Reading a dog: What does this mean? - Page 2

For VK, he needs a dog that is clever, resilient, works well on its own merit..  aware of danger, and sounds like definitely willful disobedience in the event of human error..

The dog that is singularly most intense on a single task would not prosper in that environment.. meaning it would do its singular task to the exclusion of all else.. even death.

 

Valuable in some extremes, to some people, but not for VK..

 

So yes, a dog so perfect at its singular task, could be a liability to itself, if bred and selected only for that singular thing.. but it would excel at its singular task, and none could beat it in its performance.

German shepherd is coveted by many because its supposed to be a more average at everything, master of none breed...
Extremes exist, and the clever trainer works with the extremes to their strengths, thats the read..  and accepts what the limits are..

 

Good breeder know the difference between the extremes and the balanced, and knows HOW to match and WHO to market the different dogs to.

 

Per dog ignoring a dumb call....appropriate disobedience is a quality not all dogs have.
As for the grate; there is an abys the other side, the dog senses that. The dog does not have the capacity to understand the steel is going to prevent him from falling to his death and also, the openings between the bars are enough to catch his leg and break it. I would avoid putting my dog on it, I'd prefer he jump it or go around. Fact, there is a drain like that in the loading area at the feed store, my dogs do jump it or go around. No point teaching them to walk on it and possibly stick a leg through. Person needs to have common sense.

A simple cattle grid will stop a thousand thirsty cattle & horses drinking water.

Yet, I would ride my horse over it...he would go where ever I pointed him after months of training.

Yes but my originak question was that if its the dog's very strong pack drive that notivates him to go over the grate even though it makes him anxious. But he is willing to do at the behest of the handler

I doubt it's pack drive causing a reluctant dog to walk on the grate. The leash narrows the options the dog has. You said when the dog is off lead, he goes around the grate.

Mithuna didn't say that.. I actually said that I bet the dog would go around the grate if given the chance to choose..as in because it was off lead, so owner could not enforce the pathway it took.  Try it.. see what dog does..

At the end of the day, it boils down to how much the dog trusts its owner to do something it doesn't like or want to do, especially if its dog-brain is telling it that it's leg might get caught in there, or it might plummet to its death crossing..

How much resiliency it has, to deal with the environment around it, to move on and recover is the measure of its nerve..  that's the genetic part that humans select for and either nuture or choose to ignore over other traits...

Dosen't make it a "bad" dog for being wary of the grate, just could be unsuitable for particular tasks/jobs that require a more reliable performance.

That component coupled with the relationship the owner has with the dog determines how successful they will be as a team, when crossing grates..   The test is something that can potentially reflect how the same dog (or puppy) MIGHT behave and deal with other similar environmental and not-in-nature situation, like slippery floor, heights, etc.. 

 

Right, you said, not mith. By still, doesn't matter.
I don't think he said if the dog,s on lead r not. But if off lead and the dog is cautious about going on the grate at the coaxing of owner, the dog is doing as told, not because of pack drive ,but training. Jmo.
Non issue.

The problems with training animals to go over fear inducing obstacles for trials may well backfire in the real world.

Certain Western style horse events are about demonstrating your horse will negotiate unstable fear inducing obstacles, even climbing on top of a vehicle for example may well get that same animal killed back at the farm.

My dogs try jump on my ride on mower with exposed high speed blades like its a quad bike, when I am focused on mowing and not watching next thing a dog is on board.

Would look like a great training demo on YouTube but instead I kick their ass for it.

Same when my dogs run under my horses belly to catch shade from the sun on a long ride, looks cool but dangerous, I kick their ass for some avoidance of that too.

I agree, however, I rode my horse over it cattle guards because it was to retrieve cattle that got out by crossing.