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The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

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Original poster

How well behaved is your dog?

57 replies

FiveHoursSleep · 09/04/2015 14:59

Would they
1/ come back if called when chasing a cat, squirrel or rabbit?
2/ Ignore a picnic laid out on the ground unexpectedly at the top of a hill you are walking up?
3/ leave tempting food left on the kitchen counter if there is no one else in the room?
4/ sit when asked to, when you don't have a treat?
5/ wait for permission to eat their dinner if asked?
What breed/age are they and how much training have you done with them?

OP posts:

Branleuse · 09/04/2015 15:09

dog1 (14) would do all of those things. Shes the sort of dog that even dog haters dont mind

dog2 (2) is a bit more of a maniac, but she is good at sitting and waiting for a treat or her dinner without snatching, and shes lovely, but she has unreliable recall when out

theyre both staffies

Heckler · 09/04/2015 15:14

My dog will do all of those things, completely reliably.

He is an 11 year old Border Collie, and I can take no credit for his training. He is an ex working dog, and trial dog, who retired to us at age 9 1/2, and was completely trained when we got him.

basildonbond · 09/04/2015 15:17

Hmmm a mixture here ...

Mostly ... It would depend on how quickly I got my recall in - of he's only just started running then yes, definitely- if he'd really got into his stride then I'd be less confident. He will, however, always recall from other dogs
If I saw it first and told him to leave it he would - if I don't say 'leave' then it's fair game as far as he's concerned ...
If he could reach it then see my answer to 2....,
Always - he sits as a default before getting anything he wants, before crossing the road, before going in or out of the house/car/room, before anyone throws a ball or plays tug
Always - we can also cover his paws with treats and he won't touch them until told it's ok

He's a Toller, 20 months old, and we've gone to obedience classes with him since he was 3 months old. He also does gundog training and heel work to music classes but I do little bits of training with him every day, just a couple of minutes here and there

He is by no means perfect, he's def a work in progress but he's getting there ...

Asleeponasunbeam · 09/04/2015 15:20

Mine would do all except leaving the kitchen food. He will, however, refuse any food and toys offered by children unless I give him permission to take them.

4 year old springer. Lots and lots of clicker training as a small pup - I had a young toddler too and had to teach them to stay away from each other's stuff. Many, many nights spent in tears of fury at myself for doing such a stupid thing (getting the dog) but every second was worth the effort for the perfect dog I have now.

Betrayedbutsurvived · 09/04/2015 15:21

My dog would do all that, eleven year old German shepherd cross. We trained him ourselves as puppy, didn't go to classes or anything, just practise and lavish praise for good behaviour.

tabulahrasa · 09/04/2015 15:23

1 - I don't know, he's rarely offlead and he lives with cats, so I think they count as dogs if that makes sense...he will recall from chasing pheasants though.

Ignore, no, leave if I told him to, yes.

Nope - he'll steal anything he can reach if there's no one there.

He'll do any of his commands reliably, with or without a reward...unless there's another dog in sight because he's very reactive to dogs.

Yes, it's routine.

He's a 2 yr old rottie, I do a fair bit of training with him... I don't know how to measure it though? Lol

BossWitch · 09/04/2015 15:24

Probably. Have always been able to stop her before she started to chase.

2 - 5. Yes.

Golden retriever. Almost two. Training... Fairly minimal, so having trouble remembering! We didn't really actively train after about six months of having her, just little reminders as we do stuff day to day - so for example when we walk her round the streets we make her stop, sit and wait for the command before crossing the road. I don't see that as training as such, it's just what we do as a matter of course. We don't do any specific training sessions with her and didn't do obedience classes.

NCIS · 09/04/2015 15:27

The first would be about 50% of the time,(depends what he was chasing, rabbits, squirrels and cats yes, joggers and bikes 50% ok) everything else he would do, he went to a puppy class which was useless but we've been going to really good, outdoor classes since he was a year old. We rarely use treats as he doesn't respond to them.
I do some training most days.

weaselwords · 09/04/2015 15:31

My weimaraner is dreadfully bad about chasing and food raiding so stays on a lead in busy parks. She will sit even if there is nothing in it for her, but I often have to get stern before she takes me seriously and then I get the comedy sad ears. She's always sat nicely for her food bowl and waits until told to eat.

My brown boy is perfect but will raid the bin given half a chance

This has cheered me up as I generally think they are pretty badly behaved, as there seems to be a constant level of overreacting and running around to the slightest stimulus e.g. pigeon! Cat in the garden! Mum's stood up to go to the loo!, but actually, they are quite obedient nowadays and much mellower than they used to be.

weaselwords · 09/04/2015 15:32

Sorry, mine are both six and I've done a lot of training, as I rehomed them.

