What Kind Of "work" For The Dog

[Ina]

Hi everyone.

I think I have been watching too much Dog Whisperer

Just wondering, the guy recommends to give your dog work to do. For example put a backpack with water bottles on their back when going for a walk.

What kind of work would be suitable for a Cavoodle (Mix between King Charles Spaniel and Poodle)?

From what I read so far (the books that I have ordered haven't arrived yet) the Spaniel is heavily into sniffing - not really carrying heavy loads on it's back. Has anyone experience with King Charles Spaniels and how to make the work?

 

[Jean Cote]

Drug sniffing dog?

 

[Ina]

..hehe.. or I can get him to kindergarten and he can sniff for full nappies

 

[fly30]

Jokes apart, sniffing is a good idea. We tried truffle sniffing with Fly and we could film her very first try, very impressive, that's using their very sense. The first dog on the video is Esmé 2 years old (a friend of mine's dog) and the second dog is Fly, 9 months old.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6xxJb7i-jc

 

[sara]

I think that your dog has a job already! learning and performing tricks! Honestly, I think that's enough "job" for a CKCS x Poodle. Cesar works with dogs that, more often than not, have owners who aren't nearly as willing to work with the dog as you are. Your dog probably gets more attention and training than 15 of the dogs he works with (how else would they get that way?)

p.s. I dont believe in Cesars methods, I do not believe in the Pack Theory, and I do not believe in correcting my dogs physically. imo, he methods are outdated and unnecessarily cruel. Sorry, but I had to say it. After seeing an episode where he put a shock collar on a dog with severe seperation anxiety, annd put scat mats down, and spray correctors near windows, I wanted to vomit, and have completely turned against him, now I want him off the air and charged with animal cruelty.

 

[Ina]

Jokes apart, sniffing is a good idea. We tried truffle sniffing with Fly and we could film her very first try, very impressive, that's using their very sense. The first dog on the video is Esmé 2 years old (a friend of mine's dog) and the second dog is Fly, 9 months old.

Myriam, your dog must be in dog heaven - you do soooo much. However, I haven't decided yet who is having more fun :-) Thanks for the video. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

 

[Jean Cote]

Find the keys would be a good sniffing trick?

 

[Ina]

I think that your dog has a job already! learning and performing tricks! Honestly, I think that's enough "job" for a CKCS x Poodle. Cesar works with dogs that, more often than not, have owners who aren't nearly as willing to work with the dog as you are. Your dog probably gets more attention and training than 15 of the dogs he works with (how else would they get that way?)

I have secretly put in a request with the local shelter for a Border Collie. The more I learn now and practice with my little toy dog the better :-) And it's so much fun for both of us.

p.s. I dont believe in Cesars methods, I do not believe in the Pack Theory, and I do not believe in correcting my dogs physically. imo, he methods are outdated and unnecessarily cruel. Sorry, but I had to say it. After seeing an episode where he put a shock collar on a dog with severe seperation anxiety, annd put scat mats down, and spray correctors near windows, I wanted to vomit, and have completely turned against him, now I want him off the air and charged with animal cruelty.

WHAT! A SHOCK COLLAR ! - I have only seen 2 episodes so far. In the one he makes a german shepard carry water bottles. The other one he puts a dog with his pack for 6 weeks. The one with the pack I found really strange, especially when the dog returned to his owners he was acting still the same way as before.
I would never physically abuse a dog! Actually my husbands ex-boss was mistreating his dog during a party. He was pulling the dog by the whiskers and the dog was yelping in pain. I asked him to please stop that, but he did it again. This made me pull the guy by his beard and I told him I should probably kick him in HIS most sensitive area as he is hurting the dog in the dog's most sensitive area. Suprise, surprise, my husband was NOT fired <snicker>

 

[Ina]

Find the keys would be a good sniffing trick?

Unfortunately I never loose my keys

Find the kids might be a better one as I continuously loose them around the house.

But seriously, I was looking for something to bring out the dog instinct.

 

[NatCurious]

I've only seen a couple of the Cesar Millan shows and I only recall seeing him 'giving a job' to dogs that were working/ utility dogs i.e. german sheppards. Is a Cavoodle a working dog?

How often do you walk your dog? or take it to the park to play with other dogs?

 

[sara]

Every dog should have a job, even if all it is is to fetch to hand. CKCS's were bred for companion dogs, literally, even though they're classes as spaniels, the hunting instinct is nearly gone in them... as well as the toy poodle. also bred solely as a companion dog. So a cross between the 2 is just another companion dog The tricks and obedience is enough, but later on, maybe a therapy dog? or a reading helper dog?

a BC however, you've got to work with their extremely strong herding instinct. Check out the tread about Trebbal... looks like a great way to work a Border Collie when there's no sheep! Or you can teach the BC to herd your kids

 

[Ina]

I've only seen a couple of the Cesar Millan shows and I only recall seeing him 'giving a job' to dogs that were working/ utility dogs i.e. german sheppards. Is a Cavoodle a working dog?

I think they were used for hunting/sniffing ???

How often do you walk your dog? or take it to the park to play with other dogs?

We go for a short walk in the morning. A good half an hour in the afternoon and an hour in the evening. Between chores I clicker-train him 3 times a day for max. 5 minutes each session. After that we end training by playing for a few minutes.
We have a regular long playtime with fetch and tug-a-war before bedtime.

He is pretty busy all in all, but I love seeing dogs when they are dogs - using their natural instincts.

