Have your training priorities changed?

Not really changed priorities, just a better understanding of what my priorities are and how to implement them. Rewards, self control, shaping. If I've got that, I can do pretty much anything else.

As far as sport focus, it was agility, then obedience, then field, then obedience, field, obedience... lol. Right now it's obedience, but I WANT it to be field, haha. I think I'd be more excited about agility if I hadn't realized how horrifically terrible at it I am. Oops, I missed walking the course? Oh well, let's just go do our best!

I did some Obedience with my little dogs but planned on doing Agility with them from the start. With Kris, my Doberman, I have really concentrated on Obedience. Still prefer the Agility and will eventually do it with Kris as I think we both find Obedience a little boring but with her being a big dog she can't get away with things like the little dogs. I don't know if I will ever compete in Obedience with Kris but may try Rally next year or just go right into Agility. Have done some with her, just have not concentrated on it with her.

I used to think it was super important to have dogs that could do all the things and get involved in some sort of sport. Now I couldn't care less. I like to teach them things for fun and that's about it. I get in the weirdo flakes, over come major issues the best we can, and keep every one happy.

When I got Abrams, I wanted to get involved in sports. Namely, obedience/rally, potentially agility, and potentially dock diving. Then I moved to the most godforsaken part of the world when it comes to dog sports, it seems, and can't even find any routine training classes that aren't either at Petsmart or through Bark Busters.

So. That kind of fell through.

And since we're likely to be here for the next 4 years and he'll be 6 or 7 before I'm in an area where they have events...probably won't ever compete with him. Which kind of sucks. I'd still like to do at home things and get him to the point he COULD compete...but that's hard to do without a class to motivate me.

So, for now, we just work on minor things that do with manners more so than actual obedience. Impulse control, not being a brat, being able to settle down and be patient, etc.

Yes. We went from public access perfection to me helplessly pleading with her to PLEASE POOP OUTSIDE BUT WITHIN THE CONFINES OF OUR PATIO SO I DON'T HAVE TO HUNT FOR YOUR TURDS. PLEASE, I BEG YOU.

This is a challenge because apparently 10-15 feet of fenced concrete with a five-foot strip of grass and dirt is UNACCEPTABLE for pooping, and she must flee to the wide open spaces of the front of our apartment complex, and poop whilst she is enjoying the freedom of the grass that everybody else steps on.

Forcing her to stay within the patio for pooping causes her to get lock-butt (like lockjaw, but for her butt!) and save her dump for until she absolutely can't stand it anymore, and then she'll either poop inside or ask to be let out so she can reluctantly go on the patio. She's SO RESENTFUL ABOUT IT.

Our other training goals lately include "stop pulling tampon applicators out of the trash and chewing them in front of the men I live with" and "stop screaming and slamming into the sliding door when there are cats on our patio".

This dog used to be the absolute most cooperative, intuitive creature I'd ever had my hands on. As a working partner she was my equal and my guide. As my pet, she's SUCH A BAD DOG it just cracks me up. She's done her time, she's still my helper when she needs to be, she's earned the privilege of being a baddog sometimes... It's just hilarious to me that she's getting all this bad behavior out when she's well into her prime as an adult dog.

Not really. When I was younger I loved the idea of competing is agility, flyball, or dock diving but then I realized that you have practically be rich with a trust fund to afford the classes. And the snooty people didn't help either... So yeah I was raised in a lower middle class house hold...So those dreams were quickly dashed.

If I had lived in the country and had the space to build my own agility course just for the fun of it. I totally would have! But I live in an extremely urban area with a poor excuse for a back yard.

So my dogs are simply my companions. I ask basic obedience and manners from them but nothing extraordinary. I guess we are pretty boring :dunno:.