What's Important To You?

[SkySoaringMagpie]

Some of the threads in General have prompted some questions in my mind - particularly the thread on destructive puppies - but I thought the questions might be better posed here.

What's important to you when you go to train a dog? I'm not talking about titles, but about what you want to achieve in the broadest behavioural sense when you start out with a new dog. And how you want to achieve it. I know it's a big question. I guess I'm asking "what is your training philosophy?"

When you give advice, how do you factor in what might be important to the person asking for advice if it differs from what would be important to you?

[Crest_Fallen]

I think the most important training to me is recalls - it is essential for the dog's safety.

Of course the underlying philosophy is that the dog understands that I am the 'leader'.

[The Spotted Devil]

Tough question to sum up in one post

If I look at the journey I've had with Zig over the past 2 years, probably the one thing that stands out has been finding out what motivates him (this has changed, waxed and waned with age) and then have him working with a bright confidence in me and himself. He's nothing like my old ACD who would just work and work until she dropped. He's smart, gets bored easily and I have to think and be one step ahead of him all the time. I have encouraged him since a puppy to be calm and well-behaved inside the house - ultimately I wanted a dog that could switch on/switch off and had moments of madness but was a pleasure to live with. A dog that I would want to take to training. Although we are not trialling yet, I think I can tick all those boxes (especially the madness ).

Zig has been a challenge, but that's what I wanted When I give advice to people, I try not to say DO this but rather this worked for ME and my dog, both of which are of a certain temperament. Some things work for some people and some things work for some dogs and, although often the theory is the same, the way it is expressed is different. Personally I'm not into 'leadership' but have no problem with others expressing it this way if it works for them. My big message is to be consistent and be persistent. Work out if what you are doing is truly rewarding or aversive. Timing is everything. Success promotes success.

One thing my ACD, Dolly, and Ziggy have in common......they are great dogs as long as you learn to "channel the madness"

[Cosmolo]

Tough question! Its important to me that my dogs are well adjusted and get to enjoy being dogs, that they are well behaved enough to be included in many of the things we do from the beach and long walks to coming to see friends and family. I want my dogs to enjoy their training and be respectful of the people in their life and ours. I want to use my dogs drive to their and my advantage rather than supressing it and teach them that their are times to go into drive and times when they should not!! I want my dogs to be part of the family- inside, included and important to us.

It can be difficult to separate my feelings on what i want for my dogs vs what others want when giving advice. Provided it is in the dogs best interest- i recognise that just because someone's relationship with their dog is different to mine that its okay and we work toward their goals- not mine!

[Kavik]

It is important to me that my dogs work happily and enthusiastically. The reason I haven't trialled Diesel yet is because while he works happily at home and at training, he will not work happily in a busy environment like a trial, and I don't want to trial him until he will (even if that means he never trials). At the moment I am trying a few things to see if I can get him more comfortable there.

I want to make use of their drives and find what motivates them and use that to my advantage and build a good relationship with them through this.

I understand that other people have different goals to me with their dogs and when asked try to give advice that will help them achieve their goals.

[Just Midol]

The only thing that is important to me is that my dogs listen to me with 100% accuracy, or in the case of the sibes, 99% will do.

Anything else, whatever.

[Guest Willow]

Tough question! Its important to me that my dogs are well adjusted and get to enjoy being dogs, that they are well behaved enough to be included in many of the things we do from the beach and long walks to coming to see friends and family. I want my dogs to enjoy their training and be respectful of the people in their life and ours. I want to use my dogs drive to their and my advantage rather than supressing it and teach them that their are times to go into drive and times when they should not!! I want my dogs to be part of the family- inside, included and important to us.

It can be difficult to separate my feelings on what i want for my dogs vs what others want when giving advice. Provided it is in the dogs best interest- i recognise that just because someone's relationship with their dog is different to mine that its okay and we work toward their goals- not mine!

Ditto.

Another thing that is important to me personally is that they get along with my other animals. I have free ranging rabbits & cats. My current family consists of 2 dogs (Stafford & SWF), 2 cats, and 4 rabbits, and I am incredibly proud of the way they ALL get along together. Having harmony in my house is very important to me. They don't have to love all cats, and I certainly don't expect them not to have any interest in cats they come across in the street, but they must get along with "family" cats.

We live in an area where there are a lot of kangaroos, so it's important to me that my dogs learn to listen to me and return to me regardless of whether they want to chase the roos or not.

I take my dogs nearly everywhere with me (including to work) so it's importnat to me that they can conduct themselves properly in public. Having a "take anywhere" dog is important to me.

My training philosophy is "do no harm". I won't use a method if I believe it has the potential to damage the relationship between dog & handler.

