I am so proud of my dogs.

[imported_Cassie]

Some times I take my dogs good behavior so much for granted that a reality check is in order every once in awhile. :lol: :wink:
As most people know I found my Dobie mix Beau running at large (he had been for quite some time and living of discarded food from a local gas station). My Rottie Athena was left tied in a back yard while her owner was in jail and a couple of drunks down the road dropped off an open bag of dog food every once in awhile. My Newf's were all kennel dogs and never lived in a house before I took them in...done with the history. :lol:

Any way, when it rains or its a miserable day I leave Beau & Athena loose in my house, The Newf's are fine in my fenced in yard (I have a baby barn I insultated and made into a huge dog house). Since day one, neither Beau or Athena have never gotten into my garbage, never suffered from seperation aniexity, never wrecked any thing etc. I just took this for granted.
Well, this weekend I was looking after my friends kennel and home. I brought all of my dogs. My Newf's I put back with my friends Newf's as my Newf's were born here and spent the 1st part of thier lives here so they are used to it. Beau & Athena are of course my presious little darlings who do not appreciate the kennel at all :lol: it was raining on Friday night and I had an appointment I had to keep. My friend doesnt mind Beau & Athena in her home...so I put some boxes down on her leather couch and chair and put some doggy beds down for Beau & Athena and went out...they had the run of my friends house. I never even thought about it until I was on my way back...I started having flashes of the house being torn apart as this is not my dogs home. I pulled into the drive way and ran into the house to find Beau and Athena curled up together sleeping :wink:
I guess we never appreciate the good behavior our dogs can display. I guess it makes it extra special from the back grounds of these 2 dogs to see the wonderful behavior they have developed and how calm and trusting they are.
I am back home now with all of my crew. They are always happy to be back in their own home.

[courtnek]

GOOD DOGS!! TREATS ALL AROUND!!

:lol:

[Canis erectus]

LOL :lol: It sounds like they've spoiled you!

[imported_Cassie]

Do you think they are saving all their badness up for one big caper?

Mei-Mei wrote
Could it be that they are leading me like a lamb to the kill :o :lol:

I have had many multie dog homes, I really feel blessed that I have never owned a problem dog...oh, except one :oops:
Hillside will not like to hear this :lol: I was doggy sitting for a breeder friend of mine who breeds Dalmations. Like every other breeder I know they sneak one of their dogs into your home hoping that you will fall in love and keep the dog :wink: any way, the first week I had him he demolished my sofa, chewed apart my coffee table my brother had made me, tore every page out of my books etc. When I came home my Dobie, Great Pyrenees, Husky/shepherd mix and 2 Newfoundland dogs were sitting on the opposite side of the living room from the Dalmation...looking at him in horror :o the dalmation had the biggest grin on his devious little face and had appartently enjoyed himself immensely :lol: My other dogs always knew he was a bad seed :wink: I waited for my breeder friend to call me to ask for Hogan back, she called but asked I meet her at a dog show with hogan. When I got there he proceeded to pee on my leg, be his annoying hyper self and then take best in show. The breeder sold him to another kennel that day in the States for $10,000.00. I could never understand what was going through that persons head :-? but, as with most show dogs he probably lived the remainder of his life in a kennel and never given the opportunity to tear the new owners sofa apart. I wasn't about to match the price they offered though :lol:

I think its the little things we do which can help our dogs settle in properly to their homes. I have never made a big deal about leaving the house, I have my dogs into a ritual...when I am leaving they know its their cue to sit beside the deep freeze for their raw meaty bone. Perhaps they look forward to my leaving :(

[courtnek]

forgive me Hillside, but I have always heard that Dals are hard to train and housebreak. I've been meaning to ask if this was true. this seemed the opportune moment...

:oops: :oops: :oops:

[mouseatthebusstop]

but, as with most show dogs he probably lived the remainder of his life in a kennel

Dals are very bouncy hyperactive dogs
but I strongly disagree that show dogs are kept in kennels the ones I know are spoilt rotten

[Queen Bitch]

Are you possibly talking about a DalmatiAn Cassie, because I've never heard of a DalmatiOn.

