aka: was the least pain in the ass.
We never knew his breed, but our mutt was impeccably trained. DNA tests years ago only showed German Shepherd, which was surprising for a smaller, 35lb dog. Maybe that helped a bit. Here’s a picture of him if anyone has any guesses!
He learned quickly and retained most of his training, even into his later years. He’s 15 now, and while we’ve eased up on some things, he’s always adhered to major “Don’ts” like jumping on the couch, going upstairs, or entering certain rooms. Don’t worry, our house was large with ample space and a nice yard for him.
He never ran into the street or chased anything. If left outside, he’d just hang out by the door watching cars go by, never leaving our property. I honestly don’t know how my mom did it since we never visited a trainer.
He was always good at sitting and other basic commands. He truly is an incredibly trained dog, and there was never any weeks or months of struggling with his training.
Wow, sounds like a dream dog haha. Does he require a lot of stimulus every day to be happy? Surprisingly, he does not resemble a GSD.
He resembles a dog I had as a child, a standard-sized American Eskimo (though I doubt ours was purebred because he had shorter fur and different ears). This spitz-type breed is known for its intelligence and trainability.
Unfortunately, DNA tests can only detect two lineages: all-male (the father’s father’s father and on back) and all-female (the mother’s mother’s mother and so on). There is no way to determine the genealogy of the father’s mother, the mother’s father, or anything else.
I second this. My mother had a miniature American Eskimo that looked quite similar to this. He was really energetic and pranced a lot, which was a little aggravating, but he was very well-behaved. He didn’t really need any training, but I received the idea that if he did, he’d be easily trainable. He was a really laid-back dog.
My dog was amazing too. Despite a brain injury that made him less bright, he was a wonderful friend to grow up with. I got him when I was just 7 years old.
He was incredibly active and playful (he chased and caught his tail so many times it had a kink in it). He was also very protective, barking whenever a strange car pulled into the driveway, a trait I really appreciated. He even saved me from a pair of aggressive strays twice his size once.
He was gentle and patient with me, my infant sister, and our other pets. However, he shed fur like crazy. Even though he’s been gone for about a decade, we still occasionally find his hair.
Australian Shepards were by far the easiest breed I’d ever worked with. I picked up on stuff so quickly it was unbelievable.
I have a border collie/Australian Shepherd/Spaniel mix and completely get what you’re saying. He is highly trainable in the sense that he takes things up quickly, which makes it challenging in some ways because he gets bored soon. As you mentioned, the physical and cerebral stimulation are nearly nonstop. I do not think he ever gets tired!
Yeah, my childhood dog was an Aussie shepherd, and he is by far the best dog I’ve ever had. We didn’t even train him, and we got him when he was two months old. It was crazy how he just knew what we wanted, and he still amazes us to this day, as if he can sense it without us doing or saying anything.
I’ve trained several breeds to become service dogs, including Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers, Labradoodles, Goldendoodles, and a Border Collie-Poodle cross (Borderdoodle). The Goldendoodles and Labradoodles were by far the easiest to train. They combine the food motivation of their Lab/Golden lineage with the intelligence of the Poodle side. These dogs were brilliant! They were also bred for very mellow temperaments, making them easy to work with and not as demanding in terms of exercise compared to their counterparts.
I have a German Shepherd as a pet, and while he’s wonderful, he’s not as easy to train. He’s not very food motivated, but he’s an absolute blast. The German Shepherd is by far my favorite breed, and I’ve worked with many. He’s very stubborn and independent, but also the smartest dog I’ve ever worked with. His independence makes him harder to train despite his intelligence. He sometimes makes his own decisions, regardless of my commands. However, potty training was a breeze—literally two days. He only peed in the house three times and never pooped inside.
That said, German Shepherds haven’t been bred for calmness; quite the opposite, actually. They require a lot of physical and mental stimulation, so they’re not ideal for someone looking for a low-maintenance dog.
My poor sister has a Goldendoodle who isn’t interested in eating and appears to be incapable of learning anything. However, he is quite sweet.
, it must depend on their lines! The canines I worked with were extremely sharp and completely obsessed with goodies!
I don’t believe breed has anything to do with it. My girlfriend’s chihuahua is one of the sharpest dogs I’ve ever worked with, yet most chihuahuas I’ve encountered outside of her look half retarded. He is so eager to please that he learns quickly. I adore that tiny fucker. I often worry about the possibility that we will someday have to deal with his death, which makes me sad.
I have two Shetland Sheepdogs, and they say if you want to win competitions or ribbons, get a Sheltie! I can teach my boys almost anything in just one day, as long as I know how to teach them.