Will your dog 'work' for other people?

973 Views 14 Replies 14 Participants Last post by Marvel, Jun 20, 2018

CptJack

Discussion Starter · Jun 15, 2018

Or, if not, if other people try what to do they do?

Just curiosity, and a little amusement here. Most of my guys will work for anyone they're comfortable with, is asking something the dog is confident with or enjoys, and has food. They'll run back to me pretty darn quick once they've got the food, but there's some willingness there.

Kiran has been a demo dogs in classes before and might still be for our instructor (he sees her a ton), but as of tonight another friend that he knows and enjoys asked to use him to demonstrate something. I handed her his leash and moved off.

Kiran's response was to lay down and ignore her existence, even with food in his face. Perfectly polite, no anxiety, no struggle or freaking out. He just very nicely laid himself down and refused to acknowledge her.

Not ideal (for me), but also not a problem and REALLY funny!

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Bluemoods

· #2 · Jun 15, 2018

No, even my 11 week old barks/talks - Malamute version of arguing and refuses to do anything for anyone outside the family, even if they have her favorite treats. That's all anyone other than myself or my husband is going to get out of any of my dogs - a rather vocal argument.

Canyx

· #3 · Jun 15, 2018

Yep, both mine will. Soro will follow anyone with food. I actually love his social personality with people. A few times in my life I've had to have friends take him from me and drop him home, or pick him up from my house when I'm not there. He happily jumps into anyone's cars. He is discerning of strangers in a very insightful and appropriate way.

Brae has way more handler focus than Sor. Still, he will happily work with anyone with a tug toy. However, he still likes to keep tabs on me and I've never left him with anyone but my partner. When he was playing tug full bore with a police officer (who knew how to engage a dog like Brae), Brae had a full grip on the bite wedge but the officer said his pupils were still on me.

CptJack

Discussion Starter · #4 · Jun 15, 2018 (Edited)

Part of what amuses me so much is Kiran is INCREDIBLY social with people - and has, even recently, happily loaded into vehicles for friends for transport (though short term). He seeks people out and enjoys interacting with them. He wasn't upset or distraught today and was quite happy to take attention from my friend tonight, both before and after. Like, lit up wiggly happy and bouncy.

But his response to 'let's do a thing' was lying down and ignoring the ever loving crap out of her and her food. The only response she got at all was an ear flick back a couple of times. Which, honestly, is about what he does if my spouse or one of my kids tries to work with/get him to do anything, though less... clearly dismissive (ie: he moves around and does what he wants, regardless of what they want).

He USED to be pretty distraught if I left him with someone else (but not alone). That hasn't been true, on any level, in a few months.

Honestly, if he wasn't a dog and I didn't know better, I would have called the nonsense tonight passive aggressive. Just totally ridiculous and funny.

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Crantastic

· #5 · Jun 15, 2018

If the people have food, then yes. If they don't have food, Casper won't listen to a word they say. Crystal will look at me as if to ask me if she should comply, and if I say yes, she will. She's a funny one.

DaySleepers

· #6 · Jun 15, 2018

I've had to ask trainers not to demo with Sam, because once he realizes he can get food from them, too, he totally loses focus any time they're close.

Granted, it's been a few years since the last incident, and he's matured some since, so he may be a little less of a mooch these days. He'll still happily show off for most people assuming they know the right cue/hand signal though. Partially because I'll usually reward him for it - I'd rather have strangers cue him for tricks than get in his face or pick him up...

3GSD4IPO

· #7 · Jun 15, 2018

Depends on the dog. Greta won't really but she has low pack drive. If she found they had a "worthy" reward she would because in her world it is all about her. Questa won't.. she worries too much and is too nervy. Nalluh might.. but so far he rather work with me.

Greta simply looks at me as if to ask "Huh? Is this OK?"

Nalluh just looks to me.

Questa we don't even test.

