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Thread: Tough Question

  1. #31
    House Broken
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    Quote Originally Posted by Labradorks View Post
    Dogs do want to please, it's called biddability. But, yes, we do have to mold that behavior because while some dogs are born wanting to please, it's the how to please part that they don't have a handle on. The alpha/dominance theory has been bunked over and over. We can be leaders and show them the rules, sure, but we're not fighting our dogs to gain the alpha status like a pack of wolves. Dogs are way more evolved (and hopefully so are humans).
    I do know it has been bunked over and over.
    I didn't say we actually teach them like in the old days. I just pointed out that we are teaching them we are the alpha. Just in a more positive manner.

    I was just comparing how wild dog packs have to show each other their place in the pack. We pretty much do the same thing, but again in a positive way. They do have their own place in the household. Because we teach them where that place is.

    And as for them wanting to please us, I still don't think they do lol. They want to get the positive results from us.

    I may be wrong I don't really know. I know I teach my dog something that I want of him, he does it and gets a positive reward for doing it. We are both happy.

    Biddability doesn't mean they want to please, but they are willing to yield to others. No where does it say it means one wants to please. Which I agree with. They do.

  2. #32
    Senior Dog TuMicks's Avatar
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    I got a dog that was bred to do basically ONE thing... pick up BIRDS!!! Everyone told me I was nuts to get a dog that was from FC-AFC parents (both sire and dam) with famously high drive dogs on both sides. (And I would hasten to add... they were right.) But having said that, It is wonderful that she lives and breathes to pick up birds.

    There was some teaching involved in shaping her behavior, but basically getting her to retrieve birds was never a problem. She has all the GO in the world. The issue was giving her "NO", teaching her what she could NOT do.

    So now, I can honestly say that almost all her training is positive in the since that if she does the work my way, she gets to pick up the bird, come running back with it, and line herself up for the next bird. I don't think I'm overstating it to say that training, for her, is orgasmic. Hugely powerfully positive.

    So, I don't really know how to answer the question if she is doing it because she wants to or if she's been trained to. She wants to do the work like a junkie wants to mainline his drug of choice. She just knows she doesn't get her fix if she doesn't behave.

  3. #33
    Senior Dog TuMicks's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bernie View Post
    Only my opinions and experiences:
    Recently started thinking on this question.
    I’ve had four other dogs in my life, two breed and two mixed, none of them had formal training,
    All of them would go with me off leash, (I live in a rural area) all would run off in the woods and fields, return when called, the only exception was my last male when he’d found a wild critter, he would be barking to let me know where was, no problem, even when he had a raccoon up a tree and I drove by in the truck he’d run out in the road to tell me where he was, then go right back to the tree, found that amusing.
    Enough of the old days.
    Setting aside those owners that are showing or hunting; why is it that Labs require so much training to become a good pet? right on this forum it goes on all the time; “get your pup in training”. Is it because they been overly bred? When you look into their eyes do you see a dog that has a sense of entitlement and expects everything his way?
    I do.
    They’re able to train animals for the circus too.
    Understanding the bias that will be here (it’s a lab forum, lol), I’ve been wondering if the most appreciative dogs are to be found at the local shelter.
    I believe there are probably a lot of boneheaded dogs in shelters.

    There are more Labs in this country than any other breed and they are probably the most emotionally balanced of all the breeds. But they are big dogs and when they're young, they have bunches of crazy energy (which if you get an adult dog from a shelter... you avoid, needless to say.) My sense about all the "I-have-a-terrible-problem-with-my-lab" posts are (IMO) actually "I-have-no-idea-why-my-puppy/dog-can't-read-my-mind" posts.

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