The dog musing/vent thread

stardogs

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i'm sure i could email the trial secretary and be put first in the run order. I was signed up to course at another trial a couple of weeks ago with this particular club and had to back out the week before because rhys injured his toe. A refund was discussed back and forth, but i've never gotten confirmation on that. So technically, i say this run is already paid for lol!

If we could get there and run first we would probably only be gone from home for 3 hours, travel time and all. That's nothing if i'm not in labor. And my husband (or dad, if hubby is working) could do everything, handling-wise and physically, as long as i'm there to direct them (neither have been to a trial before).
DO iiiitttttt!
 

StillandSilent

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I feel compelled to post about how much I love my boys. Let me count the ways:
Glitch: He's finally mastered leaping onto my back from behind (Glitch-Dragon!). He's very proud of his trick, and is leaving bruises on my back. So off to the groom room for a dremmeling. Second time he's had it done and he just stood there, happy as a clam and almost falling asleep while his nails were done. Perfect little guy

Gimmick: Not much new with this guy. But God does he redefine sweetness. When I'm stretched out on the futon, he just has to be there next to me, his head on my chest. Right now he's cuddling with the cat, gentle as can be.

Gambit: Ah, coyboy. We had a new person at work today. Gambit has really improved when it comes to meeting new people. He's gone from two weeks of hysterics, to a week, to a day or two, to just giving them the stink eye for a few days before finally slinking over to be touched. What comes so easy to other dogs is so hard for him, and it hurts my heart to see him struggle. All new staff members are briefed on Gambit and to always let him come to them. Today he saw the new girl, walked over and gave her a kiss and let her pet him. :yikes: Never in five years has he been so confident! I almost cried to see him be able to do that. People (both dog and non-dog people, and even trainers) have told me that he will hit a plateau eventualy, but he's proving them wrong. He will never be normal, but he's still making progress.

The cats on the other hand: Well, someone pooped down the drain in the bathtub, requiring both Drano and a dedicated container of Clorox wipes. Dogs definitely win this round.
 

k9krazee

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Today I submitted Pox's Novice through Champion Trick dog titles. hahaha

We shall see what happens! I decided a few weeks ago I wanted to see if I could accomplish everything for the Tdch by the time he was a year old (Oct. 15th) and I'm proud of myself that I finished the video and submitted everything a week before his birthday!
 

Dekka

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Finally back to dog sports after a few years hiatus. Selling my horse is helping with this (though I will miss him... Anyone looking for a TB/Trak cross who will excel in jumping?)

Dekka still runs 'balls to the walls' even though she is 10. She is so happy to be out there again. New handling things to learn since I was last in the ring. Schen is hilarious. He is in an agility class and an obed type class.

Last night was the PLUNGER OF DOOOOOOOOM!! He is quite spooky but with a super fast recovery. Learning the chute was a bit of an issue as he was all 'nope not doing that you crazy people' until I climbed in there with him. After one time and nothing horrible he was happy to go through it again and again.

But not so with the PLUNGER OF DOOOOOOOM! One of the exercises in the Obed (its called intro to sport dog, novice was cancelled due to lack of dogs) is to send your dog out and around a plunger as a post. The instructor let us pick our plungers, I picked a fun blue poka dotted one. Little did I know I had picked the PLUNGER OF DOOOOOOM. I put in on the floor and then asked him to move around it. He freaked out and did his best kite impression on the end of the leash.

So our homework for that class is to shape him to get anywhere near the PLUNGER OF DOOOOOOM. That way he can realize there is no real danger.
 

lancerandrara

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I just bought 50 small pizza boxes for Lancer and Rara's nose work purposes! LOL

I was digging out 4 random shoe boxes from my garage before, but they were just too big and took up too much room.

I'm training Rara at home and Lancer in class.
 

JessLough

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Started working at a boarding kennel. We also do daycare and and lol the dogs get playtime, one at a time.

All I've learned is that I can't stand beagles and weimaraners.

Oh, and that everybody has a dog named Maggie.
 
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So proud of Louis tonight. I have been working so hard with him on heavily rewarding whenever he offers focus during a walk, especially when there is something super exciting around (i.e. other people, dogs, bikers, etc).

He's been doing great, and checking in often while we are out and about.

Tonight I noticed 5 people about 60 feet ahead of us on the walking path, each walking a dog. They all moved off the path onto the grass as we approached, and Louis was interested to see all the dogs, but checked in with me every few steps as we approached.

When we got within about 40 feet one of the dogs started barking, snarling, and lunging at Louis. The owner was clueless, and kept screaming at and smacking the dog. :( It was quite a scene. Louis just walked on by, checking in with me every few steps just like he had been doing, completely relaxed body posture, no reaction to the nutballs not 10 feet away.

If that isn't a test of focus, I don't know what is. And the best part is that I'm not asking for focus, he's offering it. Yeah!!!
 

