How well behaved is your dog?

[FiveHoursSleep]

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?

OMG my dog is a delinquent

She is a rescue, lovely natured but erm apart from waiting for her supper until told no hope with the rest!

Cocker (show type), almost 4 years old. I've trained her since we got her as a puppy, we did puppy classes which was mainly about socialising the dog and then I've done (and still do) daily training which consists of mainly recall, retrieving and walking nicely on and off lead. Despite feeling like she's pretty good, I don't trust her fully so I am constantly keeping an eye on her and will put her on a lead if I feel it is necessary.

She doesn't chase cats or squirrels. She has never seen a rabbit. We go to a park daily with squirrels everywhere and she doesn't care about them. She does occasionally show interest in ducks so I either put her on a lead or tell her to heel.

She would leave the picnic if I told her to, but if no one was there and I didn't say anything (or I didn't notice the picnic), she would probably have a bite.

She has never taken food off the table. I have left my food on the sofa table before and she has not showed any interest.

She will sit without getting a treat.

I've not trained waiting for permission to eat food from the bowl, but she does know the command to wait or leave food. I assume she would wait if asked though.

3 year old Dalmatian. Yes she would come back always. Especially is she knows I have food. She may hesitate but would definitely come on second call in case she is offered food.
Picnic?? Hmm hard one actually. If there was people sitting around a picnic blanket she may go up to them but would come back when called. If there was unattended food she would snaffle it unless I seen her before she got to it.
We cannot leave food anywhere she can reach. Worktop, bags anywhere. She will steal it. It is often cited as a Dalmatian trait and my goodness does she live up to it. She doesn't actually physically take food from your hand unless told she can. But leave a plate in her reach and she thinks it is fair game.
Will sit without a treat each and every time she is asked. She is exceptionally good at doing what she is asked apart from being asked to stop eating other people's food. (Notice a pattern here)
Will wait to be told to eat. Sits well as I fill her bowl and waits until I tell her to eat although if I left the room she wouldn't wait she would eat it but while I'm putting her food away filling her water etc she will wait.

Err.. Not very.

Come when called? Yes, pretty reliable. Mid chase - unlikely.
Picnic? Yum, thanks.
Steal food? Yeah - even if right at the back of the counter, he will jump and reach with his paws until successful.
But it's a resounding yes to the last two!

1 year old whippet. Improving lots but Rome wasn't built in a day!

Westie and he wouldn't do any of them, because he really doesn't see the point. It isn't that he is incapable, it is just that being a terrier, he is too clever for his own good. He lives with 2 cats and delights in rushing across the kitchen to biff their bums out of the cat flap! I'm not sure about the picnic, as he really isn't that bothered about food - unless it was mashed potato, green beans, ice cream or custard!

We adore him just the way he is! (pale green at the moment after rolling in freshly cut grass)

He'd do 4 and 5... the others? No chance! He's a 6-year-old Hungarian Vizsla

Mine would do all of those and is impeccably behaved she was trained when we got her and does as i say when i say DH has no control over her which is fun to watch

No
yes
yes
Yes
she is a romanian collie x rescue. Trained by others and further training from us. She has fear aggression that we are working on so can be unpredictable. Very well behaved when comfortable. But then, aren't we all?

1. Probably not.
2. Depends what the picnic consists of. He's not much into sandwiches.
3. Yes, but maybe only because he couldn't reach it.
4. Yes.
5. He probably would if I asked, but is more likely to start banging his empty bowl on the floor if I'm a minute late getting his tea.

He's a teenage (hormones, not years) rescue JRT. We've done some training with him, as has he with us. I often think he's making a better job of it than we are.

1. Probably - she will recall from things she's seen before she starts to chase, so I've not had to try and recall her from anything one she's set off IYSWIM. Not a hope of recall if it's another dog though!

2. She would probably leave it but a lot depends on the proximity of the picnic and me.

3. Not in my wildest dreams.

4. Always.

5. Always.

She's a one year old who I took on six months ago with zero history and clearly zero training and zero impulse control. So we have a long way to go but we're definitely getting there :)

1.) she would come back, but not if it is a deer. I live in fear of deer! So up tome to put her on the lead in time

2.) picnic, she would at least stick her nose in before coming back, but I usuallymanage to avoid by putting her on leadon beach/meadows if it is picnic weather
3.) she has never stolen food of counter, she is quite polite in the house. I once accidentally locked her in a room with a whole cake within her reach. She did not touch it.

4.)sit, yes, anazingly, even though sitting is notcomfortable for her "breed"
5.) she waits to eat until I tell her "go on, it is yours" she still waits until I have left the roomas she cannot eat when someone is watching

My funny lurcher girl

1 - not a chance! He's a terrier so chasing squirrels and foxes is great fun apparently and his walks are in park so he does it a lot.
2 - would leave food if I spotted it but would definitely want a pat from the people so back on lead at this point.
3 - 5 probably not other than he can't reach the counter.

