housedogs vs kennel dogs working drives - Page 1

I would like peoples opinion on if you think dogs that are raised as house pets, with all the rules that aply, have less drive, harder to title then dogs that are raised in a kennel environment. I have a 16month old male czech import that is a family pet, lives in the house and must obey rules while he is in the house. I am wondering if I am diminishing his drives to work and only making it harder on myself since I am training him to get him titled. I have thrown around the idea of just sending him to trainer to get him titled, which would be a lot faster, so afterwards  he can just be a couch potato. He loves to work and is a monster when he is outside but very subdued and obedient  in the house just like he has been taught. Opinions please.

Had numerous dogs, all live in the house, all been titled to one degree or another, personally I do not see the logical connection between "drives" and living accommodation.

targo

you can do either.  It sounds to me that you are not interested in a high level of competition dog.  It sounds like you want a titled couch potato.  If this is the case, leave him in the house.  Your other issue of finding a trainer vs. you training the dog has nothing to do with where he lives.  Are you going to have more time to train the dog if he lives in a kennel? 

There have been numerous threads on this subject.  Possibly one of the craftier posters can resurrect one of them.

I guess it would depend on how you raise them.  Mine are pretty calm in the house, it wasn't always that way.  but over time, hanging out with me was acceptable in the house, and as soon as I'd open the door to go downstairs or outside they practically jump out of their skin, ready to go. 

I think if you use a crate wisely, and do enough training outside and in, as well as exercise, and considering you have a dog with the drives in the first place, I don't see any difference. 

But if you have chaos in the house, are constantly yelling at the dog, yelling at kids, well just basic chaos.  Then I think it can definintaly be affected in a negative way. 

My male is divey when it is appropriate to be. He has grown up in a house and titled just fine. He knows house time is quiet time and work time is work time.

I think I can offer you some input on this. I have 3 czech dogs. My first male I had imported I bought already titled and he'd lived in a house before with a family he's incredible in the house, calm, obedient, minds his manners and I never ever had issues with him. He also spends time in the outside kennels during the day. His drives never diminished nor has his working ability changed by being a "house dog". He spends the most time in the house because he is the most well behaved and trusted. 

My second dog is almost a year old and from my males litter, he's a high drive dog but calms down in the house as much as can be expected due to his immaturity still- he spends more time in the kennel and gets crated at night. I think he is just gentically a high drive dog so I doubt if I kept him inside more it would change who he is.

My 3rd dog I just imported was also already titled and she was primarily a kennel dog. Although she is calm in the house and will lay beside me if I'm sitting somewhere the minute I get up and walk around to do something she is up and busy too.  She prefers to be out in the kennel as this is what she's used to and comfortable with.  If I open the back door she bolts to her kennel and waits for me.  My house gets chaotic with all the kids and she finds peace in her kennel moreso than being in the nutthouse. I can't say I blame her; wish I had a kennel to escape to sometimes myself. LOL

IMO, I think if the dog gentically has the drives it shouldn't matter if they live in the house or kennel.  Many people who compete on higher levels have their dogs live in the house with them, some choose not too; just personal preference. Some feel it to be better for the dog to remain focussed on the training by not living in the house getting too comfortable with all the distractions-others disagree.  I say if the dog has nice drives and loves to work it will work for you when you get him off the couch and it's time to work.  I wouldn't worry about diminishing his drives by being a house dog.  Just make sure he gets worked daily so he doesn't get too comfortable and lazy with the good life.

It all depends on the dog.  Different dogs have different personalities, and different abilities to cap their drives and relax.  I've had (and still have) some who would just literally bounce off the walls and treat the house like a racetrack, no matter how hard I tried to acclimate them to household life,.  Others, who are even BETTER in the work with super high drives, can relax on the couch and cuddle.  I own Athos vom haus Sevens, SchH3, Belgium Regional Champion x 2, high placing competitor in WUSV qualifiers, etc, who is a fine house dog (Thank you again, Johan and Johan).  He does not run loose around the house ALL the time, as he persistantly wants my attention and I have to accomplish some housework or we'll be overtaken by the giant fluff balls of GSD hair that resemble tumbleweeds.

My personal SchH training dog Arwin, who I have had since birth, is a wonderful house dog and she is super in the sport, capable of going very high---  if only her Mom were equally talented :-(  She's the better player in our team of two.  She sleeps with my 11 year old daughter in her bed at night...she has her own pillow she puts her head on. 

I believe Marlene Wiggins lets Zidane v.h. Sevens WUSV x 2 in the house as a house dog also.  Some of his pups are high drive house dogs, with their owners aiming high in the sport.

Okay, I'm off to go cross country skiing.  I want to get my "skiing legs" under me before I start the dogs in skijoring that haven't done it before, like Athos, Vinetta, and Karla.  Then if I am up to it, and the wolves quit eatting pet dogs (even large dogs) in the Chugach area, maybe we can start learning to mush there later this spring.

BTW, Key thing for dogs to NOT be eatten in the Anchorage area by wolves...keep them on a leash.  Yell loudly at the wolves to keep them away when they come for doggie meals, and don't let go of the leash if you were smart enough to use one to begin with. 

Veronica

I really dont think it will affect a dogs drive.  for me there is a diffence in what the dog thinks will be tolerated. for example the i have a sch3 female in the house.  when i tell her platz she will get comfortable then lay down, if not go find a nice place to lay down. 90% of the time when i give her a command in the house im not able or willin to reward her or correct her.  (i learned that you shouldnt give command unless you are willing to reward the correct behavior or punish the bad behaviour).

the only time the kennel dog gets a command is when i have a reward or am willing to correct disobedient behavior.  and i see a huge difference between the two in the motion exercise and tracking.

The only thing I would like to add is the importance of letting a dog be a dog. One thing that we have seen a lot of in our training group is that some of the dogs are very handler sensitive- when trying to build drive on the field, they are "worried" about what their handler is doing- looking back to the handler to make sure it is OK to go after the rag/tug, when in the blind, looking around for the handler instead of focusing on the helper, etc. I think it is fairly common for many owners to unknowingly "squelch" some of the drive in the house. Completely understandable, especially if we have kids running around and other people in and out. It can take some time for them to figure out that it is ok to chase and bite things on the training field, but not when little Johnny is playing.

IMO, living in the house does not affect the "drive" of the dog, but how we interact/train the dog, and what our expectations are of the dog are the things to keep in mind. Another example is jumping on people. A lot of house guests don't "appreciate" being greeted when they walk into the house by an 85lb dog jumping up on them. This can have a bit of a negative affect on the field as well. Both my dogs are house dogs. My male has MUCH prey drive, but good house manners as well. Genetics are the main factor, as was mentioned before. You should be fine, as long as the genes are there, the other things are workable.

Good Luck!

Theresa

I'm not anti dogs in the house but agree that dogs should learn to be dogs. What I do, is start a pup in the kennel and bring him in a little at a time, when he is ready for more and when I am ready for him. As an adult he should be calm enough to spend more time inside.  I personally would not raise a pup I was going to title, inside the house. I wouldn't even raise a pet pup inside only, thats just the way I am, my lifestyle is and how I like my dogs to turn out. My dogs are not my kids and I don't treat them as such. They are dogs, live as dogs and get treated/respected as a dog.