it in a variety of ways. But Its still a major road block.

 

Mouthing. Weve been working on this, well, since he arrived home. Trying to break it. He's not biting with any force whatsoever. We all know what mouthing is. But when he's over excited, he's mouthing your hand. And my brain freaks out. What if that hand belonged to a small child! They won't see the "play" in that. It'll scare the poor kiddies. Its a major work in progress. Ugh.

 

Off leash recall. It's a hit and miss. It's improving day by day. He's a good boy when his ears are open.

 

Lastly, when he's over excited. All bets are off. The ears shut off. His attention is on whatever he's infatuated with. Nothing else. It can be frustrating. Pet stores and the vets office are really the only places this occurs. But it can be embarassing as a pet owner. Your dog is attempting to drag you around, squealing like mad man. Again, a work in progress.

 

The good:

 

He's a very loving guy. He adores meeting new people and animals. Wouldn't hurt a fly. He's quick to learn new things. The commands he knows, are spot on.

 

I think as pet owners we could go on for days about all the good qualities. We love and adore our pets. It's pointing out the flaws that make us cringe a little. We get embarrassed. We dont want to be judged. Our pets training is our responsibility. Pointing out their flaws, you may as well be pointing at yourself. We all do our best here. But at the end of the day I'm sure we'd all much rather talk about how AWESOME our dogs are. Haha. That's my two cents I suppose. Great topic!

[Maralynn]

I've had 3 challenging dogs. I guess I never really looked as the challenges as bad behavior. It was just part of the package that was my dog.

 

Dog reactive, people reactive, cat obsessed, SQUIRREL!!, freight train pulling, "herdy" behavior.

 

Not exactly fun and rather frustrating at times but they're a high drive, sensitive, observant breed. It's part of the territory.

 

One person in my life would frequently refer to Kipp as "bad" because he was reactive to their dog. He wasn't "bad" he just needed his space. It drove me nuts because the focus on that one aspect caused them to miss the engaging, driven, goofy dog that I saw.

 

I kinda like the "bad" dogs actually because I've come to see that behavior as potential that needs to be channeled.

 

I've also both chuckled and burst with pride many a time when people say "wow, your dog is so GOOD. I want one like that"

 

Because my dogs weren't the poster animals for "perfect dog". They were just dogs that needed a job to do, rules to live by and a person to belong to. The "bad" behavior never fully went away. But it was mitigated and controlled through time and training. And honestly, it didn't really matter so much in light of their potential.

[Donald McCaig]

Dear Doggers,

 

It's about you and me: what's bad is what we don't care for, what's good is better than we expected.

 

I don't like a dog that won't bring the sheep. I can live with most of them or sloppy.

I don't like a dog that can be buffaloed by a stroppy sheep. It's okay if the sheep drives him/her off, but the dog has to try again. I may like but cannot work with a dog who is too soft to take mild corrections.

 

I really, really like the dog that actively wants to work and learn with me and I train/bond to make that happen.

 

Manners: doesn't bite other dogs or humans unprovoked though warning snarks and growls are okay. Doesn't chase cars. Doesn't bark foolishly. Always comes when called from whatever distance and doggy fascination. Can be tied to a fence with a string leash for hours w/o complaint.Acts sensibly in brand new situations. I don't expect but appreciate: bulletproof around dopey adults and toddlers.

 

My working goal is a sheepdog that understands our work.

 

My manners goal is a dog I can take anywhere w/o drama or special precautions. Practically that means: hotels, offices,dog parks, parking lots, beaches, city streets, outdoor cafes, wilderness, airports, taxis, other people's stock farms, friends' back porches, friends' oriental carpets and vet offices. That said: I've had several otherwise good dogs I would never turn loose in a rowdy kindergarden and I wouldn't have taken any to a firing range.

 

Donald McCaig

[Smalahundur]

I think you did not really understand the question mister McCaig.

This is about what you like and dislike about your own dog(s). Not a description of your (and by that description probably everyone´s) hypothetical ideal workdog.

[mum24dog]

Short version, current dogs -

 

Hazel, 14 yo mongrel. In her prime she was fun, cheeky, enthusiastic, could be trusted with people and dogs except big dogs acting aggressively which she would deal with, but she was a hunter of cats, rabbits etc., she stopped the other dogs playing and ate Ross's poo.

 

Eddie, 12 yo terrier - The most affectionate dog you could wish to meet, obedient, go anywhere dog, but he barks, and barks, and parks, pees on furniture if he is worried and hates Cedar with a passion.

 

Cedar, 11 yo hound cross - Almost perfect except for his hatred of Eddie whom he could kill in defence, and violence scares him.

