The Dog Whisperer

hugahound · Master

The Dog Whisperer

evilshiddenclaws · Old Hand

sorry but i dont find him that impressive, its just common sense and an understanding of dog behaviour...

i cant watch those kind of programs without gettin agitated with the owners of the troublesome dogs

tandemsandy · Master

I have only seen the odd programme but I thought he was really good. I must say that not everyone knows what is normal dog pack behaviour and so for those of us who don't I think it would be very useful.. I have a book called the dog whisperer and find this very helpful.

feldandjack · Guru

I find it strange that so many people seem to think their dogs behaviour is bad, but they have never corrected it weirdface

it's much harder when you get a dog 'second hand' and it has got bad habits, but it's also hard work training a youngster. I think a lot of folk don't realise that dogs dont speak human. Any books that help people understand their dogs are good in my eyes. I've watched this guy and I think he is very good at telling folk they are numpties, but in a nice way aww

silverhippo · Master

The woman who runs the dog training that Tara and Zak went to always says that she is training the owners not the dog.

tootsmazza · Enlightened One

I have to say I've always enjoyed watching the Dog Whisperer shows, the guy seems to have a great ability with dogs. Almost every problem seems to boil down to the same thing - people not taking their dogs on proper walks and giving them enough exercise. I know he is controversial in some circles though.
I watch him and Dog Borstal in a slightly smug manner though - it makes me realise what a good dog I actually have.
When I see some of the destructive issues etc Mason just seems like an angel

Mari

hugahound · Master

evilshiddenclaws wrote:
sorry but i dont find him that impressive, its just common sense and an understanding of dog behaviour...

i cant watch those kind of programs without gettin agitated with the owners of the troublesome dogs

There are lots of people who just don't know how to go about solving problems, which they unwittingly caused. Before they know it years have passed. Not everyone knows the ins and outs of canine behaviour and then there are those who think they do. Considering his pack consists of numerous rehabiltated aggressive dogs and his first pack contained 6 rotties all deemed too aggressive to be homed. These dogs lived in total harmany with each other. We are talking dogs that wanted to kill people and other dogs here. How can anyone not be impressed?

Everyone has there own opinion. I think he offers a good insight into basic behaviour for those in need of it.

LauraMax · Old Hand

tootsmazza wrote:

I watch him and Dog Borstal in a slightly smug manner though - it makes me realise what a good dog I actually have.

Talking of the Dog Borstal - did anyone see it last week? A great big noisy grey, who was tearing his owner's arm off during walks. Learned to walk beautifully on the lead and showed great recall at the end of the programme - even ignoring the rabbits!

tootsmazza · Enlightened One

I saw that one before, the woman appeared to have experienced the common problem of tensing and pulling his lead tight when they approached another dog in anticipation of his reaction - which only made it worse.
I thought they made some good points about greyhounds not experiencing other breeds when they grow up and looking at them as 'aliens'. I'd have liked them to make the point though that recall is tougher to teach groos and not always possible, I have a group of dog owners at my local park who, every time I meet them, with their little dogs walking alongside offlead, say 'is he not off the lead yet' and it makes me nuts. They look at me like I'm a terrible owner as I explain yet again that Mason will NEVER be offlead in a city centre open park

Marie

max · Enlightened One

Cesar Milans the man for me, everything he teaches is commonsense which humans tend to lose as we humanies our dogs. His technics of pack leader and sense work. I know that his programmes are edited but when you see and hear the results from the owners weeks later you can tell how much happier both dog and owner are.I think he is fantastic. biggrin

Nora

denise · Master

Good for you Marie!

No one should feel or be pressurised into letting their hound off lead if they aren't 100% confident of their recall. Hogan never gets off his lead unless we know the area is completely enclosed and safe to do so. If he saw something small and running he would be offski.

Your dogs safety is your responsibility.

Ok nuff soap box stuff.

Denise

tootsmazza · Enlightened One

The best comment which shows their ignorance is one woman who constantly tells me Mason's nails are 'long' because he isn't getting offlead. She doesn't realise groos have longer nails already or that pounding the concrete pavement on a lead is better for wearing them down than allowing them to wander aimlessly around on grass patches as she advocates.

Seriously, I avoid this group of 'dog mafia' as I call them like the plague these days!
Marie

tandemsandy · Master

Oh the ignorance is just frustrating. I have often felt mean about Red not being off lead. However after his disappearance act this week. He won't be getting of except in an enclosed safe place. He may have loved his freedom but he is not road wise and like others anything slightly small and furry and wow bye bye Red...

evilshiddenclaws · Old Hand

hugahound wrote:

There are lots of people who just don't know how to go about solving problems, which they unwittingly caused. Before they know it years have passed. Not everyone knows the ins and outs of canine behaviour and then there are those who think they do. Considering his pack consists of numerous rehabiltated aggressive dogs and his first pack contained 6 rotties all deemed too aggressive to be homed. These dogs lived in total harmany with each other. We are talking dogs that wanted to kill people and other dogs here. How can anyone not be impressed?

