My Pet Peeve

[wheres my rock]

i dont think its the expense of trianing a dog as much as getting results people who et the results they are after and are comfortable n the trianing environment keep coming back al lot of epople who give up are honestly trying and not finding themselves moving forward Many epople get a dog ith the right intentions but just arent made aware of how much commitment is needed maybe clubs and breeders should start running pre pupy purchases sessions discussing different requirements of breeds how much a puppy relaly costa and offer sessions to decide on whats rigt for the individual then advertise these sessions the rspca is doing something like that but i only stumbled across the ad when looking at dogs in the pound . this is something the vCA should think about taking on board talk about an oppurtunty to promoter responsible breeding and dog ownership.

On the odd occasion i take a class i often think if put you with you and that one there they would be so much better suited to each other

Unfortunatl people want to see results fast they need twice as much reinforcement as th dogs sometimes lol

[BrunoBella]

You can't expect everyone on the planet to have the values that people like us have either. That's relying on perfect world syndrome which we know is totally unrealistic.

HR You have ruined my life ;) ;)

I thought the world was going to be perfect tomorrow :rolleyes:

:D

[Herr Rottweiler]

When I was working as an electrician, people used to think that if you stuck a power point on a wall it would fill up with electricy and start working. They were actually shocked when they discovered that some work is involved to get it to that point.

The same can be said about dog training. People turn up, want 2 years of behaviour stopped in one lesson and then lose faith when they discover there are no quick fixes in training. They expect the dog to be tuned like a car which is totally unrealistic.

Those of us who have been involved in training know that although we can deliver great results in a short amount of time, there are still variables that need to be adhered to in order to complete the big picture.

Without sounding arrogant, I can take a dog off anyone and make it look great within 5 minutes, it's not difficult for those of us who know what we're doing. The real defining art in any trainer is to impart that on to the client. The big issue is, which started my rant in the first place, is how bone lazy and selfish people can be to their dog and the rest of their family.

There have been may times over the past few years where I have been brutaly honest with people and told them that they shouldn't have a dog. Some of these idiots would have difficulty in keeping a Tamogochi alive, (a little digital pet that kids play with... no I don't have one )

[Rom]

Hope this post works...just had some sort of gremlin attack.

Here's some stats if anyone is interested:

68% of dogs that do not get some sort of formal obedience training end up in pounds/shelters/pts.

Average life span of dogs in Aust is 3.5 years with the majority of those being pts or dying b4 12 months of age. Interesting comparison average life span of wild dogs is 5years!

Of those dogs that end up in pounds/shelters approx 50 percent have been surrendered or not collected by owners because of behavioural problems that could have been prevented by early training.

Locally, only 27% of dogs that end up in the pound are collected by there owners.

This is from some research that I did for an article to promote obedience training. Sources are Cooloola Shire Council Health Dept., RSPCA and Speakers notes from Clonicalm conference Bris 2000.

[wheres my rock]

good stats

sad though but how do you get to eople before they get the dog after all this is where the problem begins

I agree Hr laziness is a killer though you meet enough relaly keen people along the way to make it all worthwhile

[Herr Rottweiler]

Yes I agree CC, I've met some quality people over the past 16 years and some of those people have become close friends.

[wheres my rock]

Yup and its those people that make going out on a freezing money with icicles hanging of the eye brows so worthwhile

[jaybeece]

stats

Those stats are horrible

Although I guess it makes sense...a friend who owns 2 small dogs keeps shaking his head saying he'd never have the patience to deal with my dog. Makes me wonder what would happen if one of his own dogs needed a little extra work behaviour wise Actually, his dogs are neurotic messes after being treated like babies all their lives but they can get away with it for the most part because they're so tiny.

Another friend has a dog that he's written off as a "bastard" based on a vet telling them he was one of the most insane dogs he'd ever come across. He's a pet shop dog, so it's likely he does have temperament problems, but do you think they'll even consider taking him to obedience or a behaviouralist? Of course not. My friend mistreats the dog and feels like it's justified because the dog is a "bastard" and refuses to listen to me when I suggest obedience training will improve the relationship he has with the dog. Apparently puppy pre-school is all that's needed

He mentioned the other day that he wants to buy a doberman soon. I'm going to do everything humanly possible to prevent this from happening as he will ruin a dobe and I could see it being PTS if it got the level of neurosis his current smaller dog is at.

Some people are just...ugh, they make me so angry

[wyvernblade]

I really really really don't understand why some people have dogs. If you DON'T want to train it, or spend time with it, why buy it in the first place???? Buy a stuffed toy and stick it out in the backyard!! I can honestly say that if I wasn't lucky enough to be able to work from home most of the time, and my husband and I have our own business, so the dogs can come to work with me, I wouldn't bother having one! But I have dogs BECAUSE I LOVE the training!! I love teaching them things and it's such a buzz when you see them 'Get it' and to be able to compete at top levels would just be a dream come true!

