It's NOT magic people! (a rant)

[BG and Gavin]

Please forgive me for this rant but I am so sick of hearing some version of this story (as I did yet again today) that I could scream.  No, I could cry.  I almost did.

Lady on the street: “Your dog is beautiful, how old is he?”

Me: “Thank you, he just turned two.”

Lady: “Was he hyper as a puppy and has settled down as he aged?”

Me: “He has never been hyper, but was quite active and liked to put his mouth on everything as a pup.”

Lady: “I have a one year old labradoodle and she is sooo hyper.  I am hoping she will grow out of it.”

Me: “Have you done any training classes with her?”

Lady: “We went to one, but I don’t think it did any good. Your dog walks so nicely how do you do it?”

Me: “Lots of practice.  He gets at least two 45 min walks per day.  Which by the way really helps keep him calm.”

Lady: “We have kids, so really don’t have time to walk her.”

Me: “Oh.”

Now I am mad at myself that I did not say more (not that it would help) and again I feel worried that this will be a dog that is given up shortly.  That is the part that makes me want to cry.  No dog is perfect.  Some in fact arrive with issues that are extremely difficult to deal with.  I understand that.  But part of the joy and responsibility of having a dog is spending time with it.  Walking. Training.  Along the way they learn and so do we.  Okay, thanks for listening. 

[Nicky, Riley & Boris]

I'm never sure what people mean by hyper.  I think that it is a subjective term.  One persons hyper is another persons normal.  What a terrible shame that people don't put the work in, expect the dogs to learn by themselves and don't give them the exercise they need.  This is why so many Doodles and dogs in general end up in shelters.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Nicky,

Definition of Hyper:

Flash Gordon aka Gordie.  When at dog parks, ears are soaked from slobber flying out of mouth as dog runs and runs, sniffing the perimeter of his world.

[BG and Gavin]

You are adorable Gordie!

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

BG, Very well said! I, too, wonder why some people bother to get dogs and expect to put no time or energy into them. My walks are my favorite part of my day. Luck of the draw....Gavin got lucky, that lady's dog did not. Sorry you had a bad morning.

[BG and Gavin]

You are sweet to say so Laurie.  Truth be told I got lucky too!

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

YES, YES, YES!  I hear this often about Guinness, and I remind people that he's been "in training" for more than TWO YEARS!  I really think some people think they just come this way.  Rant away, BG....I'm right there with you.

[Tante & Jordan & now Annie!]

I did 2 years of training with Jordan....it is why she is so good!

 

[Jane, Rooney & Stuart]

Dogs have been accessorized in our society.  How many little pocket purse dogs were sold after people saw Paris Hilton dragging hers around?  What they didn't see was that she had someone else taking it potty, walking & feeding it, keeping it while she traveled.  People see a beautiful dog and they then "see" it in their family but as an accessory - not realizing the time and effort that it takes.  The expense, the mess, the training.  Sad but true.  Poor dog.

[BG and Gavin]

This is so true Jane!  It is no surprise why shows like the Dog Whisperer feature a large number of "Chihuahuas from hell." Small dogs?  You just put them in your purse and forget about it right? I am sure Allyson could straighten out a few people on that point!

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

I'm right there with you on this.  I get this all the time as well.  Oh if I could have a dog like that I would get one.  I always say "Well, they don't come like this.  This is hundreds of hours of training you are looking at".  I know the kind of people you are talking about though, they ask you a question and then before you even answer they have moved on to something else.  They don't want to hear about training.

[Leslie and Halas]

Well said! Halas does still like to jump on people sometimes, but besides that, he's really well trained. When people mention it, I make a point to tell them that we started obedience classes at 4 months old, and we're still doing training with flyball and rally o. I also try to tell them that training is fun with doodles, because most of them are pretty smart, and pick things up really quickly. Training can sometimes be easier with a doodle than with some other breeds, but you still have to put the work and time into it. With a smart dog, you just get better results from the time you put in. You get a well-trained dog that you've really bonded with.

[BG and Gavin]

I have fantisized about flyball and rally o, but Gavin tends to be a klutz and injures himself almost every time we go to the dog park.  I am afraid I would be buying trouble!