Donkey

Anybody ever used the donkey method for halter breaking? How well did it work? Also, what other techniques work well for you breaking one with just your hands and muscles? I've heard of people that use horse treats for rewards. We're having a hard time with trying to house-break the german shepherd puppy that Santa brought for Christmas, so my confidence level for making animals do what I want them to do at this moment, is kinda low.

Thanks in advance.

As far as the donkey goes - just make sure it is not an overly mean donkey.  We got one to try quite a few years back and it attacked the cattle; breaking the jaw of a calf and "swallow tailing" the ear of a show heifer  . 

For the puppy, have you tried crate training?  It works!

Frostback is using the click method for her new puppy. She'll have to explain it. I think Woody trained us. He is such an Alpha male ( makes me laugh to think about Al Gore calling himself one) I'd hate to see him if not neutered. He went after the heeler yesterday, who outweighs him by 50 #'s. Hubby said Woody would just not back down & thinks the heeler got the worst of it.  : (dog)

Red

Lots of threads on this, consensus is that it works pretty well if you have the right donkey.

Don't use the donkey unless it is proven and you HAVE to use it. 

On the puppy, always go out the same door, and always go to the same place in the yard.  When it is first taken out of the crate, go out and after eating or drinking go out. 

use the word potty or any word you want to use for potty.  when they potty, say potty, good dog.  pavlov.  simple.

you can also do what mom (mom dog) does and instead of licking their belly or hiney, pet it.

use upward inflection when saying potty like a question, that way they can differentiate from other commands like

**%%$## why did you have to go *&%$#@#$$

As a general rule, donkeys work mvery well. I have sold many of them over the years for use in breaking cattle to lead. I always guarantee them to work. I have sold 1 or 2 mean ones over the years. Usually a jack runs a better chance of being too agressive, seldom if ever a gelded jack or a jennet. The really mean ones that I have heard of have turned out to be mules, and not donkeys. There is a big difference. They are the easiest and most stress free method that I know of. Try it, it works.

We have used a Donkey for years. He is worth his weight in GOLD!!! He will kick, and nip, but not bad. He just gets their attention, and lets them know who is boss. The calves are usually halter broke in no time. Much easier on our "old shoulders!!"

We have one and are lucky to have a guy in our area to raise em and make sure they are well with cattle. a few hints are get a padded halter. Also keep the donkey wtih cattle at all times. The first time we used a dokey it was our neighbors and it wasnt with cattle and it saw the heifer and our heifer saw it and they went compleatly opposite ways. its a charm. i dont think its the last resort but not nessecery the first either. if the calf is young tie it up loose. we ususlay do that anyhow just to get the calf use to the rope. But then we tie it to the dokey and let her go. The guy we bought her from said dont turn her loose but its the best way to do it as long as there isnt any places for the donkey and calf to tanlge up. Also dont turn them out on a hot day. We love ours. she also stands off coyotes. We had a heifer last year that almost killer her self when we tied her up so we put her right on the donkey and within a few hours she was totaly different and in a week she was a pooch. You might just see them stand around, dont worry shes workin. ours stands around all day but the job gets done. dont ask me but the donkey gets her point accross.

Also if the donkey is biting giver her oats to fill her belly. we dont feed ours(i know sounds mean but shes over weight and always has been and she finds food somewheres) but if shes bitting we give her oats(sounds stupid to give food to bad behavor) but then she seams to quite down. Donkeys are CHARMS

Shouldn't Zach be in on this???  (lol)

for breaking calves....1.  patience    and 2. we let them drag their ropes for a couple days before we even try to tie them or lead them...

I used a donkey numerous times when i was showing.  But we always tried breaking them ourselves for a couple weeks then if that didnt work hook them up to the donkey for 3-4 days then see how they are. I had one calf that had to be tied to the donkey 5 times before he ever got his mind straight. 

One caution i am going to throw out there though is if its hot and you have a calf that wont move at all and likes to try and lay down make sure your out there, we had a calf die because he layed down and the donkey continued to drag him around the arena, by the time we got there the calf couldnt hardly breath and ended up not making it.