# I am a failure



## Celt (Dec 27, 2010)

as a little dog owner.:doh: Had some family visiting, one of whom brought it to my attention just how poorly I've trained my boys.I know that there are a few things that I just didn't bother with. They haven't been taught to heel, but do walk nicely on a leash. So when they brought up the fact they don't stay "in position" it was no problem, but then they were warned not leave their plates down. This got me the smirky looks and the comment "oh, didn't teach them that either?"
You see all of the other pups have been taught that if a plate is left down not to touch it even if you left the room (no matter how long it was left). These guys, we pick things up or keep an "eye" on it. We can't leave the doors open because Scotty still hasn't learned not to go out without permission. Everyone else got it by the time they were 2. He'll wait a bit (maybe a couple of minutes or so), then he'll head out, same with not barking his fool head off. Being picky eaters is a bit embarrassing too. Not being able to tough love due to health issues really messes things up. Then add in that they're "treat" focused, responding more "rapidly" if they know there's a treat available <sigh> All this points to the fact that I've fallen under the "small dog owner" trap of not expecting the same behavior as I would of "larger" dogs. 
So, I figure I need to get my head back where it needs to be and focus on getting these guys "up to par".


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

Well, I'm guilty of the same thing. The idea of Snorkels waiting half a second if a plate of food is put on the floor is laughable. She goes out the door whenever she wants to, and if she ever heard the words "sit" or "heel" she's sure not letting on.

I am really not too apologetic. She doesn't bother people. She's not barky. She pretty much only barks when it's suppertime. And the way she does it is so hilarious I wouldn't dream of stopping it. 

She can't run fast so she doesn't even walk on a leash. If she's an irritant, we pick her up and put her someplace else. Can't do that with a big dog.

I dunno. I am not fond of yappy little dogs but then again, size does seem to dictate some sort of a double standard. Little dogs are still dogs and if Snorkels was young she'd definitely be obedienced trained but I wouldn't dream of asking her to do the stuff that I ask of Rebel at her age and with her background. She is way above doing stuff so mundane as "sit."

The plate thing, i wish I could teach her that. I think that might be a safety issue - someone could set down a bowl of grapes or something. When we have company my biggest stressor is that someone will put down a purse with food or leave something out that she can get to. Because until you actually see her in action, it's really hard to believe the lengths she will go to in order to gain access to what she shouldn't be eating.

But I'm not even going to try it. She gets highly upset with even the most positive of training. And stopping her from eating anything she can get to would in no way be close to a positive experience for her. 

So I figure - if someone tells me I should train my dog to not eat food they put on the floor, I will tell them it's my house and I'll train (or not) my dogs any way I want. Politely, of course. As they are usually my relatives


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## ciaBrysh (Dec 16, 2011)

Don't let anybody make you feel pressured about how your dogs are trained!
Remember, no dog is perfect and each dog learns at different stages 
So no worries, once you buckle down and get the dogs how you want them they will follow suit =)


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## chowder (Sep 7, 2008)

Why would someone put a plate down on the floor in a house that was full of dogs? Or for that matter, in any house..... you have FEET down there (and dust bunnies in my house!) Tell your relatives that it's your dog and it can do whatever you let it do in your house. 

I could probably train Shade to leave a plate of human food alone on the floor with enough effort, but I think his poor head would probably explode! This morning I made him sit for his bowl of food and forgot to tell him 'okay' and started to walk away. The poor boy sat there quivering, just staring at that bowl because I didn't tell him it was okay to eat it ! Luckily it was only for a second because I swear I saw smoke coming from his ears and drool pouring from his mouth.


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## CorgiPaws (Mar 31, 2009)

You know what, if YOU'RE happy with your dogs, and they are enjoyable for YOU to live with, who cares what anyone else thinks?
Jon and Natalie's dogs put mine to shame. Seriously, I avoid bringing my pack there because they're not as good as their pack. There, I said it.
I have a few things that to me are important. And it's all for their *safety*. 
Wait.
Drop It. 
Leave It.
Recall. 
Potty Training.
Leash Manners. (I don't really give a rat's a** about heel. If they're on leash, and not pulling, I'm a happy camper, really. 
We make a fun game of "touch" but really only to aid in recall. 


My dogs will run out the front door. But won't leave the property. Good enough for me! 
They beg. But from a distance. Good enough for me!
They sometimes have to be pushed off the furniture. "Off" is not always a success. Good enough for me!
"out" (kitchen) means, 'stand in the doorway and stare longingly at whatever I'm making. Good enough for me! I ws pretty impressed that they ALL do this and do it well, until I learned that when other people say out, their dogs actully leave the kitchen, go in the next room and settle on their beds. (Natalie- you're a freaking awesome trainer, by the way!!) And I thought, for a moment, "Oh man, I want to train mine to!" But they never will. You know why? I talk to them while I cook. I toss them treats. They stand in the doorway, they get treats! And I wouldn't change it. I like the company. 

