Working dogs in pet homes

blackcob said:
I haven't seen the series Clodagh but they'll likely be Alaskan huskies, a type rather than a distinct breed (with many sub-types).
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Well you haven't missed much! It is a hard life though, but the dogs seem happy enough, although their living conditions would be frowned upon over here. That is interesting about them being Alaskan huskies, thank you.
 
MotherOfChickens said:
the ones I was involved with were Siberians, the ones on the telly as BC says are Alaskan huskies and a whole other ball game. You dont see many Sibes doing the big races as they arent as fast. a lot of the Sibes I see nowadays would have been considered over height back when, my big dog was over height (he wasnt called Chewy for nothing) but most of the others relatively small-especially of course the bitches. The leader was the smallest dog who was quite a fluffy wee thing-he was not good with dogs that werent his pack.
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Again, interesting, thank you.
 
My saddo hubby also watches Yukon Men and I have seen the Alaskan huskies they use out there. I am really surprised they manage to keep warm and fit enough, as they look like a real mix of mutts - without the thick coat of a siberian. I am sure they have a great working life, but you can't help but feel a wee bit sorry for them. But not as sorry as when I see the multitude of siberians living in entirely the wrong situation in urban Britain.
 
WorkingGSD said:
My saddo hubby also watches Yukon Men and I have seen the Alaskan huskies they use out there. I am really surprised they manage to keep warm and fit enough, as they look like a real mix of mutts - without the thick coat of a siberian. I am sure they have a great working life, but you can't help but feel a wee bit sorry for them. But not as sorry as when I see the multitude of siberians living in entirely the wrong situation in urban Britain.
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ok, ok -I confess. I am not a man but I watch Yukon Men and anything else I can find on that type of living *hangs head in shame* ;)

I've always fantasised about living in that sort of environment and doing one of the long races- too much Jack London as a kid!
 
Some very interesting points made above and does nothing to allay my worries that the dogs I saw yesterday are in completely the wrong sort of home :(
 
Laura2408 said:
I had a bad experience with this sort of thing.

We rescued a sick working line GSD puppy. From day one we had huge issues including nervous aggression and unpredictability with no off switch.

We loved the dog and spend fortune on medication and behaviouralists but eventually had to admit defeat and PTS as the dog was not suitable as any sort of pet but was too nervous to work (we tried everything!) plus the medical problems meant rehoming was not an option. The dog had bitten or attempted to bite through a muzzle 3 people by this point so had no real choice in the matter. It was awful but I felt instant relief afterwards as it’s not easy to live with any dog like that!

I now have another dog of the same breed but this one has come from a pet line of dogs bred to be pets and the change is unbelievable. She has an off switch, lives to please and best of all has a sound steady temperament.

I don’t think people always appreciate the importance of genetics and early socialisation and that sometimes ‘loving’ a dog can’t fix what genetics are telling it to do.
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I am sorry to hear of your loss :( I think we discussed your dog and her issues? I am glad you have a new dog that has restored your faith in the breed.

My WL GSD is the most stable of all the GSDs I have owned. He has an off switch (after a busy day), is social, balanced and strong nerved. Everything I wanted in a dog tbh. I am not sure how he would get on in a less active home, but he is a perfect fit for me.
 
MotherOfChickens said:
ok, ok -I confess. I am not a man but I watch Yukon Men and anything else I can find on that type of living *hangs head in shame* ;)

I've always fantasised about living in that sort of environment and doing one of the long races- too much Jack London as a kid!
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ha ha :D I kinda enjoy watching Yukon Men, Railroad Alaska and Mountain Men but draw the line at Alaskan Bush People and Goldrush! lol I LOVE Jack London books too.
 
Listening to those of you who are, or have been, involved with huskies they seem like a lifestyle choice, if done correctly. We have a chap who comes running on our hill tracks with two huskies, sometimes with a rig. It looks like brilliant fun and they are stunning looking dogs. Living on a sheep farm though, I would never consider owning one.
 
WorkingGSD yes we did talk about her! I very nearly got a working line puppy however wanted something more geared towards family walks rather than working. Luckily we have the perfect girl now who adores children and other dogs and is just as happy cuddling up than running around (although they do still get lots of walking!)

I have met lots of working line or malinios crosses that are just not suitable for pets as they are bred and bought by the clueless. Shame for the dogs really.

The one I had was of a nervous rather than bold temperament and should never have been bred really :(
 
WorkingGSD said:
Listening to those of you who are, or have been, involved with huskies they seem like a lifestyle choice, if done correctly. We have a chap who comes running on our hill tracks with two huskies, sometimes with a rig. It looks like brilliant fun and they are stunning looking dogs. Living on a sheep farm though, I would never consider owning one.
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its as much commitment as a horse imo-perhaps more so as you have to live with them. at the time I was offered pups I had just bought my first house and was desperate for my first dog after years of renting-but also knew that I didnt know what my long term future (ie the next 10 years) held job wise etc I didnt have a horse at the time either.
 
