Im doing some research for an article.
Over the last 5 years we added 3 rehomed dogs to our home. We had one cat and a field trial bred lab now our meat hunter. I thought I knew a lot about training but over the last 5 years I’ve had to retrain myself and each dog has made me question all I knew and search for new answers.
http://alaskadognews.com/images/molly.jpg
The rescued lab Molly caused me to throw out all most all I knew about force fetch. Probably broken by a bad retriever trainer we’ve had to rebuild retrieving desire. I discovered her avoidance to retrieve on land did not mean she would not retrieve enthusiastically in the water jumping a consistent 20 ft in DockDogs.
http://alaskadognews.com/images/Daisy-9-10-07-web.jpg
The Great Dane/Greyhound (?) was a year old when she wandered into our yard 40 miles from the closest town. She had an ID chip and had been in the Anchorage Shelter 3 times before she was 1 yr old. Very little of what I had learned training field trial dogs applied. We are in obedience classes to help me move with the 3 ft tall dog.
http://alaskadognews.com/images/Morgan%20dec%2008%20-004.jpg
Morgan- a Saluki X Pointer/Husky 4 years old, spent his life in a sprint sled dog racing kennel running loose with wild pups and seems to require another kind of approach. He had basic obedience but had not fit into the team. He is fixated on me with an unbreakable stare. Food nor toys motivate him if he does not want to do something. So, more to learn, we start obedience classes soon. I have found some Saluki owners who help explain some of his mannerisms and motivations. He is a hilarous dog to live with.

I've lost most of my interest in having a competion dog. I never knew how fun companion dogs could be. Never thought I'd have a dog that did not have a glowing pedigree either.

Have you had a dog that drastically changed the way you train or your life?




http://www.alaskadognews.com

Edited by Connie Sutherland (09/17/2009 07:05 PM)
Edit reason: change images to links

Every dog requires something different.

You learn with every dog.

The good trainers, professional or otherwise are the ones who are always willing to learn / consider different things. The ones who can adapt their approach to deal with every dog.

Yote has totally changed the way I care for, train, deal with and think about my dogs.

My other dogs have been exceedingly simple to teach basic manners to, they cared what I wanted from them and life was pretty darn good. They each had their own personalities and needs but they weren't difficult.
Then I got the cutest bundle of challenge I have ever seen.
Willful, stubborn, incredibly affectionate and loving, aloof with new people but head over heels for people he likes. Did I mention willful and stubborn LOL.

I had to learn to use a crate, and a prong collar and to be tough and dominant and really pay attention to pack structure issues. I truly feel like if I make it with this dog I am capable of training and living with just about any dog.

Oh boy.....having Fetz changed my life *a lot*.

I've changed my lifestyle and training habits to control him and his off the charts drive level.
I've learned to always think in advance in situations and to always be aware of my environment, to watch out for those little things that he will thinks needs taking care of in the terminal Fetz fashion - and prevent it from happening.

My dog provides me with unparalleled security , but that comes at a cost, and I've definitely had to make changes to my life for that benefit.

I don't think I do anything the same way I did 6yrs ago when my Rott was a puppy. Not because of either one of the new dogs in particular, but because I've learned quite a bit more.

I've changed methods and ideals over the years as new and better information has become available, and I've really enjoyed the learning process. Each of my dogs has been so different that the approach to training has always had to shift to meet individual needs.

My two most difficult dogs have taught me the most by far though. They are the ones that forced me to think, and held me accountable when I failed to do so. I am pretty grateful for it too.

My two boy dogs completely changed the way I train and think about dogs. Booker was my first dog I got as an adult. He introduced me to the powers of association in dog training. Introduced me to the greater dog world so to speak and the different ways of thinking about it. He was my beginning because before that I was of the old school thought of force in training.

Bodie is by far the genetically worst dog I could have ever acquired. He's absolutely beautiful to look at and intelligent but a bundle of poor temperament and anxiety. I have learned more from trying to train his little trainwreck of a mind than I have from any other dog. He moved me to marker training, hands off training entirely, and altered the way I will forever raise pups and what my standards will be for breeding dogs.

I have a third dog name Willow who is my first hunting dog. I'm trying to extract some lesson for myself out of her but nothing comes to mind just yet.

The dog that has totally changed my view of training is my dog Cody, a Jack Russell mix. He is full of energy and his every move is done with an attitude that speed is the only way to do anything. I have tried everything in trying to train him to heel, he gets the concept just doesn't see the need for it. Any kind of restraining of him only hypes him up farther and makes him even more hyper. I've had to get a treadmill just for him and he loves it. He is highly intelligent, very loving, and his whole attitude is based on, what are we going to do now?! So, I have had to learn how to keep him busy and structured or he invents his own plans.
He longs to please me and is very sensitive. Loves children, and his other two pack members, loves to travel and camp.
This is the first dog I have had to expend so much energy into just to keep him on an even keel. But I think I love him the best of all my dogs, because he is ready and willing to go! Hoping to get him involved in back yard agility. We had to block off our steps to the grand kids slide, he will crawl up it himself and go down the slide, one time he tried to jump off the top of the playground equipment!
Each dog I get teaches me something about myself, usually that I need to slow down and have more patience and listen to what they are trying to tell me. And I learn more about dogs in general. I really enjoy them!

Thanks for your thoughtful replys.

From another perspective, I train 6 new dogs and handlers at a time. I only do one venue, but they may be different breeds in the class. A drug class for example; 10 weeks, 6 dogs/handlers. there may well be a combination of Labs, GSD's and Mals. Each dog is different but the principles of training are really pretty much the same. It's not rocket science, regardless of what some may want to believe.

DFrost