Obedience school for Stella is now in session!
The instructor made a very good point last night... he said that over 85% of the dogs that end up in shelters and rescues never went to obedience school. I'm not surprised at all. There are so many things that are instinct for us as humans to do that are just so bad for the dogs... it's really the owners that need to be trained. There was a lady there at class last night that brought her dog (even though it for humans only last night), and she was treating it like a human child, and even though I'm not a professional trainer, I could tell that her dog's behavior problems were likely at least 80% the owner's fault. Same with Stella.... if her previous owners had immediately enrolled her in puppy classes when they got her, I highly doubt she would have needed to be rescued. She would have made a fine pet. Stella is very bright, and has wonderful health... the vet said she was the finest OES she'd ever seen other than professional show dogs. And she really is. I just don't get it... people have children, they send them to school. So why when they have dogs, would they not also send them to school? Is it that they think they know everything there is to know about dogs, and they feel they don't need it? Every dog I have ever owned has gone to at LEAST puppy school. Obviously if I've been through it with multiple dogs, i pretty much know the routine, but I swear every time I go, I learn more and it reinforces what I already know. Not to mention the bonding that takes place between the owner and the dog. I'm hoping this will help to "reset" Stella so we can get her to where she should have been by now. I'm so angry at people who set their pets up for failure. Not all pets fail because of the owners, but I am willing to bet that most do. OK, I'll get off my soapbox, lol. I need to get to work. Uh Oh... I just had Stella groomed this weekend, and she's playing outside in the rain  lol.
I took Stella on a 45 minute walk before taking her to the groomers and the groomer said Stella was much better than last time. And she looked so pretty!! I'll get pics posted soon. |
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It sounds like you and Stella are going to have fun. 
Your soapbox is also mine! I have my own obedience school and see this all the time. I give discounts to people who adopt from the humane societies. I let people pay in payments if they can't afford it. My classes are the least expensive in town - just so more people can afford to train their dogs. I also was our 4-H trainer for 20 yrs. If you can start with the kids and get them started on the right foot, you have better dog owners as adults. Sure, I could train my own dogs at home - I certainly know how! But many people don't realize that getting the dogs out and socializing with other dogs, people and new situations is a huge part of the learning. When the kids were at home it was easier - most of our current dogs were actually trained by them - at least the basic stuff. Now that the last one has moved out, I need to get creative. It is hard to teach classes and still find time to train my own dogs! Another thing that I see is people stopping classes too soon. They do a beginner class and then stop. Especially if they have a pup, it is too soon to quit going. They loose that adaptive ability they have as a pup and still can become poorly socialized dogs that just stay home. Later on people realize it, but then it is more difficult to work things out. OK, I'm off my soapbox now! |
| Thanks for your response... I love it when someone is able to give real-life experiences as examples, and yours is perfect! I also love that you have gone to such lengths to make training accessible and affordable to pet owners. There really is no excuse for providing proper training for pets. My theory has always been that if you can't afford puppy training, you can't afford a puppy... get a hamster or something less demanding. Not to mention the money it takes to provide even basic proper medical care for your dog (vaccinations, heartworm testing, flea/tick preventative, nutritiously complete dogfood, grooming, etc...). Not to mention the unexpected stuff that comes up... in my case there's been things like, ear infections, "hot spots", eye exams, several mystery infections ... all with my Bichon. Sometimes people just don't think very clearly about what it means to be a responsible pet owner. I think a lot is in how people were raised. I constantly talk to my kids about the animals and describe all the responsibilities that go along with owning an animal, and I would like to think that this will make a huge difference when they grow up and decide to have pets of their own.
I also have my kids involved with the training of the animals, to help with generalization, so when the dog hears "sit" it will respond even if it's not me saying it. So far Stella listens well to my middle son, but still doesn't think she has to listen to the youngest... maybe because she's bigger than he is, lol. Ever since I went though training with Brooklyn (our Bichon), I have been fascinated with dog training... eventually I would love to become certified and do it professionally. But even then, I will still take any pets I own to school. |
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