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[Steve]

How do we get more people to ensure their dogs have basic good manners?

As a Mum of 8 kids nothing drives me nuts quicker than having to put up with other people's kids who have no basic discipline and poor manners and I'm no different with having to put up with other people's dogs who havent been given the basics to know how to behave without upsetting everyone around it .

the consequences for dogs over all when just a few owners are too thick to see that what their dogs does to be a pain for the community that this impacts on us all and determines how laws are changed and where we can take OUR animals and what we can do as dog owners.

Any Ideas on what we can do to make a difference ?

[Enigma]

it seems to go hand in hand, undisciplined kids undisciplined dogs.I have seen it sooo many times

[Esky the husky]

Make training appealing to people.

Make it seem fun, easy and rewarding.

If there is one thing that I notice time and time again it's people giving up because things are too hard.

You could have television advertisements/ spots whatever you want to call them. Showing you how to train sit in 30 seconds

A company like purina or pedigree or whoever could sponsor it.

[Steve]

Make training appealing to people.

Make it seem fun, easy and rewarding.

If there is one thing that I notice time and time again it's people giving up because things are too hard.

You could have television advertisements/ spots whatever you want to call them. Showing you how to train sit in 30 seconds

A company like purina or pedigree or whoever could sponsor it.

I like that and I too think it needs to be seen to be easy and rewarding .As a breeder i really want my puppies started before they leave here and for the new owners to start training the second the dog hits their front door.

Where do you think Trainers fit into this?

[Cosmolo]

Thats easy to say- but sometimes training is not fun or easy- especially once people have let their dog get completely out of control! I agree that people need to be shown how improvements can be gained but i think its counter productive to suggest that its easy- worthwhile yes, easy no. Give people the expectation of 'easy' and watch them quit in droves when it is a little harder and then say " i tried training and it didn't work"

Industry professionals need to have more knowledge about training. Vets and groomers for example, who see dogs regularly throughout their life are in the perfect position to gently suggest training options to people. But many don't for various reasons and so once puppy school (if that) is completed people and their dogs go on their merry way and never have anyone suggest to them that they do some ongoing training with their dog.

In some places training services are difficult to access but even where training options are plentiful, the lack of training issue remains.

[Jaxx'sBuddy]

the main training that pet owners think about is puppy preschool then maybe obedience.

i went to obedience but gave up because all we did was paddock pounding......i don't think i am alone in that putting people off

i think we need training for ownwers who want well behaved pets where the basics are taught and who don't want any more than that.

[Cosmolo]

I can't speak for other states but in Victoria there are MANY companion training options available, in a variety of locations.

So the question becomes- is the problem that people are not aware of them? Or that they are too expensive? Or that the dog owners do not have the inclination to use such services. I know MANY people whose only reason is the third so how do we create inclination to train and priority to train?

[Jaxx'sBuddy]

I can't speak for other states but in Victoria there are MANY companion training options available, in a variety of locations.

So the question becomes- is the problem that people are not aware of them? Or that they are too expensive? Or that the dog owners do not have the inclination to use such services. I know MANY people whose only reason is the third so how do we create inclination to train and priority to train?

to use myself as an example, i think there isn't enough information. i went to obedience for nearly a year so i was committed and jaxx passed but then it got boring (for her) and i didn't and still don't know of any other type of training in SA

[Crazy Daisy]

How do we get more people to ensure their dogs have basic good manners?

We need to teach people basic manners around dogs first.

When we got Archer, my Golden Retriever Puppy, I took him to my son's school to socialise him. The teacher was great, we sat outside the classroom on a bench and the children were told to quietly come outside and sit in front of me. They asked lots of questions and then their teacher asked them to form a line if they wanted to pat the puppy. Only two children didn't want to pat the fluff ball, but I was amazed how many of the kids didn't have any pets and were nervous about the right way to pat him.

At my daughter's kindy they had a lady from the RSPCA come out and talk to them about the right way to pat a dog and what to do if they see a dog they don't know. We need to educate people first on how to have good manners.

On another note I don't know how you get people to teach their dogs to have manners when a lot of people just see them as 'that pet in the yard'. Those of us who have indoor dogs and take our dogs to social events it seems only natural to have a well behaved dog but some dogs never see outside their fence line and only meet people coming to the house.

[Steve]

To be honest if they want to own a feral and they are O.K. with living with it that way I dont care - its the ones that bring them out in public where I have to put up with them that ticks me off. I also think it makes it more likely anyway they will just dump the dog because they wake up one day to the fact the dog is the boss.

[Bully]

Here in SA a dog must be registered by 3 months of age.

Cost per year to register $44

Discount for de-sexing $20

Discount for microchipping $ 4

Discount for training to level 3 $ 4

Total cost to register $16 for de-sexed, microchipped and "trained".

IMO the base cost of registration should be higher, but with a much higher discount (equivalent to de-sexing) for training to make it a much greater incentive than $4 Also think that Basic Obedience Certificate (level 5) should be required.

[whiskedaway]

I'm pretty sure it depends on area, Bully. In our area we get a $10 discount for a dog being trained. Our dog's registration is currently $25 (desexed and microchipped), but when she passes grade 3, it's $15.

[HugL]

Bully, not sure what suburb you are in but in TTG they only give $5 training discount and puppy preschool certificate is accepted. When I asked about this their reply "it's only $5".

