Do You Correct Your Dog....

[BlackJaq]

Yes, I have contemplated discontinuing my attendance but it is difficult to find anything at all in my (very rural) area unfortunately

Although by this point I think I may have learnt as much as I'm going to learn here, they definitely won't be taking us to competition level :p

[Sayreovi]

I wouldn't have corrected either.

I have a dog here who is fairly intolerant of rude in your face dogs, she doesn't like them at all and is quick to tell them to get out of her space. I appreciate the fact that she has several levels of warnings and it's because I've never told her off before for showing them too me.

Regarding the instructor, hell no, no one touches my dogs in a negative manner.

[BlackJaq]

Ideally I'd have taken a copy of this article, smacked myself on the head for assuming any puppy owner understands about appropriate interaction between dogs and then inserted it up the instructors left nostril to assist with comprehension.

I certainly wouldn't have allowed someone who clearly has bugger all idea about dog behaviour (as quite a few dog obedience trainers don't) to correct my dog for an appropriate response to a rude puppy.

How rude! You NEVER correct another person's dog as far as I'm concerned unless it's behaviour is affecting you or your dog directly and only then if absolutely necessary to stop it.

What exactly does "no!" mean to a dog anyway?

Thank You HW! I only just had time to read the article (I don't think I actually noticed the link before )

I'm feeling pretty bad now for not telling the instructor to bugger off.... I have no idea how to break to these people that my dog was well within her rights to reprimand this puppy so I guess I might just leave it at that and not return... I have noticed other things that I found worrisome and not ideal to teach to dog owners looking for guidance and since I ahve no idea how to improve things (or even bring them up without looking like a douche) I guess I would just feel uncomfortable going back

[sunny1shine]

as someone who had a rude pup I am grateful if someone has an older dog that is well versed in dog etiquette to tell my pup what is and isn't on. I've never reacted to it and my girl takes it as it's meant. No need to over the top or the poor pup will start thinking they should get defensive towards dogs that politely tell them off.

[tdierikx]

My old girl will take a certain amount of rudeness from youngsters, then she'll just flatten them. She has assisted in rearing nearly 200 foster pups of varying ages over the years, and each of those pups learned appropriate behaviour around other dogs just fine. No-one has ever been hurt or mentally scarred from being smacked down for being a turd. In fact all of my older dogs have assisted in rescue puppy rearing and various aspects of the socialisation of same.

Violently correcting a dog for showing APPROPRIATE behaviour in your situation is just not on. I'd be speaking up if this isn't the only incident that has made you uncomfortable with their training methods/styles. Sounds like some of the trainers need a bit more training themselves...

T.

[Nic.B]

Ideally I'd have taken a copy of this article, smacked myself on the head for assuming any puppy owner understands about appropriate interaction between dogs and then inserted it up the instructors left nostril to assist with comprehension.

:laugh:

[Weasels]

as someone who had a rude pup I am grateful if someone has an older dog that is well versed in dog etiquette to tell my pup what is and isn't on. I've never reacted to it and my girl takes it as it's meant. No need to over the top or the poor pup will start thinking they should get defensive towards dogs that politely tell them off.

I know a lot of people do this and it is a helpful experience for many pups, but I always ask that people not use my dog for this. Yes she will tell a rude dog off and has excellent bite inhibition so I don't worry about dogs she is telling to back off, but it causes stress to my dog and a subsequent decline in behaviour so isn't fair on her. It's also gotten her attacked (stitches for her, not a mark on the other dog). So i just ask this 'let them sort it out' approach only be done with dogs and owners known to the puppy owners and who are ok with it :)

[wuffles]

I do my best to keep my dog away from rude puppies (and adults) as I know she will tell them off.

However, I don't let her growl or tell dogs off if they are not doing anything wrong. In that case I will redirect or ask for alternative behaviour and reward that.

In saying that, our club is very positive leaning and I doubt you'd get advice to correct behaviour, only to redirect or ignore.

