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Training Your Dog And Working Full Time


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I know there's been a few threads on how much time people spend training, etc, but after reading the recall thread it gets me wondering how people who have limited time per day with their dogs can get up to the higher levels of training

How important is constant time spent with your dog? Can people who work full time get the same results as those who don't?

Should I be putting aside specific time each day as I find my nights go so quickly I don't end up doing all the training I sit at work day dreaming about all day! lol

Also, much as I am trying to stress the importance of the dogs being more loyal to one person, my OH is a pain, and he sometimes wants to train Molly and sometimes doesn't, and I can't let her go without as I have to live with her too, she needs to learn

Will me spending some time with Molly affect my relationship with Ed?

Do dogs get jealous or competitive is those type of situations?

I am the only one who trains Ed, at least I have gotten through to him with that part! lol

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I work aprox 60 hours a week, some of it its at home.

I wish I had more time to trainmy dogs......... I try to train daily, once a day for about 30 minutes which isnt enough.

Id say that my male has a very good recall even under big distractions. My puppy is certainly getting there, she has very good pack drive so its easier than it was with my male.

she isnt trained enough to be put in the high distraction areas, where I have no doubt she would fail her recall.

I often get asked at my ob club to show what can a dog do so I guess his recall is good enough to be used as a demo dog. And we are not talking about the recall from a sit stay.

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You don't think Ed will see me working with Molly and be affected?

I don't know enough about how dogs minds work

I don't mind who Molly loves best I just don't want to ruin the work I've been doing with Ed, he come so far, and he's become so much more loyal to me lately, he's really coming along

Also, I feel bad training Eddie cos I have to put Molly out which is good for Ed, but upsets Molly, does that make sense?

I think I will allocate times at night to do it, so I stick to it, might work better

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myszka, do you get the guilts cos you wish you could be doing more?

Eddie is coming along so nicely, but I always wonder how much more we could do if I were there more

But I guess it's like anything, if I were at home all day, I would probably get distracted by other stuff and still wish I was doing more

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I think its more likely to benefit ed than anything else- especially if you use it to your advantage. If ed is not working too well one day, put him away (but where he can still see you) and train Molly and the next day just train Molly with Ed watching. The following day, give Ed the chance to strut his stuff and you should find he's trying pretty hard!! I don't think dogs get jealous in the same way we do but if they enjoy their work and you take it away for lack of effort/ bad performance, it usually helps rather than hinders progress

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myszka, do you get the guilts cos you wish you could be doing more?

yes.

I train almost every day after work, but only once a day. I wish I was more organised and could do twice a day.

I definitelly train on weekends couple of times a day.

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Hi shoey.

the main things I can offer are:

People who work less may spend more time with their dogs: result - overtraining or their dog simply gets their 'titles' or achievements faster..... means nothing. IMO - if you make the time, you can get just as far as them, it just may take longer!!!

as for training two dogs - i'm a single with *almost* two dogs.... do they get jealous - only if you let them..... mine used to chuck a 'hissy' whenever I went to train another dog but he got NOTHING for it! I just waited it out.... since then he didn't get worked up (once he got the message, not one session) and I actually find it motivates him because your time is split.

It's like a spoilt only child - they don't want to / have to work for your attention coz they know that you will eventually give it to them.... add more to the pile, and all of a sudden their attention in split so they decide to make the most of what they get.

Kids and dogs are quite similar when you really sit down and look at it :D

Edited by leopuppy04
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Back when i was obedience trialling, i had 3 dogs i was competing with and working full time.

I would rotate the dogs when training them and I think it made them more keen when their time came around. No jealousy at all. I had a definate favourite but i dont think they knew.

I think i had the time to train because that was basically all i did on weeknights and weekends. I was a member of 4 clubs and would also meet with like minded friends at night to train our dogs. It was great back then.

Edited by jesomil
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Thanks guys, it sounds right now that I look back at it properley that training both of them will make them keener

Jesomil, I love training with friends, so much more than in classes, esp when up past the general obedience class level, so much easier than dealing with people you don't like or those just out to beat you, I'm more relaxed which means they're more relaxed

Leopuppy you're right too, there's no rush to get there, adn I'd rather they get there slowly than go overboard and have them not enjoy it

Myszka, I'm a bit like you, do some training each night but most of it on the weekend

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When I trained Josh, I used to throw a treat to Moses over the fence, and gradually work up the time, so he wouldn't sook. Then when Josh got it right they both got treats.

When I train Moses, I say to Josh "go" and he goes, he knows I am not training him. I train Moses either before or after work as I do shift work. Sometimes I train Moses whilst lying on the couch and he is in another room. Thats how I trained "Nodding Dog", as soon as he nodded I click and threw the treat across to him.

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I work full time and am currently training 1 pup, 1 pony to halter, 1 pony to saddle! And doing an instructors training course at dog club. Oh and have 4 acres that I look after by myself! And try and give the old dog attention and the cats..... ;) But am single and don't have kids so no humans are complaining if they don't get fed!

I tend to focus on which ever animal has an event coming up and ease off on the others a bit. Pup hasn't started serious heeling type work yet so I have been doing a lot of his training in the house in the evenings. Having the acres means I don't have to do lots of walking with the dogs (and 1 being a pup and 1 old, they don't need much at the moment). I'm finding working pup in short bursts is working well, so everytime there is a spare 5 mins I can do something with him. I am also a train all the time type person, so I might put the dogs on a sit stay while I go to the letterbox. Also go to dog club and was having a private lesson once a week.

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JulesP, I do that too, I put them in stays or get them to drop when around the house

I have started working on seperate releases, during dinner I can put Ed in a stay and release only Molly, until I specifically release Eddie which is great, he understands now

Noisy ;) love that, maybe I need a horse :p

Edited by shoemonster
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I work full time, but I'm lucky that my hours are good and 40 hours is normally it for the week... ;)

I do some informal training with Darcy every day. She normally gets a walk of a morning, if I walk up the local hill (where she's off-lead for most of it) then we do a few recalls and releases. If we walk around the streets then she has to abide by her on-lead rules - sit before crossing the road and waiting for release, plus a few random heels here and there.

I try and do some formal training at least every second night. Sometimes we work on new stuff, the occasional trick, some agility training manouvres and weaving, retreiving and focus and control. Its always a game, always take "the toy" as reward. Rarely longer than 1/2 hour and I rarely work on one thing for longer than 10 mins before changing to something else.

We also do a few mins of training for meals morning and night. Might just be a basic sit and wait before I say OK, at a bare minimum she gets at least a few minutes of training a day :p

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