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Subject: Can adult dogs train puppies?

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darren884

Newbie

03/31/2008 2:01 AM
My rat terrier has such a unique personality and he is gettin old. Can older dogs teach young ones new tricks? He is very smart he does not act like a normal dog and I would like another dog like him. For instance when he gets mad he will let you know by doin something he knows is wrong and when he is happy he will do a good deed. Can my older rat terrier teach a puppy rat terrier these traits? Hesgetting old

tiggarat

Bratty Ratty

03/31/2008 3:41 AM
I think they can, to a certain extent. my oler dogs have always helped the pups with the "house rules." I swear Buddy scolded the pups when they went potty in the house, for instance. they even picked up Buddy's way of "asking" to get up on the couch and bed. pups learn by example and figure out what works and what doesn't work...but what you're talking about sounds a little more like personality traits, which a pup probably won't copy. each dog is special and unique, and for me personally, I wouldn't want the new dog to be EXACTLY like the older guy...it would be like I was trying to replace him, which is impossible. I love the fact that all my dogs behave differently...that Lucy is the prissy little princess, and Molly is the rough and tough hunter, and that Rosie is a total goofball. yeah, I miss the way my dobie would curl his lips when I scratched just the right spot, or how another dog would cuddle with his stuffed toys, but those are things I can't teach a new pup to do.

Lisabeth furbabies: Lucy and Molly (1 1/2 yr old decker ratties), and Rosie (3 yr old dobie) Buddy - gone but never forgotten. "I don't think he has any idea he's a dog, really. Of course, he thinks he has a rather odd figure for a man" - Dodie Smith

rattytatty

Training Moderator

03/31/2008 7:56 AM
Dogs do mimick the bahavior of other dogs sometimes... but it's not always the older dog that will do the "training". I've seen lots of puppies brought into homes and added where resident dogs already exist... and it's the puppy who teaches the resident dog that chewing, turning over the trash, stealing underwear and digging are now OK behaviors! LOL Basic personality traits cannot be trained by one dog to another.

~Nora~ Mom to Hoss, Lil'Bit, Buster & Bailey, CGC, NA, NAJ

swatson6

Attention Starved

03/31/2008 8:30 AM
So true Nora! Jack didn;t know what barking was until Jeter came along!!

Sarah

canineboss

Rattie

04/01/2008 2:16 PM
Most definetly, it's called social learning, and it's the way hunting dogs like, beagles and walkers, have been trained down through the ages. Many herding dogs, although they have the desire to herd from birth, are often left with the adult dogs when they are young and learn whats expected of them in the field... In training protection dogs we will do what's called line agitation. What that means is we will put a green or untrained dog tied to a fence or pole on a long line with his handler next to. He's between two finished or experienced dogs and handlers. We begin by agitating and giving the finished dogs a bite on a sleave or piece of jute we play tug with them and let them win, then we move to the green dog ,we do the same, while the handler incurrages him, then back to the finished dogs...This builds the greens dogs excitement and confidence it helps him learn what the purpose of all this is...Meaning it's a game and it's fun... Many of the top working dog breeders and trainers are learning that social learning can help them get more puppies out of a litter that will become working dogs... They are leaving the pups with the working mothers much longer and allowing the pups to watch and participate in much of the training of the mother...I"m not sure what the percentages are but I've been told that this type of imprinting or training of the pups is really paying off.. There are many other examples of social learning that we as trainers do but I think you get the idea that yes they do learn from each other and as trainers/owners we can take advantage of that... Oh yea and they definetly will pick up the worst things from each other, it seems quicker than any training we can do...

Live everyday like it's your last because tomorrow is promised to no one

talatzkomom

Ratastic

04/01/2008 2:44 PM
i would TOTALLY! agree!!! it teaches them BOTH! the older dog teach's the pup to do" Big boys "things and the pup REMINDS! the older dog HOW to be a PUP AGAIN!Caesar at 5 would just lay around and be and 'ol stick in the mud if the youngsters didn't give him some compitition!it just like having a favorite 'ol guelding to train Colts its perfect!I even hook the pups up to him to train to lead just like a train my horses! it works just the same! a lot less time too!

Linda talatzko

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