[email protected]

· #8 · Jun 15, 2018

Mine will sit for someone he knows if we're at home and if there is something in it for him. Otherwise not a chance. A couple of weekends ago my wife and I went out of town for the first time in 2 years. First time in his life Beau has been away from me overnight- 2 nights ( he is a year and a half old ). My wife's daughter and her husband stayed at our house for the weekend. All of our animals know them well. When we returned it was exactly as we thought it would be. They mostly had to keep Beau gated in the back of the house- wouldn't listen to a word they said and attempted to walk all over them ( he can be extremely pushy ). I suspect they may have tried to play with him in the house......somehow a couple of pictures magically got knocked off a wall and frames got broken.

Sandakat

· #9 · Jun 15, 2018

Mesa will work for anyone if it's something she's interested in. Food isn't as much of a motivator with her, but herding or some other activity is.

Lillith

· #10 · Jun 15, 2018

Ralphie will if he knows them and if they have food. Otherwise, no. The only people I've seen him work for other than myself is the instructors in agility, who he knows, or my husband, and only if they have food that he can work for. He will sit politely for a treat from strangers, but he won't move too far from me.

Janse197

· #11 · Jun 15, 2018

Otter will work for anyone. Including in animate objects that he thinks may have food. I have found him sitting politely in front of chairs like there is someone in them.

Mouse will work for me and begrudgingly for other family members. We've been trying to work on it so that he can do cgc. He used to go crazy if I tried to hand his leash to some one else. Then he would just whimper, but sit still.

Now he will sit or walk around with a different person, but I still have to be in his eye line.

LeoRose

· #12 · Jun 15, 2018 (Edited)

The question has never really come up with Leo or Lily. For certain, they would happily walk off with my husband, but no clue if they would do anything other than the "sit" that they will do for him now. Anyone else? Not a clue.

CiElBie

· #13 · Jun 17, 2018 (Edited)

My lab will work for anyone, he is very food and toy motivated, and work motivated. Work is work to him. But he doesn't have the same respect for other people, and he knows he can get away with certain things. But have a ball or a treat and he will forget I exist lol. Or you could probably just put a lead on him and take him away.
He is not super friendly when he has work on his mind, but work is something that can be done with anyone to him.

My black mudi Haru will work for anyone but she for some odd reason only ever retrieves the ball to me. And she feels the need to go check on me time to time

People can put her on a leash and take her away but she will likely yell a lil bit and then forget about me. But yeah, no issues working for anyone though she may run back to check on me if I am around. If I am not, it is outta sight outta mind.

With other people though she can be cheeky and try it on, so I wont say she will listen to everyone, but she does love being with people other than me.

My yellow mudi Khio I dont really know. He will work for people he trusts for treats and flirt poles and such, I dont know about strangers but he will take treats from most strangers, unless they are really shifty aha.
If you have no food, then forget it. He likely wont care about you, or want to play with you, and if you are not a friend of his he probably wont enjoy too much petting from you. And likely if I disappeared then he would try to find me, or want me to come back.
When I have people hold him, he definitely wants to go find me.
But if you have food, he will work for you for sure.

The main thing with him is that he is wary of strangers, but he is also super food motivated, so he would probably only work with them for food. He wont tug with most people I think.

I guess if they were less motivated by food and toys, perhaps they wouldn't listen at all haha.

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MastiffGuy

· #14 · Jun 18, 2018

Mouse will do anything me or wife asks him to do.

Kids and the elderly he will sit and shake for.

Past those two groups he looks at everyone else like there to pet him and move on.

Marvel

· #15 · Jun 20, 2018

Quill will if he is guaranteed a reward and knows the person, and will try at first. But he isn't stupid, and if he isn't rewarded for it, will quickly quit. For example, my SO (despite my constant insistence that he should) never just does a training session with Quill, but expects Quill to listen to him 100% of the time. Quill does not. SO gives a command, Quill looks to me, and will not due it if he doesn't think he has to. But he knows what he should be doing because it just takes a "Quilllll" from me and he does said command.

So he's going to learn quickly if you're a reward person, and if you are, he is all about listening. If you aren't, he's going to realize it and look at me like "Seriously? Do I have to?" But he's so focused and loves pleasing, so he's willing to try at first...just not keep going if it isn't to his benefit hahaha.

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