How do you define "success" with your dog?

I think you'll find that there are as many different answers to this question as there are people.

To ME sucess is having healthy, happy, well behaved dogs who I can take out in public and not have to apologize for their behavior.  Anything beyond that is "gravy" to me.  I'm completely not into showing, and although we have a partial agility course in the yard, that's for their fun and entertainment.  I can walk alone in the woods with all six of mine off lead, the two fosters on drag lines, and not have the first issue with recall or anything else.  I can have 8 dogs in the house and still be able to function in the kitchen.....our livingroom/kitchen is an open plan which I'm not thrilled with......or all of them can try to crowd into the office with me without any rudeness there.  Too crowded to move, but......

Tyler does therapy work, true.  The goal of that was to give him something to do that would boost his self esteem and let him feel really special.  It worked and he's wonderful at it.  But, Tyler wasn't accustomed to such things as wheelchairs and walkers, so I score that as a success simply because his trust in me allowed him to be around very frail elderly and let his instincts take over with them.  I guess I'd call Tyler my biggest sucess story because he was whelped in my home, spent two months in heaven knows what kind of circumstances and then got rejected and came back a fearful, shut down pup.  Now he does things like the MS Walk and therapy work with elders.  He could have stayed a nuerotic mess.

As far as sucess with fosters go, that varies from dog to dog, but I guess my main goal is to teach them some basic manners, some obedience, and get them ready to live successfully in a forever home.  I give them the basics so that their new family can take that where ever they want to go.

This should be a really fun topic!

Chuffy

Is "success" winning titles on a dog?  Is it working with difficult or damaged dogs?  Is it just raising a dog to pee outdoors, not pull on lead or jump on people and only chew his own stuff?  Or something else?  How do you define it?  Are you successful?  Why? 

What a cool thread topic.  I have not put titles on my dogs, since most of them were rescues of unknown parentage, but I think it's ok for someone to view that as success, so long as the dogs are not mistreated in the process, and enjoy "the game" as much as the humans do. I also think that it is presumptuous for anyone to assume that a dog that is not titled has not been trained to a level where they could compete successfully, since I am proud that my dogs certainly would have the ability to do that were they learning a directed retrieve instead of to sidestep a wheelchair.  It isn't really about who recognizes what you did, it's more about the fact that you did it.  Great therapy dogs are not a dime a dozen - they are intuitive, obedient, friendly, softly charismatic, stable and tolerant dogs.  But, they work under sometimes very stressful conditions (think hospice).   A great therapy dog has all the qualities that make some of the greatest obedience or working dogs, without the negatives.  When you see someone speak after being silent for a year, just because she laid a hand on your dog's head and remembered a dog of her youth, perhaps...well, there are no words to describe that rush. So, despite the fact that there is some stress involved at times, it's often very rewarding for both the dogs and the humans. So, yes, what Glenda said about having a dog that is not a nuisance in public and is reasonably well trained to the standard that pleases its owner resonates with me.  I also think success means that you have managed to communicate with your dog in a humane way in order to reach that goal.  Success means that my animals feel safe, secure, and valued for who and what they are.  It means that I am confident that I have given them the skills they need to live successfully among humans, who can be a very demanding lot, and that I have given them a lifetime home.

When it comes to my clients, sure, if, because of something I did, or something one of my dogs did, a dog will retain its home with a more knowledgeable and caring owner, or have a happy outcome in some other way, then I feel successful.  The more difficult the dog (or owner, which is the likelier scenario), the more rewarding is the fact that I might have been able to help turn things around for that animal. 

Success is an individual thing, and has many facets.  I feel that I am successful when I work in partnership with my dogs and they with me - no matter what we are doing.  It's not about me, it's about our loving and cooperative relationship as a family group. 

I define success in having a dog that is well-behaved and maybe, more accurately, able to handle different scenarios with a generalized sense of calm and security, even if that means training in each of those situations to achieve a generalization. Success is having the dog listen to me which, imo right now, implies some trust in me to lead to the good places.