I am very lucky that I have "easy" compliant dogs. Perhaps with a different dog or a different circumstance, what is important to me may change.

[PAX]

To me it's motivation. if the owner has things the dog wants then training is easy.

So play with your puppy, get it addicted to games and play.

When boarding dogs, the dogs that like to play are so easy to care for and give exercise to. there are just so many advantages to playing with your dog.

Edited December 27, 2008 by PAX

[Kajtek]

Focus on me and my ability to read their "moods"

[RubyStar]

I agree with what cosmolo said. My dogs are my family, my life, so it just wouldn't work any other way for me

[Keshwar]

For me it's about training be fun for me and my dogs. When it stops being fun it's time to look at what is going on and change, so the fun is there again.

It took Faxon and I two years to get a CCD title but we had a lot of fun along the the way - as did a lot of people watching us.

There were a few times when I got too serious and stressed about the whole training and trialling thing. I took a break looked at what we were doing and came back trying different methods and both of us had fun again.

Bear.

[speedy2]

Some of the threads in General have prompted some questions in my mind - particularly the thread on destructive puppies - but I thought the questions might be better posed here.

What's important to you when you go to train a dog? I'm not talking about titles, but about what you want to achieve in the broadest behavioural sense when you start out with a new dog. And how you want to achieve it. I know it's a big question. I guess I'm asking "what is your training philosophy?"

When you give advice, how do you factor in what might be important to the person asking for advice if it differs from what would be important to you?

I'm presuming that safety and liveability are already achieved here.

Years ago I saw a comment from someone whose name escapes me, but who is/was one of the top obedience trainers in the US. She noted that she always had 2 goals in any training session, a short term goal and a long term goal. The short term goal might be tidying up a finish, or working on taking direction, or indicating articles or whatever. Her long term goal was always that the dog enjoyed what they were doing. If she was in danger of losing the long-term goal to the short-term goal, she backed off and finished the training session on something fun. Then went back to replan.

I liked that idea so much it has become my training philosophy.

Speedy2

[JulesP]

My aim is a happy dog. A happy, well adjusted animal is the most important thing to me. I don't have borders so I can do dog sports, I do dog sports because borders are my choice of dog. I have no desire to go sheep herding (actually think it is a bit mean on the sheep), but if that makes the dogs happy then I will go do it.

Doesn't mean I am soft on the dogs as IMO a happy dog knows its place and knows its boundaries. If they are starting to be feral a good bit TOT at dinner time usually restores harmony.

[SkySoaringMagpie]

I'm really appreciating all these thoughtful responses, thank-you!

JulesP - I liked this a lot: I don't have borders so I can do dog sports, I do dog sports because borders are my choice of dog

Willow wrote: My training philosophy is "do no harm". I won't use a method if I believe it has the potential to damage the relationship between dog & handler.

This is important to me too. Not quite the same but related:

A while back I read somewhere (can't recall where) that if you know a better way and you don't use it, you're putting the dog through unnecessary stress, confusion and/or aggravation. That really stuck with me, and ever since then I've tried not to be lazy about what I want from them (no yelling complete sentences at them from another room for example).

Ultimately I want a good relationship with my dog, and I feel I have a responsibility as my dogs' caretaker to make decisions that prioritise their well-being. If that means that things like awards and titles take longer, or don't happen at all, that's what it means. I see that reflected in a lot of the responses here too, which is nice!

[Luke W]

Wow - where do I start?

First of all, my dog is my best friend.

I want to have a deep connection with my dog. I understand we have different minds that work different ways. He can connect in his way, I can connect in mine.

I want him to enjoy being with me. I want him to be happy. I want to see the sparkle in his eyes and the wag of his tail

I want him to trust me and to listen to me. Never to cringe or duck his head.

To come eagerly when called. To check in with me when he's not called. To look back and make sure I'm still coming.

When his time is up - I'd like to be able to look back and think to myself..."Wow, what an amazing, excellent life he lead. The best."

OK, now for the training...Note: I'm not there yet.

These should all be heavily conditioned reponses. I'd like him to do these things because he can't help it - it makes him happy.

Recalls - always, immediately, happily, a conditioned response.

Immediate 100% focus whenever I call his name.

Food refusal. Never eat anything that isn't explicitly given. Actually, let's take that one step further - never take anything into his mouth that isn't explicitly given.

An off switch..."All done. Off ya go"

An on switch..."Play?"

A super solid stay.

Perfect lead walking.

Perfect off lead walking.

That's the general stuff that I can think off.

Of course I'd like to get Ob. Ch. and Ag. Ch.

Good thread, it's made me think about my general goals.

