SDiT's and family members



Member Since
Barked: Sat Feb 23, '13 2:34pm PST 
I wondered how others handle their dogs and family members in regards to down time. I am training my own and wonder how to ensure that the dog doesn't pick up bad habits, get bad training...the little things. Just curious about the experience of others. I have a full house and imagine other people have kids and such around their houses. I figured everyone doesn't lock their dogs up all day when they aren't training them.
Crazy Sadie- Lady

Barked: Sat Feb 23, '13 6:38pm PST 
I have to tell I don't how many time I have had to deal with this same issue with family and friends. Sadie is in hine site working 24/ 7 she has no consept to down time is. I have to also tell you that Sadie really love my friends or at least most of them if not all of them and the family I have contact with. I put her in my room when they arrive cause she really has to be away for the person who is visiting till she get ahold of herself. But then I allow her to come back to greet them. She just loves them and they love her. When she is in vest she is not like that and everyone is shocked about the change in her while in her vest cause she is so different like night and day.
She is soooo calm and business like when in her vest but when out wow like a bomb she exsplodes in to excitement. I am ok with it for the most part and it is like her breed to be like too. My family though encurages it more and I tell them it is not ok cause I am trying to slowly work her out of it. It is the same with her jumping up I am not ok with this, and as a matter of fact I have complained many time on here about it. This behavyor though I am consistant with her about being Not pleased with her when she dose this. Cause everyone tells her it is ok to do so I have to be mean and tell her "NO!" Some of the people understand I can not have her do this, but others just don't understand that she is a SD and can not behave that way. She is very strong and she could really do harm if she jumped up on people like that. They are starting to get how important about not allowing it and now discurage her form she doing better about this but when friends she really loves and love her come she still will jump up on them. I have been working Sadie since she was about 10 months. She has been always well behaved since she I first got her so I knew she was ok to work her but I did not start even taking her in to stores till she was a year old. I allowed my son and one other take her to work with her for me cause I was having mobility issues and needed someone to help me train her. One of the reasons was cause of her strength of her. I also had walkers for her too so that she could get excersize.
I had many rules so I needed people that I could trust to handle her to do this.
I would not allow just anyone to handle Sadie cause I know that I needed people who knew how to handle dog exspecailly her breed. Most of my family did not know how to handle her breed.
I say this cause I have had many people in my family that did not believe in SDs and taking them in to places and some would sabortarge her training. I have friends too that have done so too.
I for the most part let them think what they may and did not bother to edgucate them.
So having a SD or SDIT and doughting family and friends is just another chalenge.
Abrams Tank- SDiT

I'm trying to- fill some BIG- paws
Barked: Sat Feb 23, '13 7:59pm PST 
With my husband's SDiT Tank we do a lot of socialization so Tank has to interact with members of our family. However if we are doing some work with him we always tell people not to try and help train him because it confuses him. He will get to where he ends up just sitting down and looking at us like 'what am I doing again'. Our families dont get the concept that Tank pretty much HAS to go where ever we go and he is allowed in the house. They dont like to bump into us at a store when Tank is with us because "its embarrassing for them to be seen with someone walking through a store with their dog." I have gotten to a point that I just give up trying to explain to them that Tank is considered living medical equipment and they should treat him as such.

Iris vom- Zauberberg

Service Werewolf
Barked: Sun Feb 24, '13 12:13pm PST 
I think it is a good idea for everyone in a household to be on the same page regarding training so that the bad habits don't occur, as you mention, and so the dog is not confused.

Do you have specific concerns? I think we could respond with better information if we knew more about your situation.
Crazy Sadie- Lady

Barked: Mon Feb 25, '13 12:02pm PST 
I agree with Iris And Tank to Sometimes it it easyer to help when you are more spacific with your problem.

Barked: Thu Apr 4, '13 12:50pm PST 
let me begin by apologizing for such a delay in response but I've been unavailable due to surgeries. Nothing too bad but still kept me off track.

Anyway, it's not any one specific incident but rather a collection of little things. I get my family together and everyone is always on the same page but I think we all know that with anyone who isn't as devoted to dogs in the same way as folks like those of us on dogster, no matter how much they love dogs they always have moments they forget the "rules and boundaries". They have their random moments where they do their version of a command or (go ahead and cringe now because I always do) they give the dog something when you aren't around but at least it isn't at the table and usually out in the backyard but still it's for me a big no no. I have consider posting dog rules around the house. Mostly for visitors but also to remind the kids. I have 3 but it's the 10 and 13 year that worry me most because...well they have the most natural interest I've found in handling the dogs when they play. I love that but as kids they often get creative smile Anyway, I guess it's not that it's a huge problem but more so my looking for advice as to how other people manage or at least mitigate the issue in their lives. I don't want to restrict my dogs at home but I certainly want to be as knowledgeable and prepared as possible.
Crazy Sadie- Lady

Barked: Fri Apr 5, '13 4:46am PST 
This summer I am going up state to see my grand daughter and son etc. I hope to anyway. I am going to try to do it by hiking there but I am not convinced that I can do it like that. But I may go up on bus or hire someone to take me there. I got gas vouches form ordering something online. I am hoping that I can do all this. One way or another I will work up the nerve to make this trip. Cause I want to Hone my survival skills I don't like the idea of not being able to take care of my self in a disaster. Most of this is cause I deal with family I can count on that understand and know that Sadie is a Service dog and will back me up like my son and his sinificate other. Other people in my family have some issues with Sadie and I. I find the best thing to do with those people is to just keep on doing what I do and they will see what Sadie and I do is good.

Edited by author Fri Apr 5, '13 5:01am PST

Toto, CD, RN, CGC

We don't do- doodles!!!
Barked: Fri Apr 5, '13 3:34pm PST 
I am older, single, and have LOTS of dogs, although not SD's. I do show them in obedience competitions. I also own a boarding kennel and have lots of teenagers spending time with me, both in the kennel and in my home, because of the dogs.
I allow these kids free reign with my dogs... playing, kayaking, camping, and the dogs even go on overnights to the kids houses on occasion. Lots of times the kids stay overnight and the dogs sleep with them instead of me. Obviously, these dogs get LOTS of "treats" and handouts from these kids, and they also get their training shown off to the girls friends when they are visiting with them.
I have NEVER, EVER had an issue where one of my dogs, any of my dogs, failed to respond to any command I issued whether they were with the kids or not. When I put their collar and lead on, they are mine, 100%.
Some of these kids have taken the dogs thru my 7 week obedience class and even that did not faze the dogs, they were still mine and mine only.
I can't imagine training for SD work would be any different as long as you did that training with positive methods and lots of loving. If we put any one of my dogs in the middle of a field and I stood on one end and one of the girls stood on the other end and we both called the dog, any one of them would, without hesitation, come to me.