Everyone has there own opinion. I think he offers a good insight into basic behaviour for those in need of it.

i have two rotties, one of which was deemed totally unrehomable, he was inches away from being pts because of his aggression, and because i do understand dogs he is now a very much loved affectionate pet, when i first took him on he was very dog aggresive etc now he shares his home with another...

so dont make rotties out to be the bad breed, its the up bringing of EVERY dog that makes it who it is.

i guess i'm unimpressed because i have done my own work for my dogs...

Beauty William · Old Hand

Hear! Hear!

It really gets me the way Rotties and Staffies are given a bad deal in life through no fault of their own !!!!!!!!!!

Denise

tandemsandy · Master

No breed of dogs should get bad press we all know it is the owners who are at fault

Lindasdogs · GAL Convenor * Homing Co-ordinator * Forum Moderator

I agree - after working at various animal rescues for the past 6 years - I see alot of misunderstood OWNERS that expect a perfect dog. Like there are perfect people?

If you work with your children to behave - the same goes for dogs.

I do like Dog Borstal and I like watching shows that help me learn more.

tootsmazza · Enlightened One

I was struck yesterday by Mason's reaction to Staffies. We met a young one in the park and the owner was obviously nervous pulling his lead tight as his dog was trying to come and say hello in a clearly friendly way.
I asked if his dog was nervous and when he said he was just playful I said to Mason to say hello, the dogs sniffed and Mason, to the owner's surprise and obvious enjoyment, wagged his tail and happily let the pup jump around him.
later as we came home I met my neighbour, who has a 10-year-old Staffie Sammy and the dogs greeted each other like best pals, jumping around tails going furiously.
Mason's only non-hound pal in the Links (who he clearly gets excited at seeing) is Barney a Staffiex and he always loved my ex-neighbour's son's Staffie Lloyd.
Its odd because he shows no real interest in any other breed that isn't groo/lurcher/whippet and Staffies are so much smaller.
He obviously recognises something in them he likes and since he's so sensitive to what I call 'the mentally imbalanced dog' - ie tries to get as far away as poss - I can only assume they are of a more chilled disposition.
Marie

weejake · Master

I read somewhere that a gazillion years ago the old style English bulldog was used in the breeding of the staffies as we know them and also in greys. Must dig it out, got a ton of books on greys so it was in one of them. Anyway it would explain why they can have an affinity. Also while it's obvious in the the staffs it also explains the muscles on racing greys both breeds are very tightly muscled, even big dogs like rotties and mastiffs have less "defined" muscles and looser skin. Here endeth the lesson.

Or maybe I dreamt it???

Beauty William · Old Hand

One of my dogs is a rescue Staffie Cross who was pretty wild when I first got her as a very young pup. By the time she and her sister were approx. 11 weeks old they had been in 2 different homes and 2 different rescue centres. She's 2 years+ now and is an exceedingly affectionate, licky dog and loves other dogs/people/children to excess! When William first arrived I was worried that she would try to play rough with him as she does with my other dog, a Lab, but she obviously realised that he is quite a delicate type of dog and has never once tried to do this - all she does is to try to get him to chase her around the house. Sometimes he obliges just to please her.

If you really want to break your heart then go to http://glasgow.gumtree.com/glasgow/33/2011033.html
There you will find a poem which really does sum up the Staffie plight so well. Find a box of tissues. You have been warned!

Denise

weejake · Master

I am always apologising to staffie owners as my two (delicate) dogs are far too rough with them at times, especially Stumpy. They get so excited with them. Ok gearing myself up for the website... here goes, musn't cry!!!!

Beauty William · Old Hand

I must say, Rufus and Stumpy sound like a couple of real characters!!

Denise

weejake · Master

Yes bonkers, I got the nutty ones for sure. None of yer placid docile greys for me, Rufus (aggressive) ok now, Stumpy seriously loopy, looks like high maintenance outside but inside ZZZZZZZZ. Couldn't find poem though.

Beauty William · Old Hand

Yes, it's weird. Have double-checked ref. and can't get on to it again that way myself. If you go to Glasgow.gumtree.com. Then Community - Pets. After that (page 7) Sat. 16th Feb "Thinking of Breeding your Staffy" you should get it then.
Denise