He's 3 and went to classes as a puppy but he just played with other dogs rather than listening

1/ come back if called when chasing a cat, squirrel or rabbit? Not come back but would 'stop' on command, she knows that stop means stop, sit and wait. Deer are her downfall at the moment though, she's a bugger for a nice deer.

2/ Ignore a picnic laid out on the ground unexpectedly at the top of a hill you are walking up? Yes.

3/ leave tempting food left on the kitchen counter if there is no one else in the room? Yes.

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

5/ wait for permission to eat their dinner if asked? Yes, knows she has to make eye contact and wait for us to say 'eat'.

What breed/age are they and how much training have you done with them? 10 month old border collie and we have been to training with her.

Ddog1

1. He will come back mid-flight if playing with or chasing another dog - but given his reaction the first and only time we've come across rabbits, I doubt he'd recall from them - or any other small furries. As he's a Lurcher, I guess it's in his breeding to want to chase small furries, so we're extremely careful with him in locations where they may be around. That said, he doesn't seem to think about cats in the same way, despite not living with them at home. They regularly cross our front garden right outside the window and he's never shown the slightest bit of interest in them and he ignores my PILs cat as well.

1. Hmm, he is the ultimate stomach on four legs and totally food motivated. If there were no people there and he saw the picnic before me he'd definitely go in and try and grab something, but he would come away immediately when called. If there were people there I'm not sure he'd bother.

1. He is tall enough to reach the worktops, but doesn't bother. The kitchen table on the other hand appears to be fair game, as long as no-one's looking. He wouldn't/doesn't attempt it when there are people in the room though and again, we are careful not to put him in a position that makes it rewarding. So, I can put the dcs' lunch out ready for them and he will ignore it, even though his head is above table-top height, but I wouldn't then go upstairs to fetch the dcs and leave him on his own with it.

1. Yes, he will always sit regardless of whether or not I have a treat.

1. He always waits for permission to eat and to go through doorways, basically because I think it's good manners and all my pups learn these things as youngsters, as part of their self-control/impulse training.

He is a 10 year old rescue Lurcher that came to us at 14 weeks old and has never been to formal dog training classes.

Ddog2

1. So far, he has always come back to the whistle, even mid-flight and when chasing our other dog. He hasn't come across any small furries, yet and I'm torn between thinking he's such a wuss that he'd probably run away, rather than towards them or his instincts would kick in and he'd just go. We are just as careful with him as we are with our other dog though, as they are both Lurchers who obviously have the chase instinct bred into them. He does attempt to chase birds though and always recalls instantly from them. He is genuinely scared of cats and has actually run away from a couple. He's also scared of off-lead dogs, so he's more likely to be running away from than towards other dogs truth-be-told.

1. He's not mega food motivated, so I'm not sure here. If there were people there he wouldn't approach, as although he likes people, he doesn't actively seek them out on walks. If there was an unattended blanket with a big fat roast chicken in the middle that might be too much temptation - but he has a solid 'leave' and would definitely stop and recall when told.

1. He is taller than our other lad and can easily get his chin on the worktop without even stretching, but has never stolen food as yet. His head is well above kitchen table level, but the worst he's ever done was swiping a left-over crumb with his extraordinarily long tongue! . Not sure if he'd have a go if there was no-one in the room, but I can leave his meal ready and waiting on the kitchen table and leave the room and he won't touch it.

1. Yes he responds to all his basic commands consistently, with or without treats.

1. As our other dog, he waits automatically for permission to eat his dinner and go through doorways ... and will stay there for aaages if you are a bad person and forget to tell him he can have it.

He is a 22 month old rescue Lurcher who attended puppy classes and level one basic training and has been trained at home since then.

1. Sometimes, probably worse when another dog is spotted.
2. If I saw it first and said no it would be reluctantly left.
3. Yes, amazingly my greedy labs don't steal food, even meat left out. The cats, however can't be trusted at all.
4. Yes.
5. Yes, do it daily with them.

9yr lab. Came to us as a 2yr old, previous owners did puppy classes. She is very clever, learns quickly, knows a lot but can be selective in obeying (cunning).

6yr old rescue lab, had. 4 homes prior to us in his first year, so no training. Not a bright dog, takes a while to learn but good once he's got it!

1/ He's not a big chaser really, but we don't have many things to chase where I live. He doesn't approve of birds in the garden though, and will race out after them. We did meet a deer once and he disappeared for quite a while. On the whole so long as I have a stick I can distract him very easily.

2/ Not sure, if there were people with the picnic he'd be busy showing them what a good and deserving dog he was though.

3/ He's never stolen food.

4/ He will sit if I point my finger in the right way, or if he wants something, or if he thinks there might be some benefit to sitting. So quite often really!

5/ I expect so. He is fed on demand really and often leaves it for a while. He has also been known to wait for the cats to finish eating his food If their food was in reach he'd gobble that down pretty sharpish though!

He's a five year old mixture, mostly retriever we think (rescue puppy). No formal training. He's pretty bright and very sensitive, easy to train really.