[Amax-1]

I just wanted to ask the brain trust on DOL for their opinion on a non event at obedience yesterday :)

My dog, an adult 3 year old Weimaraner, does not particularly like puppies and will generally ignore. In line to sign in for the class she was sitting beside me when a puppy (maybe around 5-6 months old) very rudely approached and went to jump on her. Puppy did not actually make much contact as far as I could see (I only saw from the corner of my eye), since the owner yanked back on the leash, but my girl responded with a snarl and a warning snap (by this time I was definitely looking and everybody agreed no contact has been made).

I chose not to correct my dog as I felt she behaved appropriately by warning the pup to back off but not actually hurting it.

One of the instructors then came over and decided to stand over her and just kind of firmly tell her "NO" several times. I doubt by this point she knew what she was being "corrected" for and either way, I also doubt she would recognize this kind of interaction from a stranger as a correction, especially when I am holding the leash, i.e. clearly I am in control. She was obviously a bit uncomfortable with the instructor and gave calming signals (squatted a bit with ears back and moved closer to me, then ignored him like the deal was over for her).

Anyway, since the guy was an instructor I did not want to make a scene, but I definitely want to know if I should have corrected in these circumstances? Do you allow normal dog interactions like this or do you insist your dog stays neutral to interactions from other dogs when he or she is on leash? I thought this was a great opportunity for me to learn something, either way :)

I am disturbed by the instructor placing you in a position where by his stand over tactics with your dog regardless of what she did made him vulnerable to getting bitten. The outcry that someone's dog just bit the instructor in a club environment through no fault of the dog or handler is a very thoughtless thing to do with potentially nasty circumstances for the instructor if a bite occurred and for you as the dog's owner/handler being exposed to an upsetting experience that would most certainly ruined your day. I think some instructors may have watched too many Cesar Milan episodes with this approach of stand over and staring out other peoples dogs, the instructor should have had more sense than to do that and luckily there was no consequence.

No, I am not a believer of correcting a dog unless it's in the exact moment and you catch the behaviour in mid flight, timing a correction is critical and when the incident is done, the dog had a snarl and recomposed, it's too late for a correction to be effective and in fact, it's actually correcting the dog for re-composing which is what you want from the dog, a fast re-composure after a brief reaction, by not correcting I think was the right thing to do in the circumstances most definitely, a good call I think :)

[Alison03]

The owner of the rude puppy should be corrected not the dog who reacted to being jumped on. The trainer shouldn't have focused on the victim at all. I think that whole belief in "puppy license" can get your puppy bitten.

My dog on leash would hide behind me while I dealt with the naughty puppy. Off leash she'd try to avoid but if she couldn't, she'd warn the pup with air snapping and that awful warning noise Shihtzu's make, which makes people turn around and say "Was that your dog".

I don't understand any dog owners putting their puppies in harms way like that.

[Rainy]

Oh BlackJaq what a crap situation to be in, if any instructor at our club had of done that they would have been flattened by our Trainer

Where are you located maybe someone here can suggest a better club to go to, or if someone here is already trialing they might be able to help you out at the local park.

[BlackJaq]

Thank You Rainy, I am located between Orange and Parkes but I have been travelling all the way to Dubbo for Obedience... If anybody has any good club tips for nearby I'd love to hear them (as I said, I am willing to travel a fair way if necessary)

[Steph M]

I would accept that my very exuberant puppy gets a deserved snap when he's wound up and being too much. He has on several occasions and I've always told the owner he probably deserved it (which he usually does, from my observation. Even when I miss the initial interaction, I trust that dogs speak dog better than I do and I know Gus can be way too much!)

I actually attribute a lot of the dissolution of certain annoying behaviours, like the licking of other dogs all over and the jumping about on dogs, to older dogs at the park giving him a growl or a snap. No contact has ever been made and he's always bounced right back and been as happy as Larry after.