 

Kye, 9 yo BC - Gentle, loyal, willing to work but mentally unbalanced. Cannot be trusted with strange people petting him for too long or strange dogs, although he has got much better over the years. Wouldn't trust him with children in the circumstances. Hand shy and lacks self control. Left alone he's fine.

 

Risk, nearly 7 mo BC - Bombproof so far. Meets and greets dogs politely but not overly bothered about them. Fine with people, doesn't bark at people coming to the door or into the house. Quick to train if kept under threshold. Recall fine so far but lambing time will be a test. Will try and sort out his own problems before coming to me for help. Apart from nights 1 and 3 has always slept well at night. Doesn't chase joggers or traffic and isn't destructive (just a few nibbled corners of wall initially).

But he is very much work in progress. Barks and screams in frustration if he can't get at what he wants. House training rather hit and miss, sometimes good, sometimes he's still a pup and gets distracted. Can't be allowed in the garden off lead or he will find poo to eat. I'm hoping that will be less of an issue if his appetite reduces as he gets older. I've never had a dog so obsessed with food. Nips sometimes in excitement but I'm sure we'll get over that with training.

He has been bred to work and with that comes a certain hard headedness and determination. He isn't being bad, he's just what he is and needs to be moulded to fit in with our lives and to develop self control.

[Donald McCaig]

I think you did not really understand the question mister McCaig.

This is about what you like and dislike about your own dog(s). Not a description of your (and by that description probably everyone´s) hypothetical ideal workdog.

Dear Mr, Smalahundur,

 

Shepherds and trial handlers don't agree on the "ideal workdog".

 

Donald McCaig

[Smalahundur]

No, they probably don´t.

Then thanks for that off-topic lecture I guess. Very enlightening.

Do you fancy yourself to be a shepherd or a trial handler by the way?

[Root Beer]

Dean Dog

Problems:

Still noise phobic. Always will be. It's just something we live with. 95% of the time he lives a normal life. He spends about 5% of his life shut down because of thunder, and occasionally fireworks or gunshots.

What I Love:

Dean is fun loving, inquisitive, creative, and an adorable goof. Lately he has shown a new interest in Freestyle and we have connected in a way we never did in his entire life. Good things ahead for my now-oldest blue merle boy!

Tessa

Problems:

Honestly, there aren't many. Tessa has always been a pretty easy dog to live with. She is still a bit shy with people, but as long as people aren't intent on actually petting her, she is perfectly fine. With me she is little-miss-snuggle-bug. I honestly don't care all that much that she doesn't really warm up to anyone else.

Biggest problem with Tessa - she has never developed verbal skills. I have come to the point where I restrict our activity to venues where physical cues are allowed. I am still working some verbal stuff with her, but really just for fun, not because I think she is somehow going to become a highly verbal dog.

What I Love:

Tessa is my right hand girl and the best Agility partner I could ever hope for. We are having fun together. She is in her prime, she has come a long way, and we are just enjoying the heck out of our ride!

Bandit

Problems:

Well, I had said on another thread about the bathroom thing! Of course, he is 11 months old and so there is a lot that he and I are still working out together. I don't actually consider most of it "problematic" since these are the sorts of things we are supposed to be working on at his age.

Some impulse control work has been a challenge. The concept of "stay" has been slow in coming, but he is just finally now really starting to get it. But, again, I actually don't consider this a "problem" since we are on track to get there with it.

Bandit is still a little bit of a loudmouth - still screams his head off at times. But . . . this has improved 1000% and he screams very rarely now. Most of his vocalization is either excitement barking or just barking to hear himself bark. Compared to the amount of noise he used to make, he has come a very long way. He is still barkier than every dog I've ever owned put together, but it's not really a huge deal.

Thankfully, he is a quiet worker. When we train, he's not vocalizing. I'll take that!!

What I Love:

Bandit is such a happy boy. He just radiates joy most of the time. He isn't at all frantic or frenetic, but he has a strong presence and he just brings a sense of joy and life and hope to our household.

He seems to be everything I could possibly want in a performance partner and I am having way more fun with him than should probably be allowed!!!

I loved puppy Bandit. I struggled a little with early adolescent Bandit. But I am head over heels in love with young-dog Bandit!

[Shetlander]

I've had 3 challenging dogs. I guess I never really looked as the challenges as bad behavior. It was just part of the package that was my dog.

 

.....

 

Because my dogs weren't the poster animals for "perfect dog". They were just dogs that needed a job to do, rules to live by and a person to belong to. The "bad" behavior never fully went away. But it was mitigated and controlled through time and training. And honestly, it didn't really matter so much in light of their potential.

