The holiday did us all good!

I've been missing for a while because I have been away for 2 weeks on hols.
You probably remember our rescued Lurcher, Sadie, and that we have had a few problems with her behaviour, no recall, continual barking for no reason, chewing everything in sight even though she is now turned 2yrs etc.
Well while we were away our daughter took her holiday and stayed at our house to look after Sadie so as not to disrupt her too much.
So we have been back a week and Sadie is a different dog. The first day we took her out and let her off the lead, she ran and ran but never went out off sight and always wants to be close to us. The barking has reduced considerably and her behaviour in the house is impeccable
I think she now realises which side her bread is buttered and decided this is now her home and she likes it here with us too much to throw it all away
Can dogs reason like this?

Many would argue not, but to a degree, I would say yes, though perhaps not reason as we would classically think of it.

Dogs are pack animals. One can argue the value of the "pack" in the modern dog until the cows come home but they are pack animals regardless. As such, I would suggest that your going on holiday restructured the pack from the dog's point of view. It may take a while for your dog to find its place again exactly as it was before, but sure enough, I think it will in time, assuming you don't act any differently than you did before the holiday.

Thats interesting GSDLover, because I think we had let her become top dog when we first had her, because we felt sorry for her and because at times she seemed so sad. In other words we spoiled her.
So I think now we must stick to all the rules we were trying to enforce before we went away. Be a bit firmer in her training and maybe we will win in the end. What do you reckon?

I am with you in your thinking. Though I know through past posts, many would respectfully disagree.

It's so so easy to feel sorry for a dog and therefore cut extra slack believing you're doing the right thing, when, in actual fact, you may well be sending out the completely wrong signals. But then you get into what is and what isn't acceptable behaviour from a dog? For example: To the person with no neighbours, then garden barking isn't an issue. To the person with old neighbours, it's an extreme issue, to those with dog loving neighbours, it might still be an issue, but perhaps not so much, etc...

A dog will, in my view, ultimately get away with what it can get away with. Without malice or intent at all, but they don't have the same values as we do. Their values are simple in comparsion to ours. "This is on the floor, looks interesting, I'll chew it.".

I am firmly of the opinion that a dog can have too much of a good thing. Very much so in fact, and it's the core of my own training principle. I also believe we often stifle our dogs too much at times, seeing them being on their own as somehow cruel or heartless. As I write this very post, for example, my GSD is laid at the bottom of the stairs, minding her own business and getting some time to herself to relax, without having to worry about me or my well-being. (She can quite easily walk up the stairs if she wants to but clearly she's made the choice to spend some time alone.) Unlike some, I don't see that as cruel or heartless, nor a reflection that she perhaps doesn't like me. In fact, on the contrary, I see it as a real pleasure that she feels confident enough to not need to cling to us. I know full well that if I went downstairs now, and grabbed the ball, then she'd leap into play mode, with ears pricked up.

So, for me, it's a case of giving your dog what it needs but giving it on terms that are acceptable to me, my partner, visitors to our house, and to our neighbourhood at large. Clearly, seperating yourself from your dog has had an effect, and I dare guess that it's quite a marked effect. You'll also note as well, I guess, that if you call it, it still comes running, still wants to play, etc. etc. It hasn't been negatively affected at all. It's just learned that it doesn't need you to be right by its side 24/7 and, more importantly perhaps, that you can be relied upon to return!

Thanks GSDLover, marvelous sense, and you have echoed just what I had been thinking.
Sadie is layed outside in the sun at the moment, but I am going to get her lead, it is time for me to walk off my lunch and I bet I know who will want to join me

sorry this is a test reply a mod will remove it soon