Yes many are if they suspect there may be a problem. Of course putting a dog on a table isnt a "usual" occurance for most pet dogs and one they may well associate with the Vets. If you feel differently, perhaps you could give it a go.

Erm, he's not breed standard so I doubt it would get me very far.

Besides, I only enjoy the fun shows, of which we've entered heaps in the past. Woody stands there and loves having a fuss made of him, I even throw in a few tricks and reward him for it. Evil Mummy that I am.

I must say I have found this thread interesting,my dogs are not dominant, and I don't believe we are dominant over them.

They more or less do what they want,we have trained them that they are only allowed on the sofa when we tell them it's ok,they get off when we ask,they know there place at our mealtimes which is in their own beds.
I used to reward with treats when they were pups then cut them back,it's not very often they get treats now as they do as we ask because that's how we trained them.

A friend of our's did say one night when we were having a meal on our laps wow,they are well beahaved,our dogs would have had the plate off our lap
Now I wouldn't call that dominant behaviour but a dog that has never been taught and trained,and I think dominant has become a common word for a badly trained dog.

Ringcraft, obedience, tricks, training, agility,flyball,etc etc are all activities that owners do with their dogs. If doen with positive training then it can only strengthen the bond between owner and dog. Dogs and owners get a lot out of these actcivites.

Are the owners dominant over the dogs? Well they introduce the dog to the activity, train it and reinforce whatever skills are required for them as a team to succeed.

Fudge loves posing for the camera and I have been told many times I should have followed it up. She has appeared in a book and as the cover girl for the calender that was once produced on here a few years back....

She learned commands/tricks whichever word you want to choose to pose in a certain position. Those same words help to keep her safe and in control when we are out and about.I do not dominate her, I control her for our mutual benefit, just like I do with the kids particularly as toddlers.In fact it is my responsibility to control her and keep her safe and in good health.

Dominance in my mind implies total control without the dogs nature being taken into account. In fact a lot of dog tricks are achieved through shaping, allowing the dog to work out what is being asked of it in a given environment and then rewarded positively.

We live with a dog and develop a relationship that is a two way thing.........as stated above any sort of activity that is done between owner and dog ,that does not bring harm ,can only deepen and strengthen the bond that has no need for dominance in the first place.....

Well there hasnt been a perfect dog produced, but if you enjoy the fun shows then thats great. You always take the best dog home.

Excellent post!

What a perfect post. Could not have put it better myself.

Pidge, I may be wrong but I think Dawn meant with Woodys history of biting, the "examine" was referring to being gone over by the judge!

And ofcause show dogs go to the vet, as all dogs do when they need too, and to be honest, you will probably find they are more forgiving with the vet , as they are used to being examined on a regular basis, not just when they are ill and need to see a vet.

Pidge, Dawn has made some very good points... you may feel the need to defend your friends but dont close your eyes to the hypocrisy they preach.

Personally I have no problem how people earn their money, if they want to do so by using their dogs, so be it, but remember Rune and Tassle , preach one thing then do the opposite if it suits them.

They dont like breeders earning money from their dogs, but are happy to earn money from theirs , they dont like breeders churning out pups, but are happy to breed from their own, they dont like those who move dogs on, but have done so themselves, they dont like PF, but buy from them, and would do so again, if they produced a dog they wanted.


Dawn is right to see the hypocrisy, you cant defend that!

Re you comment about prancing round the ring, dont those who dress up in silly costumes and have their dogs perform tricks , while they dance around , do a little bit of prancing too

Each to their own Pidge, if woody enjoys his new tricks and it makes for him beign more amenable then good for you.

This is me as well. Dahlia likes to learn things and many of the "tricks" she knows were behaviors that she offered and then I put them on cue. When she does something right, she KNOWS it and she's so excited and wiggling for doing it. She's never been forced to do any of it.

If anyone felt sorry for her, well, that would be silly. You should see how excited she gets when I ask her if she wants to go to doggy class!

Well for a thread that was supposedly about the misuse of "dominance", this seems to have deteriorated into a private slanging match between people that have been harbouring grudges for years.

Well done Fudgeley for bringing it back on track