The more successful I am at reading and motivating my dog, the more successful he is in getting along in the world. We succeed together. And just about all of it had nothing to do with changing him but changing me and my perception and response.

For me its simple.  Success is when my human family and my dogs can live in harmony.  All my life that always came without question until I ended up with a resource guarding dog and a three year old child and fear.  I was afraid for a long time that River was not going to fit that bill and now that he does, success is simple to me.  It wasn't simple getting there - but now that we are here I embrace what was really important to me all along. No high expectations for me.

spiritdogs

I also think success means that you have managed to communicate with your dog in a humane way in order to reach that goal.  Success means that my animals feel safe, secure, and valued for who and what they are.  It means that I am confident that I have given them the skills they need to live successfully among humans, who can be a very demanding lot, and that I have given them a lifetime home.

Ah, this made me smile.  THIS is what I consider to be a success.  

I stand by what I said on the other thread, that it's really isn't THAT hard to raise a well behaved puppy.  I know a lady who "house trains" her pups by the age old barbaric method of rubbing the dog's nose in his mess.  All she wants is for her dog to pee outside - she thinks she has been successful.  I would hardly call that a success though.  On the other end of the spectrum, I know some folks who are so "kind" to their dogs they let them do whatever they like... I don't call that a success either.  I am picky about this word "success".  You have worded it better than I ever could.

I don't really think in terms of success. My relationship with my animals is about providing for them and learning to live with them as they learn to live with me. That means I strive to make them as happy as I can, and that means I strive to understand them and be someone they can communicate their needs and desires to so that I can fulfill them. And that means making myself someone they can trust.

When it comes to influencing their behaviour, the more time I can spend with them the richer our relationships. As such, having an animal that is well-behaved in a range of situations enables me to spend more time with them, and then our trust flourishes, we have fun in each other's company, and we are both happier for it. So not only am I fulfilling my responsibility of care to them to the best of my ability by making them as happy as I can, but it fulfills my desire to interact with them as well.

I don't really have expectations for my animals. They're all different and I'm only interested in helping them be what they can be if it will make their lives happier and richer. I never get to a point where I say "That's it, they can be no happier, I have succeeded." I'm always looking for new things to do with them or to change about their lives for the better, and they just keep obliging me by finding new things they like doing, or ways to tell me they don't like something and need it changed.

So I don't ever really think that I've been successful with my dog or any other animal. I want them all to grow up to be balanced, confident individuals able to handle a large range of situations all on their own. Seeing them doing that certainly gives me a flush of pride, but there is no end point. I just keep finding new ways to stimulate them and refine their living conditions to meet their every whim. My great joy in living with animals is learning to understand what they want and seeing their enthusiasm when their communication is successful and I give them what they wanted. Nothing strengthens a bond quite like the magic of successful communication. And I guess that's the only use I have for the word. But successful communication is just one tiny aspect of what I aim to do with my animals. 

Chuffy

Is "success" winning titles on a dog?  Is it working with difficult or damaged dogs?  Is it just raising a dog to pee outdoors, not pull on lead or jump on people and only chew his own stuff?  Or something else?  How do you define it?  Are you successful?  Why? 

Selli and I compete in agility and obedience.  I am quite proud of her and I believe were are being successful in our pursuits (five titles in one year). 

But that is the gravy and not the basis of what I consider success for my dogs.  I think it has more to do with my relationships with the dogs (and I think most people who compete with their dogs feel the same way).  Do they trust me?  Are they happy to be with me?  Am I doing the best I can by them?  Do I think we communicate well with each other?  SInce my Dexy went to the Bridge, I judge my success with his successors by what he would think of my actions.