 

[Ina]

Every dog should have a job, even if all it is is to fetch to hand. CKCS's were bred for companion dogs, literally, even though they're classes as spaniels, the hunting instinct is nearly gone in them... as well as the toy poodle. also bred solely as a companion dog. So a cross between the 2 is just another companion dog The tricks and obedience is enough, but later on, maybe a therapy dog? or a reading helper dog?

Well, then the best is to keep practicing tricks and raising funds for the local shelter by showing them off at primary schools.
He IS hunting .. butterflies though

a BC however, you've got to work with their extremely strong herding instinct. Check out the tread about Trebbal... looks like a great way to work a Border Collie when there's no sheep! Or you can teach the BC to herd your kids

tx_girl has posted some videos of her BC herding sheep and truffle sniffing. It's all her fault that I am BC obsessed :-)

 

[NatCurious]

sure, I was just worried everyone saw Cesar Millan's episode and thought maybe they should place a dog backpack on their dog - my point was that is not appropriate for a companion dog because he used it for a working dog. Good luck with finding a job for cavoodle

 

[sara]

Nope that was Fly30

You are certainly doing a great job with him!

I couldn't own a BC , I dont do well with the herding instinct. I'm way better with Terriers and Gundogs. But watching BC's is a fav. past time of mine! LOL

 

[fly30]

I confirm that owning a BC is wonderful, teaching them something is dead easy. However, they do have a strong instinct and I hope they will still have it in a 100 years time (I know that some people are trying to breed compagny BC with no instinct to suit family needs, dead silly really !). From scratch, they will herd anything in movement : dogs, cats, cars, bikes, joggers and kids. If they don't move in the direction they want, they bite. That's what they were born for and owning them means getting open to their world and go herding to help them controle this instinct. There are places (in Canada as well) where to learn how to sheep with your dog, even if you do not use your dog as a professional. A BC needs work, a lot of mental work. People tend to forget it and therefore, there are many BC in shelters nowadays. If some of you wonder if it's a good idea to get a BC from a shelter, well it is. A BC can learn, relearn and change behaviour according to the education he gets, even after a rough past. A BC lives happy in a familiy but is a working dog as well so needs to be offered a lot of work.

But I told Ina about all this and do not hesitate to ask me if you have any questions about the BC breed.

 

[fly30]

Unfortunately I never loose my keys

Find the kids might be a better one as I continuously loose them around the house.

But seriously, I was looking for something to bring out the dog instinct.

After we had this truffle session, I found it funny to hide my keys in the garden and ask Fly to find them. We also played in the house where she was not allowed to see where I was going to hide them. She even looked for them in the paper basket in my office
You could try with kids but please don't put them in the paper basket
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMf2dzzNuoc

 

[fly30]

Myriam, your dog must be in dog heaven - you do soooo much. However, I haven't decided yet who is having more fun :-) Thanks for the video. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Heuuuuuu... I'm probably the one having more fun
I hope she like her life. I just do my best for us.

 

[sara]

I confirm that owning a BC is wonderful, teaching them something is dead easy. However, they do have a strong instinct and I hope they will still have it in a 100 years time (I know that some people are trying to breed compagny BC with no instinct to suit family needs, dead silly really !). From scratch, they will herd anything in movement : dogs, cats, cars, bikes, joggers and kids. If they don't move in the direction they want, they bite. That's what they were born for and owning them means getting open to their world and go herding to help them controle this instinct. There are places (in Canada as well) where to learn how to sheep with your dog, even if you do not use your dog as a professional. A BC needs work, a lot of mental work. People tend to forget it and therefore, there are many BC in shelters nowadays. If some of you wonder if it's a good idea to get a BC from a shelter, well it is. A BC can learn, relearn and change behaviour according to the education he gets, even after a rough past. A BC lives happy in a familiy but is a working dog as well so needs to be offered a lot of work.

But I told Ina about all this and do not hesitate to ask me if you have any questions about the BC breed.

I've fostered some BC crosses, and though they're very smary, I just dont have enough experience witht he herding dogs... I've become very good with the Terrier personality, and totally different drive and workability. They are such an interesting dog to train, with their independent streak. though once you find a motivator, you're gold! Gundogs are eager to please, but sometimes quite dim, so training can be easy or a challenge... I taught my springer x cocker to sit, lay down, roll over, shake, catch a treat off her nose, sit pretty, dance, pull a wagon, do agility in my back yard... all when I was 7-8 years old... she learned to heel later... much later! LOL

and you're right Fly, that instince should never, neverneverNEVER be bred out of the BC, that's what gives the dog it's intelligence and charm! they're just not right for me or I'm not the right owner for them

 

[tx_cowgirl]

Random comment on gundogs, since you brought it up Sara, lol...
Dakota, the GSP/Weim I recently rehomed was so incredibly dumb. >< Lol. It took him forever to think about things and figure out what he needed to do, and everything he did was slooooow. He was just very dimwitted. Incredibly sweet, and a great dog, but just not all there upstairs. ^^

As for jobs....
I agree that he has a job with tricks and everything else you guys do. But, you could also get into flyball or agility. You could look for some Nosework classes in your area also.
Personally I think the backpack being a job is a load of crap. It just makes them tire faster, and for some dogs it puts them in a more submissive mindset because they have something on top of them and strapped around them. Like being held. In my opinion, strapping a backpack on a dog does not make them think they have a job, it just makes them wear out faster.

That being said, I DO have a backpack that I have used a time or two. If it's bad weather, if I'm lazy and don't want to carry water, or if I generally don't have time for our regular full-length walk, Mud wears the backpack. She doesn't mind it and she does wear out a little bit faster. But being a BC she would walk/run herself to death if I asked her to. My friend does a lot of hiking and camping with her dogs, so she also has backpacks for her dogs for extra emergency supplies.