Do I accept behaviour others would not?

[Top Barks]

Lisa - I am pretty sure Honey would come back without treats too, but I obsess a little that she won't  (the old OCD you know )

The one behaviour I reward everytime is the recall! other behaviours I reward intermittently but i am always consistant when my dogs come to me.
Even if I do not call them and they come to check in they always get some sort of reward, be it just a glance and smile or a good lad and sometimes a full on game.
I also carry extra special treats for above average recalls say off birds or something.
Try and think outside the box when rewarding your dog and give him what he wants at the time.
Bayley's reward is often to be released again while Oliver has the cue go sniff. ( a past time that he thoroughly enjoys)
Whatever it is though they get something from me every time.
just this morning on our walk a guy with two lovely springers shouting ever louder and failing miserably to recall his dogs when they did come he tapped one on the nose, there is no wonder these dogs choose not to come back when he calls.
He has taught them that if they go back to him then there is a chance something bad will happen so who can blame them for not returning.
Mark

[kb]

You see I think that part of the problem is that cockers are really not like any other breed I have ever encountered before

At home we always had a dog. We had a jrt/corgi cross - very smart, very loyal, very cheeky, very grumpy; we had a corgi - dream dog - a real lady, although nippy with strangers; a westie - loveable, stubborn and a little thrawn (for those who don't know that word - do what it wanted no matter what) and a little grumpy.

But the cocker - they have presence, a huge personality, affectionate, exasperating, messy, playful, loving, frustrating, caring - all these within the same hour. I read a book once - how to raise a spirited child - well the cocker is the spirited child of the dog world

[Jan/Billy]

You see I think that part of the problem is that cockers are really not like any other breed I have ever encountered before

At home we always had a dog. We had a jrt/corgi cross - very smart, very loyal, very cheeky, very grumpy; we had a corgi - dream dog - a real lady, although nippy with strangers; a westie - loveable, stubborn and a little thrawn (for those who don't know that word - do what it wanted no matter what) and a little grumpy.

But the cocker - they have presence, a huge personality, affectionate, exasperating, messy, playful, loving, frustrating, caring - all these within the same hour. I read a book once - how to raise a spirited child - well the cocker is the spirited child of the dog world

I agree. When I was at home we had a cross breed  bitch & a JRT both superb dogs. then I got billy and BANG!!! Like nothing I've ever experienced before 

[kb]

Mark in recall - do you expect them to come immediately? Honey will quite often be "wait I'm coming - just have to get this final sniff in" - then turn round and hurtle back to you - she is so fast - sometimes she doesn't get the breaks on in time and overshoots After I give her a treat she will sit and wait until I point and say - on you go and off she goes again - i have to say she never goes too far without checking you are behind her.

Sometimes, even with a treat, I have to use a very excited voice, to alert her initally - my OH just has to turn and walk the other way

[Ben's mum]

This is really interesting post - as Ben is a very grumbly dog, and has bitten/nipped me several times.  I supose I've just accepted him for the way he is now, I know his limits, I know I would never trust him with kids or if someone pushed him too far he would bite.
However I also know i have to accept responsibility as we made tons of mistakes when he was little.  He was our first dog and was always dominant and we have battled on and off with behaviour issues.

I suppose I could get a behaviourist to help with the nipping, but to be honest, we just accept it as part of his personality and avoid potential situations where we are going to clash.  I don't allow certain foods that he guards, and he does know we are in charge - its just that he challenges it sometimes, where i suppose other dogs wouldn't.

I think I agree with other that you set your own boundries - we accept more from him that I'm sure more experienced dog owners would allow, and I know we would do some things different with another dog, but we just love him to bits and for 99% he is a cuddly, affectionate boy.
Bens mum

[Cob-Web]

I suppose my concern would be whether dogs that are placed in a position where they are required to issue warnings on a regular basis are living in a continual state of stress which in turn has an impact on other elements of their life 

Mark posted a link once (I can't find it, now  ) about the fact that it can take up to 7 days for a dogs body chemical levels to return to normal after a confrontation or incident and while these chemical levels are raised, the dogs ability to learn is reduced, and it's overall trigger point is lowered  There is a fancy name for it too - but I can't find the thread about it - help please, Mark!

