Redetotry wrote:I wondered the same as Karen, if Buddy is a doodle. The trainers I know say they can only do so much as to training, something just goes haywire more often than one would expect with doodles. Having lived with a dog that was not a good fit for almost 15 years at one point, I can understand what you are experiencing. SInce Buddy is an only dog maybe rehoming would work for you both. He might just need a yard and a bunch of kids to keep him entertained and tired out. (((Hugs)))
Good morning, BJ.
Sharon's dilemma has been much on my mind for the last several days, and I was wondering if I should say anything or not, since it really is none of my business. Since I never have really let that stop me in the past,
I think I will jump in for a bit. Thank you, BJ, for opening the topic.
I love dogs - all dogs, pretty much - unreservedly. The many dogs I have been blessed to have in my life over the last 50 years or so have mostly all been my rocks, and my blessings.
Luckily, I discovered at a fairly young age (30's) the breed of dog that was most suited to me (please don't ask me how or why they fit so well with me. . . I don't really know. They just do). My intense love of dogs started with my first love, an American Pit Bull Terrier, and evolved to a life-long attachment to the Staffordshire Bull Terrier breed.
I have one sleeping here on the couch beside me, even as I type.
That being said, these dogs are definitely not a good fit, or a good breed, for everyone (although I must say that one of their stellar traits is that they all have seemed to have an "on" and "off" switch, meaning they can be zinging full tilt around the yard one minute, and totally zonked out on the couch the next).
No breed of dog, or cross-bred dog, is a good fit for everyone. Sometimes a good fit is due to careful research of the person looking for a new pet, sometimes (even with extensive research) it can just be a total crapshoot.
At this stage in my life, I would want any potential future dog to just be a overall good fit. Sometimes one acquires a dog (for whatever reason) that just isn't that. Through no fault of the dog, and certainly through no fault of the new owner.
It just happens sometimes.
Sometimes a new dog just needs to get some age on them (I like to say that sometimes a person has to wait until the young dog "grows a brain"), sometimes a good trainer is the solution (and since no certification is needed in most places in order to call one's self a "dog trainer", the quality of the trainer, and the quality of the training, can vary. . . tremendously).
I was lucky when my long-ago pittie was a pup, and began to grow into herself a little bit. A local man who lived not far away trained police dogs for a living, and trained local dogs for fun (and dollars, of course).
On my (ex) husband's not-so-sage advice, "You better do something about that dog" (imagine this statement spoken with an angry snarl), I then contacted this man and trained with him for several months, from basic obedience to, eventually, off-leash work using hand signals. Both myself and my dog found that we really enjoyed the training.
I trained
with him, I did not send my dog away to be trained
by him). This man was incredibly competent, really knew his dogs, and the training we put on my dog lasted her lifetime. And taught me how to train my own future dogs in the process.
The thing to understand about dog training (at least in my opinion, and in my experience with my own dogs) is that you are
not actually teaching "obedience", or for the dog to "mind you". What you are really teaching (and any good dog trainer will readily acknowledge this) is
communication. You are teaching your dog a very real form of
language, whether it consists of voice commands (a well trained dog usually doesn't need many of these), gestures, and body language.
Dogs, being non-verbal, often tend to pick up on gestures and body language (movement) faster and more readily than voice commands. Why? Because gestures and body language are a dog's natural form of communication.
And once a person can really communicate with their dog, the bond of love and trust that grows can be truly amazing.
This is getting WAY too long-winded again, sorry.
My totally unsolicited and likely unwanted advice would be to look around, take some time, and find a different trainer. Get references, that kind of thing. Maybe find out who trains police dogs in the area, and see who
they might recommend.
Unfortunately, when all is said and done, no matter how much we might try, and no matter how much we might wish it. . . all dogs are not a good fit for all people. It's just the way it is.
Sometimes rehoming - although it might take some effort, and take some time - might be the best option for both owner and dog.
Although one's heart might be breaking to even consider it.
Anne