The difference between putting the time into training

[Jamandcheesesandwich]

Recently visited a friend with a dog which they have had from a pup, which has had no training, its a big breed and the experience made me re think getting a pup.
However my other friend visited my house with their dog which has had training and it was am amazing and happy experience. The dog was so happy and well behaved. It doesnt do tricks etc just a well behaved dog.

so really made me realise that if you put the work in you will reap the rewards

Absolutely, it makes a world of difference. It requires a lot of consistency and input though.

Our rescue is massively different now to when we got him six months ago. He was a complete nightmare but is on the way to becoming a well behaved family dog. It's taken hours of effort though and we still have a way to go. I'm not entirely sure that the dog appreciates it either as I'm pretty sure he would still like us to pander to his every whim.

It amazes me how many dog owners thing training is some sort of one off thing you do for a few weeks and never have to do again.

When you see the difference as starkly as you did OP, it really highlights what is possible doesn't it?

Definitely, a well trained dog is a joy, an untrained dog is a chore. There are so many young untrained, unsocialised dogs up for rehoming, so sad. If only owners put the effort in.

It makes all the difference in the world but there is also quite a bit of variation between individual dogs. They are not robots who simply respond to programming, so you get some dogs who behave impeccably on 10 mins training a day - and others who seem like a handful even with much more than that.

I had one little dog who came from a really bad start that meant he had no training at all before me. He was almost perfect right from the off, because it was just in his nature to be calm and gentle and to really try hard to understand what you wanted and than was happy to do it. Not all dogs are like that.

It’s also about researching your breed. We have a scent hound so ‘pleasing people’ isn’t her priority so you have to recognise that with training.

I grew up with a dog that was untrained and unsocialised so knew I didn’t want that with ours. Definitely worth the effort for a calm dog.

I think you came to my house you would say my dog is an untrained nightmare. But i dont know anyone who does as much training as i do, classes, books, behaviourists etc etc. Ive spent a fortune and do 2 to 3 20min sessions a day plus a lot while walking re not bothering other peopke & dogs. All that to say, no two dogs are the same. The trained one may have been really easy, the difficult one may be taking all its owner's strength just getting by.

thanks for all the comments

I have a terrier. I had a terrier hound cross. Neither known for trainability.

First one got to grade 5 in agility. She competed in multiple national finals. She had an excellent all round level of training and was quite eager to please and compliant.

Current one is a bit of a hell child 😂 Is amazing if she’s got her head switched on. Very confident, and intelligent and questions the point to things. But at a year old we’re coming together and we know what makes her tick. She thinks she’s training us of course. She is fairly typical in that if you get it right then she’s easy but get it wrong and it all goes to pot. I love terriers but you need to understand them if you want to train them.

Weve put hours and hours and hours into her. It doesn’t show…yet. But it will.

I would agree, my male lab seemed wild to me, and our trainer, but we stuck with it, seemed like forever at the time, did our KC good citizen awards, pet gun dog classes , and one day I realised it had actually worked. I have myself a lovely, calm, very sociable, pretty much bomb proof dog. And his calming influence helped the female rescue we took on.
They can still be a lot of fun, and lively, but walks are so much less stressful when they are trained.