Floralnomad · 09/04/2015 15:40

Mine is an almost 5yr old patterdale x and I've done what I would consider enough training to make him a lovely house mate .

Definitely could stop him with everything except cats and foxes and I have to spot them before he does .
He would likely cock his leg on a picnic if he got there before me so I'm very careful with people and their property in the warmer months .

3-5 . No bother with any of those .

BlueKarou · 09/04/2015 15:51

1/ come back if called when chasing a cat, squirrel or rabbit?
Depends how early I called him, and what treats he knows I have on me. If he's near me and just starting to be alert to a fluffy thing then I can call him back and he'll come. If he's already started leaping through the undergrowth then I have less certainty. Also depends on whether it's just me and him, in which case he tends to stay closer and respond better, or whether we have my Mum's dogs, in which case he'll be off running around with them.

2/ Ignore a picnic laid out on the ground unexpectedly at the top of a hill you are walking up?
Are there people there? If there was food on the ground and no one with it then he'd tuck in, but I could probably call him away. It's not happened, and is not likely to happen due to where we walk, so am not 100% sure either way.

3/ leave tempting food left on the kitchen counter if there is no one else in the room?
He wouldn't go for anything on the counter. He's a bit smaller than a collie, and so counters are a bit too high. If I left something yummy on the coffee table and wasn't in the room he would probably help himself, but if I was there then he wouldn't.

4/ sit when asked to, when you don't have a treat?
Yup.

5/ wait for permission to eat their dinner if asked?
Yup, but then I ask him to wait whenever I put his food down, so it's part of his usual routine.

He is just over 2 years old, and is a crossbreed mongrel - 50% Samoyed, 50% mixed, probably mostly terrier types.

BlueKarou · 09/04/2015 15:52

^ Did a 6 week training class with him, and sort of top it up when I can/when I remember his high-value treats.

insanityscatching · 09/04/2015 16:46

1/ come back if called when chasing a cat, squirrel or rabbit? He would just now but his recall has come back after going missing for the teenage rebellion spell.
2/ Ignore a picnic laid out on the ground unexpectedly at the top of a hill you are walking up? If I said leave it he would I'm not sure he would otherwise though.
3/ leave tempting food left on the kitchen counter if there is no one else in the room? Do that regularly with no problem.
4/ sit when asked to, when you don't have a treat? Always
5/ wait for permission to eat their dinner if asked? Yes but do that anyway
What breed/age are they and how much training have you done with them?
He's 16 months a poodle shih tzu cross.

MsAdorabelleDearheartVonLipwig · 09/04/2015 17:26

Barney would have had trouble with the first two but the last three would have been ok. He was an eleven year old working cocker. We did years and years of dog training, he loved it so much we just kept going and he was brilliant.

dottygamekeeper · 09/04/2015 17:54

9 year old springer:

yes probably (knows not to chase cats, sheep and chickens, did not chase one of our pet rabbits when it escaped recently but would have chased a wild rabbit in her younger days)
if people were near the picnic would look but not touch, but if it was unattended and I was a long way away she might try - would leave/ignore if told to
has never stolen off the kitchen counter, but will look and sniff the air nearby

4.yes, sits on command

it is part of her routine to sit and wait when being fed - will wait until told to eat

Did a little bit of training when she was a puppy, but she has always been easy and good natured: she learned to retrieve by bringing me the hens eggs in from the garden (also brings me, alive, baby hares, baby rats - eek!). She was also very easy to housetrain - is the first dog I have had from a puppy (have had various rescue adult dogs) and although I was very put out when my husband announced he had chosen a spaniel puppy without consulting me, she has been the best dog ever.

ThatBloodyWoman · 09/04/2015 17:57

Mine would only do number 3.
He's a free spirit

The only training we attempted was foiled by the dc's.

ThatBloodyWoman · 09/04/2015 17:57

Oh and he's a 3 year old heinz.

ClaimedByMe · 09/04/2015 18:01

1 - No never not a chance
2 - Probably not but not been in that situation
3 - Yes she would leave food if there was no one else in the room, if someone was in the room she would try and get the food
4 - Yes she would sit without a treat may take a few tries though
5 - Always waits for permission to eat her own food

Staffie between age 6-10, rescue so we have just worked with what we have no idea about her past.