My latest poor puppy has been dragged all over the place with me and I have been doing all kind of weird things with him!(making him walk up trailers, and hay bales and posts and playground equipment and tarpaulins etc etc!) He's loving it tho and you can tell he enjoys learning...we have always had shepherds and this is the first dobe we've had, and I still wasn't ready for how active he is................I'm happy he is because drive training is progressing nicely, but I shudder to think of people that have no idea about dogs or training buying a Dobermann.......................

Oh and we've just enrolled in a schutzhund club (pup is 12 weeks old) and his breeder is very happy!! She used to do it with her dogs too, and has told me she would like a ScH III titled dog in that line

[wheres my rock]

my gsp came t us because the owners were told she was untrainable deaf ad aggressive lol twelve months later she was competing in ud agility and had her beginners retrieving under her belt

She was a great dog very keen and willing very active she was a great dog to live with so long as she was worked and exercised

[bloss344]

I really really really don't understand why some people have dogs.

They have dogs because they can. It's as simple as that. They don't think about the long term implications in owning a dog. They see Lassie or Eddie and think 'cool, I'll get one of those'. They have preconceived ideas about how their dog will turn out, they don't think about training or socialising or anything else, it's just going to happen without any effort. They don't think about the expense. Dog gets too much for them well there's always FTGH or a shelter, of course it's always the dog's fault, never the owner. Arrgh people sh*t me sometimes.

Can you tell I'm having a bad dog day? One neighbour has a puppy, it's howled most of the day as it's locked in their back porch while they are at work. Other neighbour is 'looking after' a rottie who has been in their backyard for almost 4 weeks, no walks virtually no interaction that I have seen other than when I take my dogs out for their 3 times a day run and play in the backyard, it stands at the fence and growls at us. They also have two toy sized dogs which live in the house except when they get out and run up and down the road. Not good, not good.

I keep telling myself that not everyone has the luxury of staying at home and spending as much time as I do with my dogs. Not everyone enjoys going to obedience training rain, hail or shine, like I do. But geez...

I feel a bit better now I've ranted.

[jaybeece]

I keep telling myself that not everyone has the luxury of staying at home and spending as much time as I do with my dogs. Not everyone enjoys going to obedience training rain, hail or shine, like I do. But geez...

I feel a bit better now I've ranted.

Well see, I work 9 hours a day, do extra work on the side, have a busy social life, play sport and go out a lot on the weekends. However I will always find time for my dog. He's walked every day, I spend a lot of time with him on the weekends and outside work hours and regardless of what time I get home on Saturday night/Sunday morning I'll be at training at 8:30am every Sunday (although he is having a break from it at the moment for behavioural reasons).

My obedience club also costs a grand total of $45 a year so I can't say that it's really putting me out financially.

Granted, it would be a lot easier if I worked from home and had fewer commitments, but he's worth making extra time for- I just don't really have time to watch TV anymore That's not exactly a bad thing though.

There is no excuse for being a shitty dog owner, it seems to be based on either arrogance, ignorance or just plain laziness.

Edited June 28, 2006 by jaybeece

[Herr Rottweiler]

The bottom line is, which i'm trying to make is;

1. If you buy a dog, be prepared for expenses and budget for them

2. You need to set aside at least an hour a day for them

[Lablover]

my gsp came t us because the owners were told she was untrainable deaf ad aggressive lol twelve months later she was competing in ud agility and had her beginners retrieving under her belt

She was a great dog very keen and willing very active she was a great dog to live with so long as she was worked and exercised

Retrieving, did some one type retrieving, LOL LOL. What state do you live in?????????????

[Lablover]

The bottom line is, which i'm trying to make is;

1. If you buy a dog, be prepared for expenses and budget for them

2. You need to set aside at least an hour a day for them

Oh good, I pass.

[Veanna]

To those breeders that have strict contracts, well done!

Like everyone else, I don't understand why people buy a dog and have nothing to do with it. I have an aunty like that two little fluffy cross breeds banished to the backyard because they weren't housetrained. Felt like banging the people's heads against a brickwall.

I personally can't wait to get my puppy and start her training. Ever since I decided to get another furkid I knew that I wanted to go right through to advanced obedience. It is something I have never done, and I want to help this little girl fulfill her whole potential.

[Herr Rottweiler]

I personally can't wait to get my puppy and start her training. Ever since I decided to get another furkid I knew that I wanted to go right through to advanced obedience. It is something I have never done, and I want to help this little girl fulfill her whole potential.

Good attitude

[Veanna]

Thankyou hehe

The best saying I have heard is owning an untrained dog is like owning a ferrari and only driving it in first gear

[Herr Rottweiler]

Good saying. It's amazing how many people will whinge about the cost or one of the many other factors that I spoke of earlier yet I've lost track of the amount of calls I've had over the years where people are begging me to come over for a private lesson and will pay anything because the dog is either costing them a small fortune or one of the partners has given an, "or else" direction.

The problem which I try and explian to people is that the longer it's left, the more the problem with fester. People have to understand that even when you're not training your dog, it's still learning.

[Erny]

... even when you're not training your dog, it's still learning.

Amen to that!