Edited December 28, 2008 by Luke W

[Reddii]

When I first started all I wanted was a dog that I could 'control' - I had a DA/FA dog that was an absolute nightmare. (Just about had him sorted behaviourally when we made a difficult decision to PTS because of genetic issues.) Over time I went from training with aversives to realising that if I made it fun every time I interacted with the dogs and made every thing we do some sort of training then I don't need 'control' - a relationship develops and the dogs do what I want them to not because I want them to, but because they want to do it. In essence I became the leader and they are happy to work with me, not because they are afraid of a correction - as my girl was when we first started out.

Simply - my training philosophy is to make it fun and the results will speak for themselves. This may be partly to do with the breed I have chosen to work with and partly because of their own personalities and I know that not all dogs can be trained this way, bit I've been lucky and this works for me at the moment. That said, there are some things that are non-negotiable, like recall and stay etc where the dogs are put back where they are meant to be, firmly, but not roughly. Whenever anything else goes wrong then it is simply something to laugh at and think about how I can do it better next time.

Interestingly I'm yet to see a video of an agility run where my dogs actually make a mistake!! LOL Dogs are a great leveller and it all needs to be kept in perspective.

I'm already planning my next dog (my current two are 2 and 2.5) and have a whole raft of things I want them to achieve. Even so if they are happy, healthy and I can take them out and have breakfast with them sitting at my feet then that's pretty much all I really can ask for. (Frisbee, Flyball, Agility and Obedience titles wouln't go astray either!)

[Just Midol]

I thought having fun was a given

If it's not fun for both my dog and I, then I won't do it.

[Reddii]

I thought having fun was a given

If it's not fun for both my dog and I, then I won't do it.

hmmmmm.........you would think so wouldn't you........

Sadly I've seen too many people (myself included) walk out of a ring (you name the sport) and almost ignore their dog because of a bad run or 'the dog made a mistake'. It has taken me a while to come to grips with the fact that regardless of what happens my dog has been a dog and I've failed in my endeavour. My dog has had fun even if it has knocked every bar on the course - s/he probably just can't understand why I'm not as happy as they are.

We all sometimes need to remember to celebrate our dogs having fun, not just our own successes they have brought about.

[Just Midol]

I thought having fun was a given

If it's not fun for both my dog and I, then I won't do it.

hmmmmm.........you would think so wouldn't you........

Sadly I've seen too many people (myself included) walk out of a ring (you name the sport) and almost ignore their dog because of a bad run or 'the dog made a mistake'. It has taken me a while to come to grips with the fact that regardless of what happens my dog has been a dog and I've failed in my endeavour. My dog has had fun even if it has knocked every bar on the course - s/he probably just can't understand why I'm not as happy as they are.

We all sometimes need to remember to celebrate our dogs having fun, not just our own successes they have brought about.

I do get cranky when Montu has a bad day on the tug, but it's always my fault. 100% of the time. At the time, I might not see why but when I relfect back I see what I did wrong.

I'm slowly learning to stop getting angry at him. (I never show my anger to him.)

[BJean]

Some of the threads in General have prompted some questions in my mind - particularly the thread on destructive puppies - but I thought the questions might be better posed here.

What's important to you when you go to train a dog? I'm not talking about titles, but about what you want to achieve in the broadest behavioural sense when you start out with a new dog. And how you want to achieve it. I know it's a big question. I guess I'm asking "what is your training philosophy?"

When you give advice, how do you factor in what might be important to the person asking for advice if it differs from what would be important to you?

'training' isn't something I think about all the time - by that I mean everyday management always happens and training is a part of that, but it is like feeding, careing -training is everything that I do with a dog.

my goal is to minimise conflict and learn.

also to educate others about dog differences.

it's not important to me for dogs to be offlead at beaches /parks - bcz they cannot be -

there are certain dogs that on maturity that is asking too much of them and the public.

BUT the dogs have plenty of space to free run around here, so offlead jaunts are not that important.

It's an achievement when I can take a dog out into a very public area and the dog doesn't react to other people and dogs. That we can go in a large park and enjoy the scenary -

that people can approach and the dog be okay -

or if not I read the body language early enough to avoid any problems.

I'm also learning that 'old advice' is generally right, wrt a dog and its mental development.

I learnt on the weekend that my resident doofas is not a doofas and his genes have just taken a little bit longer to kick in than his siblings/relatives. Sometimes I have to remember that. I can get au fait with something and forget how other people might react or get reacted to.

RE advice

when someone asks for breed advice, I tell them what the dogs can do. The good/bad and what this means for them in their situation. I give them examples of relatives and how they behave. I emphasise this is NORMAL for this type of dog, but do you want that type of dog / responsibility etc

Edited December 29, 2008 by lilli