Natural History

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged humor | 15 Comments

15 Responses

1. on July 29, 2009 at 11:07 pm jan

   what a classic scene. I remember describing this scene, the dead lady on the roof, and the incestuous relatives to someone who thought i was truly demented.

   Ya just hadda be there.

   
   
2. on July 30, 2009 at 7:14 pm EmilyS

   OT: related to some previous discussions:
   http://www.theotherendoftheleash.com/positive-training-for-hunting-dogs/

   
   
   • on July 31, 2009 at 1:21 pm retrieverman

     I left a comment, but it hasn’t been approved yet.

     Thanks for the link!

     I don’t know anything about pointing dogs, but I put in what I know about retrievers.

     
     
3. on July 30, 2009 at 8:58 pm hemmingforddogblog

   Didn’t Mitt Romney put his dog in a crate on the roof of the car? Also not recommended.

   
   
4. on July 31, 2009 at 2:24 pm EmilyS

   “Force-fetching actually covers up this weakness in retrieving instinct, and you wind up breeding dogs with inferior instinct.” WHOA!!! that is a fascinating point!

   
   
   • on July 31, 2009 at 5:21 pm retrieverman

     Granted, not everyone agrees with me on this.

     But I’ve seen lots of dogs with really poor retrieving instincts, and they should be retrieving fools.

     
     
5. on July 31, 2009 at 5:20 pm flattie-n-labbie

   Again, JMO–

   Force fetch can never, ever, in a million ear-pinches, make a dog without strong retrieve instinct look like it’s enjoying itself at doing what comes naturally. So, anyone that can read a dog at THE most basic level can avoid breeding with a pig by watching it retrieve a couple of birds, I don’t care what trainer force-fetched it.

   Any RESPECTABLE retriever trainer just plain won’t bother to force a dog that doesn’t retrieve naturally anyway, and will tell a client to keep his money and spend it on another dog. Further, any retriever trainer worth his salt can (and will) have a dog with a natural mouth retrieving to hand in a few sessions–if not immediately–with a little happy-talk rapport building and good body language. It’s neither rocket science nor magic. If you come across a trainer that can’t do this, back away slowly until you have the chance to run.

   Force fetch is a specialized technique for a specialized set of expectations. Nothing less–AND nothing more. Again, JMO from my own observations.

   
   
   • on July 31, 2009 at 5:24 pm retrieverman

     If you are good at force-fetching, you can take any dog and turn it into a retriever. ANY dog. But when I buy a retriever, I want it retrieving to hand with very little encouragement. In fact, I’d like it to like retrieving so much that retrieving is itself a reward.

     The whole method was developed by pointer and setter people who wanted their dogs to retrieve shot birds.

     
     
     • on July 31, 2009 at 5:49 pm flattie-n-labbie

       “If you are good at force-fetching, you can take any dog and turn it into a retriever. ANY dog. ”

       Yes, but in my experience you can’t make the dog look like he’s doing something he naturally enjoys, like a retriever should, if the retrieve isn’t a natural and rewarding thing to begin with.

       
       
   • on July 31, 2009 at 5:32 pm retrieverman

     I think the Brits and Europeans are producing better retrievers than we are. And that’s why I like the golden– it’s a more European breed than the Labrador is.

     And they are much more strict on breeding for the real deal deal instinct and biddability than we are. We want lots of style and drive, and use our methods to create a good dog out that. They think the dogs should be born with retrieving instinct and biddability and then refined from that.

     I’m not against force fetching, but I don’t think we should be breeding from dogs that don’t naturally retrieve to hand.

     
     
   • on July 31, 2009 at 5:43 pm retrieverman

     If you want to read an interesting book, check out Temple Grandin’s book Animals in Translation. http://www.grandin.com/inc/animals.in.translation.excerpts.html

     You’d be amazed how much technology and new innovations (including new market forces) have wound up distorting productive domestic animals and actually causing long-term problems.

     I’m not so worried about goldens becoming like this, but a lot performance line Labs are on the extreme end of what the average person tolerate. Some of them are just too wild to be good working dogs, and when they’re not being worked, they’re too wild to be kept as house dogs. Some of them are too wild to even be trial dogs, and you know that’s going to hurt the breed long-term. It would’ve hurt them more, but we have so many different lines of Lab in this country, that most of them are either English show-line Labradors or giant Labradors. So most people don’t experience this, but when someone does, they really experience it– and then write a book about and them make a zillion dollars.

     
     
     • on July 31, 2009 at 5:52 pm flattie-n-labbie

       I love Temple Grandin, and read and listen to her whenever I can. She’s fascinating and insightful.

       You won’t be surprised that at sometimes (not often, but sometimes) I disagree with her on dog behavior and training… ;)

       But she’s great reading, and thought-inspiring.

       
       
     • on July 31, 2009 at 5:55 pm flattie-n-labbie

       I’ve always wondered what the breeding of Marley was, but alas–for Marley, too–I don’t think the owners (forget name) ever bothered to care.

       Their second dog made a nice Dog Whisperer episode–and that wasn’t a Capital-C Crazy Lab–it just needed some instruction and a job to do.

       
       
       • on August 1, 2009 at 12:30 pm retrieverman

         I agree with you, and I laughed at that episode of the DW, because who would’ve thought that bird dogs might like to chase or even kill chickens?

         I bet his next dog is going to be a beagle, and he’s going to wonder why his pet rabbits keep being chased.

         
         
6. on July 31, 2009 at 5:22 pm flattie-n-labbie

   On the original topic–I’ve never heard of someone driving off with a dog staked to a bumper. BUT–I’ve heard of a number of near-misses, where someone parked NEXT TO a dog staked to a bumper didn’t realize the dog was there and almost ran over it when pulling out.

   So for a different reason–it’s a terrible idea.

   
   

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