# Working Homes and Pet Homes



## glowingtoadfly (Feb 28, 2014)

A discussion came up in a recent thread about working homes and pet homes. I am curious about what makes a pet home and what makes a working home. How much time do you need to spend to count as a working home and are there differences in the dogs you should choose?


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## Gretchen (Jan 20, 2011)

Forgive me but I'm confused about your question.
I often work from home and I have pets that we interact with a lot.
I also take my dog to work on most days that I need to be there.
Both places my dog acts as a guard dog, but is on alert a lot more at my place of business.


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## glowingtoadfly (Feb 28, 2014)

I think doing dog sports or obedience or something with your dog makes you a working home by the definition of many... But if you can take your dog to work with you I am very jealous. I think guarding your work counts as work...


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## Gretchen (Jan 20, 2011)

glowingtoadfly said:


> I think doing dog sports or obedience or something with your dog makes you a working home by the definition of many... But if you can take your dog to work with you I am very jealous. I think guarding your work counts as work...


Oh, sorry no we don't do dog sports. Molly's had injuries the last 18 months.
She is just naturally a very protective girl and if we had a larger place would herd our cats.


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

I don't know if I would consider my home a working home. I have 6 dogs and at any given time at least one is doing some kind of obedience, agility, or Rally. Looking into dock diving now, but it's all for fun. I guess if I wasn't rotating or moving to different things with all the dogs I would possibly title some of them in some venues.


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## Packen (Sep 14, 2008)

glowingtoadfly said:


> A discussion came up in a recent thread about working homes and pet homes. I am curious about what makes a pet home and what makes a working home. How much time do you need to spend to count as a working home and are there differences in the dogs you should choose?


Good question, the answer may surprise! I see "pet people" spend a lot more time with their dogs as compared to "working people". I have a few friends that are strictly in the pet category, they walk the dogs in the mornings and the evenings, take them on hikes, swims, group meets, dog dates etc etc. A good average would be 4 hours/day, 28 hours/week. Average working home will spend less time on a daily basis with their dogs.

So if you were to chart the number of hours spent weekly interacting with your dogs the pet people easily beat the working people.
If you chart the number of miles driven weekly, working people go off the charts.
If you chart the engagement level, the working teams are off the charts despite spending lesser time 1 0n 1.

A good analogy would be driving. A regular driver drives every day and a lot more miles as compared to a race car driver. The race car driver drives in small sessions over a closed road course, has much less miles under his belt as compared to the regular driver/commuter. But the experience level of the two and the skill set required is day and night different. The race driver can easily switch into the commuter's role but it is not true the other way around.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

I think a working home, is a home where the dog works with the owner, like herds sheep every day for a living, or is a service dog every day, or is a military working dog or police dog. A dog that is trained/certified and does SAR would be a working home in my opinion.

People who do schutzhund or protection sports could be considered a working home. But they aren't. They have a pet and they put it through training for specific things. They perhaps spend more time each week training that other venues, but in my opinion this would be a sport home.

People who do obedience, agility, rally, etc, would also be a sport home, but these would be people that are truly into it. People who say, I would like to get the dog titled in something -- pet home. 

People who do conformation with their dog would be a show home. 

And then there are the pet people. The pet homes. These people can be awesome or awful, like most of the above. They have not and are not planning to do anything with the dog in the way of working, showing, performance. They may take the dog to training classes. They probably have no previous experience in any venue. Which means, that breeders are going to be looking at them carefully when they go to place a puppy there.


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## lalachka (Aug 13, 2013)

Packen, good point about engagement level. I havent thought about that


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## glowingtoadfly (Feb 28, 2014)

Why wouldn't it be easy to switch to being a working home from being a pet home?


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## Steve Strom (Oct 26, 2013)

I just think of myself as a pet owner. Dogs I've gotten to do something with. I do that whether its conformation, obedience, or Sch. But my dog goes to work with me everyday, he goes camping with us. My Rott went with us to Disneyland with us. 

I think I fit parts of what Selzer is describing.


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## lauren43 (Jun 14, 2014)

I just consider myself an active pet home. I have a dog(s) for companionship first and foremost. But right now having only a chihuahua, a chihuahua mind you, that barely walks on a leash and his idea of play is only with stuffed toys and even then he won't really tug...makes me miss the fun you can have with a big dog.

