Work/Dog Issues

[Irulan]

I'm not sure why anyone thinks that an animal that makes someone uncomfortable in any work place but a vet office should be tolerated.

[NbyNW]

I've heard from a trainer "you get the dog you deserve". Unfortunately that dog has not gotten the person he or she deserved. I'm not sure whose job it is to teach the owner positive training methods, to work towards behavior she wants instead of punishing away from unwanted actions.

Amen, Trek.

[Trek420]

Treat me kindly, my beloved master, for no heart in all the world is more grateful for kindness than the loving heart of me.

Do not break my spirit with a stick, for though I should lick your hand between the blows, your patience and understanding will more quickly teach me the things you would have me do.

Speak to me often, for your voice is the world's sweetest music, as you must know by the fierce wagging of my tail when your footstep falls upon my waiting ear.

..... author --Beth Norman Harris

And if this doesn't work for her do you want me to come over there with my boken (Japanese solid oak practice sword) and periodically for no apparent reason entirely randomly whack her with a stick to see if that's a way she likes to learn? this said as always in the spirit of loving, kindness, protecting all things, supportive, friendly, jovial and peaceful, friendly, non-violent to all which is both Aikido and TE

[TREKSTRONG]

Treat me kindly, my beloved master, for no heart in all the world is more grateful for kindness than the loving heart of me.

Do not break my spirit with a stick, for though I should lick your hand between the blows, your patience and understanding will more quickly teach me the things you would have me do.

Speak to me often, for your voice is the world's sweetest music, as you must know by the fierce wagging of my tail when your footstep falls upon my waiting ear.

..... author --Beth Norman Harris

And if this doesn't work for her do you want me to come over there with my boken (Japanese solid oak practice sword) and periodically for no apparent reason entirely randomly whack her with a stick to see if that's a way she likes to learn? this said as always in the spirit of loving, kindness, protecting all things, supportive, friendly, jovial and peaceful, friendly, non-violent to all which is both Aikido and TE

Bravo!!! T420!!! Your insight is key here ... now that's what I'm talking about!
Thanks for sharing the poem by Beth Norman Harris, boy I sure can't keep my eyes dry in this chat room. That poem is beautiful and depicts exactly how I think our little furry friends see us.

I truly believe with every ounce of my being that animals are just as intelligent as we are, they just communicate differently and probably try to tell us things all the time but we're just not 'tuned' in to them.

If you treat an 'animal' like an 'animal' or as if they have no intelligence whatsoever, then you will get unintelligible behavior back. If you treat an animal like a living intelligent mammal that can be taught to understand what you are trying to communicate to them, then with patience you will get back an intelligent animal that with time will amaze you with what it knows and feels about you. Yes, I think animals have feelings ... no actually I KNOW they have feelings. My dog is a living example of that.

[Trek420]

Bravo!!! T420!!! Your insight is key here ... now that's what I'm talking about!

There are folks on this board who are true experts with dogs. I just have one.

I adopted a large, lab-mix dog (she's my profile pic ). Like many new owners I took her to obedience class, they gave up on her, took her to another class, same thing, found a dog walker/trainer .... same thing.

So we set out mostly on our own.

We made sure it's been fun on both ends of the leash. I work constantly on her behaviors. Yes, she still has "issues" but she's a different dog than I adopted and we've both learned a lot.

[TREKSTRONG]

There are folks on this board who are true experts with dogs. I just have one.

I adopted a large, lab-mix dog (she's my profile pic ). Like many new owners I took her to obedience class, they gave up on her, took her to another class, same thing, found a dog walker/trainer .... same thing.

So we set out mostly on our own.

We made sure it's been fun on both ends of the leash. I work constantly on her behaviors. Yes, she still has "issues" but she's a different dog than I adopted and we've both learned a lot.

T420 ... you are also a 'true' expert. I know that with tender loving care and patience that your dog can be just as obedient as any other dog. You are the expert of your dog because you know your dog better than anyone else. Your dog just needs rehabilitation. I have many times in the past been told by friends and family that I am a 'very good' dog trainer. But I see it differently, I am just very observant and patient.

My approach has always been very similar to Cesar Milan from the 'Dog Whisperer' on the National Geographic channel. ANY dog can be rehabilitated and if not then there's something else going on.

It was really sad when I saw one of his shows where he couldn't figure out why a dog would not eat. The owners thought the dog was just a picky eater. Later found out that the dog had leukemia and soon died not long after.

Thank you for saving her (your dog), she's under all those layers of an uncertain past just waiting to break free.