One thing you'd change....

[Clint]

...About your dog!

Just love our dog, Selena....She's part Lab and part Whippet, so she plays like a puppy (even tho she's 5) and she runs 100 mph. Great family dog, great watch dog, and on our off-leash walks, she is just constantly galloping along and hunting after whatever she sees.

We all love mans best friend, but what would be one thing you could change about your pooch if you could?

Mine would be the barking that Selena does for "odd" reasons. She never gets aggressive, but she will bark if any of our family members hug! Not sure if she gets "jealous", or if it's some herding instinct(?). She'll also bark if we are outside, and I begin talking to a neighbor or passerby...Kinda like, "hey! Give ME the attention!" So it's kinda annoying as she barks for a few minutes while I'm trying to talk, then she stops. Again, never aggressive, but loud!

So, what would you change about your dog?

 

[ENV]

I would have my imaginary dog turn into a real one!

I hope to get a dog within the next year or so. I love them.

 

[rdomfoto]

My guy is 15 next month and I change that fact and make him 5 again.

But that's not what you were asking...

He's a cross between a Chow Chow and a Border Collie. All the "fun" stuff (fetch, etc.), the border side of him kicks in and he learns to do tricks right away. Any dominance commands (sit, stay, heel, etc.) the chow side kicks and he basically gives a "fuck you" look. He *knows* what he is supposed to do it's just that he has no intention of doing them.

So, the one thing I'd change is to have him a bit more receptive to obeying the dominance stuff.

But, again, now that he's almost 15, he does pretty much whatever he wants and I am cool with that.

 

[TonyRome]

Mine is a 7 yr old cockapoo. The one thing I would change is her attention whore syndrome lol. She wants constant attention and is a bully about it will literally force you to pet her. Drives me nuts sometimes

 

[mdwest]

Conan the Destroyer and could take lessons from my evil yard monsters..

In the past 18 months they have:

Eaten/shredded 3x grill covers
Chewed 6x fence posts
Chewed down 2x pear trees (no shit chewed them down to the ground.. like beavers.. sawed all the way through the tree..)
Pulled my 72" long, 75 lb grill about 30 yards down a hill..
Ate (as in completely consumed.. thorns and all) a raspberry bush
Ate (as in completely consumed) 2x blackberry bushes
dug the back yard so badly that I had to replace the entire yard this past summer (6x palates of sod)
ran the fences so bad that they made a 2' wide path all the way around the yard.. had to install a $4000 rock garden hardscape to fix that)..
ate 4 or 5 other bushes and plants in the landscaping...
ate an entire garden... which forced me to put in a 4' fence around the garden area.. which they promptly chewed the gate and fence posts on...
chewed apart (as in completely fell apart.. non-repairable) a $300 cedar dog house....)
chewed up an "indestructible" (yeah.. right..) Igloo dog house to the point they couldnt live in it any more..
chewed up 2x wooden floors in the metal cage dog house I built for them (after a cedar house and an igloo.. I went with steel...)..
ripped apart 2x plastic swimming pools they like to lay in...

and Im sure there are another 1000 things I have forgotten about over the past year or so...

so... I think maybe I would change the destructive behavior?

 

[ChefBoyRG54]

...about my dog rockets?

 

[Agentskull]

If she would just stop eating cat litter

 

[SailorAg]

Don't have a dog of my own. I hope to someday, but it'll likely be a few years before I live a lifestyle where I can properly care for one.

Therefore, I'll use my parents' dogs, whom I love dearly. Ricky and Lucy are Jack Russell Terriers. Ricky is extremely friendly and probably smarter than Lucy. But he can be such a wimp. When it starts thundering and lightning outside, he hides. When my dad and I start cussing at the football game, he hides. When watching a war movie and bombs explode, he hides. Though he's a great hunter, he catches a rabbit at least once or twice a month in the yard. Lucy is the most loyal dog ever. If you're sick or just feeling down, she'll be right there by your side until you tell her to scram. But, she can be a bit of a bitch. Barks nonstop when visitors come over, barks outside and anything that moves. It gets annoying. Plus, she has a passive aggressive streak where she won't obey a command until she's sure she really wants you to.

 

[JustinThyme]

Not a thing!
Murphy the Labrador acts better than most kids, hell most adults for that matter. His training began at 9 weeks old and he is a pleasure to be around. There are no bad dogs, only bad owners.

He is certified SAR(Search and Rescue) and therapy dog. AKC ACE award (Award for Canine Ecellence) for work with Rutgers University on the effects of therapy dogs and mentally ill patients. Also AKC canine good citizenship award.

Sometimes I put his vest on and we go take in a movie, Last one was Lincoln. He loves movie theater popcorn.

 

[Romulus Cogswell]

Merlin is a 7 year old cattle dog/corgi mix. He is obedient until the leash comes off and then he's a runner. I'd like for him to stay by my side when the leash is off and not chase cars, animals, and anything else that sets him off.