I want to do dog sports (agility, flyball, lure coursing) and I miss hiking with my dog and so on...like I did with my Avery. 


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## robk (Jun 16, 2011)

My dogs are pets first and IPO dogs second. They live in the house with me and if they both wash out of the sport, they will stay in the family. This makes our home a pet home. I train with people who keep their dogs out side in dog runs. They have zero interaction with them expect to feed and train. If they wash out of the sport they are sold. I consider their homes to be working homes.


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## mycobraracr (Dec 4, 2011)

I consider house a cross between the two. I compete in multiple venues and train multiple days a week. My dogs also live inside, go hiking, running and for walks. I take them to the coffee shop to hang out. I pretty much take them everywhere. My dogs cuddle on the couch and all that type of stuff. Now that being said, I will re-home a dog that doesn't work. Equally I will re-home a dog that doesn't settle or is not suitable to do the other things I like to do. After all the GSD is supposed to be utilitarian isn't it?


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## Blitzkrieg1 (Jul 31, 2012)

mycobraracr said:


> I consider house a cross between the two. I compete in multiple venues and train multiple days a week. My dogs also live inside, go hiking, running and for walks. I take them to the coffee shop to hang out. I pretty much take them everywhere. My dogs cuddle on the couch and all that type of stuff. Now that being said, I will re-home a dog that doesn't work. Equally I will re-home a dog that doesn't settle or is not suitable to do the other things I like to do. After all the GSD is supposed to be utilitarian isn't it?


 
Same, I do alot with my dog camping, hiking etc but if the dog is not capable of the level of preformance I am looking for, she will be sold. 

The next dog I get will be treated the same I dont have space or time for washouts atm.


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## shepherdmom (Dec 24, 2011)

I probably the most pet home on here.  My dogs do not work, they do not do sport, only one has gone to puppy class. The chase rabbits and quail and lizards in the yard. We play fetch and tug and basketball. (by basketball I mean I kick the basketball and they chase it) They help me move the sprinklers around the yard and play in the water in the summer. In the winter we cuddle by the fire. They play chase and wrestle with each other and I'm fine with that, they still love me. Occasionally when the weather is nice I will take them for rides in the car. I don't feel like they have missed out on anything by not working and I don't think they feel like it either. They have a good life.


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## Merciel (Apr 25, 2013)

glowingtoadfly said:


> Why wouldn't it be easy to switch to being a working home from being a pet home?


It is, if you're prone to that mindset.

I didn't set out to be a "sport home." I originally just wanted to do something that would help my fearful dog cope with life. I wasn't thinking about ribbons or titles or national placements. All that stuff just kind of sneaked up on me, and before I knew it, BAM!, my living room is cluttered with practice jumps and ring gates, half my Facebook friends are dog sport people, and I track performance litters with the creepy obsession of a childless aunt staring at other people's babies.

Wasn't on purpose. Just sort of happened.


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## Merciel (Apr 25, 2013)

mycobraracr said:


> I consider house a cross between the two. I compete in multiple venues and train multiple days a week. My dogs also live inside, go hiking, running and for walks. I take them to the coffee shop to hang out. I pretty much take them everywhere. My dogs cuddle on the couch and all that type of stuff. Now that being said, I will re-home a dog that doesn't work. Equally I will re-home a dog that doesn't settle or is not suitable to do the other things I like to do.


Yes, this is what I'll do in the future as well.

I have a washout now. It sucks. It sucks for me, it sucks for the dog, and it's absolutely completely totally my fault it happened, because I was ignorant about picking dogs and didn't have the first clue what I was doing. (Here's that whole story, for whoever wants to read it: Washout: Crookytail’s Story | Team Unruly)

I made a commitment to my dog and I'm keeping it. He has a decent life, certainly better than the one he came from. It's the best I can make it. But it's nothing like the relationship or connection I have with my competition dog, and it's not fair to either of us, and if I had it to do over, I would have rehomed him to a loving pet home while I still had that chance.