Grab

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One good thing that's come out of working at a doggie daycare for me is that I've learned all the breeds of dogs I DO NOT WANT. Like beagles, schnauzers, bichons, and pretty much any type of terrier lol.
I work at a vet that offers boarding. I have a list, too, lol.
 

pinkspore

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All I've learned is that I can't stand beagles and weimaraners.

Oh, and that everybody has a dog named Maggie.
Beagles, weimaraners, vizslas, any kind of terrier. We have yet to have a basset hound do anything other than sit in the middle of the yard and howl all day long. Also, every single doodle has a barking problem.

And every dog is named Bella, Lily, Molly, Cooper, or Murphy. Today we had two nearly identical huskies names Luna.
 
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I am laughing out loud at the name list.

OK, I am really curious about why the dogs on your lists are there. I tend to adore terriers, for example, and am interested as to why other wouldn't want to own one, etc. (I can guess, of course :D )
 
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Yep, we've got tons of Bellas, Cocos, and Sams (ugh). Today at work there were four Sams including my own. Two Cocos, and one Bella. This is out of 18 dogs total.

As for why I wouldn't own some of the dogs. I like the terriers for short amounts of time, they're funny but that kind of energy drives me insane. Just way too bouncy and they're usually screaming one way or another. Beagles, just way too food oriented and I can't stand the baying omg. Every bichon that has come in is clingy and constantly whines. All the chis are either fearful or nasty and bite. I know there's exceptions to all these dogs but this is just my experience with them.

The more time I spend around different kinds of dogs the more I realize I am such a herding dog person.
 

Southpaw

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Yeah there are lots of breeds that, after working at a vet clinic, I am like NOPE NOPE NOPE about. lol and 99% of them are breeds that I wasn't interested in anyway so whatever, but yeah. Most of the issues I see are just general stranger danger/uncooperative/bitey dogs, there are definitely breeds that lean towards that and those are the ones I say nope to! Which is actually kind of hilarious because our ACD patients are some of our more aggressive ones and yet here I am with one.... when I first got Sawyer my coworkers were like A CATTLE DOG WHYYYYY. :D It is the one thing that made me hesitant about choosing this breed, though. Sawyer's ultimate goal in life is to be our only ACD patient that doesn't need a muzzle in order to be handled.

I think I would probably hate boxers if I worked at a daycare.
 

pinkspore

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I work at a daycare and I hate boxers. They **** off all the other dogs, especially the other boxers. We have to have a one-boxer-per-playgroup rule. English bulldogs are the same way. Most dogs are delightful when they get to play with a dog of their own breed, it's like they speak each others' language fluently. Boxers and bulldogs...they don't even speak 'dog'.

Beagles just scream all day. Most of the time they don't even appear to be distressed, it's just screamin' time. They don't play with other beagles, but they will happily join them when they start shrieking. We like to describe what sort of day it was at daycare by the number of beagles. "ZOMG it's a five-beagle day, hope you have a short shift!"

I think my list consists of dogs that don't play well with others, and dogs that make absurd amounts of completely unnecessary noise. Terriers don't play well with others. They also laugh and run away when you tell them to stop humping/biting/yapping at other dogs. Most terriery terriers end up having to go play with the big dogs because they're just too much dog for the little guys. Most herding dogs don't play that well with others either, but I can call them off when they decide to be the fun police.
 

lancerandrara

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I was reading through these post and thinking "... English Bulldogs. :I" the entire time, and someone finally mentioned them.

What, I didn't say anything.

I guess I give chihuahuas some credit, because being the smallest dog in the universe + very high ratio of uneducated owners + high chance of being bullied/frightened by another dog or something or other that is larger than them some time in their lives = high chance of seeing fear-based issues or aggression. But that's my observation with many small breeds.
 

Dogdragoness

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There was a sheltie on a flexi at my training place last week ... seriously dog businesses need to outlaw those things. I know they have their uses, I have one myself to take my dog out to the bathroom at night LOL.

I mean they outlaw prongs, and choke chains but not flexi's? :confused:
 

SpringerLover

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I work at a daycare and I hate boxers. They **** off all the other dogs, especially the other boxers. We have to have a one-boxer-per-playgroup rule. English bulldogs are the same way. Most dogs are delightful when they get to play with a dog of their own breed, it's like they speak each others' language fluently. Boxers and bulldogs...they don't even speak 'dog'.
We see a ton of Boxers and Bulldogs at work (because holy genetic nightmare) and they're all just... dopey. My coworker has a boxer who is so dog-stupid we all leave our dogs home when she comes to work (which thankfully isn't often). I want to like them because most are super great with people but... they seem to be missing a few parts.
 

pinkspore

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My coworker got a boxer puppy last year, the rest of us are beginning to suspect that she doesn't really like us. Said puppy has grown into a dog that loves to play, but goes from "intense play" to "full-on attacking" with even the nicest dogs. I'm really surprised they allow him to keep coming to daycare.
 

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