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There are many types of dog training suited for many different purposes I have with the help of several experts used techniques to condition my dogs to do the right thing even if I am not there or in complete control as are many other therapy dogs.Guide dogs just being an example of the latter.Formal training only gives you the ability to control the dog if you issue a command or are there to do so this is not always possible for people with different illnesses and so their dogs must be trained and conditioned in different ways that are not recognised or understood by those that undertake other types of regimented training.
As for not being a good ambassador for my breed the breed club and its committee would most definately disagree,Just because the way a dog is trained does not fall into a way most other people train theuir dogs this does not mean that have not undergone extensive training and conditioning in order to make them mentally stable in all situations and is not just a matter of being LUCKY.Yes I have bioploar and PTSD but my dogs have NEVER in the last 20 years fought amongst each other or against anyone or anything else.I mentioned an incident that happened over 20 years ago which is what led me to the the way I rear my dogs.They mirror my moods allowing me to adjust my medications accordingly.They sense anxiety and panic attacks and know exactly what to do.Not only this I have helped other people with similar illnesses not just by myself but putting them in touch with the experts that helped me in this unique type of training of which I have not seen anyone else that is familiar with different types of therapy dog training on this site ,if there had of been they would know how the dogs have the tolerence they have and realise its not a matter of luck.

Should I have mentioned this before now? I do not think so.

On a positive note I have learnt things from this forum and implemented them as I have shown .

Andrew, the reason that I take issue with some of your posts is that you seem to feel that you have a more intimate or ethereal connection with your dogs than others around you, and it comes across as pompous. You also obviously want to feel that, in some regard, the obedience of your dogs is adequate for your purposes, and for the representation of your breed-of-choice. You have chosen to participate in a forum that is geared toward working dogs, owned by a working dog breeder and supplier, and it seems that you want everyone else to feel that your Neos qualify as working dogs.

Much of what you attribute to your pack's temperament is genetic and inherent, but you repeatedly claim that it is because of your "conditioning". I've had yard dogs in my past that I spent minimal time with that had the same exact temperament. Like you, I have a particularly intimate relationship with my current dog, but I know in my heart of hearts that every dog fanatic on this webboard does, as well. You and I aren't the only ones that have dogs that can read us and anticipate us, and whose temperaments feed off of our own. BTW, your last post is the first post in which you claim that these are service/therapy dogs.

The hard time that you have received about your videos is because the basic obedience of your pack could be improved. There are many people here, some with a lot of experience, all with advice and opinions, that you could benefit from, but you continue to rebut and make excuses. If I saw superior obedience in your dogs, I would be far less likely to challenge your training practices and expertise.

Most of the posters here are dog fanatics and lovers, and put much more effort into managing our lot than casual dog owners do. The tone you take with us makes me feel that you think you're a dog whisperer and you're dealing with a bunch of clueless laypeople. We have a diverse membership with different goals, objectives, and levels of experience. I for one have owned dogs for almost forty years, yet am a relative newcomer to sport training. I came here to learn, even though I feel like an old timer, and I think you could you could learn a thing or two, also.


ETA: an example of my point. In another thread, you mentioned that one of your pack was in a down-stay for over two minutes while you trained another. You emhasized that point, as if it were something that we should be impressed with. Dude, I don't know if you realize it, but almost all of us train our dogs in a long down under distraction. In many sports, mine being schutzhund, the dog has to be downed and left alone for 15-20 minutes while another dog performs on the field. When Jamie posts a video of her playing frisbee with her Mal, her ACD is just a few feet away holding a down. I fear that you have come to the wrong place if you want someone to be impressed.

Edited by Duane Hull (09/18/2013 02:34 PM)
Edit reason: eta

I couldn't really give 2 sh**s if the entire 16 legged drool factory could, on command, don tutus and do pirouettes amongst the Roses of Ainwick Garden, after having regulated Andrew's meds of course.

