I'm good with dogs, but not a miracle worker.

[Kyree]

As some of you know, I quit the deli about a year ago and managed to get a job at a vet clinic. Unfortunately, after a year of working there, they decided I only needed to work 5 hours a week, but still come in for both shifts every day (it was a split shift.) It was not worth the bus money it took to get there and back, so I ended up having to quit the first job I actually loved. But, now I'm on to something I love even more.

I now own my own dog boarding/day care service, as well as foster dogs for a dog rescue. (I work part time at a cafe, 15 hours a week. But it's awesome there as well) I love most of the dogs. Yes, some are a challenge, but for the most part they're great dogs. The owners on the other hand....

I'm not a certified trainer, but I've put my own four dogs through basic and intermediate training, as well as training foster dogs. (Three of my four will be going for their CGC tests this year) I know how to potty train, teach not to chew stuff, and the basic stuff like leash skills, "sit", "stay", "wait", "down", etc. For a couple more dollars a day, I have no problem teaching the dogs these tricks/basic obedience stuff.

I have this couple with four small (10-20lb spaniels) who just...don't get things some times. They're nice people, but wow. The first time they came to stay, their youngest dog was 5 months. They were here for 4 days, right at thanksgiving time. They were very, very disappointed with me when they came back and their 5 month old puppy wasn't perfectly well trained. In four days I had started crate training her, I got her accustomed to the clicker (a training tool), and taught her sit and to wait for me to say okay to eat her food.

What they had expected was her to be 110% potty trained, not to chew anything that was inappropriate, and know all of the basic obedience commands.

This time around, when they dropped their dogs off again for 4 days. Their youngest is now 10 months old. They asked me to do some basic training with her, and I said "Sure, what would you like me to work on with her?"

Their response: "Everything! We have to keep her in a muzzle when we're not home, or when we're asleep because she chews everything up! She's already chewed through two muzzles! When we leave the room, we come back and she has a shoe, or a sock."

Me: "Do you have a crate to put her in while you are gone?"

Them: "No, we put her in the mud room, but every time we come back home she's chewed something up in there! And she does it while we're asleep and home too."

I explained a few ideas of how to keep her from chewing up stuff, but the husband just laughed at me and said they wouldn't work. Funny how the suggestions I gave kept her from chewing anything while she was staying with me.

I have more, better stories to write up. But this one just happened today so it was fresh in my mind.

[Sapphire Silk]

Here's what I heard:

"We don't want to get an ugly crate and have to figure out where in the house to put it, so we'll just stick with the mud room."

[BlaqueKatt]

these people should not own anything more difficult to train than a pet rock....

from what I've been told by various vet techs having a muzzle on a dog for long amounts of time can stress them enough to kill them.
Crating, provided the crate is the proper size for the animal, isn't as bad.
Best is to figure out what the underlying issue is, my dog chewed due to separation anxiety-she just needed some doggie antidepressants.

[Kyree]

Muzzles should only be used while supervised. They can hurt themselves very easily.

The dog has no issues, she's a puppy who was never trained not to chew stuff. They don't have any toys for her to play with or anything, but wonder why she chews up everything

[MoonCat]

These people are morons. A dog is like a toy or an accessory to them. "Make it work with my house and lifestyle!"

[chainedbarista]

dogs get separation anxiety, too, but i doubt they'd understand that either; i wonder if they have children...

[Racket_Man]

taht is what the people who previously owned my dog did ie. kept him in a cage most of the time, did not play with him, did not pay attention to him or interact with him. and they wondered why he peed on the laundry and did destructive things. they were this close (ll) to putting him to sleep.

I on the other hand, have had not problems at all in 7 years (well just a little end of puppy age chewing and a couple of "accidents" on the carpet)

[XCashier]

The people need the training more than the dog does!

[thansal]

I have to admit, I have always felt that we should have licensing for pet ownership.

Want to have a dog? Ok, go through this 2 week course.
Want to have a big dog? Ok, here are some extra classes.
Want to have a cat? Ok, we have a course for that (Do what ever the cat wants you to).
Brids/Lizards/fish/whatever, they don't have to be that in depth, or teach you to be a master trainer, just the things that those of us who have grown up with animals take as common sense.

Hell, I honestly think that basic animal training (as in, training humans to deal with animals) should be taught in High School. The number of stupid things that could be avoided if people just knew how to act around animals is mind boggling.

[tollbaby]

The thing is, training the dog does no good if it goes home and the owners don't know how or what it's been trained on. So it really IS necessary to train the owners as well. I would suggest obedience school for them, so that THEY can have a hand in training their poor dog, so she gets consistent commands no matter where she goes.

[Yarnil]

The dog trainings here in the Netherlands NEED to have the owners there....to learn how to train their own dogs.

[Jay 2K Winger]

Training dogs can be hard, but it can be very rewarding when your dog starts to obey before you even prompt them.

Related-- our new dog, Mocha, is very strong willed, but she's learning that she does not outrank the humans. She likes to play with ice cubes from the freezer, and is known to snatch them from your hand if you're not careful. So last night, when I went to hand her one, I pulled it back sharply when she tried to snatch it, and gave her a sharp little "Hey!" She subsided, tried to snatch again when I went to hand it to her, and repeated the lesson. Third time, she carefully leaned forward and opened her mouth until I put the cube in it, and went "Okay." And she scurried off to have fun with it.

She learned.

[ShadowBall]

My mom's older dog is trained - she's a smart, sweet little pup. She knows the basics: sit, speak, roll over. She can also "dance," which is her begging and waving her front legs. She can crawl on her belly on command, and if I'm giving her a treat, she might nip, so if I tell her, "Easy, don't bite," she'll gently take the treat.

She's a good dog, though. She doesn't chew things she shouldn't and she can be trusted to be out of her cage for hours at a time or when no one's home, and we leave a bag of dog biscuits open for her all the time. She won't eat them all at once - she'll take one or two a day on her own.

Meanwhile, the other dog is an unholy terror. Gotta love that balance.

[Shpepper]

Although my dog is not as well trained as I would like, I have gotten compliments on his behavior from professionals. When he was about 4 months old, he nipped a friend's child. The child was playing in the dog's food bowl while the dog was eating. We immediately stopped that behavior to the point that I fed him from my hand for a few days. We now have a pit staying with us and I can feed both dogs from the same bowl. It just takes time and patience to get things right.

[Captain Trips]

Although my dog is not as well trained as I would like, I have gotten compliments on his behavior from professionals. When he was about 4 months old, he nipped a friend's child. The child was playing in the dog's food bowl while the dog was eating. We immediately stopped that behavior to the point that I fed him from my hand for a few days. We now have a pit staying with us and I can feed both dogs from the same bowl. It just takes time and patience to get things right.

Sounds like it's the child that needs the training. You do NOT mess with the food an animal is eating. Ever. Lions, tigers, bears, or even canis amicus! (The kid was lucky the dog was smart enough to not really bite.)

Anyone seen "The Dog Whisperer?" His biggest issue is that it IS most often the humans that need to be trained in canine psychology. A dog may be a member of your family, but it's still a dog - not a child, not a toy, not what is shown in cartoons. If you just want a furry barking toy, get a furry tape recorder.