Pretty poor considering they have a council based dog obedience program that runs every Wed night for most of the year and has been going over 25 years!!! Needless to say I am no longer an instructor there.

[Starkehre]

Here in SA a dog must be registered by 3 months of age.

Cost per year to register $44

Discount for de-sexing $20

Discount for microchipping $ 4

Discount for training to level 3 $ 4

Total cost to register $16 for de-sexed, microchipped and "trained".

IMO the base cost of registration should be higher, but with a much higher discount (equivalent to de-sexing) for training to make it a much greater incentive than $4 Also think that Basic Obedience Certificate (level 5) should be required.

Along these lines that Bully is suggesting, I feel the same, but would add that I think it would be a great idea for the councils to also offer more tiered discounts off reg if the dog has titles (perhaps a further discount for every title) either ANKC or otherwise.

I know that many pet people would not even know what a title on a dog is, but discounts for any training certificate or similar, anything to encourage people to do some training and even go that step further and get really involved in their dogs.

Yes, set the base council reg higher, then offer a miriad of discounts for all sorts of dog involved things that owners can get into.

Anything owners are proactively doing with their dogs has got to be on the way to the dog being more socially acceptable. and the more that owners are involved in their dogs the more likely they are to be responsible... we would hope.

[Crazy Daisy]

But people have to want to have a well mannered dog. I am amazed how many people don't have basic manners with other people, how do you get them to teach manners to their dog if they don't have any themselves?

I know many, many people whose dogs have never had any training and they couldn't care less. Maybe if being a member of your local dog club came with a huge incentive in discounts on registration they might be more inclined to do at least basic training with their pets.

[Cosmolo]

I am not okay with the 'feral' dogs that sit in their yards. Many are desparately unhappy and that bothers me alot even if it doesn't impact me.

Many people are oblivious to the fact that their dogs are poorly behaved as well.

There is also the issue with the councils that we then have to decide what is an acceptable certificate/ training school- some councils only accept Dogs Vic approved clubs, others only accept trainers affiliated with certain organisations or with certain qualifications. Should the discounts be allowed for any training? Or only certain trainers/ clubs etc? What about those who do private training and don't get a certificate as such?

[Steve]

I have to be honest here. I have never considered doing any form of formal training with my dogs and until very recently the idea of using a trainer was something I had never ever considered.

I dont think thats anything to do with money its just not something that Ive ever been exposed to and running around with a bunch of other people training their dogs just doesn't really do much for me.

I thought you only went to training if you wanted to go way further than I would ever want to or if you had a real problem you needed help with.

[Erny]

I thought you only went to training if you wanted to go way further than I would ever want to or if you had a real problem you needed help with.

That's pretty much how I grew up thinking. In fact, when I was a kid, no-one even thought about training schools. .... don't know if they even existed back then, lol.

But things have changed now Steve. Quite often, taking dogs to training is the only access some dogs have to being around the distraction of other dogs where people can learn to teach them that "good behaviour is wanted here too". Back in my younger days, dogs were everywhere. So were kids and people. And everyone and every dog pretty much had free access to it. Also, more people back then were more dog savvy. So many people don't seem to be born with that natural ability and understanding of dogs. They need to learn it. And again, classes fit in as an access to that learning and guidance.

[Fleuri]

Well my dog only knows come & sit. Comes to his name too. Toilets on command 95% of the time and never walks through the door without my command. Never went to formal training I wonder if he is too old to start.

edit to add he pulls like crazy on the leash.

Edited November 25, 2010 by Fleuri

[Monah]

I can't speak for other states but in Victoria there are MANY companion training options available, in a variety of locations.

So the question becomes- is the problem that people are not aware of them? Or that they are too expensive? Or that the dog owners do not have the inclination to use such services. I know MANY people whose only reason is the third so how do we create inclination to train and priority to train?

to use myself as an example, i think there isn't enough information. i went to obedience for nearly a year so i was committed and jaxx passed but then it got boring (for her) and i didn't and still don't know of any other type of training in SA

same thing happened to us...

Monah loves agility andd flyball though, but I would have liked to do more obed.

We had a 'weird' lot of stuff in our paper not long ago.

A flyball team did well in comp and actually made it to the paper first time..

Int he article it was mentioned about stretching and doggy first aid, a GOOD thing you 'd think.

There were several 'letters to the editor' re.

dog cruelty, people wanting to get accolades on the backs of their dogs, if it wasn't cruel why do you need dog first aid?, cruel to drag dogs around for comps, unnatural behaviour, let dogs be dogs , they should be allowed to relax in the back yard....etc etc etc.

Needless to say, (as usual) I answered each one and letters were published (I'm a serial letter writer on animals issues and get pulled up about it or congratulated almost every time I leave the house )

What a peculiar attitude?? We need to combat this sort of stuff before we can even think of going further.

We took our goldies to training in the early 70's and loads of others went too.

I'm not a competitor, but my dogs love 'equipment' and I would not do it if they did not, hence not going to obed., they were soooooo bored....

I was a strict parent with the kids, I'm a bit softer with the pets, but they are 'good' girls. I can vouch for Jaxxs buddy's Jaxx, the most well behaved dog I"ve ever met, but I think she's (dog) either broken or has super powers of some sort :D she's ot normal..... ;)

Edited November 25, 2010 by Monah