You know who my easiest, best behaved, dream dog is? Braxton. Hands down- non destructive, not vocal, gentile, sweet, great with other dogs, kids, cats, strangers. Walks well on a leash. Patient. He also knows the least commands of all my pack. In fact, I'm lucky if he sits the first time. I don't care. He's my boy, and he's a dream to live with. I don't care if he's sitting, standing, or upside down, he's always being good! 

My point is: if you're satisfied with them, if you enjoy living with them, if it doesn't bother you that they might not be "perfect" _AS LONG AS THEY ARE NOT IMPOSING ON OTHERS IN PUBLIC_then to heck with it. Enjoy your dogs!


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## MollyWoppy (Mar 19, 2010)

I'd tell them to go $crew themselves, or something similar. If you are happy with your pup's, and it sounds like you are, then it's no body elses business, who's to tell you what your dogs should and should not be doing?


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## IslandPaws4Raw (Sep 7, 2011)

Don't beat yourself up over someone else's self righteous "idea" of dog training. As everyone else has said already.... they are your dogs, and as long as you are happy with their level of training who cares what they think. Shoot leaving food around within reach is just setting the poor dogs up for failure. 

My dogs are a great example with my standards vs. most other people. I love for my dogs (Kai) to climb all over me when I get home, I do understand that this is not a socially acceptable behavior. So I am begrudgingly trying to break her of this habit, especially now that I have three I'm working towards a calmer greeting ritual.

Sometimes it does take someone else coming into the home to realize that there is always room for improvement, but hey I don't want or need a robot dog that has no cute or eccentric personality quirks


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## Scarlett_O' (May 19, 2011)

CorgiPaws said:


> You know what, if YOU'RE happy with your dogs, and they are enjoyable for YOU to live with, who cares what anyone else thinks?
> Jon and Natalie's dogs put mine to shame. Seriously, I avoid bringing my pack there because they're not as good as their pack. There, I said it.
> I have a few things that to me are important. And it's all for their *safety*.
> Wait.
> ...


I TOTALLY feel the same way as Linsey!

Her top are also EXACTLY my top, along with Enough, meaning "shut your trap Mommi is trying to talk/listen/think/etc"!:wink: The main time that this comes in is NOT when they are barking, its when Brody is "talking" because he is bored!:tongue:

But ya, like everyone else said, if you are happy with your dogs, and they are trained enough, safety wise, then dont let ANYONE tell you that isnt good enough!:biggrin:

My boys are, well I think they are GREAT, but when Ive met some people who's Pug doesnt go CRAZY with excitement every time someone comes into a room I HAVE gotten a wee bit jealous, but then I just have to remember that they are who I have "made" (trained) them to be...and I am EXTREMELY happy with that!:nod:


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

Sometimes training can backfire. Rebel won't eat food if I tell him not to, but he will stand there and drool and drool and drool until I have to mop the floor or wash the rug. 

easier to just not put the food down and not torture the poor dog.


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## CorgiPaws (Mar 31, 2009)

xellil said:


> Sometimes training can backfire. Rebel won't eat food if I tell him not to, but he will stand there and drool and drool and drool until I have to mop the floor or wash the rug.
> 
> easier to just not put the food down and not torture the poor dog.


Champ was like that, wouldn't eat anything without "go ahead" first. 
In Vegas, I put his food down, then went, showered, got ready for the day, checked my email... almost an hour and a half later, I came back downstairs to find a puddle of drool, and champ staring intently at his food. I felt so bad. Poor good dog!


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## Celt (Dec 27, 2010)

On the plate thing, I meant left down on the coffee/side tables not the floor. In our house, the "elderlies" get away with pretty much anything. Dal, our Old Man, "forgot" what sit, down, heck most commands meant and didn't get in "trouble" for it.
I think what made the comments "hit home" is because before these 2 all of our dogs were trained to these behaviors.If we were out the dogs were in the heel position until released. The kids could leave their snacks, go to do something, forget their snack, come back and the snack would still be there. The heel thing, quite frankly, just don't want to put the "effort" into teaching, I'm happyish in how they walk on leash. Being treat focused does kinda embarras me, never did "treat training" til these guys, always believed a dog should do what they're trained to do for no other reason than that they were told to do it. 
Scotty will learn to not go out a door, we have too many visiting "teenagers" that leave the door open or not fully closed for it to be safe. The barking will have to stop too, simply cause it drives me batty (this is a "new" habit of his, picked it up from his yappy "cousin").


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## chowder (Sep 7, 2008)

Ah... I can see the end table situation. We had to break Shade of that habit and I still don't trust him 100% if something particularly yummy is left on a coffee table. I mean really, if you leave a plate of cheese and sausage right on the coffee table at nose level and walk out of the room, you're asking an awful lot out of any dog. 