Clodagh said:
Well you haven't missed much! It is a hard life though, but the dogs seem happy enough, although their living conditions would be frowned upon over here. That is interesting about them being Alaskan huskies, thank you.
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Before the Estate provided very nice kennels/runs, hubby kept his sheepdogs in whisky barrels in good weather and they went in the barn in inclement weather. I got so much stick from pet dog owners!

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This is what they have now (which I also prefer)

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With regard to GSDs, I've probably met more show lines that are iffy.
The saddest examples of the breed, working or show or pet, have 'drive' but not the genetic strength of nerve behind them to channel it or cope with stress, hence behaviours like tail chasing or self harming. Same with a lot of Malinois.
It's hard to describe unless you've seen it.

To paraphrase a judge 'when the dog is under stress he reaches back to his anscestors for help....but there is no one there'.
 
Sounds a lot like mine was CC. She was a sweet little thing at times but when worried she had no other coping mechanism but to bite first then run. Nothing else crossed her mind but sheer panic and teeth.

Incredibly sad but I could not change that split second reaction no matter what we did :(
 
MotherOfChickens said:
that huge chook again :D

I think the barrels are cute (the kennels are lush!). I dunno, better than the ute my ex's kelpie lived under in Oz :D
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It is the child living in the barrel that gets me. :-) Child in barrel, chook in kennel, who are these people!? At least they let the poor little mite have his teddy. :-)
Our dogs lived under a caravan in Newman, WA, on chains too. They were fine. They did sleep in the caravan with us overnight.
 
I think I could quite happily live in a human sized barrel!

Your set up is fab WGSD. I think Luna would happily live outside with the right set up. Unfortunately, too many scrotes around here, and she’d soon get stolen no matter how secure we tried to make her.
 
Getting back to the original question I think it should have been why buy a dog from a working line and then not bother to train it so it is a suitable pet. I have just said farewell to my SIL and her lovely WC bitch. SIL lives on the coast, chucks dog in the car and goes to the same beach every day or walks off lead on the fore shore near to her house. The bitch is four and is a nightmare on a lead, pulls like a train. She can't be let off the lead near livestock and has zero recall. SIL is happy to have her off lead despite this but she completely does her own thing, she will go through any hedge and gets under or over anything else (practically). Yesterday she went after pheasant and it took 30 minutes and 2 dead birds before she could be caught. The bitch is perfectly trainable, has a lovely temperament and I cannot understand why anyone would buy a dog like this and not want to train it so it is a more relaxing companion. Stanley, the 10 month old BT, who comes from a working line, was a complete delight on our walks and stayed with us despite the WC's antics. I was so proud of him!
 
oldie48 said:
Getting back to the original question I think it should have been why buy a dog from a working line and then not bother to train it so it is a suitable pet. I have just said farewell to my SIL and her lovely WC bitch. SIL lives on the coast, chucks dog in the car and goes to the same beach every day or walks off lead on the fore shore near to her house. The bitch is four and is a nightmare on a lead, pulls like a train. She can't be let off the lead near livestock and has zero recall. SIL is happy to have her off lead despite this but she completely does her own thing, she will go through any hedge and gets under or over anything else (practically). Yesterday she went after pheasant and it took 30 minutes and 2 dead birds before she could be caught. The bitch is perfectly trainable, has a lovely temperament and I cannot understand why anyone would buy a dog like this and not want to train it so it is a more relaxing companion. Stanley, the 10 month old BT, who comes from a working line, was a complete delight on our walks and stayed with us despite the WC's antics. I was so proud of him!
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So very true. Well done Stan!
 
Some really interesting discussions and great points made on here. Thinking aloud, both my current spaniels are working lines and, although they're pets, I would look for workers again. A has been the easiest, sweetest, most trainable dog in the world. In her younger years, we did home concocted versions of agility and horse and hound classes, which she loved. F has definitely been harder, but there's a perverse streak on her mother's side that even her professional handlers found tricky. She might, or might not, have done better if worked - which was the original plan - but as long as she gets plenty of exercise, she's still a great pet. I am a country woman, though, so they're out and about a lot with us and the horses, and quite happy to crash out at home or in the office, while we work.
 
If I am 100% honest, I do think Luna would be fine off lead on walks (husky). However, we have done a lot of research and know all about the prey drive, so not something I am willing to test. She does get off lead time at the horses where there is secure boundary fencing, and we use a long line out and about.

I have videos of her recalling, once chasing a pheasant, but can’t post them on here as don’t know how.