I love your attitude, Mara. Our dogs' behavior reflects not just our dogs' temperaments and abilities, but also our own temperaments and abilities as trainers and owners. For years, I assisted with beginners obedience and I found the vast majority of dogs are quite bright and easily trained if given clear, consistent communication.

 

Periodically, I wonder how my dogs would describe my own good and bad behaviors. I have many shortcomings. Yet everyday, they show patience, forgiving natures, and the unrelenting attitude that any time we are together is just the best.

[bcnewe2]

funny topic!

our worst issues are sound sensitivity,

and barkerMsBarkerson Dew just can't shut her trap. She isn't a barker at "things" she barks at life because it's either good or bad but she barks. It's actually a line trait!

Faye is nervous and if not watched diligently could nip (she's 3, it's never happened)

mick used to be dog aggressive but he's to old to give a rats patoot any more.

Those are the things I wish were different but not enough to train them.

 

I love them, faults and all. They just wouldn't be them without the bad and good.

I say that bout my dh all the time!

 

The good....we are a family! And they all work sheep.

[bcnewe2]

Darn double posting phone

sorry

[borasaurus]

The bad: Kieran is so food driven that sometimes he won't focus or listen when I'm trying to teach him something new. His recall is only 100% for the word "treat." He's very mouthy and he loves the sound of his own voice (lots of loud roo roo rooooo). He scratches like crazy when he isn't on a steroid - no diet changes, antihistamines, or special supplements have ever worked. But...

 

The good: he's always had fantastic manners (a passing dog trainer even remarked on it). He has great generalizing skills. He respects my things and won't take anything unless I give it to him. He understands what I'm trying to communicate even when I suck at it. Whenever I'm ready to go, so is he, but he's also content to lie around the house with me doing nothing.

[Beach BCs]

Texas: I joke that he's perfect, but he can be quite reactive in a few situations. Like my husband leaving the room...Tex just takes off running and barking. He can be a bit needy, overwhelmingly so at times. And the odd fear of office supplies can be annoying. But this is a dog I can take absolutely anywhere with zero issues. He's very well behaved, is just social enough when meeting new people, and he's taught me so much. Doing things with him has brought me out of my usual comfort zone. I love him to pieces. (Okay, the neediness is probably my doing.)

 

Georgia: This dog has my number. I would swear she does things to purposely annoy me. I call her to me and she comes running...until those last ten steps. Those drag on for days. Usually when I'm running late. She can be pretty snarky with other females, but she seems to like Faith quite a bit. She's a wonderful dog to have with you when doing a chore or a task. She's happy to be near, but doesn't need to be entertained. A quiet but strong presence. She give the best snuggles.

 

Faith: There's a reason this one is so cute. It's called self preservation. While shy and bit but fearful in new situations, she's a stick of dynamite in familiar ones. Impulse control is a constant lesson and challenge. She can be destructive. Corrections are difficult because she shuts down quickly. She's a wonderful traveler. She has a better understanding of how the house works than my other two. She's has THE BEST recall! And in everything we do she tries so very hard to do what I'm asking. She's the dog I never intended to get...but can't imagine life and home without her. It's going to be a wild ride.

[alligande]

The Bad:

horrible leash walking skills, as a youngster I vowed I would finally have a dog who was good on a leash and he was for awhile then it all went to hell when we started walking with Brody who had his own style ... And like Rievaulx I just want to get to the fun part of the walk so I have spent no time trying to solve the problem as there are so many more fun things in the world to learn. In a busy environment he sticks with me so the problem is masked ( see below)

 

Lack of confidence, which meant we have been through all sorts of random fear periods, now at 5 he seems to have decided that as long as we are together he can fake being brave.

 

Non-cuddly, likes his own space

 

The Good:

He is just a great dog who has travelled with us from the States to Europe, let small French children stick their hands in his mouth, walked very close to big rumbling trucks on ferries, suffered through horrendous Jazz at dinner in Italy, lived in a small 6th floor walk up apartment in a busy city and been attacked by small dogs from England to Spain and has usually maintained his sense of humour. He is my companion, agility partner, we just make a good team. Yes I adore my dog and am very proud of what we have done together.

[StephaaRas]

The bad:

-Gets too excited when on a walk in public, practically chokes herself trying to get to people. She definitely needs practice with that.
-She wants to play NONSTOP, she will constantly try to bring you a toy.

-Her recall is pretty hit and miss, but it's been improving a lot the past few days.

 

The good:

-It took me only one day to potty train her. She had one accident in the house, and after I corrected her for it she never had an accident again.

-She is a very fast learner, I managed to teach her many tricks at just 8 weeks old.

-She is great off leash, she learns boundaries very quickly.

