Subtle mistakes, technique or emotional........ - Page 1

I had a difficult day today and to top things off my pup (11mths) was not so good on his walk tonight, difficult to get his attention and pulling on the lead. I keep up with the obedience work, training classes and everything I did with previous GSDs, but tonight I felt quite despairing for some reason. Then when I calmed down I thought about my last GSD who died last year. I was deeply attached to him. He had been in my mind unconsciously of late, and a couple of times coming in from work I thought I saw his shadow behind the glass part of the front door and for a nanosecond expected him to greet me. The other night I dreamt of him. Thinking more upon it tonight, and I can't believe how stupid this sounds, I realise that I've been doing subtle things with this new pup as if he was my old dog, as if he was completely trained and settled and knew his place and knew what I wanted. I won't go on, but it makes me think of the old post 'do you train the dog you have or the one you want'. Now I'm more consciously aware of it I'm sure we will get there. Has anyone else struggled with this?

A old song says it best, If you can,t love the one you want, love the one your with. 

 No question. It happens. I miss my old guys. Mainly the different way they did their jobs. 
But the youngsters have their very own charm. Once I remind myself that I had to work with the old ones too! LOL

It's so hard to put the past behind us and be in the moment with the young ones.  I know what you mean.

Think about this:  The old dogs you guys are missing were obviously special dogs, you learned a lot from them and treasured them.  Remember what he taught you.  Remember what your part was in making him a special animal, and remember what you could of done better.  His legacy is what you are really bringing to the table with the new dog every day, in how you handle and train  the new dog.   So in his memory do the right things.

Make the old ones who came before the new  dog  proud.

Because in the blink of an eye, the new one will soom be an old one.  Dogs lives go by in a flash, we have no time to wallow.

I thought about this and realized, yes, I do understand. I discovered this kind of disappointment or frustration or whatever, (short-lived, but there) while training the perimeter response to the electric fence. My black dog would do the turn in to the property with no problem. This dog never quite got the response to be instinctual. I had to zap him first, and that did the trick. He actually has never challenged the fence since. We kept having to ramp it up with the other one, LOL

 Remember what he taught you. Remember what your part was in making him a special animal, and remember what you could of done better.( Sue said and they are) WORDS OF WISDOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i AM ALL TO OFTEN REMINDED OR REMEMBER THE MISTAKES i HAVE MADE WITH MY GIRL! Essentualy she is allow me to learn  by her being the guinnia pig !  and way to many times I have called her charlotte my mistake! We are blessed to have such a wonderful and faithfull friend!

Raymond is absolutely right, in fact as you move along you
will find the one thing the dog has done for you, is teach you
about dogs. And that stays in your head for life. Well said
Raymond.
   Pink lettering?....Whats up my brother?   Did all those arguments
with Mudwick change you a little?....Just kidding.