 

[mdwest]

There are no bad dogs, only bad owners.

sadly.. I cant agree with that statement...

I'd agree that MOST of the time when you are dealing with a bad dog.. its the result of an owner that either doesnt care for them properly, doesnt train them properly, has trained them to be bad, etc..etc...


but.. that is not always the case..

I have seen NUMEROUS situations where the owners arent at fault.. and the dog is bad...

Dogs, like people (and other animals) each have their own unique personalities, quirks, etc.. they have varying degrees of intelligence.. etc...

certain breeds are known for being higher energy, higher drive, higher intelligence (or lower), etc..etc.. but.. there are exceptions to every rule...

you might get a dog that you think is going to be low energy/low maintenance.. and end up with one that has extreme energy.. and is very difficult or even impossible to manage... you may select a breed that is known to be great around kids/family.. but end up with a dog that isnt tolerant of people at all...

this is why police departments (generally) have EXTENSIVE testing conducted on dogs prior to bringing them into service.. and why companies that breed/train working dogs start the testing process at such a young age (normally begin testing temperment, drive, etc.. as young as 8 weeks old)... some animals simply arent cut out for service... others arent suitable to even be pets... and police departments cant afford to take those sort of chances with the amount of time and money they have to invest in animals.. and the liability they hold putting these animals on the street.. whether its for protection or search work..

High drive is something that a lot of pet owners may not find desirable.. but is sought out by search and rescue units, police departments, etc... and can be managed by just about anyone whether the casual pet owner or veteran K9 handler with a bit of training and patience...

but poor temperament is not always "learned".. it is often a character trait.. and is not something that cant just be trained or loved away in some animals..

 

[dscl]

Okay I'm a big copy cat here…

My dog Merlin is a 1 year old Beagle & Catahoula Leopard mix. He's a great pup except for two things… His obsession with cat poop and that once he's off the leash he's a runner. My neighborhood is an extremely dog friendly place where all the dogs play together in the cul-de-sac. Merlin will play with them, but not return like the other dogs when called.

 

[mdwest]

Merlin will play with them, but not return like the other dogs when called.

have you tried "clicker" training with him?

that is the fastest (and easiest) way I've seen to get most dogs to respond to basic obedience commands like sit, stay, come, etc... (cheap too... you can get a clicker from petsmart for about $2)...

 

[dscl]

Merlin will play with them, but not return like the other dogs when called.

have you tried "clicker" training with him?

that is the fastest (and easiest) way I've seen to get most dogs to respond to basic obedience commands like sit, stay, come, etc... (cheap too... you can get a clicker from petsmart for about $2)...

I have not yet, but will look into it. I believe we were actually going to get one, but we weren't allowed to use it in puppy class so opted not to get it.

 

[mdwest]

both of my shepherds responded exceptionally well to it...

they are both EXTREME high energy.. one has super prey drive.. the other has super high play drive... neither has particularly high food drive...

its hard to keep their attention.. and getting them imprinted with even basic obedience was very difficult.. we spent about 6 weeks with them and could only marginally get them to sit, stay, and heal.. still had a lot of leash problems with them.. and couldnt get either of them to come when called hardly at all...

went to a buddy of mine that is the local dog genius.. who suggested we try the clicker.. he worked with them for a weekend.. and then turned them over to us....

obedience is a non-issue at this point....

I still have to watch them like a hawk.. if left unattended they'll try to steal my keys and take the car for a joy ride.. all that drive and energy makes for constant mischievous acts when not watched...

but... as long as youre present.. and telling them what you want from them (or dont want)... they are extremely obedient.. and very well behaved...

 

[Kingpin]

We have two dogs, a jack russel and a jack, pug mix and other than some shedding issues (comes with the territiory) and my female jack humping the male mix that drives my wife crazy (I thnk it's funny) I would not change a thing. I love it in the spring and the snow melts and I look at both neighbors yards and see mole hills everywhere that stop right at my fenceline and all I have to do is fill in a couple of small holes.

 

[TreySC]

besides the bad breath :grin: We have 2 dogs one is a beagle that we are pretty sure has some basset hound him as well. He's bigger than the other beagles we see. The other is w e think a dachshund jack russel mix we got her from some friends that have a farm. The little one really isn't a problem except she likes to copy the big one. He is a runner if he sees an opportunity to get out the front door he will take it then he picks up a scent and is all over the neighborhood.

 

[JustinThyme]

There are no bad dogs, only bad owners.

sadly.. I cant agree with that statement...

I'd agree that MOST of the time when you are dealing with a bad dog.. its the result of an owner that either doesnt care for them properly, doesnt train them properly, has trained them to be bad, etc..etc...


but.. that is not always the case..

I have seen NUMEROUS situations where the owners arent at fault.. and the dog is bad...

