Show dog ... companion dog

My breeder keeps her dogs inside with her and only keeps a minimum number of dogs. If she feels she can't give a dog the attention it deserves, she rehomes them. In fact all the local breeders I know, and I've met a number of them over the years, are all the same way.

I think you'll find that in most smaller kennels the show dogs are also house pets.

Same for my breeder - this is exactly why we were able to get Domino. She felt he would have more attention and interaction if she rehomed him so she did BUT he was raised inside as a house pet with several other dogs. That being said I did notice that Domino behaved similar to the way you are describing wendystation. He did not know basic commands and was very shy and lacked confidence. I think this just comes as a result of being one of several dogs and not having alot of one on one time to build and work on these things. This is not to say that he wasn't well looked after by our breeder - in fact the opposite. I have found that time really helps - let the dog get used to his new home in his own time. I have also found that training has not only taught Domino basic commands but has increased his confidence tenfold. I put this down to the method of training - as many people mentioned use only positive training methods and I have found that clicker training has really made a big difference for us. Just make sure the dog knows that he will NOT get into trouble or be reprimanded for trying something "wrong". This really builds confidence and Domino is now confident, forward and excited in new situations and around new people. I have really noticed the change in his attitude in the last 6 months...and we have had him for a year and a half so it is a slow process but worth it!
 
as much as breeder wants to give individual attention to each of their dog often it is not possible. Going to shows sometimes means being away for week at a time and breeder will usually show one or two dogs entered so rest of them often stay home. Many breeders try to keep their number down, but again you got 1-2 litters running on the ground and your numbers double overnight for couple of months...
so forget that it is an adult dog and start with puppy 101, hand feeding is the best for couple of weeks, if pup sleeps in crate put that crate on a chair facing you, set a routine and expect things to move as you would have a new puppy.
After few days of settling in I would start teaching commands, tricks etc. It helps to bond.
 
Our Brie came to us in March from a breeder that wanted to place her in a retirement home. She did not come from a kennel situation but she was a show dog and like yours did not do sit, stay, come etc., and other than a soccer ball she had no idea what dog toys were about. It has been 5 months and she has a beautiful loose leash walk, her sit is almost perfect and stay is coming along really well, and she is starting to get the hang of dog toys! Treats worked wonders for training, her crate is her haven, and she rarely lays in the corner of the room anymore because she loves to be a couch hog! She just turned 7 last week and it is easy to see that she is loving the retirement lifestyle. She slowly increases her circle of trust and your boy will soon discover the delights of the good life!
 
hmm I guess with larger breeders who have tons of dogs you would run into this..But I know all mine are house dogs (Noah is sleeping on my leg right now) and mine all know sit, come, down, stand and wait and enough(aka stop what ever you are doing because you are aggravating me!:wink2:)

But anyway back to the original posters question, start with small baby steps, this is a new situation from what they are accustomed to, it will take a month atleast to get him comfortable and secure in their new environment. buliding trust takes time, but it will be rewarding!
 
You could also try a little rescue remedy in her water dish as a stress reliever. I've found it takes the edge off a bit when mine are feeling anxious.
 
My Best Friend got a dog (cocker - Mia) from a situation that sounds exactly like yours! If I remember right, I'm pretty sure Mia was 4 as well...
The only difference was, the breeder was going through a nasty divorce, so she went from being a 2 person team with a bunch of dogs, to a 1 person struggling to care for all of them. I can't imagine having so many dogs, but she had a whole bedroom (maybe two?) that were just dog crates. They all got rotated time out, and she was rehoming most of them for their benefit.
She admitted they were crated or kenneled very often to preserve that long cocker coat. Don't get me wrong, they adored her, and she adored them, but the transition to an all pet home was hard for her as well. Lots of travel time (also in a crate) to shows as well.

My best friend left the crate open... the first week or so Mia spent A LOT of time in her crate. To be honest, my friend was kind of disappointed. BUT Mia also loved to go for walks (oh, and she still has that show dog walk! lol) so she would take lots of long walks - I think they were therapeutic for her.
She also went for car rides a lot(she LOVED car rides from the get-go), they just sort of spent time together, and bonded :smile2:
She, also, did not know any commands. It took her FOREVER to learn sit (as previously posted, they have to stand for the show/handling part), but she did learn - although she learned down, stay, and heel before she learned how to sit, but learned a lot in a fairly short time! (clicker training) But she didn't work on any 'formal' training until she was more confident relaxing in the house...

I'd say time, massages/petting, and long walks are what worked the most. RR didn't seem to make a difference for Mia, treats made her have a nervous/have 'expectant' energy... like she was supposed to perform or work or something.
 
I had no idea show dogs were not home pets. I have very mixed feelings about this. I am glad she can be a pet now.

My show dog is one of my pets. Diva sleeps on my bed,tucked under my left arm every night. She goes everywhere with me as do my other dogs. SHe plays in the dirt and mud and I turn her green playing ball in the freshly mowed grass.:lol: She does everything a pet would do, she just gets pretty on some weekends and trots around a ring. I also trained her puppies as long as I had them. I placed 1 at almost 9 months when he went oversized and he had tons(recall, sit, down, heeling, stand, beginning retrieve work, a mark, pivots, turns etc, crate trained etc) of obedience training. Surprisingly he never sat in the ring despite knowing how to do it. I just taught him the meaning of the word stack.

It all comes down to priorities. If you have so many dogs that you can take care of their individual needs maybe you shouldn't have that many.


Wendy, I agree with everyone else just start with small steps. Start taking him everywhere with you and slowly exposed him to everything he should have been exposed to as a small puppy. Bit by bit he should come out of his shell. I found hand feeding really helps with the bonding. Also as others have said enrolled in a good beginning obedience class. Really it is going to take time because his world was far to limited before you got him.
 
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There is no question that some breeders have more dogs that they can socialize properly.

Others seem to have the same number of dogs, yet somehow manage to give each one individual attention every day.

I don't know what the magic formula is, but clearly, you are dealing with one that could have been socialized more.

As everyone said, baby steps. I wouldn't give pup full rein of the house yet. It would probably spook him. He's probably used to a kennel and familiar kennel sounds. Probably not used the the sound of hair dryers, and dishwashers and banging pots and pans at dinner time.

These would be all new sounds to him. So treat him as if he was a puppy. And introduce all these new scary things as if he was 10 weeks old. Keep the crate handy and continue to use it. It's his den and undoubtedly, he is used to it

Good luck!
 
My Lilly was a kennel dog and I was doing exactly what Janet suggested when I got her. The first week or so my boyfriend kept asking why I got such a "freakazoid" dog but it didn't take her too long to get used to our home and routines and really turn herself into the perfect family pet. Time, consistency and love will do wonders for your pretty new baby! Best of luck!
 
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