Teen Owners Vs Parents

Dlilly

Honored Member
I can gladly say that I get along with my parents, and we usually agree about dog training. But Rory is something we cannot agree on. They think I should just let him meet Shiloh even though he is growling and staring intensely at her...

With Shiloh, since she is the family dog, my parents can do what they want with her. Rory is mine, so they don't. But technically they can....

Do your parents agree or disagree with you when it comes to dog training? Is your dog the family dog, or your dog, and is there something you just can't agree on?

Today my dad was alone at home, so he decided to take Rory into the pasture, where the goats, chickens, ducks, and turkeys are, and let him run OFFLEASH. He chased one of the turkeys until my dad caught him. I can tell my dad to never to do it again, but he could if he really wanted to...
 

southerngirl

Honored Member
Missy is my dog, because I begged to keep her and have trained her by myself, I've also been told that I'm not allowed to leave her when I go to college, which I never would. Chase is the family dog. My mom doesn't interfere with Missy's training at all. My dad is a different, we fight all the time about the animals. He is not an animal person, he thinks it's okay to hit them, yell at them, push them around. I used to pick Missy up and go to my room with her when my dad tried hitting her or yelling, I don't have to anymore cause he realized that I was just going to remove her. He also tells me all the time that I need to train her, because she is reactive toward dogs:rolleyes: My dang brother tried telling me it was okay to pop her when she reacts.:mad: Sadly Chase does get bullied, it's not like I can pick him up(he's around 60pounds). My dad pushes him out of the way makes him get up if Chase is in his way. Our house is small there is nowhere he can lay without being in the way, and the poor dog is 16 I mean leave him be! Oh and my brother holds Chases muzzle when he growls(which is a lot) at people and pops it.
 

southerngirl

Honored Member
And about introducing Rory to your other dogs if you don't feel comfortable with it stick with telling your parents no. I personaly did introduce Missy to my friends dog despite Missy barking, pulling, staring, because I have had an aggressive dog before and Missy was no where near as bad as him. Me and my friend were ready to pull the dogs fight at any sign that one of them were going to attack, at first when they we're close Missy was going crazy, but than my friends dog started drinking water so Missy smelled her, then Missy was fine.

And I can imagine how aggravated you must have felt with your dad for doing that, maybe now he will respect that when you say something is not a good idea to do with Rory.
 

Mutt

Experienced Member
Mazzel and Boef are technically the family pets (or rather mine and my moms), but I do all the training (because I want to and my mom knows I like to do it), most of the walking (same as training) and feed them (that is my 'chore'). So in that way they are my dogs. My mom and I agree on the training/handling the dogs (positively and not with punishment). My mom trusts my with the dogs and training and lets me handle this (unlike my younger brother and sister).
If I go to college the dogs stay with my mom, because in my opinion thats not a life for the dogs (they are used to living in the woods with space not in a small studentsroom). Though I still get to see them a lot. My mom also will take good care of them :)

Is rory only reactive onleash? A dogs behavior towards other dogs, onleash and offleash can be very different.
If you do decide to let them meet, do this at a neutral place (unknown dogpark for both dogs) and let them meet offleash.
 

Mr-Remington

Experienced Member
We have 4 dogs in the house and each on is cared for by their owner(s). My mom has her chihuahuas,I have Remi, and my roommate has Chance. I help care with Chance as my roommate believes in the just hit 'em till they listen method. I don't approve at all so I help her with training and caring for him.

My mom and I fight all the time when it comes to how my dog and Chance are cared for. She doesn't follow any of the rules I have for them. Chance has food allergies and can't have human food or anything outside of his special foods, and eggs. My mom will feed him anything and everything she can sneak him. We also have rules about the dogs going in the rooms other than our room, kitchen, and the living room, but my mom will let them do whatever they want. She doesn't believe a dog needs to be trained, but thats only because she's always had small dogs and their easy to pick up and handle.

She hates my dog, but loves Chance. So if I move out I'm taking Remi, and Chance since I can't trust her to follow my training or anything.
 

Evie

Experienced Member
I think we all have this problem. My bf thought when toilet training Evie that since my method of taking her outside after eating/sleeping etc obviously wasn't working (well actually, it was working it's just that he never took her outside quick enough because he wasn't paying attention to her ... too busy playing on his pc) that rubbing her nose in it would be a great idea. I was not happy. Thankfully, after me yelling at him, he got the idea that he better not do that ever again... these days he's come to terms with the fact that I train Evie and that you only ever do nice things to my puppy or you have me to answer to :)

I had the same problem with my dad too, thankfully, we dont live with him anymore though so it was a 'sometimes' problem. He's grown up with animals, and believes in teaching them the old school way. "Do as I say or you'll be punished". He seemed to think that obedience just happens... and that if a puppy isn't doing what you say when you say it that it's doomed to be forever disobedient unless punished. He also learnt very quickly that no one treats my puppy like that.

