How WELL TRAINED Dogs Behave

[MA-Caver]

After watching this video I was very VERY impressed. I counted 14 dogs of varying ages and every-single-one-of-them was disciplined enough to "wait". At one point he snaps his fingers and the oldest dog had to back down.
Watch the video...


Go to the actual video on You Tube and read the comments. Lots of people recognize how the owner manages his animals. He understands pack behavior and understands how to effectively get his dogs to behave themselves even though food is right there in front of them... even the puppies which is amazing.

I applaud the gentleman for knowing that a well trained, disciplined (genetically domesticated) animal is a happy animal and generally peaceful.
Kudos to the man.

[K-man]

As an instructor at the local dog club we encourage all our handlers to get their dogs to wait before the ok to eat signal is given. Our two German Shepherds will wait for as long as it takes for us to give the command, even if we leave the room. Even when they are eating we will occasionally remove their bowls. It establishes the pack order and hopefully would protect them against a bait. Good training!

[Mark Jordan]

Oops, clicked the submit button twice. I was looking for the delete button but can't find it.

'Even when they are eating we will occasionally remove their bowls."
- This one impresses me the most. I had this experience of feeding my dog (golden retriever) and as he was eating, I took it away from him cuz I put the food in a wrong bowl. He growled at me, our eyes met but he continued to growl, so I had to put it back. I like dogs and I have several of them in the house but that was the first time it happened that my dog growled at me.

[Jade Tigress]

That is phenomenal! There were several comments suggesting the man hits his dogs. That is ridiculous. It is obvious these are well trained, well loved dogs living happy lives.

I applaud the owner for his dedication. It takes a lot of work and consistency training a dog and maintaining the desired behavior.

[MA-Caver]

'Even when they are eating we will occasionally remove their bowls."
- This one impresses me the most. I had this experience of feeding my dog (golden retriever) and as he was eating, I took it away from him cuz I put the food in a wrong bowl. He growled at me, our eyes met but he continued to growl, so I had to put it back. I like dogs and I have several of them in the house but that was the first time it happened that my dog growled at me.

Whenever a dog you own growls at you for WHATEVER reason... discipline the dog immediately and reestablish yourself as alpha leader in your den/house. You let the dog growl at you and not do anything or (worse) back away... you just surrendered your right (in the dog's mind) to order him around. This will make the dog more aggressive towards family members because he/she now sees themselves higher up in the pack order. DO NOT let that happen... especially if there are small children in the house. Your scent is on your child and if you've "lowered yourself" then it gives the dog the right (again, in it's mind) to discipline the child (read: biting) if the animal feels threatened or hurt.

I love dogs and they're great companions but I will never EVER trust a dog 100% and will not allow a dog to dominate me in any manner... unless of course it's a (trained) guard-dog or K-9 officer of the law.

[Sukerkin]

That was a splendid video, Caver, thanks for linking to it.

As you know, I am a 'dog' person and it was wonderful to see all those fellows at peace with each other as a pack under their 'leader'.

You are quite right too about what to do when a dog (that is yours) shows aggression to you. Deal with it then and there, or resign yourself to the fact that, at best, the dog is going to control you to some extent.

Strider, the now sadly departed German Shepard owned by a friend of mine, was my 'pack-mate' for a decade and a half (I still tear up when I think about him now ). He was never under any illusions about who stood 'higher' in the pack tho' and that was down to a couple of incidents, when he was younger, where he tried to assert dominance and I had none of it.

Once we settled that, we were huge friends for all his life - his 'welcome back, pack-brother' antics whenever I visited were legendary .

[MA-Caver]

Once we settled that, we were huge friends for all his life - his 'welcome back, pack-brother' antics whenever I visited were legendary .

That, my friend, is what makes a dog a joy to own. The loyalty of a dog is incredible and the literal unconditional love they give (without fear or even force) is incredible.

[Blade96]

i had a dog and we had got her used to us handling her food and bowls/taking them/whatever. Because sometimes you have to do it and you didnt want her growling at you.

[Langenschwert]

As an instructor at the local dog club we encourage all our handlers to get their dogs to wait before the ok to eat signal is given. Our two German Shepherds will wait for as long as it takes for us to give the command, even if we leave the room. Even when they are eating we will occasionally remove their bowls. It establishes the pack order and hopefully would protect them against a bait. Good training!

Damn straight. We have two mastiffs, both over 130 lbs. You can't let a dog like that push you around. If that means I have to take poor Bentley down to the ground and hold him there until he submits, so be it. He's still a puppy and has to learn. I get covered in fur (and sometimes drool!) doing it, but that's the deal.

You should be completely OK with sticking your hand in your dog's mouth to get whatever it is he's chewing on. Mastiffs have one of the highest pressure bites of any dog, but if he's chewing on a dog toy, he has to know it's technically MY toy, and he only has it because I let him. So I reach in and take the damn toy out of his mouth. He gladly gives it up, knowing he's WAY down the pack ladder.

Best regards,

-Mark

[MA-Caver]

Damn straight. We have two mastiffs, both over 130 lbs. You can't let a dog like that push you around. If that means I have to take poor Bentley down to the ground and hold him there until he submits, so be it. He's still a puppy and has to learn. I get covered in fur (and sometimes drool!) doing it, but that's the deal.

You should be completely OK with sticking your hand in your dog's mouth to get whatever it is he's chewing on. Mastiffs have one of the highest pressure bites of any dog, but if he's chewing on a dog toy, he has to know it's technically MY toy, and he only has it because I let him. So I reach in and take the damn toy out of his mouth. He gladly gives it up, knowing he's WAY down the pack ladder.

Best regards,

-Mark

Exactly... a lot of people ... I mean A LOT of people do not do this with their dogs. They just have a dog (bought it because 1. they wanted a dog, 2. that puppy was just sooooo CUTE!! 3. had some grand idea that sometime down the road they could do something with the dog like breed it or take it hunting or something like that ) and the dog is just... a dog. Whether it be in the yard or in the house... it's just a dog. Not companion, not pet, not guard, not even best friend. It is just a free-loading animal that has a convenient place to live,eat and sometimes play. Every now and again they just might go out of their way and teach the dog to sit just to show mastery over it. I pity the dog and the owners in those cases.

[Blade96]

if you dont want a dog to bite you then for pete's sake dont leave him tied on too long.

I knew a dog like this who was tied on all the time and wasnt off except when she escaped which wasnt often. One day this poor dog went mad, and attacked the neighbor's dog, who had to get tubes and operations and stuff. (he survived.)

This dog was incidentally the only dog my cat Fluffy was scared of.