Not all "abnormal" behaviors need modification

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Nick, CGC, WETX

I like wet, fowl- smelling things

Barked: Thu Jun 19, '08 1:31pm PST


	From time to time someone posts on the B&T Forum asking how to train their dog to be more open/accepting of meeting people. It got me thinking about behaviors that we accept in our dogs and don’t try to change through training. For example: Nick will not allow anyone to approach him, adult or child. If one tries they will never get near him (remember Nick is always off-lead). For him, there is one acceptable way to engage with a new person, he checks you out, and if you pass the sniff test you’re in and then he will engage. If during the time of this feeling out period you make any overt move toward him you will delay the process that much longer. Even “welcoming” gestures like kneeling down; crouching; extending your hand downward with palm up and open below the level of his jaw; offering a closed hand knuckles first for him to sniff, etc. has no discernable positive effect. As I said this is even true for children of all ages and sizes and adults. If you have a dog with you it doesn’t change anything. He may well indicate, even from a great distance that he wants to say hello to the dog but that does not extend to the human. By the way, I am fine with this behavior although it is often met with dissatisfaction and comment by others, particularly the parents of children who love watching him swim and retrieve duck bumpers and decoys and then want to pet him. When people ask me, “can I pet your dog?” I always reply, “That’s up to him. Just leave him alone and he’ll come up to you if he wants to meet you.” I have no intention of trying to train Nick to act any differently. He is an otherwise, confident, non-aggressive, calm, adventuresome dog. Does your dog exhibit behaviors that are considered outside the range of “friendly dog

Mocha Bear- (Mokie),- VGG, KPA,

CEO of Rewarding- Behaviors Dog- Training

Barked: Fri Jun 20, '08 9:19am PST


	Hi Nick! I feel exactly the same way. Mokie is a chow mix, but in temperament, she is purebred, 100% chow. So, as befits her breed, she is cautious and reserved around strangers while she is intensely loyal and dedicated to her "people." I don't discourage this behavior at all. Sometimes I feel like people get a particular breed of dog because they like how it looks, but not how it is. I think the best example I can think of is the story about the guy that came into CWC with his border collie puppy, who eventually ended up hit by a car. Two days later, they get a new dog and the next week, resume classes with their new lab/golden mix. The handler told me that Lucy (the new dog) is "a much better dog than Riley." I just had to tell him that "NO, Lucy is not a better dog. She is a better match for YOUR family." Expecting a Border Collie to act like a lab is not fair. Expecting a Chow Chow to act like a Cavalier is similarly unfair. I accept Mokie's aloofness as part of who she is. She is not unfriendly, and if people will let her choose how, when, and if she wants to greet them, she settles down very quickly. I know that Mokie's not a huge cuddler, and that's fine. I cuddle with Monte, who can't get enough of it. I think it's important to accept your dog for being an individual and having his/her own personality.

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Khola- CDX, CGC

R plus and- paitence what a- shocking idea

Barked: Tue Jun 24, '08 9:37am PST


	I totally agree too. Khola does not like to be bothered late at night when he ahs been sleeping for a while. I know I wouldn't want to be bothered either... so I don't find his grouchy-ness to be an issue. He'll growl at people if they sit next to him and stir him (he's never attempted to bite anyone... but will growl and sound posssessed) and I think this is an acceptable behavior for a sleeping dog at 1am.

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Tater Salad

If I wrestled it- into the box- it's mine!

Barked: Sat Jul 12, '08 5:38pm PST


	Oh thank goodness! So many people keep telling me I'm wrong to leave it up to the dogs but I do anyway... It just felt "right"

Vance CGC

You kids g'off- my lawn!

Barked: Mon Jul 21, '08 11:26am PST


	The people that bring their dogs to socials always seem to get very upset when Vance runs through the room, greets everyone, and asks to be crated. And refuses to come back out until the end of social. Honestly I don't see why he should behave any differently. I don't even consider it abnormal. He has the option to come to daycare 4 days a week, plus social, and he usually does choose to go. All he wants to do is say hi to everyone, then hang out. If I went to a party every day, that's all I'd want to do. I guess there's also some misconception that dogs always kind of hate their crate no matter what. Which is completely false, especially in a room full of active dogs. There are daycare dogs I've trained to "crate up" because they're bothered by the activity, and they're pretty quick to figure out a crate is a safe haven. If I were to leave a row of crates open on the floor, they'd all be occupied by midday (I can't because the doors are a hazard for running dogs).

