# Every dog is different



## Vhuynh2 (Feb 13, 2012)

Molly and Maisey are of completely different breedings but they are polar opposites in almost every single way, and I see it every day. Molly just can't take being wrong, whereas Maisey is more than happy to do it again and again until she gets it right. I was doing drills in the yard with her the other day, and while Molly is my heart and soul dog, Maisey is just so much more fun to train and run. I don't have to handle her with kids' gloves.


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## Aislinn (Nov 13, 2010)

Every dog is different. Ones lives to please you, another to challenge you. Even within the same litter you'll find big differences. And sometimes I think we forget the problems we had with an adult dog when they were a puppy. Time's gone by and we know the adult dog now. Then we get a puppy again and expect more of the adult behavior. We compare, but comparing the puppy to the trained adult, no longer remembering all the anguish, doubts and trials we went through to get that dog to being a trained adult. I know I'm guilty of this sometimes.


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

Aislinn said:


> Every dog is different. Ones lives to please you, another to challenge you. Even within the same litter you'll find big differences. And sometimes I think we forget the problems we had with an adult dog when they were a puppy. Time's gone by and we know the adult dog now. Then we get a puppy again and expect more of the adult behavior. We compare, but comparing the puppy to the trained adult, no longer remembering all the anguish, doubts and trials we went through to get that dog to being a trained adult. I know I'm guilty of this sometimes.


True

The adult is different from the puppy, like they are different dogs.


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## MillionsofPeaches (Oct 30, 2012)

Yep its hard to separate training sometimes between dogs. Even in the entire litter no two pups are exactly alike. I will say, Thor was very much like Proof in some stuff and different in other ways. It was so interesting to watch him and Proof and Buffy together and compare them. I felt like Proof was more like Buffy than Thor and its funny since Thor lives with his mom and Proof is on his own! And it is interesting to watch Proof next to Maverick. Even deeper than that, I feel like Thor moves and acts more like Mav and Proof is more like Buffy. Ha, things to make us think, right?


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## hollyk (Feb 21, 2009)

Vhuynh2 said:


> Molly and Maisey are of completely different breedings but they are polar opposites in almost every single way, and I see it every day. Molly just can't take being wrong, whereas Maisey is more than happy to do it again and again until she gets it right. I was doing drills in the yard with her the other day, and while Molly is my heart and soul dog, Maisey is just so much more fun to train and run. I don't have to handle her with kids' gloves.


Vivian, where do you think that Maisey and Flyer fall in the more a like or different rating?


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

MoP

Interesting observation. It is cool to see the pups develop. Cool to make comparisons.


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## Vhuynh2 (Feb 13, 2012)

hollyk said:


> Vivian, where do you think that Maisey and Flyer fall in the more a like or different rating?


I think they are more alike than different. Confident, mature, and focused. Might be a good question to ask Andy.


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## hollyk (Feb 21, 2009)

Vhuynh2 said:


> I think they are more alike than different. Confident, mature, and focused. Might be a good question to ask Andy.


I think very alike too, you better be watching for that break at the line. :grin2: Both take correction as feedback but you have be quick on your whistle or they will try and push you. 
They both run hard but Maisey, female, is smaller and she is _lighting fast_. 

Flyer is a very different dog from my Winter. With him I asked for confident and I got it. I don't know if this makes sense but Winter comes to the line wanting to play the game with me. Flyer comes to the line scanning, like he is tiring to figure out how to beat the test. At under 18 months I already can commucate lines with him much better then Winter. Winter takes my direction but Flyer gives me more feedback. Flyer looks long better.

Winter when on her game is a pinpoint marker and I never worry about blinds, she runs beautiful blinds. The past season Winter had a horrible year marking, she was just off. Nothing medical but not herself. Since Sept. I have only been training her in field about 1 day a week and she is stepping on everything and once again looks like a master dog. I still haven't decided if I will run her in retriever hunt tests next year or just go have fun with her in the Spaniel Upland tests. She only needs 3 MH passes to get her title in Canada and I would hate to leave that hanging. The big thing I'm doing with her is getting her ready for OB UD. She will be 8 in Feb.


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## MillionsofPeaches (Oct 30, 2012)

You know, its funny all of us commenting have had some experience. I wonder if that experience has anything to do with the fact that our dogs are lining better and stuff like that, ha ha! I bet!


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

Lucy totally fed off my fears and would have the same fear as me. If there was a mark I thought she would have trouble with, she did. Same in the show ring. When I showed her she always got a hot spot the week before a show, always. My fears went right down the leash. When we competed in any ring - conformation or obedience, Lucy just didn't want to be there. She hated it and it was obvious. My friends and I would joke ring side about what kind of face Lucy would make in the ring to let everyone know she didn't want to be there.

On the other hand Riot has no fear, he is completely fearless. Because he is fearless, I'm less fearful. Now I have a lot more confidence because of Riot. All that comes with experience and having a dog that trusts me I think. I just hope I can live up to what Riot needs. He's a joy wherever he goes. My only challenge with Riot is keeping thing upbeat and making sure I don't become a task master. Riot will probably start in the obedience ring at the next trial in March. I think he's going to be easy to show in obedience. 

Lucy has a nose that can't be beat when it comes to upland hunting, I will always pick Lucy over Riot. She also has that independent streak necessary for upland hunting. She's tenacious when looking for birds in the brush. I'm really looking forward to running her in the spaniel hunt tests this summer.


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## TanyaB (Jan 22, 2016)

This is something I am struggling with right now with my new puppy. It is over a decade since I started training my last dog and I find it difficult sometimes to remember that Jasper is not going to learn things in the same way that my Snickers did. She picked up her commands almost on the first try - she was just so smart, and Jasper, being a month younger than her, and a different dog, is taking longer on each command. This is so obvious, but sometimes I find myself wondering why he can't get it (so far we are only doing sit and down, but he is really struggling with down). I have to remind myself it is just like with my kids. My daughter taught herself to read at 3 and was reading short chapter books at 4 but my son is still sounding out words at just turned 6. I have to keep reminding myself - all my babies are different, the human ones, and the fur ones.


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## solinvictus (Oct 23, 2008)

"different dog, is taking longer on each command.
so far we are only doing sit and down, but he is really struggling with down"

For me the actual learning theory is the same and yes each dog is different.

Sometimes depending on the dog we don't take the time to break things down into smaller segments. Sometimes we can jump start a particular behavior by rewarding in smaller increments. Bring your hand down with the lure toward the floor slower. Reward for a head drop toward the floor or reward for the front paws moving out a little toward the front which lowers the body etc. Just do that a few times as you don't want the dog to think that is the behavior you really want. But it can nudge them in the right direction. 

Take a video of your training session. It may be what you are doing with your own body that is making it confusing to the pup.


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## hollyk (Feb 21, 2009)

MillionsofPeaches said:


> You know, its funny all of us commenting have had some experience. I wonder if that experience has anything to do with the fact that our dogs are lining better and stuff like that, ha ha! I bet!


I've spent a lot of hours standing out in the middle of fields in all kinds of weather so I certainly hope so. Lol

But I also think I have more engine under the hood.


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## Vhuynh2 (Feb 13, 2012)

I trained both girls out today and noticed the differences in delivery. I'm not sure if Molly had always done this since it has been awhile since I've field trained her, but today with each delivery she sat at heel and looked up at me waiting for me to take the bumper. Maisey sits at heel but keeps her eyes forward on the field, waiting for what's next. I think this hints at the different motivations behind their work.


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