-When a bunch of people aren't around she's also very good on leash.

-Very good in the car, and loves car rides.

-She sleeps through the night with me, and makes a good cuddle partner.

-Good with all my other animals.

-She is a very happy girl, and she makes a wonderful companion. I'm more than happy to deal with so few faults to have her as a part of my family!

[teresaserrano]

The bad: at 18 months tomorrow, she's a teenager. Leash skills, recall, etc, although not bad, have plenty of room for improvement.

 

The good: she's awsome. I mean, she's absolutely awsome. Everything I wanted in a dog and more. Confident, curious, very focused on working with me, each and every new thing we try she loves. Smartest dog I ever had, learns quickly and with joy. A fun happy social dog. Just awsome.

[aschlemm]

Logan:

The bad- he barks!!!!! Not to live with really but in the obedience ring!!!! I've worked and worked and worked on it and it has really improved but he'll still bark on the directed jumping. Logan is very much like a two year old child. You have to be on guard for his safety at all times. He lacks common sense. He would charge off a cliff, he'll go swimming on the coldest day of the year, in the summer he'd work until he had heat stroke. He chases leaves, snow, brooms, snow shovels, mops, vacuums, birds. He goes crazy over steps! He twirls up and down them at a high rate of speed, barking the whole time!

The good- he is 100% reliable off leash, has an awesomely scarey recall, it's so fast your life flashes before your eyes in fear of being ran over! No prey drive to speak of. If a herd of deer run past him, he'll twirl and bark but that is it. He is very good with small dogs/ puppies that are timid. He will lay down to be less scarey to them, even lay on his side to be lower than they are. He is fun to show. Always tries really hard, doesn't always "get" things but tries. He loves learning anything. Gets a little too excited sometimes but keeps trying until he understands.

Ziva- the bad. Urinary problems. Not her fault. If she has an accident, she has a problem. I just need to figure it out. She is not the best obedience dog but not too bad really. She likes constant positive feedback. Off leash she isn't going anywhere without me but her recall can be pokey "I'm coming, just let me finish sniffing this." She is a bit tricky with prey drive. If you yell "NO, LEAVE IT!" before she takes off you're good but once she takes off, she'll do a brief run, then circle back. We're working on that.

The good- she is the cuddliest dog ever!!!! Loves to jump into people's laps for a belly rub. She is really good at Rally obedience. Loves the positive feedback in the ring. She is good at agility also. Loves to learn new things. Ziva is extremely clever and a problem solver.

Both dogs are great hiking companions. They couldn't care less about other dogs or their people. They are also great watchdogs. I live alone and nothing happens outside my place that they don't let me know about. But they aren't ignorant about it. If they bark, there is an issue. They know what is normal and o.k. and what is not.

If Logan and Ziva could talk: Hhhmmmm. Logan-"Well, the bad: Our person: she's grumpy when she first wakes up." Ziva "Yeah, doesn't matter if she sleeps eight hours, four hours or catnaps, she's still grumpy, don't poke her with a toy until she gets up and going!" Logan "she's grumpy when she is sick too, don't poke her with a toy then either, she won't like it." Ziva "she won't always share what she's eating, sometimes it smells great!" Logan "Yeah, but she says it isn't good for us, especially you with your urinary issues."

Logan "The good things about our person: She loves to go for walks, even if the weather is bad and noone else is out. She'll give us off leash time to run and play whenever it is safe for us." Ziva "she takes us places in the car and points out things that I like to look at (chickens, cows, horses, motorcycles.)" Logan "she's willing to play and act silly with us, throwing leaves in the air for me to jump at." Ziva "She said that if I needed surgery for my urinary problem she'd eat something called Ramen noodles for months to be able to afford it, but it would get done if I needed it." Logan "Yes, she'd do anything for us, to keep us happy and healthy." Ziva "As we would for her!"

[ourwully]

I have already posted on this thread but I would just like to say that I have enjoyed following it. It is not that I enjoy hearing about other people's problems but it has helped me to realize that I am not the only one struggling at times, and it has also helped me to see how good she is most of the time. It is also clear that living with a Border Collie is a journey, not a destination.

 

Thanks

Bill

[B Point]

With Tio..

 

The Bad-- a serious case of Myelitis last year that he probably never will completely recover from.

 

The Good-- He's alive. Really, really awesome dog and my little Cruiser (truck) co-pilot.

 

With Juno..

 

He's just a wee pup so the good and bad are a spastic whirlwind messy mix of barking, crying, pooping and biting with a healthy splash of adorable in there, too.

[MrSnappy]

The Italian Greyhounds ... CON - they are Italian Greyhounds. And assholes.

 

RDM