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## Sabis mom (Mar 20, 2014)

I would have to say it depends on which one of my dogs you ask. 
Sabi had a job, trained and certified to work as my partner. Some weeks we were out 7 days a week, some weeks only 5. Some days 12 hours on occasion 18 or more, depending on calls.
Bud trained and washed out, unstable as a result of early abuse.
Shadow is a pet. 
Next pup will likely be trained for work, whether or not we actually work remains to be seen but in this working home, the dogs eat in the kitchen, sleep on the bed and spend days off hanging out with me at whatever I'm doing. No outdoor kennels, no being left out, so I guess you might call me an active pet home instead.


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## Pax8 (Apr 8, 2014)

I guess I'm an active home on the cusp of being a sport home. Sport is still pretty new to me, and I'm taking my time learning the in's and out's and training Kaiju in it. But once he gets to competition level, I can't see myself ever going back. I'll take Kaiju as far as he'll go and when I get my second dog, I'll be going into it with clear intentions to continue doing sport.

Though I'll never be an outdoor kennel person. My dogs will always live primarily inside and will probably always sleep on my bed with me. So I guess I'm a pet home in that sense.


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## Sarah~ (Apr 30, 2012)

I am a pet home, 100%  My dogs are not asked to do anything, just basic obedience. I suppose Eko and I could do a sport or something, he loves to do things for me it's part of why I love GSDs so much, you can see in his face how excited and happy he is to work and be rewarded. Xena has the energy to do a sport, but her environmental allergies are so insane she can't be outside longer than it takes to run out, potty, and run back inside. 

I don't have much interest in any dog sports, but it could be I just haven't seen or heard of the right one for me.


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## glowingtoadfly (Feb 28, 2014)

We are probably first of all a pet home, then a sport home. Although my husband wants an IPO- specific puppy next time.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

I have three dogs, two are 'pet' homed and one is a 'working/pet'. I washed out one, but would not rehome her, she'd be difficult to rehome successfully. My rescue could be rehomed, but she isn't a problem so she is a keeper. Neither female are comfortable in situations that I have to manage them. So they are happily hanging at the homestead. 
The dog I "chose carefully and bought" to do sport with is my buddy, companion and he's part of the pack. 
If I had to wash him he'd still have a place in my pack. 
I'd find something else to do with him, if the sport chose didn't suit him. 
I don't consider him a working dog, he does train regularly in sport, but it isn't his 'career' and life or death doesn't rely on his decision making. 
Working dogs are doing the every day or on call stuff....they need to be "at the ready" and succeed in what is asked. Regardless of the venue. 

I personally don't consider sport dogs 'working' dogs...even though they are always training and exercised in their disciplines.


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## glowingtoadfly (Feb 28, 2014)

It's hard for me to understand the mindset behind rehoming a dog for washing out in sport. Maybe someone can help me understand better?


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## Merciel (Apr 25, 2013)

glowingtoadfly said:


> It's hard for me to understand the mindset behind rehoming a dog for washing out in sport. Maybe someone can help me understand better?


Did you read my TU post about Crookytail? It talks a lot about that.

If you have questions after that, I'd be happy to discuss it as honestly as I can, but it's a little bit of a painful subject and most of what I'd want to say is already there.


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## glowingtoadfly (Feb 28, 2014)

I did read it, but I will look at it again.. It's funny- my husband is becoming very competitive about IPO. I didn't expect to get so into a dog sport, and as our dogs were not purchased for that purpose from the beginning, it's becoming a little interesting to see my husband's competitive side come out with regards to them.


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## Pax8 (Apr 8, 2014)

glowingtoadfly said:


> It's hard for me to understand the mindset behind rehoming a dog for washing out in sport. Maybe someone can help me understand better?


If you know you want to do sport with a dog, you stack the odds in your favor - temperament, breeding, training, etc. But if they just aren't going to do sport, especially if you are invested in competing, it might in some cases be better to rehome them to a family that does not have the need to push them towards sport so the sport family has room for another dog with the capability to do the work needed.

It's not that the dog isn't cared about, but there is an opportunity for a more fitting home for it elsewhere. It's basically about making sure the dog has a good home, even if that home is with someone else. Not to be mistaken with a more shallow "I'm bored of this dog so let's get rid of him". It's just about recognizing that if you are the type of home that is constantly training, going to meets and practices and trials with all your dogs except one, it'll probably be unfair to that one dog and there is a more suitable home where it will get the attention it needs.


