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Wed 3 Jan, 2007 10:29 pm
I have two dogs, and they both pass me on the right. If the right is blocked, they stay behind me, no matter how clear it is on the left. I wonder if all dogs are this way, or if it depends on some sort of conditioning, however unpremeditated? If dogs, why not cats and other animals?
I'll cheerfully say I've never noticed this.
Don't know about the passing thing, but I have a dog that can't go backwards. If she can't do a full turn she will just stand there, it's a real problem when she gets herself stuck in a corner. It's what happens after years of breeding a dog to pull a sled or cart.
Another question is do dogs in England cross on the other side just as English drivers do when the driving?
I discovered this quite by accident. Early in the morning, when I walk the long hall toward my bedroom, the big dog likes to run ahead of me. She makes too much noise, as my wife is often asleep at this time. I began cutting her off (the dog) to keep her from running. I soon discovered that she will never pass on the left, no matter what. Then, I noticed that the small dog will always come around on my right when I'm feeding her. If I inadvertently block the right side, she waits on me to move out of her way.
are we talking left right disability? my ex had that....
Are you left handed and swatted the him with a newspaper when he was a puppy? This would create a fear of your dominant left side. Just a theory.
Butrflynet wrote:Another question is do dogs in England cross on the other side just as English drivers do when the driving?
Actually, I would suspect that Edgar's dogs are indeed a British breed, as this is the way we'd naturally overtake on our roads.
We'd never pass a slow moving vehicle (sorry, Edgar) on the left.
In actual fact, that's one of the reasons we banned American Pitbulls, as they were always overtaking on the left, causing all sorts of mayhem on our rural footpaths.
You probably walked them both as puppies with the leash in your right hand and tugged them back to the right when they crossed your path. A daily walk around the perimeter of your property with a dog will teach it not to leave the yard, with the same simple tugging. My dog always knew that I belonged between him and the street, and never required a leash. I think they instinctually try to please you once you teach them something... whether it's on purpose or not.
OCCOM BILL wrote:You probably walked them both as puppies with the leash in your right hand and tugged them back to the right when they crossed your path. A daily walk around the perimeter of your property with a dog will teach it not to leave the yard, with the same simple tugging. My dog always knew that I belonged between him and the street, and never required a leash. I think they instinctually try to please you once you teach them something... whether it's on purpose or not.
Nice theory. However, neither dog knows a leash. The yard is big enough for them without taking walks.
NickFun wrote:Are you left handed and swatted the him with a newspaper when he was a puppy? This would create a fear of your dominant left side. Just a theory.
I'm right handed. All that gets dispensed to the mutts, good and bad, flows from the right hand.
I accidentally stumbled on the answer. Our hall is about 15 ft. long. For that entire distance, the dog will only pass me on the right. The other day, I turned around, about midway and sought to herd the dog back, to keep her from going in and waking my wife. She hugged the wall and only reluctantly turned around. Turns out, she only wants to be close to the one wall. It may be a habit she picked up while a pup. She early on developed a habit of walking so that her side rubs against the same wall.
How about eye sight Edgar? Do you know for sure both eyes work?
Trained dogs are taught to heel on the right. Herding dogs seem to naturally / instinctively do this. It may be bred into them.
What breed are they?
The most important command I had to train my dogs to do was to go out either clockwise or counterclockwise with respect to me. We use the dogs to gather sheep and sort them or pen them. Ithink O'Bills ideas about eyesight may be more to the point. Grab yer doggie and put your finger close to each eye quickly. They should blink. If they dont blink in one eye, then they may have some sight issues.
Nothing wrong with the dog's eyes. I performed the blink test. Also, a few minutes ago, I threw a treat behind her to distract her from the little dog, so I could give her one, too. She made a backward leap and caught it right after it passed over her head. If anything, she may see too good.
Are you sure, Squinney? I thought heel was at the left, and had a shepherd trained to do this without fail. Also, to sit when I stopped, which is neither here nor there. Anyway, I know they can be trained to the left, because I did it.
I questioned that too, Roger, and looked it up. First site I looked at said it should be the opposite of your own dominant hand, as you hold your rifle with that hand...
Next bunch I checked said left, and some sites had instructions for switching back and forth, one saying something like Heel LEFT, and then, Heel Other Side.. or something like that, with a behind your back leash change by you-the-human.
We were taught left side, and so that is what I endeavored to hold Pacco to, at least when I still tried the heeling bit. (think, heel the tank...)
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