What Is A Good Dog? Options

[jackied]

http://www.dogstardaily.com/blogs/give-them-what-they-need

It's from the point of view of a trainer on how to best help their clients, but as a client myself I also find it very interesting indeed. I think it's easy on a forum like this to look at what other people want and need their dogs to do, think that you should be doing the exactly the same, and feel bad when you don't.

[Bunter1]

Interesting

TBH, I've never wanted my pet dogs to do anything other than be non-reactive around people, dogs, traffic, etc. And to have a reliable recall so they could be let off lead. Anything over and above that was a bonus really

[Dalsmum]

I always told my pet training class that I was there to help them achieve what they wanted, not tell them how their dog should behave.

Most just wanted a dog that didn't pull on the lead and would come when called. They didn't care whether the dog would sit and stay or lie down when told.

A few wanted a bit more but viewed them as tricks.

[jackied]

It depends on the dog, too, of course. If Lucy was a chilled out 8 year old lab I would not be taking her to a Bronze training class or practicing HTM moves on the recreation ground

[Devil]

What a fab artical - thanks for sharing

I often read on here about other peoples dogs doing the next level KCGC or competing at agility etc and think it would be 'nice' do do that, or maybe my dogs SHOULD have more training etc. BUT I dont really have the time (or TBH the inclination) to implement a rigid training schedule.

My dogs are far from perfect (they bark at the fence, they sometimes jump up, Robbo sings himself to sleep every night etc) but in general they are pretty 'good':
They both walk well on the lead, either together or seperately - this is probably the one I've done most 'work' on as they pull for my hubby so sometimes get into bad habbits!
They come back when called/whistled
They are fine with most dogs out and about AND in the home (we foster sometimes and this weekend have my friends 5 dogs stopping over)
they get in/out of the car, house, room when asked.
they are 'polite' around food
they both know 'sit' as its a good distracter/stopper for any unwanted behaviour - its proofed in different situations but not over distance.
They have a reasonable 'leave it' for toys, rubbish etc but doesnt always work with dead things/poo.

Most of my 'training' has been as described in the artical - pockets full of kibble/treats and catching them being good. Roxy did do a 6week training course but that was more to 'proof' her behaviours around other dogs as when I first got her dog=play and comands went out the window.

[jackied]

think it would be 'nice' do do that, or maybe my dogs SHOULD have more training etc.

Exactly. I have done quite a lot with my two because Twix has limited excercise and a lot of issues so fun training helps him keep happy and cope a little better, and because Lucy is a very busy young springer and only sleeps if she gets to use her brain every day *. That doesn't mean you need to or should even want to.

*At her training class this week the trainer said that dogs slept 17 hours a day. I laughed .

[Mrsmopp]

A dog that doesn't bite folk? Lol

I do lots of training daily with mine but that's more because they are limited in the length of walks that they can do with their wobbliness so we do other things instead. In earnest I don't expect a great deal from them, just to be dogs and have everyday good manners (go to their beds when asked, wait for their dinner without leaping all over me, come back when called that sort of thing)

[coinsky]

I definitely like a dog that has the drive to do lots of training, mostly because I enjoy training but also with the exception of Coin when he was older, I have never had easy dogs who are laid back around horses/kids/dogs so as they are naturally not chilled, I need them to be well trained enough to cope.

Both of my dogs now would (if allowed to) chase livestock, chase bikes, bark at people too close to me, Kofi is not really ok with kids.. Shilah not ok with dogs etc so for them to have a life where they can be taken anywhere and be offlead all the time, I need them to be reliable enough in training that I know I can down them suddenly if I see a horse galloping, or can tell them to leave it if we are passing sheep etc.

I'm not really too worried about my dogs being social butterflies, they don't have to be friendly and outgoing to all we meet as long as they like me.

[rosiemongrel]

I think we probably expect quite a lot from our dogs, in terms of lifeskills, actually . We want them to be able to come on holiday with us. That means being able to travel in the car, being able to settle in a new place, and being able to cope with a changed environment generally. We want them to be able to cope with visits to family and to friends' houses. We expect them to be manageable on the lead, and to be able to be left when we go to work. We also want them to be happy to meet new people, and to be able to welcome visitors, workmen etc to the home. More than that, we want them to be cuddly and affectionate. One thing which I value very highly in a dog is a dog who really *wants* to do stuff, a dog whose face lights up when I suggest a game, a walk, a brush, some training, etc. I wouldn't be impressed with a lazy / permanently sleepy / don't-really-see-the-point kind of a dog. Training-wise, I do need my dogs to be able to sit and lie down on command, and to come more or less when I call them. So that is quite an extensive list of 'good dog' qualities I suppose .

