Dog owning is so different today

[Nimble2014]

I grew up in another country - so partly this may explain the differences, but also our attitudes were so different when I was a child. We had dogs when I was a child.
We bought dogs on the whim of a spoiled, petulant child (me). My parents had minimal interaction with said dogs, as they were my responsibility.
They lived outside. We never had dog training. I never walked a dog on a lead (lived in a small city). I don't really remember teaching my dogs to sit or do any tricks.
I would tap a dog on its nose if it misbehaved( yes I realise this was wrong, but didn't know any better in those days)
They would follow me wherever I went, and I don't ever remember being afraid that my dog would jump on someone, or that I wouldn't be able to recall them. We would only spay females. We never had a dog walking schedule, the dog would be walked if I was going somewhere, and not, if it wasn't.
I know these attitudes are outdated, but since I've adopted my own dog in the uk, I was overwhelmed by the number of requirements re training, walking, time spent at home with her.
I have tried to do everything by the book - dog training sessions, I work from home, religiously walk her, spend time playing and training her every day. BUT, when she's off lead she will jump up on every person she knows. Why did my poorly trained, practically neglected, dogs behave so well, when my gorgeous,lovely, trained and catered to girl behaves like an utter loon?

[LilCamper]

Because you let her. You know she would do it so get her back on the lead before she does. The more she practises the behaviour the better she gets at it.

Then work on teaching her 'all 4 paws on the floor'.

[WhoTheFuckIsSimon]

I guess dogs are all individuals.

I currently have the most well behaved dog in the world who I have done no training with at all. She can't do "tricks" like sit, shake, etc but her recall is 100%, she does not jump up at people.

Previous dog was the worst behaved shit ever and I spent £100s on training and classes! Actually his recall was good but he was very, very naughty.

[WhoTheFuckIsSimon]

You need to try and pre empt the jumping.

So when there's someone coming towards you get her focused on you by means of a treat. She then doesn't jump up, she gets a treat and a big fuss. You can start introducing a command to go with the treat so down the line she associates the command with the action (of ignoring the person). Not sure if that's 100% right but it's what I would try.

[Lancelottie]

DS was musing on this last week, wondering why the dogs he saw accompanying a couple of (he assumed) homeless people were so incredibly patient and seemed almost glued to their owners' sides. I wonder if the fact that your parents left the dogs entirely to you meant that it was very strongly bonded?

[Noitsnotteatimeyet]

I wonder if there's also an element of rose-tinted glasses? There were a lot of badly-behaved, out of control dogs around when I was a child in the 1970s, people also routinely used choke chains, physical punishment etc

[tabulahrasa]

Things like jumping up aren't actually training issues exactly, they're socialisation issues.

Dogs that aren't actively taught not to do things like that, but, who are really well socialised will learn not to do them...so dogs kept outside and wandering round with a child would do that, as would dogs living on the street either with a human or without.

Dogs are social animals and really good at working out social interactions, but, if they only gave access to a limited amount of people and are allowed to continue jumping on them past little puppyhood - then that's what they'll do as they've never had the opportunity to learn it's not an appropriate greeting and they've not been taught it either.

[JoffreyBaratheon]

It's different in different countries. I noticed when we lived in the US, that no-one thought anything of seeing dogs chained up outside houses. See that in the UK and everyone would be ringing the RSPCA! But to me, from my background, it was cruel.

Dogs were definitely more feral when I was a kid. You'd think nothing of seeing dogs wandering around without their owners. In the countryside, anyway.

[Nimble2014]

Re the rose tinted glasses- I have to admit that may be true. But I really didn't ever need a lead on my childhood dogs.
About her jumping - I do try to distract her and bring her to heel, but when I ask people to turn their backs they often say ' I don't mind' which doesn't help with her training.
I never see dogs without an owner nearby in this country, but still do see dogs roaming alone in other countries. I don't think they're all abandoned, just allowed to ram by their owners.

[Nimble2014]

'Roam'

[LizzieMacQueen]

Is your dog a spaniel?

[Nimble2014]

Border collie - exuberant and joyous, but over friendly with people at our front door, and people she knows when we're on a walk. I don't think she's ever jumped up at a stranger on walks, and will come to me if I ask her to not approach a jogger.

[tadpole39]

When I was young, we had a beautiful black peke, he was hilarious except he suffered very badly from resource guarding. We all knew this, he was just accepted as a biter, many many times were we all bitten especially on the face, but no one thought anything of it, it was just the way he was, and mostly your own fault if you got in his way!!!!! He died at a good age and was hugely mourned. I don't know if it would have been different if he'd been a bigger dog? Just the way it was then.

[Dieu]

You're right, it is a very different experience altogether. I can just imagine my dad coaxing our Staffie over with a handful of treats, while calling her name or chasing after her. Aye, right. She came first time, if she knew what was good for her I'm not saying his was the right way (strict disciplinarian), but they adored each other and she seemed to instinctively know what he wanted from her. She was very much in tune with us all actually.
I wish I could say my Shih Tzu was as obedient (adored as he is!) and he has the best of everything, including training classes.
My dad was horrified over how long it took him to toilet train, but it's like comparing chalk and cheese!
It's like child rearing. People are softer and have a better understanding of things these days. But there is definitely a lot more to owning a dog nowadays, or so it seems.

[ladybird69]

my family friends and neighbours had various dogs in the 70s and 80s basically all doors opened at 8 parents off to work, kids off to school and dogs off to play with their friends!
come 4.30-5pm husband kids home then dogs would appear.
I know things have majorly changed but by god they were happy times.
sometimes we would be sitting watching Tv and we'd hear a scratch at the door and in would come our dogs Pal and spend the evening.
how I long to go back to those easy happy days.
dogs weren't bred to fight they were family pets and belonged to the community.

[Noitsnotteatimeyet]

Well we also had dogs in the 70s and 80s and not once were they tipped out of the house at 8 and left to roam by themselves ...