Jump to content

My Pet Peeve


Recommended Posts

  • Replies 180
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

I would support pet dog ownership liscensing.

The fatal end words for any breed is "good with families". Labs often with high drives, get stuck in a back yard with stuff all company and either become very depressed, or moving nightmares.

Try and keep the tears out of your eyes or the sarcastic words out of your mouth when they finally turn up at a dog club.

I think Instructors should be liscensed. I spent a couple of wasted years in a club that taught crap that didn't work, which is what the Chief Instructor wanted dog training to be rather than what it needed to be. She did some unforgivable things to my dog when he was tracking. It took me ages to iron these problems out. What is worse is that she came across as if she had been tracking and been successful too. SHe couldn't get her dog past TQT.

I would like to see honesty in pet shops. e.g. "This is a pure bred lab. It has no papers

a)

becuase it's original breeders never wanted it bred or

b) it come out of a puppy mill

c) or it is the result of Aunty Cecil mating her mutt with Uncle Gertrude's mutt. (nearly left off the mutt)

d) It is a discard

As such,the propability of hip dysplasia, elbow problems OCD and other health problems are very high. We suggest you put a couple of k in the bank for these problems. It could be a bit dodgy on the behaviour front so take it home for 6 months and get rid of it, or stick another couple of k in the bank.

Now , come in and buy it?

I think we need to be honest about training too. Us "positves lot" need to talk about handling treats, no quick fixes, need a brain, need to use it etc. Need some commitment. CAn be frustrting.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think pet licensing is taking pet ownership too far. Isn't there discounts with councils on a trained dog and/or VCA (in our state) registration.

Maybe dog trainers are lacking. There is no way a large class can have enough attention from a solo trainer. Every person and their dog attending may have different goals. Any teacher, trainer or lecturer who can motive a class is doing real well, in my book.

I still feel people are after a quick fix. Anyone for take away tonight? LOL. My dogs come first before cooking a meal for my husband LOL. I have strange priorities.

Edited by Lablover
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Anyone for take away tonight?

Erny searches for "eager hand up in the air" emoticon Yes, please. :cry:

LOL. My dogs come first before cooking a meal for my husband LOL. I have strange priorities.

No - I consider that quite normal for us insane dog lovers/enthusiasts. I hate the kitchen, but spend time preparing food for my dog where there is no way I'd spend that amount of time preparing food for myself. :offtopic:

Sorry .... notice my post is off topic. Won't do it again. :)

Edited by Erny
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I tend to agree - I don't think licensing is the answer.... we have car licenses yet we still all see d*ckheads on the roads nearly every day, we have gun licenses yet we still have idiots with guns.

Discounts for training would be a start but I paid $32 to register my undesexed (at the time) dog. If they lifted registration rates to a level where it was an incentive to train, I suspect that there would be higher levels of dogs not registered. Given my closest dog club is 30 mins away, in country vic where petrol prices are dearer, it would need to be a big discount for people to think it was worthwhile. Sadly I think many would just pay it, or not register their dog.

Education is the answer, but how to get people to educate themselves before they purchase a dog? Its already too late for many when they drag "godzilla on a leash" off to obedience training, only to compete with 20+ other people in a class. What then when you have a different instructor each week, who has different methods of "dealing" with such dogs? :offtopic:

So how do you get them to educate themselves before they buy a pup, and continue to keep themselves informed. IMHO people who buy from a breeder have probably taken the first step already... but what about the rest???

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Oh a topic so close to my heart. My hand is up for admission into the "this is my pet peeve too" club.

I have an aquaintence who recently aquired himself a GSD pup from a local breeder who specialises in breeding and training "guard dogs". Now this friend of mine has 5 children ranging from 18 months to 8 years old. The reason for getting this puppy was that their existing GSD cross was unruly and out of control. Had it ever recieved any training? NO. Had i been suggesting for the previous year that he put some work into it? Yes. Could he "find the time". Of course not.

So he traded this unruly big dog in (the guard dog breeder/trainer planned to train him for guard work) for a big impressionable puppy.

The pup is now 9 months old, undesexed (with no plans of doing so, as "it's gotta scar him emotionally") and has recently been relegated to being tied up for the 23.5 hours a day that he's not being walked around the block.

He's digging up the yard, nipping the kids ("oh how cute, he wants to play" when he was 12 weeks old....), barking, ripping clothes off the line and generally becoming a great big nuisance. I can't wait till i hear that he's actually bitten one of the kids.

Over the time that this poor pup has been in this home i have had weekly updates on his ever worsening behaviour and have given my best advice (which has often included - consult someone who is experienced) to try and prevent it from worsening. By all accounts this was a happy, intelligent little fellow, full of GSD potential and i can see how this will end. It makes me so angry that i'd love to kid(Pup)nap him and turn his life around.

It just frustrates me so much as the dog is the one who will suffer (and already is...) when all it would take would be 15 minutes of training here and there to make such a huge difference.

