Is that your dog or a car?

[stafinois]

How do you feel about pet owners getting rid of the family dog to trade up to a shiny new "better" model? I guess I will never understand it. We've all seen it on various forums, I'm sure. Pet owner starts out with a lower caliber dog, typically a rescue or BYB model, possibly a pet quality dog from a responsible breeder. Pet owner then gets bitten by the show or performance bug, might even add a "better" dog to the family in the process. Now suddenly, the very loved family dog just isn't good enough. It's too this, or too that, maybe not enough blank. Family dog is now needs to be placed.

I just don't get it. How can somebody love a dog like it is a member of the family for years, and then just decide that it isn't good enough? Every dog that I've ever had has been not enough this, or not enough that, or the wrong blank. But, instead of placing them, they get neutered and stay. They might not be EXACTLY what I was hoping for, but all of them have had their place in the family.

[Saeleofu]

I'm of the opinion that any dog, if trained enough and not ruined first, can be competitive. That's why sports like agility, rally, and obedience exist. You don't need a purebred. You don't need "show quality." After all, the first title in obedience IS called "Companion dog."

I don't understand it either.

[cricketsmygirl]

One time I worked with a dog for a year...it just didn't work and didn't feel right so she was rehomed. She was only 2. HOWEVER when I see people give up dogs that they've had 7-8 years and the reason is allergies or some other stupid reason, that sickens me. I understand things not working out.

[stafinois]

The incident that set off my recent annoyance is a dog that is 7-years-old and has been owned by the person since it was a puppy.

[Saeleofu]

One time I worked with a dog for a year...it just didn't work and didn't feel right so she was rehomed.

That sort of thing I can respect. If you are looking for a dog for a particular purpose, then yeah, you need to be sure that it will actually work out. If I end up training my own SD, I need to be prepared to give up a dog if it doesn't work out, because the fact is most dogs aren't made for service work. If you're looking for a dog to do conformation with and the dog grows taller than the breed standard, you might have to look into rehoming and trying again. But that's not the same as having a dog for years that you've been content with, and then realizing that you want more in a dog and trading it for something "better." My dog will never be a service dog, but I wouldn't trade him for the world. He's my pet, first and foremost.

[mrose_s]

I don't get it either but I don't see it happening very often.
Buster's my first dog, I can't wait to get a second dog because I'd love to be competitive in Obediance and agility.
Buster's a great dog, but between is DA, the fact he's already 7, his HD and the fact that he just doesn't love doing the sort of stuff I'd love him to we'll probably never compete together. I'm okay with that. I told him I'll stop annoying him so much when I get a second dog and he can just be the house pet I think he'd just love to be.

[elegy]

Originally Posted by Saeleofu

I'm of the opinion that any dog, if trained enough and not ruined first, can be competitive. That's why sports like agility, rally, and obedience exist. You don't need a purebred. You don't need "show quality." After all, the first title in obedience IS called "Companion dog."

hmmm. i don't think mushroom is either ruined or not trained enough, but the one time i trialed him he was miserable. unhappy, stressed, wild because he stresses up instead of down. we NQ'd and i was upset initially with him but later on with myself for having asked it of him when he was obviously so upset before we ever got in the ring. he's never been a dog who handles pressure or stress well, and i knew that. but i put my own needs before his.

so now his purpose in life is to hold down my couch, hog the bed, jump some agility jumps in the backyard, play a little backyard or show-n-go rally here and there, and be a good pet dog. i wouldn't trade him for the world, although my crashing and burning with him was what sparked my decision to get steve the sporter collie.

luce's sports career is limited by a pair of bum knees. we're grooving in rally, but it's a tremendous disappointment that we'll never go as far as i had hoped, and that we lost two years to injury, surgery, rehab, injury, surgery, rehab, reinjury, rehab. but trade her? oh no not ever. she is my heart.

my dogs, first and foremost, are my companions. period. one does not trade up companions because they don't measure up in other arenas.

[corgipower]

Originally Posted by Saeleofu

I'm of the opinion that any dog, if trained enough and not ruined first, can be competitive. That's why sports like agility, rally, and obedience exist. You don't need a purebred. You don't need "show quality." After all, the first title in obedience IS called "Companion dog."

I don't understand it either.

That kinda depends on your definition of "competitive". Low level competitions, trialing for fun, yea, almost any dog can get out there and heel or jump. To be truly competitive does take a specific kind of dog and more than that - a special dog and handler relationship. Was Ares competitive? Absolutely. Would he have been competitive with a different owner? Not necessarily. There are some great competition dogs on Chaz that I would probably fail miserably with in trials. Not every dog can be an OTCh or a MACh or go to nationals.

Originally Posted by stafinois

The incident that set off my recent annoyance is a dog that is 7-years-old and has been owned by the person since it was a puppy.

I rehomed my GSDs because they weren't suitable for me and my goals. Nice dogs, but we just didn't click. Basically "traded up" for malinois. Much better match for me. But the shepherds were two years old. I'd given them 2 years of training and trying, and when I got Tyr, at 4 months old he blew me away.

If a dog is with me for seven years, he's got a home with me for life. By then we're bonded whether he can compete or not.

[Saeleofu]

That kinda depends on your definition of "competitive". Low level competitions, trialing for fun, yea, almost any dog can get out there and heel or jump. To be truly competitive does take a specific kind of dog and more than that - a special dog and handler relationship. Was Ares competitive? Absolutely. Would he have been competitive with a different owner? Not necessarily. There are some great competition dogs on Chaz that I would probably fail miserably with in trials. Not every dog can be an OTCh or a MACh or go to nationals.

That is a good point, and admittedly I was not clear. By competitive I do mean low level competitions; if you're just starting out in the show world, that's where you begin anyway. Use your dog to learn.

Mt definition of "ruined" probably isn't as harsh as people might assume, too. If you dog is injured to where it can't compete, I consider that "ruined" in this case because it cannot compete. Is it still a great dog and a wonderful companion? Of course. It's show careeer is over, that's all.

[corgipower]

Originally Posted by elegy

my dogs, first and foremost, are my companions. period. one does not trade up companions because they don't measure up in other arenas.

Yea...and I should add that I didn't rehome my GSDs because they weren't competitive, but rather because they had become a chore instead of companions. Morgan wasn't competitive, Tyr might never make it to competitions, Ares had to be retired prematurely with injuries. But they're here for life.