We have done obedience classes, and all time we are “training” her, even if she does think we are playing.
 
Wait until she's up a bit...we don't know what dogs we have until they're 18-24 months.
I've recalled my adult dog off cats, herons, squirrels, etc but he once dicked off after a hare. At a service station rest area. Towards the lorry park. My bad.....
 
Clodagh said:
It is the child living in the barrel that gets me. :-) Child in barrel, chook in kennel, who are these people!? At least they let the poor little mite have his teddy. :-)
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Ha he would have been free to a good home but he's 15 now so almost old enough to fly the nest on his own ;)
 
amymay said:
Probably because they're cheap.

Why do breeders allow them to go to pet homes?
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Depends on the breed, a well bred WGR will be as much if not more than something from show lines.

I agree with you that breeders need to take a view on who they are selling to, absolutely. I had seven puppies out of my bitch last year and four went to friends and family to work, and I kept one back. The remaining two I advertised, and found what I considered to be well suited “pet” homes, where they would get ample training and exercise. 9 months on I am sill happy I made the right decision regarding pet homes.

The colour and build of the WGR has become incredibly popular and as a result I had tens of messages about the two pups I advertised - the majority had a set up I think was inappropriate for a working bred dog. I can’t ever recall being fussy about my dogs colour when I picked her up, but then she was bought on her working credentials.
 
working or show line, ultimately there are sadly too many people who do not appreciate the breed they are buying. the rescue I got my collie from receives quite a lot of collies and spaniels who families can't cope with. also seems to be more and more Belgian malinois around now- who as far as I am aware are like a GSDxcollie working dog, not a pet.

my collie was bought as an 8 week old and they kept her in a house and garden (small terrace) for 2 years before deciding she was too much. walked perhaps 5 times in her whole life. she was nuts, but very friendly (if not over friendly seeking reassurance, still does a year on in my house) I know there are agility lines of collies as well as working sheep lines, but either way they are an active breed. but she comes to the horses twice a day with me, and often gets an extra walk in the day. she is very content.

but.... when ever anyone says how lovely she is and how much they would love a collie, I actually tell them don't!!! she is stimulated free around barns and fields for a few hours a day, could play fetch for 8 hours straight if you let her, just went on holiday to the Peak District and she never slowed down until put in a crate at night as she had a big group of family to keep an eye on all day! she is a pet, loves snoozing on the sofa, but she is a very active pet with me understanding her need for routine to keep her calm.
 
I have a working line black sable shepherd bitch. My intent was her to be the predecessor to the dog I competed with. She was got for dog sport so especially highly driven, with amazing ball drive.
However, life got in the way & a toddler & 4month old changed that. She's now a family pet....albeit an exceptionally high energy one! I work from home & with two kids she still still has to come first. I can't have a coffee without taking her across the fields to relieve the energy stored through the night! I could easily take her out 4/5 times a day do brain work, run her ragged & she's still ready to go! The baby goes on my back, toddler gets suited & booted & off we go across fields no matter the weather she needs exercise. It aggravates me when people have a family & the dog is cast aside, left outside or rehomed as they don't have time. Well you made a commitment to the dog, honour it.
After lots of stimulation we finally find a mellow button, then she will lie in front of the fire or beside the baby with a chew and be content.......until the next daylight hours!
When I was pregnant I talked about rehoming her to a working home or police. But I couldn't part with her as she survived parvo & swear she fought it to stay with us. So although she's a working dog, she's a pet, but now that's her job. To play with the kids, lie on the sofa & be ready to chase a ball. I don't think she misses working to be honest, her role has just changed. But again it's about stimulation.....She's takes a lot but I signed up to that & ensure she gets it.
 
Pippixox - I follow a few Malinois pages on FB and the rescue ones are forever pleading with breeders not to sell to pet homes and for buyers not to consider the working line Mali as a suitable pet. Of course this doesn’t stop people and I can only see the situation getting worse for the breed as they are seen more frequently out of a working role and in the sports arena of agility/flyball etc. There does seem to be a fashion craze surrounding the breed just now. Never a good thing.

Niko - I have a dark sable WL shepherd too ��. In his younger years we attended a local working trials club and thoroughly enjoyed it, especially the tracking element and it’s something I’d like to get into again with a future shepherd once the ties of the children and farm are less. My dog is now 7 years and so has slowed down a little in terms of he’ll sleep a little longer when there’s no activity but he spends much of the day outdoors with me, doing jobs and bits of training as well as having a couple of good walks a day too. He’s a fabulous dog but I do try to make any potential fans aware that he does need a lot in terms of stimulation, exercise and company. I dread to think what he’s be like if left alone m, shut in a house for long periods with nothing to do. I expect he’d make his own entertainment ��
 
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