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Talley

FOOD CAMPAIGN:- YOU CAN HELP

Barked: Wed Jul 23, '08 9:38am PST


	Does your dog exhibit behaviors that are considered outside the range of “friendly dog Well, yes, I would say so! Talley is my English Lab who is reactive, and exhibits fear-related aggression to environmental stimuli, that she finds unusual, which is alot. Pet peeves are strange people bending over, with large belly profiles, especially men, wearing backpacks, strange shuffling gaits. lots of stuff. She launches into a classic fight/flight reaction, choosing the offensive, with a display of loud barking and lunging forward, to make the scary think go away. We do lots of management and counter conditioning, but will never be able to rely on her behavior out in public. I think she became overly sensitized to people, always on leash, when in early training to become a service dog. She began showing signs of fear about 4 month s of age, barking at people next door in the evening. She has become much better about people showing up at the house and will come away from the door. Now she stuffs a shoe in her mouth and runs around with it. Anyways, try as I might, this is part of who she is: she reacts to so many stimuli you could never effectively counter condition to each and every one. I always tell people coming in "she will probably bark, but then she will be ok." And once they are in and settled she is just fine. She is a cool dog and i love her dearly. Talleys Mom Pat Miller Certified Trainer

Blake CGC

got meat?

Barked: Wed Jul 23, '08 10:06am PST


	Rudy has taught me a lot about this. Blake was my first dog and a typical lab. Friends with everyone and everything. There isn't a person or dog on this earth he doesn't want to be best friends with. And, no matter how late at night, if there are people stirring, he wants to be up and in the middle of the action. Enter Rudy: he's a friendly boy, but he also likes his alone time. If we have company in the evening and into the later part of the night, Blake is in the thick of things. Rudy, however, will greet everyone, hang out if there's food around, but then around 10 or 11 pm, he wants to go to bed. Usually, he'll chose the guest bathroom and make a nice bed out of the rugs in there. (It's almost like he wants to be away from the action, but not totally away. Like he'd still hear if something really cool was happening. Committing to the bedroom would be too far away.) Well, when my guests use the bathroom, they come out feeling sorry for him. Like, "Aww, Rudy's all sad in the bathroom all alone. Can I go sit with him?" Or "Can't we bring him out?" No. He wants to be in there. Noone made him go in there. He wants to keep the action at a distance. Besides, they have Blake to fawn all over them.

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Cracker

Dog About- Rosedale

moderator

Barked: Tue Aug 26, '08 4:00pm PST


	Cracker is generally a friendly dog and loves to meet most people and do a "lean and pet". She is a bit wary of children understandably so I figure and I totally let her decide whether she wants to participate in a pat and treat or not. Most times she lets the child pet her but if I watch carefully she will look at me when she's had enough and move away. It is then my job to run interference and let her do her own thing. She also is not a fan of overly excited dogs and will avoid them or warn them off if they get too friendly too fast. I do not consider that aggression, simply communication about her personal space. Again, I run interference for her so that there is no need for it to escalate or become a reactivity issue. She's a dog, her own "person" and deserves some leeway in her behaviour as to respecting her own boundaries. My only concern about behaviour is her fear based reactions to some men. If they are shouting, moving quickly (playing soccer or something similar) or "stomping"she will circle and bay. This I work on, we live right beside a sports field/hockey rink and pass it everyday several times. This could become a safety issue or escalate into a general fear of men so I work hard to desensitize her. Other than that she gets to pick and choose who she wishes to hang out with.

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Fancy-Kehley- r

Road Runner

Barked: Mon Sep 29, '08 11:36am PST


	I agree with you Nick. I have issues I'm dealing with, I'm reactive, so when some one wants to rush a greating, it's not good. I have lunged in the past. If people just leave me alone, I get to them soon enough, and everything is OK. It's hard for some people to hold back, they see my face and just want to pinch it! We are working on it!