Dogs, like people (and other animals) each have their own unique personalities, quirks, etc.. they have varying degrees of intelligence.. etc...

certain breeds are known for being higher energy, higher drive, higher intelligence (or lower), etc..etc.. but.. there are exceptions to every rule...

you might get a dog that you think is going to be low energy/low maintenance.. and end up with one that has extreme energy.. and is very difficult or even impossible to manage... you may select a breed that is known to be great around kids/family.. but end up with a dog that isnt tolerant of people at all...

this is why police departments (generally) have EXTENSIVE testing conducted on dogs prior to bringing them into service.. and why companies that breed/train working dogs start the testing process at such a young age (normally begin testing temperment, drive, etc.. as young as 8 weeks old)... some animals simply arent cut out for service... others arent suitable to even be pets... and police departments cant afford to take those sort of chances with the amount of time and money they have to invest in animals.. and the liability they hold putting these animals on the street.. whether its for protection or search work..

High drive is something that a lot of pet owners may not find desirable.. but is sought out by search and rescue units, police departments, etc... and can be managed by just about anyone whether the casual pet owner or veteran K9 handler with a bit of training and patience...

but poor temperament is not always "learned".. it is often a character trait.. and is not something that cant just be trained or loved away in some animals..

Having a lot of experience in Training different dogs this is inaccurate. Yes, they are all different. Even dogs from the same litter. That doesn't change the fact that one of multiple things done or not done by the owner contributed to poor behavior of the dog, poor parenting has the same effect on kids. 99.9% of the time a bad dog is the result of lack of any training or people getting them and not having time for them. The other .01% is a dog that is difficult but still trainable. I've seen some doosies over the past 30 years that I've been training animals but every single one of them were able to be trained.

A lot of people make the mistake of choosing a family pup based on the first one that ran up to them. Bad decision, they just chose the alpha. As for which ones for which lifestyle it still comes back to bad owner for not doing their homework before choosing a pet.

There is of course but one exception to this rule. That is a dog who was used to fight or similar that is so tramatized it can never be kept as a pet, ever. This still goes right back to BAD OWNER!

 

[mdwest]

Ive spent a bit of time training K9's myself.. was initially trained as a K9 handler in Canada.. and then spent additional time in Austria going through formal training programs.. and spent a couple of years handling a dog professionally as a cop (dual certified dog in patrol and explosives detection).. all between 1999-2003...

In 2009 I had over 120 dogs working in 3 different countries outside the US... doing everything from mine detection to explosive search, narcotics search, and patrol.. with 3 country kennel masters.. and a global K9 program manager and more K9 handlers than I can remember that all reported up to my office... We also funded and built a kennel and training facility here in the US and outsourced dogs, handlers and teams to other companies as a business and kept close to 80 K9's for this purpose.. All of these dogs had to meet the standards of the UN, US Department of Defense, and US Department of State (our primary customers) to be deployable... to say the people that were hands on managing this operation were K9 subject matter experts would be a substantial understatement.. (not me.. I am not a K9 expert.. Im just a guy with some marginal experience... but I was ultimately responsible for all of these people and the success of these programs)..

Not one of the people listed above would have agreed with you...


Where we are in agreement is that MOST dogs can be trained.. and that MOST of the time an owner either doesnt know what they are doing.. or doesnt care.. but.. I would venture a guess that your 99.9% figure is made up and there is nothing scientific or factual to base it on.. If there is data to substantiate this I'd love to see it.. if its a made up, exaggerated figure.... then, it is valueless..

Whether or not a dog can be trained is not the same thing as to what extent a dog can be trained (theyre all different).. and whether or not the dog has the right temperament or drive to take to the training being presented at an acceptable level... or that the trainer (whether formally or informally trained) has the capacity to actually get the dog to do what he wants him to do.. or bring an otherwise bad dog in line..

being able to get improvement out of a dog is not the same thing as being able to get a dog to have acceptable behavior... and not being able to get a dog to adhere to acceptable behavior doesnt make an owner bad..

while the vast majority of dogs can be trained to reach a simple goal as acceptable behavior.. there are some that simply can not... and all the good parenting (or training) in the world wont change that.. (also applies in children.. I can assure you there are plenty of bad people out there that had proper upbringing, training, and all the opportunity in the world presented to them as children.. but simply made the conscious decision not to be good people.. or have mental incapacity.. emotional disorders.. etc..)...

If in fact there are examples of good parenting that has an end result of bad children... are you saying the same can not (or is not) the same with dogs?

Do you really believe that 100% of the time when there is a bad person.. that its because there was a bad parent involved? there are no other factors potentially in play?

And that this further applies to dogs? that nothing else impacts or influences a dogs behavior other than training and the single exception you acknowledge (trauma).. that mental capacity, mental stability, drive, temperment, pains, discomfort, personality (or a multitude of other things) have no influence on a dogs behavior? and that every one of those factors is correctable through training, 100% of the time?

 

[Clint]

....it seems I should re-name this to "If you could change one thing about a dog owner, what would it be?"