And you are right, I don't like hearing that someone never spent enough time with thier dog to properly train it. Or did not know it's behaviour well enough to caution somebody about it.

Court, when we got our first Dal, Phyllis, I taught her to beg in about a month's time. It sounds like a lot of time so let me explain. I was probably around 12 or 13 at the time and she lived at my father's house. I only saw her on weekends and we would only have one maybe two "training sessions" a week. The training sessions consisted of me grabbing her front paws when she was sitting, putting her into a beg position, saying "beg" and giving her a treat. Only once each time. So only perhaps 10 times did I do this in a months time and most of the time the sessions were seperated by a week. On Thanksgiving, which was the end of the month period, she waltzed right up to the person sitting at the head of the table and begged perfectly. She learned a couple hand signals after only a couple reps.

Our second Dal, Simon, was kind of a big old moose, but, even though he had lived outside his whole life before we got him, he learned very quickly to not relieve himself in the house. I nver tried to teach him anything beyond the basics, which he learned easily, because he wasn't with us very long. :cry:

Our last Dal, Ivan, (and keep in mind, all of these dogs were from different origins.) was totally housebroken within about 2 weeks time, despite my dad's long work hours. ( generally 12 hour days, yeah I know not the best situation but......) He did destroy some things, but learned by about 6 or 7 months ( with the help if the crate) not to. He tried to teach himself to beg, after watching Phyllis at about 6 months old. Poor big lug just tipped right over. He learned the basics very quickly once we found out what motivated him ( baby carrots).

Dals really aren't hard to train, once you find what motivates them ( like just about any other breed) but many people expect them to be Labs with different coats or "like the movie dogs" and they don't realize that they are dogs that were bred to run 25 miles a day and that they need a physical outlet or they get bored. How I wish those movies had NEVER come out. It did a bunch of damage. Many people who shouldn't have had a Dal in the first place got them and those people helped ruin the breed's reputation.

[imported_Cassie]

Are you possibly talking about a DalmatiAn Cassie, because I've never heard of a DalmatiOn.

I was in a hurry and yes I did not spell Dalmatian properly. When I am in a hurry typing or when I get to a ""ti" it comes so naturally to put the "O" in there with out thinking about it. I also am not the best speller in the world. :oops:

First off,all of the purebreds I have taken in have been KENNEL dogs all of their life prior to my taking them in. The adjustment from kennel life to home life has always been a little rocky...but, they have adjusted.

I only spent two weeks with hogan before he was placed with another kennel...I was only "petsitting" so obviously I did not have the "time" or motivation to train him. I didn't know that my friend was trying to "place" him with me...I will say though that although he had been a kennel dog for the first 2 years of his life, he did not have any "house breaking accidents" inside my home...yes, he peed on my leg at the show...but, I've had a few males do that especially since there are too many rude people who bring their bitches in full season to the shows.
I have many friends with Dal's and they do wonderful with thier Dal's and we also have many which come in for boarding which are sweet wonderful dogs. It's a whole different story when you can put the time into training a dog which I did not have to dedicate to hogan....plus, I didn't think I would have him any longer than 2 days at the most.
All of my other dogs,even my 2 intact male Newf's were housebroken on day one. With all of my dogs I have put alot of work into them, they did not just "come" as the wonderful dogs they now are. You take a dog which was abandoned and starving which was "digging" through garbage cans to survive and bring it into your home and have it become a wonderful house dog. Beau makes me very proud, so does Athena my poor little Rottie who was left tied in a back yard. She adjusted to home life in 2 minutes :lol:
I am very proud of all of my dogs, and I have had many many wonderful dogs over the years. Some which had been problem dogs in other homes and became my "best" dogs.

but I strongly disagree that show dogs are kept in kennels the ones I know are spoilt rotten

Mouse, I should have been a little more clear on this one. I should have specified that " like most show dogs "I know" they will end up living the remainder of their life in a kennel. I should not have implied that "all" show dogs end up in kennels for the remainder of their life :wink: I have 4 show dogs which lead a wonderful home life :wink: and there are alot of people with only 2-5 dogs which they keep in their home.