Me as well, think thats why i enjoy fostering so much, i love to suss a new dog out, what makes them tick and how they react with mine and fit in with our life style, i also like to watch my own with them, i can usually tell which one the foster is going to buddy up with

Every time!

They are all different and just as you think youi have seen enough to cope with most things they invent something else!


You are not alone!
rune

I'm relatively new to this dog owning lark, Pepper will be 4 next month, and I've been surprised at how different each dog's personality is. Pepper is a bit high maintenance, really keeps me on my toes, the boys have been so much more easy going, but one is a bit of a wuss and the other's shaping up to be a bit of a lad!

Never a dull moment with dogs, don't you just love them??

J.

I think it's because there are no hard and fast rules about dog ownership. Unfortunately, with Sherlock, you have 2 trying breeds rolled into one, just like me with Flynn. HPR's are challenging breeds (why do you think so many of the shooting fraternity own labs?!!) but once you've cracked them they are worth it.

Flynn is such a handful that if all 3 of mine were like it, i'd hang myself! Fortunately, Jed is more or less catatonic and Jessie is a sweetie who is well mannered and has a very good on/off switch. Jed only has an off switch and Flynn only has an on switch! Perfectly balanced you might say... :-S

Yes, before we got our first Lab, I thought I knew a lot about dogs. We had had dogs before, but did fine without crates, Kongs, Nylabones, and other essentials. Well 16 Labs and some other puppies besides, I am still learning. Each puppy is different. In many cases, what usually worked before does work well. Of course, over the years new techniques and equipment come along.

I think its the Breed
Trip was a Major culture shock for me!

But each dog is individual and has to be treated as such - its always great when you have a dog you can learn a lot from....but it took me a long time to deal with the challenges of Trip!

Yes yes and yes again! And it can be daunting at times.

But I am glad to have had the challenge of Tala bless her because the rewards are so much greater when you feel you have really worked for them.

You are probably right on the breed! tho I was expecting the training to be harder and things like recall and sit/down/paw etc have been very easy just the silly puppy stuff thats been hard........again funny that I had any expectations at all really.
I also think that Sherlock is convinced he is a lap dog not gun dog!

I think I have been spoilt with such a easy dog with my collie Jess for so many years (not that she was easy at the beginning but that was so long ago I really had forgotten most of it!)
and even tho I shouldnt I prob had a thought somewhere that he would be similar......how naive!

Im sure I will feel exactly the same ....in fact right now with Sherlock curled up next to me on the sofa it def will be worth it! Glad you said daunting tho as I have had a sinking feeling on more than one occasion that I have bitten off more than i can chew but then he does something really sweet and I snap out of it!

yup I hope I am always learning
Neither of mine had read the manual I read

Ben, puppy who had been in dogs trust long enough to learn to sleep where he had gone to the toilet, hated being petted, food or toys
Mia, reactive, dog agressive, v smart, v fast with no recal and no particular interest if I am there or not

But I am glad because I am learning lots, we are all getting better toghether

oh i felt the same with jake! the first few weeks were soooo easy and he was great! he slept happily in his crate after 3 nights, and would only whine when he needed the toilet and was house trained by 11 weeks, was quick learning commands and had ok-ish recall... but then it all just went wrong...

he really challenged me, and i had times when i felt like such a failure and wondered if i was doing things right. now though, he is 10 months, and he is great! he still has recall issues, but that is all. apart from that he is superb! the best dog i could ask for!

dont worry, you will get through it. they just like to test us