Too many giant breed dogs for one person to play pack leader in public with. Period.

bi-polar ? . . . PTSD ? . . . yeah , i think you should have mentioned this before .

this board is very tolerant , accepting , and sympathetic . had i known about these conditions prior , i would have viewed the poor grammar , punctuation , bad spelling and run-on sentences much differently .

you've come a ways in your time on these boards and i'd encourage you to re-think your decision to depart .

as far as your dogs and dog training goes : to each his own , and whatever works ( within reason , of course ).

i'll be honest with you , i haven't clicked on any of your links for quite some time because they are just too hard to watch because they didn't show or explain any actual training . i asked you time and again to get someone else to work the camera so we could see what you are doing while the dogs are doing their thing , but it didn't ( hasn't ? ) changed so i wasn't going to contribute to your " views " .

and nothing personal , but i'm not a big fan of that breed , so i don't have any compelling reason to care what you are doing with your dogs other than general interest . dog breed fancy is sorta like being into cars and not motorcycles . . . they both have engines , wheels and travel on the same surfaces , but there is just something different . . .

beyond that , and this is personal , several times i've made inquiries and comments about your methods and have received not even an acknowledgement . to wit , there is a constructive inquiring post from me languishing in your " solving a problem " thread which you have not responded to , yet you have found the time to declare that you are leaving the board .

can i thus then presume i won't be getting a response to either of these posts ?

Good afternoon, Andrew,

It is afternoon here.

http://clearpathforvets.com/programs-and-services/programs/dog-programs/dogs2vets-service-dog-program/

Lots of folks have PTS - I don't include the 'D' because in my weak mind Veteran's have wounds and scars and not disorders. That is a whole other discussion.

Clear Path for Veterans helps vets work with dogs of all kinds. Very impressive and humbling stuff.

Just an FYI.

NO REASON TO LEAVE!

Just because some folks disagree doesn't mean you should bail on us! We all have something to learn from each other.

Stick around.
LOts of us have our own mental stuff......And we would all agree that the dogs help.
So stay with us!

DITTO!!!

We all have unique ways of bonding with our dogs, we can all learn from each other. Please stay.

My apologies to the Neos of the world. I suspect there are a few good ones out there.
My rant was simply frustration at the OP's lack of understanding or unwillingness to listen to honest suggestions with out the "yes but" syndrome.
This board is made up of many different people. Some here to listen and learn. Some here to help those learn. The majority, as I feel I fit into, are here to listen, learn and help but in time those that know and those that don't show themselves and create frustration for those that want to help. That can go only so far.
As to mental or neurological issues, trust me I know and meds can be a wonderful thing. I used to be a crabby, sarcastic, in your face ahole. Now I'm just a nice old granpa......most of the time.

A dear friend of mine and the breeder of my Boerboels had a Neapolitan.

Cleo was a sweet girl, but had horrendous problems with the excessive skin folds, particularly around her eyes, and my friend had to have the vet stitch the skin just so she could see properly.

After the Harry Potter films came out, Neos became in demand, and the 'breeders' - and I use the term loosely - cashed in and bred the poor animals to develop ridiculous, heavy skin folds.

I adore my Boerboels, but with a lot of other mollosser, (sp?) breeds, they have become unrecognizable from the original 'farm dog' that was the blue print a hundred years ago, and bad health among the new - again, loosely - 'breeders' has resulted in obscenely exaggerated heads and bulk that is giving the public what they want, but leaving the dogs with awful joints and skin problems.

Off topic I know, and perhaps your frustration with the comments made hurt Andrew's feelings, but the gigantic, and lumbering Neo of today is a damning indictment of the greed among byb to produce animals that suffer because of the demand for massive and wrinkled dogs that look the part - to some - but cause the dogs considerable discomfort for the sake of fashion, and few of them 'work' , they are purely show dogs.

Tracey, I don't think it's the backyard breeders that created the monsters in ANY breed. Doubtful BYB folks work that hard. It's the show people. If bigger is better then more is magnificent!