Confidence Issues - looking for opinions

[Debbie Meier]

We were just talking about confidence issues with working dogs, I thought I would ask what others opinions are.

 

I'm not talking about a dog that lacks the confidence to work, I'm talking about the one that lacks the confidence to step up and take control. It would be the dog that does awesome on the majority of stock under most all conditions, is stylish, has great feel and balance, but when they run into something that challanges hard, especially cattle they just don't have the little bit more to get the stock to rethink their position or get a little trashy when they counter, which I suppose could be a bit of fear.

 

Also, could it be that the lack of confidence is not about the livestock but rather as to what the dog thinks they are suppose to do with the stock at a particular time. Thinking on that line I guess sensitivety and the unwillingness to make mistakes can factor in, which could have a lot to do with training and handler relationships.

 

When dealing with these issues are we looking at a trait that is just carried by that individual?

 

Do you think proper training and exposure is the key to not having dogs that lacks confidence?

 

Or do you think it is bred in and to what capacity, is it the lack of confidence? Or is it too much sensitivity that is bred in the later leads to a manifestation of lack of confidence when the dog is not handled correctly early on?

 

 

 

Deb

[juliepoudrier]

When dealing with these issues are we looking at a trait that is just carried by that individual?

 

Do you think proper training and exposure is the key to not having dogs that lacks confidence?

 

Or do you think it is bred in and to what capacity, is it the lack of confidence? Or is it too much sensitivity that is bred in the later leads to a manifestation of lack of confidence when the dog is not handled correctly early on?

Deb

Personally I think most, if not all, dogs who lack confidence got that way through training (either by being trained in a manner that reduced the dog's innate confidence, or in the case of a naturally less confident dog, by being trained in a manner that didn't improve the dog's confidence). I think a dog can be either soft or hard and lose confidence through improper training. Obviously a soft dog is probably more obvious in its loss or lack of confidence, whereas a hard dog may just "act out" in different ways (i.e., not so obvious as a loss of confidence per se). But I've seen dogs who were labeled "hard" and "incorrigible" who in fact really just lacked confidence thanks to training mistakes made by their owners and when the confidence issue was resolved, the hardness and related problems also were resolved. So I would say that training is the number one reason for a dog to lack confidence, and that a sensitive dog may be more obvious in its loss of confidence through poor training and handling, but that one shouldn't discount some of the behaviors seen in harder dogs, since those behaviors could simply be a different sort of manifestation of a lack of confidence (e.g., the sensitive dog may give up or turn off when challenged by stock--lack of confidence, while a less sensitive/hard dog might dive in and grab and even though it may succeed in moving the sheep, the means by which it did so is also a manifestation of lack of confidence). Dogs who race through tight spaces are showing a lack of confidence, and such dogs may or may not be sensitive, but training can fix that lack of confidence. So while improper training or training mistakes can cause lack of confidence, proper training can certainly improve a dog's confidence, even if the dog isn't naturally confident.

 

I believe that sensitivity or not can come from breeding, but I think confidence is more of a nurture thing. Individuals in any litter may be more or less confident (regardless of whether they're soft or hard from a personality standpoint), but ultimately it's up to the trainer to bring out the confidence or maintain it in any individual dog, IMO.

 

A confident dog, IMO, will continue to walk straight in on the face of a challenge and use bite as a last resort. Most sheep/cattle can read the confident dog and know that the dog will not back down, nor will it do something stupid like dive and grab and so will give to such a dog. JMO.

 

J.

[Debbie Meier]

Sorry for the length. Bad weather. Can't get outside much lately. What can I say?

 

Kinda why I thought it would be a good time to post this thread, hoping to hear from others.