Because of this, I would want to try and desensitise any dog I owned to its particular "stressors", so that I was giving it the best possible chance of responding to my training, and increasing its overall tolerance to common triggers 

[Jan/Billy]

I would want to try and desensitise any dog I owned to its particular "stressors", so that I was giving it the best possible chance of responding to my training, and increasing its overall tolerance to common triggers 

Thats what we are trying to do with Billy at the mo  . The behaviourist said there is no cure, some dogs will improve a lot others will not  as it's just their personality, either way it will never completely disapear  

[PennyB]

Lisa - I am pretty sure Honey would come back without treats too, but I obsess a little that she won't  (the old OCD you know )

The one behaviour I reward everytime is the recall! other behaviours I reward intermittently but i am always consistant when my dogs come to me.

Me too especially when out and about as you never know when a new situation (or an old one that is a pain) might arise. I have also taken a ball or something to distract them on walks as well. With regard to training and treats I often make them work harder for certain things and others they get treated more readily

[MollieMoo]

kb you seem to be describing my Hollie. It is assuring to know you aren't the only one with a lovely adorable cocker whom has their own funny quirks!  
  
Mollie is great all day, then it is almost like when night time sets in and it goes dark outside, she lies on her mat and sometimes she is fine and follow you around and then sometimes you walk past her and she looks up at you and gives you such a filthy look - like 'dare you invade my space' - we have taken to calling her Ruby as in Ruby Red.  Also when she has a kong stuffed with food, or a bone, she will growl slightly if you walk past her, just to let you know not to mess with her.

As you, I have learnt how to deal with Mollie's quirks and treating her as being object possesive and I am trying to work on it - as the book Mine by Jean Donaldson.  She is an absolutle softy apart from that.

I know that all dogs are different, like children and people, and I don't want to start something by saying this, but doesn't this seem to be a 'trait' with our Solid coloured cockers?

[kb]

I am keen to point out here - that Honey is not living in a continual stress and that these behaviours are by no means the "norm", but that they do occur.

I have learnt the hard way in life,  that it is not possible to eliminate stress completely for everyone all of the time. I simply cannot do that so we try and keep the things that appear to stress her to a minimum - there is a clear reduction in the amount of things to which she reacts, so obviously she has become less sensitive in many ways.

However sharing a house with a family of 4 - I am afraid it would be impossible to desensitise to all stressors .

Generally though - sometimes she just grumbles because she is vocal - not all her grumbles are growls

[PennyB]

As you, I have learnt how to deal with Mollie's quirks and treating her as being object possesive and I am trying to work on it - as the book Mine by Jean Donaldson.  She is an absolutle softy apart from that.

I know that all dogs are different, like children and people, and I don't want to start something by saying this, but doesn't this seem to be a 'trait' with our Solid coloured cockers?

any dog can show these behaviours (and there are many fallacies about resource guarding as Jean Donaldson suggests as well)  --- I've seen it lots of other breeds and all colours of cocker

[kb]

I did used to panic about the "golden" cocker thing - but I don't anymore. I do worry though that we didn't know as much about selecting breeders and so on, as we should have done and that maybe her temperament is a result of this. Who can tell?

Either way, that is the way she is - I love her to bits, but she is hard work

[Cob-Web]

Generally though - sometimes she just grumbles because she is vocal - not all her grumbles are growls

Molo is a grumbler - and like you, I consider this to be a normal aspect of his communication 

On the very odd occasion when Molo has issued a "warning" (to the vet, usually  ) it is very clearly different (either a proper growl, or a snap), and his behaviour for a few hours afterwards is different too; he is a lot more unsettled and anxious, and less likely to respond to commands  I have now begun to plan any routine trips to the vet around his classes, so that I know I don't have a training session for a few days afterwards, so that he can re-establish his equilibrium first 

[kb]

Rachel - a few months ago Honey had her anal glands examined at the vets - now if we even touch her anywhere near her hind quarters, even her back legs, suddenly or by accident - she growls.

I try stroking her gently now around the backlegs and so on for short times very gently when she is relaxed - but she is wary  although usually tolerant - take her by surprise though and thats a different story.

[Cob-Web]

Rachel - a few months ago Honey had her anal glands examined at the vets - now if we even touch her anywhere near her hind quarters, even her back legs, suddenly or by accident - she growls.

I try stroking her gently now around the backlegs and so on for short times very gently when she is relaxed - but she is wary  although usually tolerant - take her by surprise though and thats a different story.

Have you tried clicker training to remove the association of the discomfort with being touched in that area? If her memory of the vet can be replaced with something pleasant, then she may become less reactive 
It took me a year to desensitise Molo from Stainless Steel (especially scissors) near his front legs after a pretty awful veterinary encounter  I didn't have clicker training experience at first - once I did, I made more progress in a few weeks than I had in several of the preceding months