The hardest part when trying to convert my boyfriend was that he'd talk about the puppy with his boss and work mates etc., and they'd all be telling him different old school methods to try with her to make her "more obedient" .... and then I'd have to convince him that everything they said is wrong and unnecessary -.-

My whole family now know better than to try old school methods on my Evie or they'll have a VERY unhappy me to answer to :D

I even managed to convert my young teenaged sister to clicker training her animals... now's she's just waiting until she's old enough to buy herself a Toller lol. She loves coming to my house and training Evie too, because Evie learns SOOOOOO much faster and is so much more attentive than my parents dogs :p

It's not easy though, other people always think they know better and will always feel the need to try 'their way' ...
 

2SpoiledAussies

Well-Known Member
My dogs are family dogs, but they are much more attached to me, since I'm the only one that pays attention to them. When I go off to College, the dogs will stay with my sister/parents, but when I move after college I bet I'll get both dogs.

My parents strongly disagree with my training methods. My family almost worships Cesar Millan (Bad huh?), and hates Victoria Stilwell. I grew up with the Dog Whisperer being my favorite show. It took me forever to convince them to take me to the store so I could buy a clicker, they hated the idea. My dad is very harsh with the dogs, and he drives me crazy. My mom recently bought my dogs a bark collar, when they only bark in the backyard. You can't expect a dog to not bark ever. I begged her not to, but she did. I'm hoping it's lost in shipping, since it's been a week or so. You still can't convince anyone in my family that positive reinforcement is the way to go, even with the success I've had with the dogs. We plan on fostering dogs soon, and I'll have to make it 100% positive, because we're trying to foster a Border Collie.

I don't know if I'd introduce them. I wouldn't introduce Toby if he was growling, because he is extremely agressive to dogs bigger than him. But I would introduce Hannah if she was growling, because I know she wouldn't do anything.
 

dogcrazy

Experienced Member
Carmel is technically the family dog but really I am the only one that feeds her, walks her, trains her and grooms her. So its like my dog :sneaky:. My mom sometimes helps but I am the only one that actually knows what food she eats and do agility. My sister sometimes ``corrects`` my dog :mad: but later I try to explain to my sister and she doesn't do i for a while. When I got Carmel I had to explain to my parents DON'T PUNISH instead IGNORE and TREAT!! Also my mom was constantly giving my dog human food:mad:. It took a while (and a lot of hard work)for her to learn not to give my dog human food.
Try to be patient with your family and give them examples like ``would you rather get payed for working or getting yelled at for no``.
 

southerngirl

Honored Member
I've tried being patient and give examples, but it doesn't work so I yell out examples at them cause I'm so tired of them hitting Chase, and my poor cat Tag is now afraid of my 2nd oldest brother and dad.:mad: I do try my best to explain to my youngest brother that it's mean and how would he feel if I hit him, my little brother is ten so he's not a lost cause like the others. Every time Missy hears my dad's voice she cowers cause she hates being yelled at, sad thing is even when he's not yelling because he's trying to give her food she cowers. I'm just thankful that at least my mom has my back when it comes to the boys being mean to the animals.
 

Evie

Experienced Member
My dogs are family dogs, but they are much more attached to me, since I'm the only one that pays attention to them. When I go off to College, the dogs will stay with my sister/parents, but when I move after college I bet I'll get both dogs.

My parents strongly disagree with my training methods. My family almost worships Cesar Millan (Bad huh?), and hates Victoria Stilwell. I grew up with the Dog Whisperer being my favorite show. It took me forever to convince them to take me to the store so I could buy a clicker, they hated the idea. My dad is very harsh with the dogs, and he drives me crazy. My mom recently bought my dogs a bark collar, when they only bark in the backyard. You can't expect a dog to not bark ever. I begged her not to, but she did. I'm hoping it's lost in shipping, since it's been a week or so. You still can't convince anyone in my family that positive reinforcement is the way to go, even with the success I've had with the dogs. We plan on fostering dogs soon, and I'll have to make it 100% positive, because we're trying to foster a Border Collie.

I don't know if I'd introduce them. I wouldn't introduce Toby if he was growling, because he is extremely agressive to dogs bigger than him. But I would introduce Hannah if she was growling, because I know she wouldn't do anything.

Those collars are illegal in Australia.... maybe you should tell your parents this and ask them if these collars do no harm to the dog why they've been made illegal in some countries....
 

2SpoiledAussies

Well-Known Member
I'm still trying to convince her out of it. I'll definitely mention how it's illegal in Australia. I'll also try hushing them down some, even though it's my belief that they should be able to bark a reasonable amount outside.
 
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