As far as you can go?

Inspired by comments on Moon's Mum's thread about Cain and the behaviourists.

Do you have a dog that has gone as far as it can do in terms of training or rehab?

I was thinking about Dan. He's a wimp, always has been. He doesn't like strangers, pushchairs, bikes or children he doesn't know. It takes him months to get to know a person sometimes, and then he will either accept them or like them. He loves very few people, but once he loves someone he loves them forever. He's never shown any aggression but he will spook easily and hide. If someone comes to the house he wants to go in another room, except if they are dog savvy and don't make a fuss of him then sometimes he will sit and watch them.

I don't have to worry about him snapping because I honestly don't think it would occur to him. Dan's the sort of dog that would probably completely shut down rather than show any aggression if he was pushed too far. Obviously I don't push him.

I've had him three years now and we are at a stage where he can go for walks and just be a normal dog, but I manage him by sticking to quiet areas. Because of his nervousness he is overly guardy and would chase people and bark if off the lead, so he doesn't go off lead in public places and hasn't for around a year and a half. Unfortunately this has had a detrimental effect on his relationship with other dogs, and he can be reactive to large breed dogs, usually males. I feel I have probably got him as good as he will ever be. He has completed his gold good citizen twice and loved his training but I didn't feel I could progress any further a the next class has had tunnels in which were a step too far for him. I wanted to find a new class but every one I've looked at was either in a small room, or too noisy, or I didn't like the training methods.

I don't feel I've given up but I don;t think he'll progress any further.

Does anyone else feel this way about their dog?

I guess I feel in a simialr position to you and Dan, and perhaps sometimes it does help to recognise and accept that their progress is plateuing.

I feel that there are further improvements I can make, however I have pretty much accepted she will not be a 'normal' dog.

I believe that with a lot of time I could desensitize her to specific objects or situations, however her temperament is such that any new or different situation will still cause a reaction.

For example, we can work on not being scared walking past bins, but the next day there will be a wall to contend with.
We can meet peeople using the tactic, but if they tut tut she will react etc.

There are an infinate number of things to desensitize her and train her how to cope with, and whilst I think we can work on some, there will always be more!

I have made progress, and it is very slow, but I think I can make more. However, I also accept its a management case, and sometimes I just want to enjoy her rather than push her to do more than she is capable of.

I recently saw a behaviourist who said that it is most likely genetic, and although socialisation helps, a dog will retain its iherited temperament. I can train her HOW to react, but it's a battle against her inherently nervous nature.

im a firm beliver that you have to ,choose you baattles with your dogs, no two are the same and if you have everything in the dog you would like then you have the dog you want.mine are as smart as id like them to be and i feel iv done a good job,not one knows how to give a paw,i never taught that to them ,but they sure know how to protect,seek ,sent trail and got awsome recall, so if you are confident your dog is doing his best ...that all we could ask for.no need to stress un less the dog is doing something that is unexceptable.personalities are hard to change as well as inherited traits,imo.

As much as i would love to do more than KcGC gold with Ozzie his hip will not allow it so i will not push it any further ..Not sure if you had health reasons in mind ....

I was thinking more psychological issues and stuff.

I feel like this with Clifford, our 8 year old labxcollie. We can go for walks with him pretty relaxed around other dogs but I have to keep alert for 'rude dogs' and know that when they approach he goes on the lead and we walk away. Accepting that he is never going to love puppies has made life much easier for him and for us. We know his limits and we don't push them. We don't expose him to lots of stranger either. Its much simpler for him to go to his room if there are lots of teenage visitors rather than tempt him into anxious 'round up' mode when they leave. Compared with our early months with him this is all really good. He is never going to be a laid back 'go away for the weekend with anybody' kind of dog that his loved predecessor Arthur was, and we accept that and love him for how he is.

I felt like that for years with Rupert and the only reason I didn't give up completely was because it felt unfair to not keep trying to ease his fears. There was next to no progress for the last several years of his life though and I honestly think he'd come as far as he could have.

I've pretty much accepted that Guinness is probably never going to be comfortable around people he doesn't meet on a regular basis. However, I do I feel that further improvement from how he is currently can't be totally ruled out so I will keep trying.

I decided years ago that we had gone as far as we could with Millies issues, the only results we got was stress , stress , and stress, always hoping the next trainer may be the one to help, they weren`t , I am much happier these days knowing our limitations, we stay within them and just get on with life .

She is happy in her own environment, we walk where other dogs dont go (for the most part ) its less stress for her and us.

For what few yrs she has left, we don`t worry over what could have been or what could be, we just get on with what we have and enjoy what time is left.

I think that's a much healthier attitude than trying to 'fix' what cannot be fixed.