I don't ask any of my dogs to heel. We take long walks on country roads and I let them wander all over at the end of long leashes. I suppose if we were in a city I might be more concerned with that one but I'd rather they get the exercise with the wandering around. 

Barking I will have to agree with. My MIL has yappy poodles that bark non-stop and I really can't tolerate dogs that bark nonstop for no reason. Mine get to bark an alarm if there is a reason but then they have to shut up once I check for burglars. "hush" is a command that I teach them real young!


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

i knew braxton was the 'good' one LOL....'course, we'll have to see about the griffin kid...

my dogs are not the most disciplined dogs...they are threatened with the pound or the pug rescue daily, if not more.

don't you be listening to others tell you how poorly you train your dogs.....

we do the minimum amount of training...and i'm quite sure others would say the same about our dogs...well, except malia...she's always been miss perfect....

but they both get on the treadmill without problem, they walk looseleashed most of the time, they don't pee or poo in the house and they bark appropriately...they are love dogs...and i won't ask much more of them. they sit before their meal. they beg until i tell them not to....

bubba? he's too damaged to try to get the best out of him...i think it was beaten out long ago. but he tries to please...he just has poor impulse control.....

and i would never leave dishes down with food...i don't care how well the dog is trained....

you never know when a dog is going to break training....

just love your guys, enjoy them for the time you have and don't worry about what others say. they probably bash kids too.


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## KittyKat (Feb 11, 2011)

Piper is pretty well trained.... but food is an odd thing with her. If i'm around, she won't touch anything on the tables. If i'm not around... she feels the need to stick her tongue out and taste is, and then slink away. I caught her licking a bun the other day and she had guilt all over her face. Sort of a "THE BUN FELL INTO MY FACE HONEST I DID NOTHING WRONG I WAS JUST TRYING TO PUSH IT BACK ONTO THE PLATE!!!" It's not something i freak over though. When I eat dinner she sits on her "place" (her cushion) and doesn't beg. It just seems to be a "when she's alone with the food" sort of thing. She won't eat it... just has to touch it with her tongue. Odd.


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## wags (Jan 31, 2009)

Saying I am a failure is not an option when dealing with cute little pups! Your not a failure and neither are your dogs! They are just being doggy's! We have our island in finally in the kitchen and roxi the chocolate lab has found out she can put her paws on their and sniff around ummm then she decides she can steal a piece of pizza that's sitting there! Yep them dogs are real nasty! (JK) She is learning that that's not acceptable now! But heck dogs are dogs they counter surf if the foods at eye level well then your just teasing the poor doggy's! They can't wait to get their little paws on the yummy smelling food! I watched Gordon the other day ( yes I was horrified, well surprised I was) he smelled the sausage that one of my kids left on the table so he as I watched him put his paws first politely on the chair then he went with his little cute paws yep right on the table and his nose was all over sniffing around " Hey guys ummm I can't reach this sausage here. Can someone like push it over to me or at least help me out here" so yep, I admit them dogs are nasty! (JK) Ok so I love my dogs but this getting on the table happens and the crumbs on the floor get cleaned up not by my mop or broom but by dog tongue! As for being a failure NO YOU ARE NOT! Your a doggy lover ,just like the rest of us, and we all deal with the little impish creatures we love so dearly! Things all fall into place! Your house, your rules! Oh and yes I am working on this counter surfing and the table manners here! Those nasty dogs (JK)


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

I left a piece of cooked pork chop in a plate yesterday on the counter and forgot about it - I came in here because I am frittering away all my time on the internet and when I went back to the kitchen Rebel was standing there with his nose about an atom's length away from the meat. 

I have no idea how long he was standing there, whether he was deciding to eat and run, or whether he was just enjoying the aroma. The times I REALLY need a photo i can never get one.


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

KittyKat said:


> Piper is pretty well trained.... but food is an odd thing with her. If i'm around, she won't touch anything on the tables. If i'm not around... she feels the need to stick her tongue out and taste is, and then slink away. I caught her licking a bun the other day and she had guilt all over her face. Sort of a "THE BUN FELL INTO MY FACE HONEST I DID NOTHING WRONG I WAS JUST TRYING TO PUSH IT BACK ONTO THE PLATE!!!" It's not something i freak over though. When I eat dinner she sits on her "place" (her cushion) and doesn't beg. It just seems to be a "when she's alone with the food" sort of thing. She won't eat it... just has to touch it with her tongue. Odd.


I think we all have our tolerance levels! I know a perfectly trained dog would ignore me when I have food, and a perfect owner wouldn't let him sit there and drool. 