When I hear the word "success" I think in terms of performance.  Although, perhaps if I were dealing with a damaged animal, I would think differently about the word.  I am a title junkie.  But I don't think success equals titles, or even Q's.  Success, for me and my performance dogs, is them doing what I know they are capable of.  Last weekend my malinois had a GREAT agility run.  She didn't Q because she dropped a bar, but the run was very successful from my view point.  She had perfect contacts and was right where I thought she would be the entire run.  Nice turns, good weaves, etc, but she misjudged her take off on the triple and dropped a bar.  Oh well, that's not the norm for her, so it doesn't bother me one bit.  My brindlewonderkid also had some very successful runs, but on one of his successful runs he was over time.  Oh well, I wish he'd Q'd, but he's a good kid and had great focus.  I just love running with him especially when we're both on.   I love him showing people that Oh YES basenjis CAN. 

Success in its simplest form:

 "Am I better off than when I started?" I forget who said this, but it was a moment of epiphany for me.

If I can answer "Yes", I'm successful. If not, I did something wrong. "Better off" could be something as simple as learning sit to something as complex as curbing leash reactivity.
 

GoldenAC

I think it has more to do with my relationships with the dogs

That thudding noise you can hear is probably the proverbial nail which you are hitting on the head.... 

GoldenAC

Do they trust me?  Are they happy to be with me?  Am I doing the best I can by them?  Do I think we communicate well with each other?

Being able to say Yes to those questions is surely "success" in anyone's book

Success for my dogs and me are the same as some of the other posters.  My dogs are well-behaved.  I can take them where I would like to and not have to worry about how they are going to behave.  My dogs are healthy and happy.  They love to be with me and are not fearful.  I can tell that they think we are all a part of a family and they treat each other with respect and affection.  If one is left out, the others stand at the door until the last one is let in.  They all then do their playful nudge to let the last one know that they are glad they are in also.  If one of the other ones doesn't come in fast enough, Belle will start running by them and act as if she is herding them in.  So, all in all, our success is our happy life together--loving each other, respecting each other, and supporting each other.  When I teach them something new, that is just the cherry on the top.

I think it depends on the dog...  To me, having a dog who had no trust is people learn to trust a limited number of of people, including DH and I, to the point where he can live a full and happy life is tremendous success!  Just having achieved a mutual trust where he looks to us to meet his needs and trusts that we will and where we can interact with him in a loving and affectionate way without a constant wariness that he might have a negative reaction to something that we are doing is HUGE success...  If I had been blessed with a dog with no issues with aggression towards humans, I am sure that I would have "higher" standards - but from where I am standing, a harmonious home where the humans and dog(s) understand, love and respect eachother is good enough for me!

 success with Bugsy is having him healthy (severe allergies) and happy and well behaved.  He has always been super easy to train but very hyper and overwhelming due to his size so eating a meal with dinner guests and him lying under the table sleeping is success.

Just before I was sat downstairs with a fire on and he laid his head on my lap and was snoring.  This is a dog that doesn't cuddle and was not at all interested in human affection when we got him.  I felt really happy and I felt successful.  Dh said wow he really loves you (he still can't be like that with DH)

So knowing he's happy and comfortable, that he trusts me and having been able to sort out his food allergies is success to me. 

He trusts us we trust him and all are enjoying each other SUCCESS 

Chuffy

Is "success" winning titles on a dog?  Is it working with difficult or damaged dogs?  Is it just raising a dog to pee outdoors, not pull on lead or jump on people and only chew his own stuff?  Or something else?  How do you define it?  Are you successful?  Why? 

To me, success with Kenya is lifelong training and learning with each other, not just do learn commands, but because it's a way of bonding and figuring out how we communicate.  Titles are just the icing on the cake.  If Kenya's tail is not up high and wagging, I don't call it success and we try something else.  For example, today we worked on two new skills: a figure eight around my legs and running out to and around an object 20 feet away.  I thought the figure eight would be a really fun trick.  Well, Kenya was clearly bored, if not confused so I stopped.  However, she LOVED doing the distance work and would go out and "get around" the stool no matter how far away I put it.  I just read her body language while we are training.  Ears relaxed, tongue lolling, tail up and wagging, eyes open and making eye contact are all signs that she is having fun and engaged with what we are doing so we keep going.  Avoiding eye contact, tail hanging or tucked, ears flat mean she is confused, bored, checked out, or nervous about something.  When I get that feedback we move on to something else.