Increasing the fight while playing with the tug - Page 4

Hunger4justice,
Thanks for the nice comments and I am glad I was able to help. 

After all, he gets nothing out of answering, other than a headache.  

That's funny and exactly how I feel in this case.  It can be very unpopular to disagree with some posters that seem to have a "cult" like following.  It can also be frustrating when you offer someone an honest opinion and don't blow smoke up their butt like others do.  It would be easier to tell a poster that their sharp/shy dog with weak nerves and insecurity issues would be a great PPD because it will bite out of fear or pure survival instinct to defend itself and not the handler.  Others told the handler that it is a "real" dog.  Either, they simply have no clue or they are just trying to spare the handlers feelings.  Either way it is bad advice.  I have learned that telling someone that they have a "nice dog" that would make a "good pet" is a terrible thing to say.  Telling someone that their  dog is better suited for "fly ball or agility" than protection work is blasphemy to some.  To say that a dog would make a nice pet is evidently a huge insult.  It seems I would be better off calling someone's child ugly, than saying a dog from a certain breeder or trainer would make a nice pet.      

Since I do not breed or sell dogs, but work and train all of my dogs from pups, I guess they are no longer my pets.  I thought the whole point of owning a dog as a companion animal was to have a "pet."  Because my dog goes to work with me every night and is a "real" dog I can not consider him my pet any longer?  The bottom line is that every dog is not capable of being a Police K-9, SAR or a top level sport dog.  Just as most children playing little league baseball with not be become professional athletes.  Do we stop all the kids form doing activities they enjoy or find one they enjoy the most?  If someone is not good at Martial Arts and hates it do we force them to do that when they enjoy gymnastics or basketball?  When you can read dogs you can see the strengths and weakenesses and sometimes even when the handler wants the biggest bad ass dog around to stroke their ego, the dog may not have what it takes in the PPD arena.  But the dog may excel at something else.  Often times we get dogs that may not be exactly what we wanted or have the temperament, drive or nerve to do what we chose the dog originally for.  A truly loving owner will find an activity that the dog loves and excells at.  A competent trainer will advise a handler the strengths and weaknesses of the dog and tailor a suitable program for both.  Telling someone that their dog is a great "real" dog, does a disservice IMHO.  I'm not here to simply stroke someone's ego, I prefer to be straight forward with those that ask for assistance.   

Ok, I will get off my soapbox.

Jim
 

  Slam

Jim, that soap box isn't a bad place to be. Your post was real good. If a few don't stay active in telling the truth, only crazy stuff will be posted. You are right most dogs will only become pets. It is almost like it's a put down, when in reality that is all most people can deal with. Just because a dog will bite a rag or bark and show teeth, does not even begin to make the dog a prospect for ppd or working k9. And there is nothing wrong with that, but a person should not assume they are what they are not. A person should be honest enough to say the truth, and not lead someone to believe something that isn't true.

Hank