I thank goodness Snorkels is very short. She can open up all our low cabinets and chew through cereal boxes. And she doesn't mind us at all. She has absolutely no inhibitions about eating anything and everything. If she were taller or could open the fridge, we'd have to have padlocks on everything.


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## xchairity_casex (Oct 8, 2011)

i always feel like a faliure with Cesar when i see peoples dogs who STARE at them for commands just WAITING to be told what to do and do all these neato tricks like heel off lead while never taking there eyes off there owner or staying or rolling over its like "wow look at the focus that dog has!"

i mostly worked on Cesars manners and he dont pay me no attention even for food unless IM the one whos eating :/ or if he wants to be petted but the second we are outside i could stand there and say "cesar....cesar...cesar...cesar..cesar..cesar..CESAR!!" he wont look at me dont get me wrong he listens like if i say "sit" he will sit or if i say "come" he'll come but he acts like "i only do this becuase i want to and to make sure you know that i refus to acknowlege you.."
but i figure so long as he listens to me verbally i dont mind im just jelous lol


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## Celt (Dec 27, 2010)

xchairity_casex said:


> i always feel like a faliure with Cesar when i see peoples dogs who STARE at them for commands just WAITING to be told what to do and do all these neato tricks like heel off lead while never taking there eyes off there owner or staying or rolling over its like "wow look at the focus that dog has!"
> 
> i mostly worked on Cesars manners and he dont pay me no attention even for food unless IM the one whos eating :/ or if he wants to be petted but the second we are outside i could stand there and say "cesar....cesar...cesar...cesar..cesar..cesar..CESAR!!" he wont look at me dont get me wrong he listens like if i say "sit" he will sit or if i say "come" he'll come but he acts like "i only do this becuase i want to and to make sure you know that i refus to acknowlege you.."
> but i figure so long as he listens to me verbally i dont mind im just jelous lol


My father, who taught me about dogs, would point those dogs out and make rather not nice comments about them. He strongly believed that a dog should be "aware" of its environment, not totally focused on looking at its owner like it didn't have a thought in its head, while still responding to training "cues". None of our dogs walked at heel looking up at us, they walked facing forward. 

Scotty's barking problem is something that we can't stand. Yappy dogs are just too much, hubby says he's not allowed to go with his "cousins" 'cause they taught him to yap. lol Positive only training doesn't seem to be getting us very far. The spray bottle will be coming out 'cause now Blaise is jumping on the barking wagon too. 
For the most part, I am happy with how they behave. I should keep that in mind and not let comments bug me, but <shrug> when I compare how these 2 "behave" with the others I've had...it makes me wonder if I'm just being a "lazy" toy dog owner that doesn't put the same effort into training because "they're little dogs, so it's not a big deal" Hubby tried to make me feel better by telling me that at least our 2 are better behave than the majority of little dogs out there.


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

i'm one of those lazy dog owners.....i don't train my dogs other than the most minimal training.

but i do anticipate that bubba will jump up to get petted....so my foot is on the leash before the person ever gets to us...that way, he can't jump and they never know that he would have.....

i'm better trained than my dogs


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## xchairity_casex (Oct 8, 2011)

> it makes me wonder if I'm just being a "lazy" toy dog owner that doesn't put the same effort into training because "they're little dogs, so it's not a big deal" Hubby tried to make me feel better by telling me that at least our 2 are better behave than the majority of little dogs out there.


i dont think your being lazy small dogs are harder to train IMO simply becuase they can dodge and hide and are much harder to catch like my sisters toy poodle when she was a puppy she had a paper eating fetish so i decided i would sit down with ehr and useing treats teach her to ignore paper like tissues and such set her on the floor treats in my hand and drop bits of paper ni front of her and re-direct useing treats well she would sit all nice and take the treat then as quickly as she could grab the piece of paper and run under the couch to eat it and although we never directly scoleded her for it we would groan and growl at the site of the paper mess all over the living room.

then trying to teach her to not jump all over people at th e door so far im the only one who can enforce this most of the time by keeping her back away from the front door but she is so quick you cant stop her she will ignore treats to be jumping all over people! even from the people shes jumping all over ive tried having people ask her to sit for a treat ive tried having people ignore her and turn around ive tried having people knock her off with there hand ive tried keeping her on a leash and giving her quick jerks ive tried asking her to go to her crate and lie down untill she is calm ive tried asking her to stay out of the room nothing works it will start to work then all of a sudden one day its bam right back at it


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

i think for me, it's know thyself and know thy dog. 

my dogs are not dangerous nor are they aggressive. the worst they will do is shed people to death.

but it's poor manners to let bubba do his jumping jack thing and malia to do her sniff thing and beg for petting.

so a leash is easy enough and standing on it keeps my hands free. 

i just don't take for granted that any training 'took hold'...

and it is okay.....they are good dogs for the most part.


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