P3LH
Well-Known Member
We naturally, as dog owners and lovers, share our success’, our positives and when it all goes to plan. However - we all know it doesn’t always. A bit like the impact of people only sharing social media posts of the best snippets of their life, I see this as just as corrosive and harmful because dogs just can’t be planned in the same way as other things.
So I’ll go first. My ode to my challenge.
I would count myself as quite a competent dog owner. I was confident in my methods and trusted my judgement. Until I met the tank…
Gin is a resource guarder of…well it alternates each week as what she suddenly cares about, which catches you off guard and makes it trickier than usual. Gin doesn’t ever really like being challenged or told no. Gin is generally quite defiant and loves a battle of the wills. Gin hates the vets and her feet touched. Gin is sharp and does use her teeth at times, and we then have discussions about how this is a non negotiable - it takes some reminding from time to time. Gin is on a constant diet yet still manages to throw her weight around.
She is also loving, great fun to live with (most of the time), fiercely loyal, a huge character and loved very much by all that know her.
I would say five out of seven days are a challenge, as she changes her mind as to what it is she cares about this week. There are times all you can do is roll your eyes. She will go through sustained periods of improvement and just as you get comfortable with her being wonderful, she pushes back just to see what will happen. She is a lot easier these days, and is (generally) a pleasure to live with.
Gin was well bred and well reared. Well trained, in methods which have been successful at shaping previous dogs into functioning members of society. Well socialised. Well loved (probably a bit too much by OH which is part of the issue).
From the start she was a ‘one’. Her second day home at ten weeks I leant over to get the remote, she had a carrot in the sofa next to me and infamously bit right through my lip leaving me needing stitches. I spent a lot of time really stressing about what we were doing wrong, and admit i still sometimes have a ‘what went wrong’ moment before realising, it’s just her. And realising we keep her busy to keep her brain switched off (which makes her more pleasant to live with) and that we mitigate certain things we know are an issue to her.
Like CC, I am also a firm believer in genetics. Anyone who questions it needs to meet the tank versus my other dogs, because she demonstrates sometimes…whats under the fluff will always win out. Her Dam is just like her, possibly more challenging In fact. Her sire is not, and is calm, bold and loving. The mix worked well for her siblings but for her created a sharp dog who is bold and confident ??? She is un-evolved from some of her ancestors, and unlike many likes of pembrokes she has not forgotten her job is to guard things, to make things move fast, and to assert herself over much larger ‘stock’ of whom belong to her…
Having a second now, of very similar breeding, shows how different she was to what most are at this age. There is no logic to her though as for all her challenges, a few weeks ago on a walk she ended up sat on a young lads lap, who was on the autistic spectrum and mum told me was selective Non verbal, licking him to death snd getting him to talk to me about whether she had ever met the queen. She reads situations, very well and acts accordingly - which intrigued me more.
We still love her. Even when I could drown her. Even when a ten week old pup has better recall and is more obedient than she is. And even when she’s being a misery arse.
So go on then - not every dog is straightforward, simple and like lassie. And sometimes, no matter how ‘to the book’ you do it, things don’t always go to plan and you don’t always end up with the dog you anticipated in your mind. I am hoping some of you who are perhaps reluctant to share as your dogs don’t walk perfectly by your side off lead, never put a toe wrong, fetch your slippers and the paper, save babies from wells, solves climate change etc - will be encouraged to know it isn’t always like that, and isn’t always consistently like that even when you have one or two who do fit that norm!
So I’ll go first. My ode to my challenge.
I would count myself as quite a competent dog owner. I was confident in my methods and trusted my judgement. Until I met the tank…
Gin is a resource guarder of…well it alternates each week as what she suddenly cares about, which catches you off guard and makes it trickier than usual. Gin doesn’t ever really like being challenged or told no. Gin is generally quite defiant and loves a battle of the wills. Gin hates the vets and her feet touched. Gin is sharp and does use her teeth at times, and we then have discussions about how this is a non negotiable - it takes some reminding from time to time. Gin is on a constant diet yet still manages to throw her weight around.
She is also loving, great fun to live with (most of the time), fiercely loyal, a huge character and loved very much by all that know her.
I would say five out of seven days are a challenge, as she changes her mind as to what it is she cares about this week. There are times all you can do is roll your eyes. She will go through sustained periods of improvement and just as you get comfortable with her being wonderful, she pushes back just to see what will happen. She is a lot easier these days, and is (generally) a pleasure to live with.
Gin was well bred and well reared. Well trained, in methods which have been successful at shaping previous dogs into functioning members of society. Well socialised. Well loved (probably a bit too much by OH which is part of the issue).
From the start she was a ‘one’. Her second day home at ten weeks I leant over to get the remote, she had a carrot in the sofa next to me and infamously bit right through my lip leaving me needing stitches. I spent a lot of time really stressing about what we were doing wrong, and admit i still sometimes have a ‘what went wrong’ moment before realising, it’s just her. And realising we keep her busy to keep her brain switched off (which makes her more pleasant to live with) and that we mitigate certain things we know are an issue to her.
Like CC, I am also a firm believer in genetics. Anyone who questions it needs to meet the tank versus my other dogs, because she demonstrates sometimes…whats under the fluff will always win out. Her Dam is just like her, possibly more challenging In fact. Her sire is not, and is calm, bold and loving. The mix worked well for her siblings but for her created a sharp dog who is bold and confident ??? She is un-evolved from some of her ancestors, and unlike many likes of pembrokes she has not forgotten her job is to guard things, to make things move fast, and to assert herself over much larger ‘stock’ of whom belong to her…
Having a second now, of very similar breeding, shows how different she was to what most are at this age. There is no logic to her though as for all her challenges, a few weeks ago on a walk she ended up sat on a young lads lap, who was on the autistic spectrum and mum told me was selective Non verbal, licking him to death snd getting him to talk to me about whether she had ever met the queen. She reads situations, very well and acts accordingly - which intrigued me more.
We still love her. Even when I could drown her. Even when a ten week old pup has better recall and is more obedient than she is. And even when she’s being a misery arse.
So go on then - not every dog is straightforward, simple and like lassie. And sometimes, no matter how ‘to the book’ you do it, things don’t always go to plan and you don’t always end up with the dog you anticipated in your mind. I am hoping some of you who are perhaps reluctant to share as your dogs don’t walk perfectly by your side off lead, never put a toe wrong, fetch your slippers and the paper, save babies from wells, solves climate change etc - will be encouraged to know it isn’t always like that, and isn’t always consistently like that even when you have one or two who do fit that norm!
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I have a Shih Tzu cross, but we don't know what he is crossed with. My only problem with my boy is his weight. He's a real good do -er and if he was a horse he'd have to live on a lami diet. My other is a rescued schnauzer x we thing poodle. He was abused as a tiny pup I got him at 7 months and he was very fear aggresive. He will be 4 on Sunday and so much better now but I have to manage him and be very cautious as to the people I allow around him. Both boys adore each other and I think she Shih Tzu x has really helped the schnauzer x relax
), I'm desperate to do the play one too but I've not found any sessions within 2 hours of me.