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Old 05-13-2013, 11:05 AM
 
Location: nc
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I'm just curious about this.

I guess when I think of a perfect dog I think of a seeing eye dog or a therapy dog.

Is it possible to train ANY dog to be as well trained as a seeing eye dog or therapy dog? I know certain kinds of dogs are chosen based on their temperment, but I'm wondering if it's possible to take just a regular dog and train him to do therapy.

What about a dog who has had aggression issues? Can you train that out of a dog?
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Old 05-13-2013, 11:47 AM
 
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My opinion? No. Just as with people, dogs' talents and abilities differ, from breed to breed and also within specific breeds. As for dogs with aggression issues, maybe, maybe not. It depends on how severe the issues are and, how long the dog has been aggressive, what caused the aggression...any number of factors.

Can you train fear of storms out of a dog? A behaviorist at Patricia McConnell's place in Madison, WI advised us about our Jimmy, who was seven years old at the time: "He is who he is. He's hardwired now, and all you can do is try to mitigate his fears as much as possible, but there is almost no chance he'll lose those fears."

Anyway, we all define "perfect" differently.
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Old 05-13-2013, 12:21 PM
 
Location: Santa Barbara CA
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I would say no but I do not believe that there is any perfect dog out there. Many puppies that start out being born for Guide Dogs for the Blind at their kennels then go to puppy raisers for 12-16 months before returning to the school for formal training get dropped during training, very few actually make it through the training. So if some one could train any dog to be " perfect" then all the puppies would make it. It is only the cream of the crop that become guide dogs for the blind.

As for training aggression or fear out of a dog, aggression can be genetic and you can not train genetics out of a dog. My friend is a puppy raiser for Guide dogs for the blind and one of the all time favorite puppies was a German Shepherd she did not pass Guide dog training as she was too nervous around city traffic but one of the trainers had fallen in love with her and adopted her. A few years later she moved to Texas and it turned out this dog had a fear of thunder storms so was in the wrong place. Mind you the owner is a trainer fro guide dogs yet even she could not get the dog over the fear so she decided to send her back to California.
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Old 05-15-2013, 12:21 PM
 
Location: North Idaho
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Any dog can be trained to have perfect manners, with enough time and effort. However, things like seeing eye dog are very specialized and require an exact type of temperament. So, no, not every dog can reach that level of specialized training unless they have the perfect temperament for it.

Is there any breed of AKC dog that does not have members of that breed with obedience titles? I don't think so. Any dog can be trained as long as the correct methods are used for that particular dog.

Sometimes people accept a breed stereotype and declare that a specific breed can't be trained. I'm not buying it. I've seen an English Bulldog kicking butt and winning at obedience and I've seen a Norwich Terrier trained as a schutzhund dog, and I would recommend not attacking that dog's owner. That little dog is fierce and he knows his job.
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Old 05-15-2013, 03:20 PM
 
Location: Las Vegas
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I really liked Oregons response! I too believe ALL dogs can be trained but each individual will present challenges or excel in different areas even within the same bloodline...some will only make it so far. I've seen a lot of "trainers" come by and do demos of their work usually with a pit bull. Reason number one is to impress the public that they have taught some semi advanced obedience to a breed that is considered dangerous by many due to the media and reason number two is that in reality pit bulls are generally very willing and easy to train. Last guy who I met doing this asked why I didn't seem at all impressed. I told him to come back with a borzoi or a basset preforming the same commands and I might consider it.
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Old 05-15-2013, 04:32 PM
 
Location: Santa Barbara CA
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SOHOVE

I have seen some borzoi do very well in obedience and there was one I saw once that did a ton of complicated tricks. My Dazzle is a Silken Windhound ( Borzoi and long hair whippets were used to create the breed) so like a borzoi he is a sighthound and he is very smart. By keeping his training fun and in short sessions he was easy to train. He did fantastic in obedience and agility classes but he will only do about 3 repetitions then if you keep asking he will shut down and ignore you.

One of the most fantastic videos of dogs doing tricks is a very old clip with the man that trained the Aussies for the old old movie Run Appaloosa Run. It starts out with him working his aussies and they are doing some fantastic tricks but then you think they are aussies easy to train ( unless you get a stubborn one) then he brings out a greyhound and OMG that dog was fantastic! SO much for sight hounds being untrainable. So yea any dog can be trained if you find the method that works well for it.
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Old 05-15-2013, 07:12 PM
 
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Believe me, service dogs...are dogs. They are not always perfect. And unless the owner keeps up the training regimen, they will revert to bad behaviors.

The real issue, is choosing the right dog for the right job/family. A Border Collie is a great dog, for active people. It would not be the perfect dog for an elderly grandma who watches tv all day and wants a lap dog for company.
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Old 05-15-2013, 08:21 PM
 
Location: Las Vegas
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I'm sure sight hounds can and do, do well with the right trainer and methods its simply the matter that there are breeds that are generally easier to train for the average owner I think :-).
Agree, that perfect isn't exactly realistic for ANY dog though in my life I have owned 3 I would consider "perfect" and they were 3 very different breeds. With enough effort probably 90 something percent of dogs could be great dogs with the right training but it would probably in my opinion be wise of someone who isn't exactly dog saavy to start out with a breed or mix that tends to excel in whatever purpose one has in mind for the dog.
I'm not sure what the OP means exactly by therapy dog...a dog who visits nursing homes or sits with kids while they read??? That just takes a calm dog, who loves people and has good predictiable manners in public. Something more like an actual assistance dog would require something with the proper physical structure and some degree of motivation to make training easier. I knew an english bull dog who could do ALL kinds of tricks...lol I would NEVER have the patience for that! This is how I ended up with a house full of herding types...with enough exercise and stimulation they are just so easy and absolutely delightful!
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Old 05-15-2013, 08:47 PM
 
Location: Santa Barbara CA
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I think Jasper12 hit a very important fact if you want a well behaved dog you need to keep up with the training as you can get a trained dog but if you do not put it through its paces that training doesn't always stick. You do not have to set hours aside for training as you can make it part of going on walks and just playing that way you both enjoy it and they dog remains well trained.

My brother has 3 english bull dogs and despite he and his family not spending a of time training they have learned many tricks and picked most of them up fast. I think they would do any thing for a snack. We use to do agility with and English bulldog she was amazing. Her owner kept her very slim and while she was not the fastest dog she was reliable and when people clapped and cheered her on she would pick up speed. I loved to watch her.

I too think when one gets a dog one is best with a breed that fits your own life style. If you are not an active person do not get one of the active breeds as there are many couch potato types of dogs and if you are active you will probably be happy with one of the more active breeds. Don't just choose a dog because of its looks or you saw one in a movie and it looked like a cool dog as so few movies show what the breed of dog they use is really like.


It takes work and a life time commitment to have a well trained dog.
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Old 05-15-2013, 08:59 PM
 
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It also depends on the aggression...and the dog. Food aggression can be very difficult to reduce, especially in some husky breeds.

Some breeds of dogs, may not have the temperament to be a therapy dog. The best therapy dogs are not the smartest dogs, but often the most mellow dogs.

And the traits that make a good guide dog, are not necessarily the same traits that make a good therapy dog. Two completely separate types of work. For example, a King Charles Cavalier Spaniel may make an excellent therapy dog, but not so good as a guide dog....a guide dog has to have "intelligent disobedience", and not follow commands of a blind person, who may lead to a dangerous area.
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