[pet owners][dogs]did you...
- Thread starter Putrid
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JDizzle4Rizzle
Meat Gazer
buy cats
Kerosene31
Veteran XV
It isn't that hard to do yourself, it just takes time, and make sure you do a little research. There are so many little things that people mess up with.
For example, teaching a dog to speak. Then being surprised that it barks every time it is hungry...
For example, teaching a dog to speak. Then being surprised that it barks every time it is hungry...
I have two labs (chocolate and black) and a mutt. We should have taken the mutt to obedience school, because she's a 15 year old pain in the ass now (I still love her though.)
The labs I trained myself, and they're angels. But I think it is in the nature of labs to be good dogs.
The labs I trained myself, and they're angels. But I think it is in the nature of labs to be good dogs.
BlackCircle
Veteran X
We only taught my dog how to tell us she has to go out to do her buisness. She can do other stuff, but it takes a little bit for it to set in.
Kerosene31 said:There are so many little things that people mess up with.
For example, teaching a dog to speak. Then being surprised that it barks every time it is hungry...
no kidding, sometimes common sense goes out the window because some people think some tricks are cute. we are going to be saving tricks for later down the road when he knows the ropes around here...
so far we have worked on sit (he's got that down now)
go lay down (he goes straight to his doggie bed where we point most of the time)
and leave it for things he shouldn't be getting into (he's got that one too, obeys immediately)
we are going to start on stay and come soon, he's not too interested in those though since he doesn't really leave our side yet because he is so happy to have someone take care of him.
he's doing great so far considering he has only been with a for three days now and everyone recommends doggie school but he's responding so well that I wonder if we really need to go.
:bouncy:
Someones Old Account
Veteran X
We trained him ourselves. My dog picks up on stuff real quick though. Tell him to do it about 4 times and help him. Then show him a treat a couple of times and tell him. Then just tell him and he has it down.
We have a pug btw.
We have a pug btw.
SeVeReD said:
yea, true, we intend to socialize him and that's one reason I am wondering about doggie school...
he loves to ride in the car so we have been going on short rides, through a drive through, to petsmart, that kind of thing and finding places where he can go with us in public, even the lawyer I go to is dog friendly so he can go to the office with me if we want. he won't always get to go with us when we go out but still, don't want a dog that's afraid of car rides or doesn't know how to behave with other dogs and people when out.
I took my dog to obidience school when he was a puppy...but it was just basic schoolin' for basic commands and obidience. I was of the mind that I'd let my dog be a dog and not turn it into some overtrained whacky non-dog. and he's been a very well-behaved and liked dog his whole life. he's 13, almost 14 now, with arthritis, a degenerative disease, and odd lumps all over, and he acts like a cranky old man. he still enjoys himself and all, but he's like the old man who decides that since he's old some manners aren't as important anymore.
If I had it to do over I would have taken him to more obedience classes. his behavior and manners have never been a problem, but I think we could have benefitted from more training. I used to think of it as "training" and in "making a dog act like something other than a dog." now I think of it as "training" in the sense of "my dog doesn't speak english so I have to learn how to communicate with my dog."
if you have a smart dog don't think of it as obidience training...think of it as learning how to communicate. you have to be trained too.
If I had it to do over I would have taken him to more obedience classes. his behavior and manners have never been a problem, but I think we could have benefitted from more training. I used to think of it as "training" and in "making a dog act like something other than a dog." now I think of it as "training" in the sense of "my dog doesn't speak english so I have to learn how to communicate with my dog."
if you have a smart dog don't think of it as obidience training...think of it as learning how to communicate. you have to be trained too.
Our Lab is pro trained and I think it was worth it. Not the PetSmart thing either, but a real trainer who kept the dog for 3 weeks. You find pro trainers from your vet. She learned on leash training first, then off leash using an electric collar. The total cost was 2k. Yes, a lot of money, and peole will say I'm nuts, but I can ride a bike, and the dog stays with me. She can run free, go anywhere, yet she's always a few feet away, kinda like a bubble around me. If you wanted to save some money, you could do the on leash training first, and go from there. I can be walking up to a curb, tell her to sit, and she'll do it. When I see other people in the neighborhood, I ask about letting the dogs play, and they say no, they can't let their dog off a leash or it will run away. That's not a problem with our dog. She sits in the front yard, and if another dog walks by, she'll stay put.
It helps to let a pro trainer do it, because there are times they need to use tuff love to teach. People who do it on their own won't do this.
It's money well spent, and lasts the entire life time of the dog. They don't forget the training, it's always there, even if you don't practice some of the tricks every day.
It helps to let a pro trainer do it, because there are times they need to use tuff love to teach. People who do it on their own won't do this.
It's money well spent, and lasts the entire life time of the dog. They don't forget the training, it's always there, even if you don't practice some of the tricks every day.
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