I watched a very, very moving program on television about the dogs that served during WWII. I was amazed at the dogs. They were excellent. They knew every single command right away, no doubt. They were the fastest and most obedient dogs.
Obviously during that time, the military/army didn't have the money to hire professional dog trainers. However, these dogs were simply amazing! They were trained by the new recruits who had just begun their first time serving. Most hadn't owned a dog before, and hadn't been away from home so they spoke to the dogs, told them problems, confided in them. Maybe because of the bond they could train so well. They spent 8 hours every day training, several on grooming, slept and ate with the dogs.
My question is, if first time dog owners with nothing to do during their time at barracks [of course with training for the war themselves] can train like that, shouldn't it not be overlooked that the average person about their age [18 +] could do the same. With Abbie, I have had all of my 10 week holiday to train with her and it has *really* paid off. Yet today, even though it's important yes, I know and agree, experience is still needed, but couldn't it not be possible a first timer could train like that, rather than have a professional in to do all the work, or someone with years, decades of experience?
Considering some of these dogs were mutts but had such a bond, even during spare time, soldiers took time to be with them.
I think we're on the right track. We spent every day, all day together and used play as a way to train as well as classes and normal 3-4 minute training daily for up to 5-6 times.
What do you about the question?
Do you think it can be the bond too? When trainers come in, the dog is trained by them, not the owner as such. And I receive such criticism for owning a border collie as she is my first, yet she is simply doing great in her training! & is very well behaved.
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Recommended Answer:I can see that the more time you spend training your dog, the stronger bond you would have….people who train their pet dogs in agility, flyball, tracking, schutzund, working trials, conformation & obedience training would have a stronger bond than a dog that is given two walks a day and then largely ignored & left to mentally fester.
I did not fully appreciate what it meant to have a dog that was genetically predisposed to exhibit fearful behaviour because of a character defect, until my dog was badly bitten & his fearful temperament manifested itself in defencive aggression. Working with my Dobermann to control his behaviour, learning to read his body language & teaching him coping strategies, forged a stronger bond. He learned to focus on me & largely ignore distractions which was a huge improvement of fearful lunging/barking.
The war dog handlers skill & conditions that they worked in was something I was largely unaware of and they pivotal role they played in hot spots like Iraq. I could see that it would be tremendously challenging and rewarding and that with the right dog a handler could have an incredibly strong bond.
Edit: I purchased a book written by Koehler on dog training & it's very interesting.
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- Border Collies are indeed very energetic dogs and need a lot of time spent with them (especially to stimulate their brains). I think you are doing just fine with what you've described. Everything is a learning experience for dogs as well as people. My puppy is four months old and I spend so much time loving and training him that he knows nearly all of the tricks in the book. The bond that you share definitely helps in training and obedience. Keep it up!
- it seems like as long as you have treats,chew toys, a leash and collar, and a stern voice at times, then probably. my dog is crazy and i experienced the same as you. some trainors think they know everything. the real good trainers are the ones that help you,rather then boss you.
- The average person does not have 8 hours a day to train, groom, and confide in their dogs. Most have school, work, kids, and other things keeping them busy. I also don't think that most average people *want* to spend 8+ hours a day training a dog.
Yes, an inexperienced person can train a dog, but most dog owners can't tell their head from their butt, meaning that the training ends up being improper and incorrect.
A professional should NEVER be doing "all the work". They should be not only training the dog, but also the owner.
I'm glad that you are doing well with Abbie and I hope that it continues as you get busy with school and life.
- The total association is important in training a dog in this manner. A border collie is a highly intelligent dog, and will respond well to this type of training.
- The soldiers trained the dogs under the instruction of a head trainer who used the Koehler Method of training.
It is a no nonsense training program that is heavy on corrections when they are warranted.
It works for all dogs and I have used it and its variations for 30 years.
As far as the bond, it is very difficult to spend time in a war zone and work with a dog that you have no bond with.
I spent a considerable amount of time in the Middle Eastern Theater of Operations with my dog, working, eating, living and sleeping together in some instances when he was not kenneled.
This kind of experience cannot be had in the "civilian" world with the dogs and people who own them because they think of them differently.
It is a whole other story when your life depends on your dog and the training you gave him....games and BS stops and commands MUST be followed or someone will die.
It is an experience like no other and I am glad that I lived it!
Hope I helped.
ADD: Let me add a little something here that may border on "romanticism" on this post of mine and if anyone feels different, I would like to hear their side or the story.
I spent several years as part of an Elite Military Unit a long time ago. The bond that develops with other people in your team when your and their butts are on the line daily is NOT something that can be replicated in the every day world.
The bond that my dog and I shared over there, and that was recently, is not something that can be done here, not because of training or time spent together, but because of time spent together "under fire".
You either mesh really well together or you do not survive, you learn to work together or you come home in a bodybag.
You do not learn to do it because it is good for you or whatever, you learn because of psychological reasons, reasons that cannot be replicated in the safety of home.
People that have been there will know EXACTLY what I am talking about...ok, end of sermon!!
- If you are spending that much time with your dog- even if you have never owned one in your life- then you are going to start to have a really good understanding of dogs.
Looking through your experience with your border collie- how much have you learned about your dogs body language? about the different noises that she makes? and her little idiosyncrasies?
These soldiers would have bonded really closely with their dogs, they would have been scared, training to go into war, wondering if they would ever see their family and friends again- it is no wonder that they spent so much time just being with, training, and loving their dogs.
There are sort of similar programs set up now, with dogs in prisons- where the inmates look after a dog- some are trained to be kept as pets, and some places actually train up assistance dogs, which is awesome. The dogs help the people learn how to behave with each other, and teach them important life lessons.
I dont think it is great to spend such a large amount of time each day training your dog- they will usually get bored quickly, so I would like to see how they did that- but all in all, I think its a great thing to do.
If other first time dog owners were dedicated enough to want to put in all of that work into a new dog- and maintain the work and training- I wouldnt have a problem with recommending any dog to them.
- With any dog training success, there needs to be respect from the dog towards the owner or trainer. There's no other way around it. The most trainable intelligent dog in the world won't respond to training if he thinks he is in charge.
So it's really no wonder that a soldier would have such command and that the dog would catch on easily. Soldiers are trained to be brave and have control when they are in boot camp , so the dog would have picked up on right away and realized that the soldier is his leader.
A bond is important , but more important is trust and respect in a training situation. Not always easy to achieve when you look at it through the dog's eyes.
- Interesting. I think it is more about the commitment. You have to tape your tv shows and get off the couch and make an effort. I don't think all first time dog owners can train dogs. I think herding dogs are a million times easier to train than other breeds. I think sometimes someone just needs someone else to show them how to do things. I don't think you could just go to a pet store, buy a puppy, and be an expert at training if you have never owned a dog before, I think it is asking too much of people. We all learned our tips and tricks from other people, it just gets passed down and we should pass what we know on. We shouldn't make others feel bad if they get stuck and need help, or if they don't know how to do something. I think some people are more in tune with animals than others, and some more committed than others. My neighbors son tries so hard, he just needed someone to show him some tricks, that doesn't mean he doesn't love his dog.