I understand time contraints. Hell, i rarely get home during the week before 8.30 at night myself, but by taking the responsibility of being a dogs guardian I also take the responsibility of ensuring that I give that dog enough enrichment that at the very least it stays out of the pound.

The words "yeah but" should be made criminal and the sentence be to be chucked in a pound kennel for a month with the ever present threat of the green dream needle at any time.

I'm just starting an instructors course and i think beyond learning more about teaching dogs, the biggest challenge will be motivating people. If only all the lazy couch potatoes could realise the joy which comes when your dog chooses to work to please you, or sits in front of you with such eagerness in their eyes to just play with you. (I had a particularly pleasing training session this morning which put me in the best mood for my long work day... i'd be so bored without the memory and the plans to get back out there again tonight!)

To be honest i think it's a bigger social problem than just involving dog ownership. Look at the kids today. A lot of the problems as I see it are simply parents unwilling to put in the time to "train" their kids. All the help is out there, but they will not follow through. It's exactly the same with dogs, only they can be shut in the backyard when they're annoying you and even better, there's a pound close by if they really piss you off.

Ok , end of Rant.....

Strangely i don't feel better for it!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I still feel people are after a quick fix. Anyone for take away tonight? LOL. My dogs come first before cooking a meal for my husband LOL. I have strange priorities.

Husband first, then dog :laugh:

But, but, but............I have an excuse. My husband prefers take away. He is a fuss pot, when it comes to meals, obviously not as fussy when it comes to his wife selection. PLEASE believe me!!!!!!!

Also the gas delivery man does not come until tomorrow, LOL.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I still feel people are after a quick fix. Anyone for take away tonight? LOL. My dogs come first before cooking a meal for my husband LOL. I have strange priorities.

Husband first, then dog :laugh:

But, but, but............I have an excuse. My husband prefers take away. He is a fuss pot, when it comes to meals, obviously not as fussy when it comes to his wife selection. PLEASE believe me!!!!!!!

Also the gas delivery man does not come until tomorrow, LOL.

You should have your toys taken away from you for that naughty behaviour :mad

Link to comment
Share on other sites

yeah right hubby first sorry he has to wait until everyone else has been taken care of lol anyway he has two legs and two hands and knows where the kitchen is rofl

On another note one thing i find about motivating people is your own enthusiasm if you are passionate bout what you are doing and enthusiastic when taking class it tends to rub off

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have to say a bit here please. We have had dogs all our married life. But we were outback in Qld, and no training clubs there.No purebreeds there either. But all our dogs were so well trained as they had to be as we had kids and sheep, roos, chooks, etc. So you do the hard work yourself when the dogs are little and we have never had a bad one.Didn't need obedience training clubs, as we did it ourselves. These dogs had to fit in our enviroment or they got the bullet.So this is my first time at obedience classes with Ice and he is 5 years old and we only started in Feb this year, and i am enjoying it so much. He was a city dog who was abused until we got him at 18 months old, so that tells you a lot about the difference between city and country.City people are too busy, country people know the dogs Must conform and be one of the family. So my bitch is, don't shoot the dogs, shoot the people. OOh, is that nasty or what. lol Sue

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Erny,

Take away chicken, chips and salad tonight. Come over!!!

Oh shoot! I only just read this post. Dang it! But I don't come out much at the mo ..... looking after and monitoring Kal, who had a slight down turn last night and with her Vet away for the week, I don't know where it's going to lead.

Hold that thought, though! As soon as I can, I'll be there! With a tinny or two ..... or three tucked under an arm. :laugh:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I can't stand people who want a perfect dog, but can't be bothered putting in the work. Both of my dogs have been trained, and have just re-started school. One of them is a VERY challenging dog, but there is no way I'd give up on him. I know if I work hard, I will see the benefits eventually. If he is naughty, chances are its my fault!

And it was POURING rain and freezing cold on Sunday - but we still turned up to school! Actually, I was amazed at how many people showed. It was good to see! :laugh:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A person who approached me in relation to her dog's digging issues :

After asking her some questions, I said :

Erny: You could try "xxxxx"

Dog Owner: No, I don't want to do that.

Erny: Ok. You could try "xxxxx"

Dog Owner: No - that doesn't fit in with my lifestyle.

Erny: What about trying "xxxxx" and "xxxxx"?

Dog Owner: Nope.

Erny: If you do "xxxxx" and when "yyyyy" happens, do "xxxxx".

Dog Owner: Shakes head.

Erny: Oh! I know! (Dog Owner gets excited!) You want one of those "on/off" switches you install on the dog's shoulder. You can turn the digging behaviour on and off with a flick of a switch! ....... Sorry, all sold out.

Dog Owner: Looks at Erny, taken aback. Sees the expression on Erny's face. Then gets the message. ...... Yes, they WILL need to make an effort to address the cause of the unwanted behaviour as well as work on behaviour modification treatment. Duh.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share


×
×
  • Create New...