What are some things you wish your dog did better?

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Retrieves. We are at the utility level of obedience and would be ready for competition if he was just more driven/natural as a retriever. He heels like a pro, knows all of his hand signals, will jump anything, and is 100% responsive and "sharp" and "on" and LOVES the obedience game - his retrieves are there, but they don't have the precision, drive, or innate ability I'd like them to have. This makes our final utility exercise - scent discrimination - VERY hard to train as he shuts down if corrected (even an "ah" or not a reward for getting the wrong thing) and doesn't want to retrieve at all if it's not fast, furious, and very positive....Show more

Ignoring really wishful thinking (tidies the house, makes cups of tea etc)
Walking - one dog especially really needs re-training on lead walking. He pulls all the time (even with a canny collar although it is managable then)
Coming back - my other dog needs to come back when called (usually off chasing a bird) - she just vanishes on walks and can take anything from 2-40 minutes to come back
General manners - I love my dogs being excited to see me, but one is really jumpy and licky. Sometimes it's cute and funny, but she doesn't ever stop. I hate to make her stop as she then doesn't come and greet us and isn't excited, but even when you say no she just keeps jumping up
Barking and whinging - barking at things that pose a threat is fine (neighbours using the side gate, the postman, the doorbell, loud bands) but not at nothing - he just stands in the garden and barks. And whinges in the car (goes from a quiet squeak to a high pitched bark with constant whining)
Friendly with other dogs - our collie went from being good with 90% of dogs to be awful with 97%. He doesn't ever seek a fight, but will get aggressive if a dog comes up and sniffs him (and he is worse on lead, but we have to put him on the lead to stop him snapping at the other dog - vicious circle)

All of this (except the other dog situation) is totally our fault and we can work on it if we were that desperate to change it. But that's just how they are and I don't really want to change their personalities (well, not all the time)...Show more

I wish my younger Chihuahua was friendlier with other dogs. We have foster dogs in our house all the time, and she isn't mean or aggressive towards them, but she also isn't the nicest. She doesn't play with them, and she won't lay down next to them at all. She also does not like it when they come on my bed. She loves my other Chihuahua. They play and snuggle together but as soon as a foster dog tries to join in the fun she walks away. It would just be nice to see her make new friends, and for the foster dogs to learn some proper playtime manners. We are working on it, though. Everytime she behaves like a nice hostess to the fosters, she is rewarded with kind words and lots of petting....Show more

I wish my Papillon ran Agility faster.
I wish my male Mini American had better off leash heeling....NOW! lol
I wish my young Mini American girl didn't chew crate pads.


All of this totally tongue in cheek. I love my dogs exactly how they are. Off-leash heeling will get better with practice. The Pap is who he is & it's OK. And my girly hasn't chewed a crate pads in a few months...holding my breath! LOL...Show more

I wish he'd do anything better, or anything at all.

My dogs a lazy couch potato, if he isn't sleeping, he's searching for somewhere else to get comfortable and sleep again....Show more