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## glowingtoadfly (Feb 28, 2014)

At first, I was very judgmental about it, but now I think I am starting to understand. I think you have to work your dog in a sport to really get it. I'm sure it is more difficult for some, and easier for others.


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## Muskeg (Jun 15, 2012)

"Working home" for me means the dog has some job or task that it is trained for and does regularly. Could be IPO, could be tracking, could be dock diving or herding. I understand people who define "working" home as a "real" job, like Police K9 or SAR, but that is not how I personally define it, and many breeders I think would agree. Breeders want their pups to be titled, worked, and tested. So they do want to place some in homes where they will get those official titles. A working home, where the dogs is also a "pet" is truly ideal, in my opinion. You may not get those top titles, but the dog is happier and more complete.


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## d4lilbitz (Dec 30, 2013)

Merciel said:


> It is, if you're prone to that mindset.
> 
> I didn't set out to be a "sport home." I originally just wanted to do something that would help my fearful dog cope with life. I wasn't thinking about ribbons or titles or national placements. All that stuff just kind of sneaked up on me, and before I knew it, BAM!, my living room is cluttered with practice jumps and ring gates, half my Facebook friends are dog sport people, and I track performance litters with the creepy obsession of a childless aunt staring at other people's babies.
> 
> Wasn't on purpose. Just sort of happened.


Same here Merciel! I wanted an active companion, then I got involved in IPO and now everything has changed from the way I manage my dogs, handle them, FB, vehicles, etc. Once you become involved and really take the opportunity to learn about it, it's a lifestyle change. When I first got Isen...everywhere I went I was thinking of different environments to introduce him to, I'm constantly on the prowl for new tracking locations, etc...its amazing lol. Loads of fun though!


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## Steve Strom (Oct 26, 2013)

glowingtoadfly said:


> I did read it, but I will look at it again.. It's funny- my husband is becoming very competitive about IPO. I didn't expect to get so into a dog sport, and as our dogs were not purchased for that purpose from the beginning, it's becoming a little interesting to see my husband's competitive side come out with regards to them.


 Are you as interested in it as he is? My wife loves the dogs, but sport wise, she just indulges me.


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## Merciel (Apr 25, 2013)

Pax8 said:


> It's just about recognizing that if you are the type of home that is constantly training, going to meets and practices and trials with all your dogs except one, it'll probably be unfair to that one dog and there is a more suitable home where it will get the attention it needs.


That's basically it.

My washout is a _great_ pet dog. He is affectionate, stable, gentle, tolerant, quiet, and low-key. He would be a perfect dog for someone who wanted a loving family companion who'd be superb with the kids, social in everyday outings, great for hiking and active play. This dog has many, many wonderful traits.

But they aren't the traits that I appreciate or care about. He can't do the activities that _I_ want to do.

As a result, I don't give him the appreciation he deserves. He gets less attention, less time, less training. When I do train him, I don't have as much patience as he needs. Working with him causes me to feel disappointment, and he senses that disappointment, and then my dog gets disheartened and discouraged and gives up.

He feels bad and I feel bad. It would be better by far if he could go to a home that would love and cherish him for who he is, and not constantly be disappointed about what he can't do.


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## glowingtoadfly (Feb 28, 2014)

Is a third dog in the cards for you so that your husband doesn't have to be separated from Crooky? Also, yes, I am actually discovering that I love the sport too. I currently handle a shy dog in it though, who never really learned to play at his first home, so it has been fun for me to work on teaching him to play.


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## Merciel (Apr 25, 2013)

No, there'll be no third dog for us, for a number of reasons. For a while I thought (or maybe more accurately _hoped_) that would be possible, but it's really not.

I'll just play it out with the two dogs I've got, learn as much as I can learn, and then hopefully be able to get it right the third time.