DDogs1&2 would do all of those, DDog3 is not a year old yet and would be ok at everything except 2 (would be fine if I was there to remind her of her manners) and 5 which is currently at about three seconds ATM :o

DDogs 1&2 are trained gun dogs so have been extensively trained from 8 weeks. Not hours at a time but every opportunity to reinforce good behaviour is taken from the outset (a badly behaved gundog could be accidentally shot- a great incentive to do proper training)

DDog3 is naturally quite well behaved and has followed the boy's example since we had her. So not so much training but she's definitely not upto the standard they are :o

My lab-pointer cross would do all of those. She's nearly 13 and I haven't done any work with her since she was a puppy. She did take a fair bit of work training her to walk off the lead but apart from that she was pretty easy to train. The only thing she could never master was walking to heel.

1. Getting better at coming back as he gets older, won't leave the pack especially if the dcs are with us.
2. Would ignore a picnic
3. Not sure about this, depends whether it's dinner time, he on rare occasions has had a peek on the work surfaces
4. Mostly - but distractions can make it harder
5. Will wait for dinner but we don't ask often

He's a 10month old whippet, trained a lot during first 6 months but then reduced dramatically due to ill health and surprisingly has improved more since, through a combination of maturity, ignoring what everyone else said and responding to my dog and of course bonding. He's not very food focused and gets easily bored of the same toys so training was extra challenging. Whistle training helped but then I moved on to a very unique high pitched vocal cry which works a treat, but I think it was an age thing - he was a very easily distractable pup.

Mine is pretty good by these standards, The only thing I can't get him away from lately is rolling in something stinky, or eating fresh or dried manure off peoples newly planted flower beds . He waits for his food, comes when called, won't generally pinch anything (with the exception of a sock - his favorite thing in the world) and doesn't steal food if you make it very clear it is out of bounds. I have no idea with the picnic thing, he's never encountered one but he's been by fishermen while they've been about and not stolen their sandwiches. He did try to drink one guys tea but that was while he was sat waiting for DH to finish chatting!

One of mine would do all of those things (she is a 9 year old female rough collie) and the other would do about half of them (10 year old Pointer).

Totally depends on individual temperament and proclivities. Both of mine get trained with the same methods but my pointer is much more self-driven and likes to do his own thing more than the collie (which is understandable given what the breeds were bred to do)

Both of mine are rescues, both have had various issues that have been worked through. My collie can be a perfect angel at times (in terms of general obedience) but she can also get anxious and suffered with fear aggression when I adopted her, so although she is 'good' now it has been a long old road!

My pointer is highly driven, very intelligent and likes to get his own way. He had virtually no training when we got him, and the previous owners branded him untrainable (which was rubbish). He is massively chase motivated so I have to be very careful with him near livestock - if it runs in front of him he will be gone and no amount of training has cured him of it unfortunately (I just can't match the excitement of the chase). However, we do dog sports together and he absolutely loves it and learns really quickly - he's such good fun and has a brilliant temperament. We just keep him on a lead if we think there might be sheep etc around. He will steal food if he gets the chance so we just don't give him the opportunity. We regularly practice impulse control so he will wait to be given the cue to eat his dinner etc.

His 'untrainable' label was probably because he hadn't been properly exercised physically and mentally, we do a lot with him so we have a nice, relaxed dog in the house who sleeps most of the day.

Yes to all except 4 which is a bit more variable. The only thing he has ever stolen is cat food which I guess is excusable as it's on the floor.

He's 5, came from a rescue at 18m old and was trained by us.

And he always say please and thank you.

My ex bought my toddler dd a staffordsire when she was 2, dd is 13 now and they are best mates. When we split he took her but she only lives a few streets away so dd can see her. She walks without leash at heel, if dogs approach she turns away. She has been attacked 3 times and lies on the floor waiting to be rescued. She basically does anything you tell her, brill with other dogs and kids.

I have a rescue bull lurcher who is a bit of a nightmare. Had never been on a leash and used for hunting, been in the pound 3 times, gets seperation anxiety. On walks he goes into hunting mode, could never let him off the leash. He is so sweet in the house though, loves other dogs but could never let him near a cat. Had him 4 years, hes hard work though. Got a yorkie 2 years ago to keep him company as he loves other dogs, shes helped with the seperation aniexty, sleeps on his back, i could never seperate them. Only problem with her is she is yappy. Bull lurcher never barks, yorkie yaps at anything and she is definately the boss. She is trained as ive had her from a pup but the BL is more or less untrained, hes bloody hard work

When he came in with the staffie i told him to get rid, not having one of them around my kids. So pleased i gave in, she is a lovely dog, was so easy to train as she just wanted to please. A friend with a lovely staff told me when she was a pup, never tease her, dont hype her up, dont drag her on branches. Be firm and controlled but never get her hyped up, dont let her play fight with other dogs and make sure introductions as a pup are to friendly calm dogs who wont attack. I followed that and shes brilliant, just totally ignores other dogs and wont even retaliate. A dog ran up to her once she was leashed and started gling for her, a builder working on a house ran up and hit her about the head, i said woah what you doing he said stopping her incase she goes, the other woman said its not her dog its mine