OH would consider a dog who enjoys going to the pub and doesn't make a nuisance of himself to be a 'good dog'. Unfortunately for him, we've never had that kind of dog. Which is probably just as well, as that saves us money in beer !

[staffymad]

Brilliant article, thanks for sharing

For me personally with my old staffies all I wanted was a reliable recall, walking nicely on the lead, being polite arund food and people and if at all possible, be social enough to walk in parks off lead. None of my bridge babies came to me as youngsters, Snatch was between 7-9 years of age and was emotionally damaged so the above was all I wanted for him and me. The girls, well they were 11+ and 15+ so having a recall was all I wanted

Now with Lilly Loon, the first permanent youngster in my life for 18 or so years, I am far more eager to do more and as she is a willing training companion, that is a plus but same as the article says, life doesn't allow for more than 30 minutes training a day in 1-3 sessions.

I guess if you have a dog that truly enjoys training you expect more from the dog and yourself

[muttlover2]

I want a dog to share the fun bits of life with.

We ask a lot of dogs in some ways, but in others I don't think it is a lot to ask that a dog should have lifeskills just as that is what I want from a human. I don't want to be with a human who punches people randomly in the face or freaks out every time something is a bit different...I think it is important to "expect" this in a general sort of way because it is the same (in my view) as "expecting" people to socialise their dogs and for breeders to socialise and give their pups good starts and life-skills. When you see some of the dedicated fosterers bringing up pups on here you realise that it is a responsibility to bring up a dog well and is a responsibility to that dog and unfair otherwise, and also a responsibility to give it the best start for the next owner. And the owner then has a responsibiity to do the same.

I remember my friend with her rescue pup and she was marvellous and thought a lot about things to introduce him to including cows and horses in fields so he wouldn't be scared when older. She has a fab adult dog now. A model citizen.

All that being said, we aren't always in that position or have the same choice when we take on an older dog and some dogs may be sensitive in ways we can't predict from pups also. I wouldn't class such sensitive dogs as bad in any way.

My dog was a good dog in many ways when I got him - but not so good in other ways, he was also unsocialised in certain areas too. What I consider a good dog is one that learns, that makes a bond with you so that you can learn together, and that is responsive. Apart from that I like a spark and a lust for life. My dog is all those things and although the beginning was hard, he has learnt a lot. I want a dog that obeys me when it really matters. I don't particualrly want an overly controlled dog with no character, but I want a dog that listens when I really need. I think I have that in the main. Touch wood and never say never of course.

And I want a well-socialised dog so that it can share my life and enjoy life to the fullest without being stressed all the time.

It shouldn't be a lot to ask if people were responsible about socialising their dogs when young. I know it's not always as simple as that - but in some cases it is.

[woofgang]

I've been thinking about this a lot after reading the first post. I actually don't want to train my dogs as such and have never enjoyed any training club/group I have been to. We did a lot of socialising and teaching of basics when they were young but even very little of that was formal.
BUT my boys know a lot that I never "taught" them. They ask to go out when they need to. They jump into their cage in the car and travel happily. They stay happily in the car or at home alone.They wait nicely to be fed (mostly) I guess most of what they know came from sort of social osmosis. We live together and want each other to be happy so when we learn something that makes each other happy then we do it and get a positive reaction for doing it....or something like that

[Jenny.Wren]

I never did any training until I got Ellie who opened up my eyes to a whole new world

Ellie is very intelligent and would excel at something like agility but her off-lead activities don't allow for this so it's just not to be and Sam gets a bit intimated with training so it's slowly, slowly with him. Perhaps one day, Sam can do the agility

I don't aspire to awards or crufts for my dogs, I'm just happy if they are happy. My dogs wait quietly for food, play together, calm in the house, happily sleep at home whilst I'm at work and i think, pretty "good" dogs. Ellie's isn't good with other dogs or children so if I could wave a magic wand and make those issues dissapear then I would but apart from that, I think I'm quite lucky with them