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## mycobraracr (Dec 4, 2011)

Pax8 said:


> If you know you want to do sport with a dog, you stack the odds in your favor - temperament, breeding, training, etc. But if they just aren't going to do sport, especially if you are invested in competing, it might in some cases be better to rehome them to a family that does not have the need to push them towards sport so the sport family has room for another dog with the capability to do the work needed.
> 
> 
> 
> It's not that the dog isn't cared about, but there is an opportunity for a more fitting home for it elsewhere. It's basically about making sure the dog has a good home, even if that home is with someone else. Not to be mistaken with a more shallow "I'm bored of this dog so let's get rid of him". It's just about recognizing that if you are the type of home that is constantly training, going to meets and practices and trials with all your dogs except one, it'll probably be unfair to that one dog and there is a more suitable home where it will get the attention it needs.



This is basically it for me. I re-homed a dog about a year and a half ago. I miss the dog greatly, but she's in a great home. They are very active outdoors and take her everywhere. I spoke with them yesterday and they love her! They were also told when they took her that if some reason it wasn't working out she was coming back to me. At that point she would live out her time with me as I don't want her bouncing around houses. I have been available for any support they need with her. 

I didn't wash her because she was a bad dog. Just not one cut out for sport. It was making her neurotic. Rather than force her to be something she's not I decided to place her in a more fitting home. 


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## lhczth (Apr 5, 2000)

For me, a pet home is a home where the dog's primary purpose is as a companion. They might take some OB classes, go hiking, play with the kids, they may even play around in Rally or do a CGC, but these are all secondary to having a dog that they can just enjoy as part of the family. 

A working home is a home that has far more goals for themselves and the dogs. They are not out there dabbling. These people are doing sport, working the dogs in SAR/detection, need a service dog, maybe doing security, PSD, etc. Dogs don't know that they are doing sport vs. "real" work. They are active, travel, train often and there are certain things expected of the dogs. A working home can also be a pet home and for me that is preferred. 

Working homes and pet homes need many of the same things in their dogs. Sound nerves, trainability, health and temperaments. Often the dogs are interchangeable. I tend to like a certain type of dog to work, but even so, 3 of my girls could have easily fit into most pet homes. One would have needed a bit more experienced pet home. The fifth would have controlled the household by the time she was 18 months though for me, she is an easy dog to live with,


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## GatorDog (Aug 17, 2011)

Merciel said:


> No, there'll be no third dog for us, for a number of reasons. For a while I thought (or maybe more accurately _hoped_) that would be possible, but it's really not.
> 
> I'll just play it out with the two dogs I've got, learn as much as I can learn, and then hopefully be able to get it right the third time.


Yeah yeah yeah. You say that now


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## LifeofRiley (Oct 20, 2011)

I am a pet home. My dog is a great companion. I think people under-estimate what it takes for a dog to be a great companion dog, at least, the way I define it. 

To me, a great companion dog is not a house dog, rather it is a dog that can go out in the world with me without me having to worry about how the dog will handle crowds, traffic, noises, new environments, passing cyclists, skateboarders, joggers, random folks stopping to pet him, etc… you know, all the things a city dog would have to be able to handle if it ever was to leave your house/yard/block/neighborhood. 

I am breed-neutral in my choice of a dog, I just look for a shelter/rescue dog that I think has the potential to be the type of companion dog I want. My current dog did not walk out of the shelter being the perfect companion dog (by my definition). But, as I was his foster home, I got to know him and felt he had the right characteristics (handler focus, desire to please) to become one with some TLC and training… turns out I was right : )


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## blackshep (Aug 3, 2012)

d4lilbitz said:


> Same here Merciel! I wanted an active companion, then I got involved in IPO and now everything has changed from the way I manage my dogs, handle them, FB, vehicles, etc. Once you become involved and really take the opportunity to learn about it, it's a lifestyle change. When I first got Isen...everywhere I went I was thinking of different environments to introduce him to, I'm constantly on the prowl for new tracking locations, etc...its amazing lol. Loads of fun though!


 :laugh: That's exactly what happened to me, I'm now the proud owner of a minivan and I got two titles on my dog. Not something I thought I'd ever do, but here we are! 

I'm having a ton of fun working my pet


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## zetti (May 11, 2014)

Maybe it's just been the luck of the draw but my WL dogs have consistently been better, calmer house dogs than my WGSL dogs, without fail. Even when the WLS aren't being worked.

I keep my dogs in the house now & we've gone exclusively WL.


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