Does Anyone Else Get Weird Looks When They're Training Their Dog I

[EmmaA]

Hey Guys, I thought I was the only idiot who did stuff like that!!!

You are right though, only dog people understand dog people - everything has a reason behind it even if it doesn't look like it - such as practising footwork without your dog!!!

Squeak just ignore the buffoons and continue on undeterred, at least at the end of the day your dog will be a well behaved canine citizen while yjese other peoples dog wil be who knows where..........

[J...]

I don't notice the funny looks these days :D My neighbours must reckon I'm nuts for talking to the dog all the time.

Squeak - I've found a few "funny looks" have been followed by comments on Darcy's good behaviour... I had her in the laundromat one day while putting my clothes in the dryer and I walked out with her on lead. An older couple watched me walk out and continue up the street with her, here I am thinking "oops busted with the dog in the laundromat". It wasn't until I stopped and Darcy auto-sat at the corner that I heard them say "oh look at her she even sits before she crosses the road" that I twigged they were watching how well behaved she was..... I had a big grin for the rest of my walk that morning ;)

[whatevah]

I got told that I was cruel when I was teaching my dog to swim. I was not forcing him in. All I was doing was putting floating rice crackers on top of the water. I told him that unlike his dog (which was a jack russell) my dog has a double coat, and that my dog was choosing to swim and that I was not forcing him in any way. Also that in the hot weather my dog knows how to go and cool down.

[Sayreovi]

Ahh the high squeaky voice! I get tonnes of stares when using that LOL though i do get good feedback when they see the results of it!!

[Griffo]

I have to agree with FD!!

[Alpha]

A lot of people seem to think that training is only for those set times when you toddle off to the class on a sunday morning...

And then I get the comment "oh yours are so well behaved mine only listen when theres food or we're in class"

grrr

yeah if training when out makes me look silly then I must be a loony. We went for a walk last night to Werribee plaza at about 11pm when all the people were coming out of the local Tabaret and cinema. We did a sit and stayed there working on ignoring loud people and revving cars for a while. Everyone was throwing comments and we copped some abuse but no one was game enough to try anything But my dogs' focus was beautiful.

Yup. I'm mad

So true, Nekhbet...so many people think training is a once a week thing...I hate the "But you've trained dogs before that's why your dog is so good" comments

Nah, I train my dog all the time, everything is training, nothing in life is free for my dogs. You want to play ball, you hold it until I say "give", you want me to throw it, you "speak" when commanded, you want the game to continue? Return wiht the ball and sit and hold until I take it.

I hated it when I was doing heel/sit/ heel/sit and I got the comment "make up your mind the dog wil get confused", CONFUSED??? Think i know who was confused and they did'nt have four legs

[sandyl]

I get an audience when I'm doing agility on the empty block of land next door. Little kids, teens and randoms walking their dogs. Usually i stop and throw the ball for my dogs.

[Carrathool]

When we take the dogs to parks and such on a long trip and we are running around with the dogs on leads because it's a no off lead park we get comments on our great dane such as; "had to bring the pony with you to?" and things like that but when the dogs are being trained at the park we never get any weird looks (that I know of)

Maddi

[shoemonster]

I took my GSD to a park and got him to do a drop/stay while I practiced my footwork. I did the whole thing in slow, normal and fast pace, with drop, sit and stands thrown in while my boy watched from a distance. On completion I looked up to see the drivers from the bus company across the road on a break standing out the front of their shed watching me walking around the park by myself (in all different directions) while my dog lay in the shade watching. I can't imagine what they must have thought of me.

By the way I did go back, although I saved my footwork practice for home

Last night on our walk I was practising slow fast and normal pace, and drops and stands (with my dog though!!!) Still would have looked a little strange!!! Even my OH was laughing at me But Ed was doing some fantastic work

[Vehs]

I do food spitting with Diesel so needless to say I get a lot of weird looks!

Hrm, I don't know if I get wierd looks, maybe I'm arrogant, but I'm usually thinking people are very impressed with my dog

He does his sitting at the curb, and his balancing on people's front walls..

[Kirty]

I try and train my dogs every day - we walk to the park, they do about 5 mins of training each, then they get to race around and chase the ball like idiots. I usually don't see anyone when I'm out with them, although there was an older couple at the park the other day and they commented on how well behaved my dogs were. It made me feel good!

I also make my dogs sit at every curb and if I see someone approaching, I move to the side of the path and put both dogs in a sit-stay. Some people feel threatened by my dogs (both black med size) so I think they feel more comfortable when I do that. It also stops my boy from leaping all over people, which he loves to do but which I feel is not appropriate!

I think its important to train regularly and if other people think you're weird, then they obviously have no idea about dogs.

[Baja]

Don't think people really consider the weirdness of the handler more curiosity a lot of the time. If you look happy while you train and your dog is all bouncy then most people would think you were both having fun I train mine all over the place on the golf course, in the shopping centers and most of the time I'm so involved with what I'm doing I don't notice people looking anyway.

If there are comments made they are usually nice ones, like I wish my dog was that good, or that's a happy dog. Squeak just enjoy yourself and your dog don't give a thought to what people may be thinking.