25 replies to this topic

[Cody & Duchess]

My dogs are far from perfect. I do get comments about how well behaved or trained they are. My usual response is that I spend a lot of time with them and we come to an understanding. They understand what I require and I understand their concerns. We all belong to the mutual admiration club. This takes time and commitment though. I am always amazed by people who own dogs and their major interaction with them is bringing a food bowl out to them once a day. Then they cannot understand when the dogs don't do what they want. It is not because the dog is not intelligent or biddable, it is just that the dog has no connection to them. I also have a problem with the e collar training - 1) I think it is a type of a short cut 2) I think it should be temporary, but many times it is a life long crutch. 3) this form of training takes out the requirement of getting to an understanding so the dog isn't achieving your goal without a threat. I would rather take a longer path that gets the dog to wanting to do the instruction and me getting better at communicating what it is that I want. Well trained is an interesting concept - I think Cody is really well trained because he knows the command when we are out for a run " wait for me, I'm old". And he is well behaved because he doesn't sigh because he has to wait for me a lot.

[geonni banner]

...I think Cody is really well trained because he knows the command when we are out for a run " wait for me, I'm old". And he is well behaved because he doesn't sigh because he has to wait for me a lot.

This is great! I can so relate... But Cody is much more polite than Sugarfoot. My dog has learned the meaning of the phrase, "Hang on, I'm getting it/there as fast as I can." This entreaty is usually issued when I have been sitting too long working in Photoshop, or am having difficulty getting around for whatever reason. Her usual response is universal for the young. She sits down with an impatient thump, and heaves a sigh of disgust.

This is different from the command "Wait," which means 'pause in whatever you are doing and await instructions to resume.' She responds to this with none of her contempt for my bad knees, but rather as an interesting variation on whatever activity she is performing

[Chantal]

I bring my dog everywhere mainly. If he can't go inside he's in the car, and will happily be there for hours if I need him to be. When the family marvel at some of the things I've "taught" him and how good of a dog he is, they often ask me how I did it, and I just don't know how to reply. After thinking about it, this topic really hits me home, I just let my dog be, as one of you have put it (and I love the way you have), a "citizen of the world". It's great. I could never be a good instructor, because to me a class isn't good enough. I'd have to take dogs in because the only way I know how to train a dog well is just to be with the dog. I don't control there every movements, I don't crate them all the time, I just let them be with me and learn through simple interaction. It's to the point where I think of something new, and Jude just knows.

I exercise dogs for some spending cash on the side and when people email me about there dogs not being reliable off leash (dogs they have had for years mind you), I just kinda wonder how aren't they? And this isn't the reliable in the sense that they chase other dogs, or other things, those are issues I understand. This is the "it could take me hours to catch them if I let him off his leash" deal. Isn't your dog bonded enough to want to be with you? Don't you put any amount of trust in your dogs? I've had all sorts of breeds and they've ALL given the choice to run away or be with me, choose me.

I think too many people own dogs for the wrong reasons these days...

And like I never trained him to respond to "get off the bed", never praised him when he did. He just picked up that he needs to get off as soon as I say those words. I just expected it of him. He's allowed on the bed, but if I need him to get off so I can make it, what not, he's off. Same goes for the couch, if I want to sit where he is I say "off" no questions asked. Never trained him to it specifically. Mind you if it looks like I want to sit he's usually off before I say anything

Oh, Jude would certainly be well behaved (mostly ), sure I've trained him, but he learned more through living with me and his environment than formal stuff.

[bn_here_b4]

Tea said "If you want them to be good dogs they have to live with you."

I love this. So true.

[Dixie_Girl]

Because I don't work, (soon to change when DH retires in March )I am with my dogs practically 24/7. There is one word I use for a gazillion different things: Hey. It can be a greeting, it can mean "Hey, y'all wanna go outside?", or it can mean "Hey, don't you even think of doing that!". Seldom do I have to finish the sentence after Hey. They got the tone down pat! They are not trained in any manners so to speak. After greeting visitors, they are expected to go about their business. They do so. They don't go out the front door or any gates with out being told they can. The result is they just do the stuff expected of them. They have been left up to two days completely on their own. We have a doggy door. Upon returning home, not even the trash had been gotten into. I never went around the house, saying don't do this, don't do that. They know what is expected whether I am there or not. I don't consider my dogs trained (except Jackson on stock) but more that they have learned to live harmoniously with us.

[Demon Puppy]

Some things dogs learn are specific, push button type behaviors, and some are patterns. A lot of the "manners" are patterns of behavior. I think it takes longer and more exposures, usually for the dog to pick up the pattern and generalize it.

Sometimes, when a dog "just gets it," it needs to be made more difficult for it to actually stick. Otherwise, it's like dust in the wind the moment they see a butterfly, or whatever. It is just not enough to hold their attention. They fail when it's too easy, but succeed if it's more difficult.

Also, I agree with what Sue said above. People's brains are affected lack of stimulation. They actually shrink. If not sufficiently simulated, children don't develop language or social skills. I suspect this is true for dogs. Dogs exposed to an enriched, varied social environment develop better brains and more social intelligence than dogs that are left in a kennel, in my opinion. It's one of my frustrations with sport dog people who crate their dogs except when actively working. I think they make their dogs less than they can be.