LocalEditorEssex · 09/04/2015 18:05

No: 3 is the only thing I wouldn't trust her not to eat.
She doesn't chase anything anyway.
She is very well behaved generally although can be a complete arse to other dogs when she feels like it.
And people with hoods up

She is a 7 yr old GSD.
I did the basic training with her early on (got her at 8 weeks old) and I still train her now to do new things. She picks things up very quickly.

She is also an excellent guard dog, no one would enter our home without her letting everyone know.

TheHoundsBitch · 09/04/2015 18:09

1/ No
2/Maybe, if there were people too she would probably be too excited and wriggly to eat it but would jump all over them and tread all over it and possibly piss herself with excitement
3/Absolutely not
4/ About 50% of the time
5/ Every time
She's a work in progress, 8 month old mutt (maybe Rhodesian Ridgeback mix, certainly some hound and something Bully) I started off very motivated with training, but dedicated training sessions have been few and far between recently. Every walk is a training sesh to some extent though!

triballeader · 09/04/2015 18:14

1/ come back if called when chasing a cat, squirrel or rabbit?
Not a hope; behaves exactly as expected for an english bull terrier. They were bred to chase fast moving rats and have an impressive prey chase drive. Most other times and if said furry does not run then yes but I use a hefty horse long lunge rein just to be safe.

2/ Ignore a picnic laid out on the ground unexpectedly at the top of a hill you are walking up?
Nope- does the whole clown in a dog suit routine trying to blag and plain snaffle juicy human food. If its on a table she will leave it alone but anything on the floor to her mind is there for the dog.

3/ leave tempting food left on the kitchen counter if there is no one else in the room?
Your are kidding? The dog who hovered down a whole cooked chicken in one fell swoop as I took it out of the cooker and spent a few hours down the vets afterwards......too big an ask.

4/ sit when asked to, when you don't have a treat?
Yes.

5/ wait for permission to eat their dinner if asked?
Yes. She knows she must wait till I tell her 'yours'. She knows she will get the food but I need her to wait so piggypotomus has been taught NOT barge me over in her enthusiasum to stick her snout in dog nosh.

What breed/age are they and how much training have you done with them?
Rescue [cruelty case] about 3 yrs , staffy x bully so has her own mind, strong terrier prey drive and stubborn prefering to head off to do her own thing. Loves slivers of cooked meat so I use that purely as a training aid to get her attention. Calm postive re-inforcement done for short fun bursts repeatedly over the day is s-l-o-w-l-y going in. She goes to a KC good citizens class every week -okay its taken 10 months for her to be at the point she could now pass the bronze. Taking on a bully temprament is like trying to train a 2 year old with severe ADHD. [Been there done that one too]

Greyhorses · 09/04/2015 19:35

I have a 5 year old border collie x german shepherd who is desperate to please people and would do all of those except leave food on benches- he is intelligent enough to know I am not there to tell him off sadly!

I think dog two will be much harder than him already...

shadowfax07 · 09/04/2015 22:19

1/ come back if called when chasing a cat, squirrel or rabbit?
Won't recall when chasing a cat (he did this afternoon, much to the amusement of our ndn) , doesn't chase squirrels (or ducks), and he's never been tested with rabbits
2/ Ignore a picnic laid out on the ground unexpectedly at the top of a hill you are walking up?
If I told him to leave it, he would, but would still want to make friends with the humans having the picnic.
3/ leave tempting food left on the kitchen counter if there is no one else in the room?
Not a hope in hell, he's tall enough to reach and also raids the bin. He's even swiped raw chicken on the counter with the OH in the room, although he would dare try it if I was there.
4/ sit when asked to, when you don't have a treat?
Yes
5/ wait for permission to eat their dinner if asked?
Yes, and does, every night
What breed/age are they and how much training have you done with them?
Welah springer, 4 years old and a rescue. He has separation anxiety, so most of our training so far has been around helping him with that.

Adarajames · 09/04/2015 22:37

No way from squirrel / rabbit / other small furriea, utterly obsessed when she arrive at 16 months and not managed to train out and don't think can with non aversive training methods and don't plan to use others

She gate crashes picnics so still a work in progress

Used to steal food off counters, only done it once in last year or so but don't leave temptation to test it!

She'll sit when told regardless of treats etc

She'll not eat till told, and have even left her in room, walked out and done something before returning to find she's still waiting for the ok which I was quite impressed with!

She's a Spanish rescue pointer x, possibly spaniel but not certain. We do agility, obedience and search and rescue training, she's getting more responsive to commands as we do more work

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