That’s exactly how I plan to be too!! As well as tons of different toys, surfaces, textures, noises, places, other animals, experiences, etc. etc. I want them to experience as much as they possibly can so then when they encounter something new it’s not so scary. I love training and socializing and everything so always coming up with new exercises or games to try haha so yeah, I wouldn’t let mine get like that either.
That’s so unfair to the dog that the human won’t get on board.
seems the dog is way happier with structure too! Dogs thrive on that sort of thing. My dad is the same way though. He never allowed or dismissed aggression though in any of our dogs but he used to let Gator just do whatever he wanted. He was still stealing stuff even at 6 years old. Less when he was declining but still. He was almost 7 when we put him down. Still no rules.
every rule I tried to impose was “mean.” Even something as simple as making him lay outside the kitchen threshold when we ate. And no begging or feeding him at the table. He did that all the time!! And let him sleep in bed with him all the time until he got too old and sick to climb up. And he never would go get him from the yard when he wouldn’t come in. Just yell from the deck or whatever door he was at. Then when he didn’t want to, oh whatever let him stay out there. NO WONDER HE NEVER LISTENED TO HIM!! 
This also caused lots of problems and he thought he was the king for a while. Had some resource guarding issues when he hit adolescence. They (dad and brother) tried getting in his face and screaming at him. That just made him worse and more dangerous. I eventually had some success with my own training and trading him the item in question for something else along with some serious obedience training. It helped and eventually he grew out of the resource guarding. He did get worse before he got better though and he did still occasionally have problems with it even when he was older but he did get exponentially better and even got to where I didn’t have to trade for a lot things anymore. I still usually did because he was huge and I was honestly a bit scared of him sometimes but I also did all the training so he respected me for the most part. Eventually. I had to earn his respect and get over the fear enough that I could work on his issues.
But he was honestly a great dog despite his issues, very loving and sweet and a total cuddle bug. And protective ha
But I honestly think he had some anxiety which made him more protective than necessary.
And he also was too protective/attached to my dad and would “protect” him aka stand between them and growl when him and my mom would get in fights. And my dad encouraged this behavior and joke about it. Despite him being an extremely large dog and potentially dangerous.
Meanwhile, my older brother tried to be the “alpha” with him but was extremely inconsistent (one second something was okay, next was yelling) and was quite unfair BUT Gator loved and respected him. I actually think he was Gators favorite haha maybe because he always took him fun places. Beach, boat, humvee rides, etc. and he’s a strong leader.
Meanwhile I probably spoiled Gator in some ways while also simultaneously having him extremely well trained.
It took me a while to find what motivated him. Like a couple years probably. I always thought he was just stubborn but one day it just clicked. He just needed the right motivation. I was way more motivated by play haha but we did use good too. Had to find the right foods too. He had to know exactly what was in it for him. He was extremely smart but it had to be worth his time.
Once we got past that, I was able to teach him tons! We did all sorts of trick training, obedience training, impulse control, scent games, etc. etc. he loved it all once we really got in tune and figured out how to work for/with each other not against! He was amazing and so silly and sweet.
And he always listened to me when I called him. He didn’t at first but, in addition to finding the right motivation in trick/obedience training, I also had to show I meant what I said. Not in a mean way but for example, with the recall. He wouldn’t come so I just one day started reeling in his rope (our yard isn’t fenced so he had a few very long ropes in various parts of the yard). He honestly got dragged a teeny bit at first and growled/grumbled once but very quickly got up. And don’t worry, he wasn’t really “dragged” or tangled or hurt or anything, he just didn’t like being forced to do stuff. Grumbled about lots lol and I was going very slow and it was soft grass and he had a thick coat. I was just standing at a distance reeling the rope in like a fish haha so he had a choice. Get up or I’ll keep reeling.
at first I had to reel him in almost all the way cause even when he stood up he wouldn’t come but he very soon got the picture that I was serious and I meant it when I said come and from then on, he listened. I wouldn’t even have to pick up the rope anymore ha Now, I did also use treats a lot, and I believe in positive reinforcement for the most part, but he was the kind of dog where you needed to earn his respect for him to do anything. And if you didn’t have cookies, he wouldn’t listen. So I had to be creative and figure out how to earn his respect and get him to listen without cookies. It worked. And he still got cookies when he got up and listened haha but also consequences if he didn’t.
It didn’t hurt him at all, I was very careful of that, but just a bit of a shock to him ha
Also he had some issues with not getting off the bed when told. Would growl and if you went to grab his collar to make him he would freak. Never bit but grabbing a dogs neck/collar probably isn’t the smartest anyway. So I started working on that too. I taught him an “off” command. Starting with his own bed and food haha I would tell him “bed” and reward and then tell him “off” and reward when he got off. Pretty soon we practiced on the real bed. And in no time at all, I could walk in and say “Gator, off!” and he would do it. He also would hog the bed and not move over for my dad. He didn’t growl there or be aggressive at all, he was just a bed hog haha so I taught him an “over”/“move” command too haha the funny thing too was he knew he could get away with shit with my dad so he wouldn’t move when my dad asked him to or he wouldn’t come in when dad asked but when he saw me, the boss, he knew he better listen!!
so I could walk in and say Gator, MOVE! Or go out and say Gator, COME! and have a near instant response. Sometimes it took twice but he almost always listened. And btw those commands aren’t yelled or loud at all but capitalized to emphasize a firm tone. Not mean but I mean what I say.He also got plenty of love. Plenty of cookies. Plenty of toys and play time and fun adventures. But when I give you a command, I expect you to listen.
Now, he wasn’t perfect, he did not always listen to be and he still had a stubborn streak at times but he listened to me way more than anybody else.
Dogs thrive on rules and structure and consistency.
That’s actually part of why I don’t want to get my own dog while I am still living at home. I know my dad would screw that dog up. He totally ruined Gator. I loved him but he was a brat and my dad totally undid everything I tried to teach him which made training very challenging.
He also would steal pillows, stuffed animals, toilet paper, etc. that was not his but my dad would go oh he’s so cute, oh he loves it, just let him have it.
Except TP. He did take that away/get mad haha
