Puppy training: so stupid it might be smart?!

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common sense

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Aug 1, 2007
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I have a 9 month old puppy that goes EVERYWHERE with me.  He is very well mannered but when I am out in the tractor feeding cows he likes to get behind them and heel them.  I am far enough away that I can't yell at him to stop.  I had a friend suggest a training collar/shock collar but I just don't like them. They are also very expensive.  I came up with another idea.  I bought two walkie talkies for $35.00. They have a 12 mile range, which is plenty since I can't even see that far anyway.  They also have a CALL option which makes a loud obnoxious noise to alert the person with the other walkie talkie.  I also bought a pouch to for one of the walkie talkies and then velcroed it on my dog's collar. I was out in the tractor the first day and noticed that the dog was heading down our lane past his "boundary" lines.  I pushed the call button and then told him no and I thought he was going to jump out of his hide.  He high-tailed it back to the house and didn't move.  Later he came out in the field with me and started after one of the cows.  I hollered "NO" into my walkie talkie and he ran back to the barn and didn't move off the bedding pile until I was done.  He kept looking around like God was talking to him or something.  It was hilarious.

O.K., so here's another stupid idea...I am sometimes alone and don't have anyone to watch gates for me.  I have almost perfected the tractor vault...that's when you can get the tractor in park and vault to the ground and back to the gatehole before the critters escape.  Well, if I leave one of my walkie talkies near/in the gate hole I can scare the beejeebers out of any critter thinking about escaping.  I am probably lining myself up for America's Funniest Home Videos but Macgyver would be proud of me! ;D
 

red

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Jan 20, 2007
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LaRue, Ohio
WOW! I would love to see the look on Darby's face when he heard your voice! That has got to be one the smartest ideas I've heard! did Sally tell you that before she left?
I used a shocker collar on Poolie & he'd get under my legs when he had it on so that you couldn't even walk. It got trashed!

Red  (dog) (dog)
 

kanshow

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May 24, 2007
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Kansas
Good Idea!!!    I think you've found the inexpensive solution to the remote trainers the hunting dog people use!   Most of those have a sound option.   And they cost way more than $35!

Gates...  Since it sounds like you have a good smart dog, train him to stand in the gate for you.   
 

Cowboy

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Apr 13, 2007
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McCook Ne.
If this was any one else I would have to laugh, but this sounds like good ole "Common Sense", hey wait -- isn't that what you go by??? Holy crap -- that actually made sense -- wait -- yes -- it does!!!

Don't worry --I used to raise and train Border Collies, if there is one thing more powerfull than sound to one of those I don't know what it would be. Those dogs would do amazing things for the sound of a barely audible whistle -- your's would be no different in that regard -- it all comes from Respect -- and that starts on day 1 at 8 weeks of age!

Good job -- and some would say you had no common sense at all -- ooooooops -- another parameter -- jeez this typing thing is hard to do!

hehehe

Ah well, I know what you're going thru -- sohave fun with it. The really neat thing here would be to get the dog to do things on voice command, not just run off. Of you can teach him to DROP on command, he'll do it by that command either close by or not -- might be a really cool gadget you just came up with!

Just having fun at your expense -- AGAIN -- hehehe -- side affect of the Sally ordeal --we won't got here !!

Terry
 

common sense

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Aug 1, 2007
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Cowboy, it would be hilarious to have him answer to voice commands from the middle of the pasture when nobody is even around.  My daughter is teaching the dog hand commands so that he will respond when we don't want any "noise".  It sure makes a difference working with a smart dog. 

KANSHOW:  I am working with him on watching gates but he still hasn't found the confidence to stop the indignant cow that insists that she should be on the opposite side of the fence.  Hopefully he will find some bravery with age.  Baby steps I suppose.  He prefers to be on their heels and making them walk rather than stop them at the front. It doesn't help that he has me for his teacher either.  I need to go hang out with a cow-dog trainer and get some pointers.  Any advice Cowboy?!

 

Bawndoh

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Dec 17, 2007
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The Walkie Talkie idea is freakin Awesome.  Man it would be hilarious to see the look on ur pups face when he first heard "God".  Good dogs have intriguing personalities!
 

Cowboy

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Apr 13, 2007
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McCook Ne.
First off, please no one think that I have lost my mind (Little as it is)  for typing on here at 1:40 in the morning. I have one of those very VERY touchy Simmi fullbloods here, and she was supered and in heat this morning. She takes her own sweet time to get done with being in heat -- so -- she TOLD me she needed bred about 1:30 --so I did!!! So goes the biz! Hey, I don't care -- she will average about 20 a flush for the guy on a small dose -- so I breed her when she needs it! Nuf said !

On to the dog deal Common Sense -- gotta love it.

Here is how I started my pups. First off, and I assume you have had this pup out for a while already, I never took a pup any where close to the cattle until they did TWO things very well. One was the word DROP, or DOWN -- it had to be automatic when I said the word DROP --he would hit the ground. THEN, the simple word STAY -- when he would drop and stay where I told him, and have me walk off and not move till I said OK, he was ready to go with me to the cows.

The first few days - weeks -- he was always kept tied to a string on my belt, about 10 feet long or so. Nothing at all heavy, just a light string -- baling string is good. If he got to wanting to run off without me asking, all I had to do was say DROP and tug the string at the same time. It dosen't take but a very few tugs and firm DROP's to make him think he is tied to you forever -- and he had better listen or he gets tuged on again. Dogs are SMART -- sometimes too smart at first.

The Border Collies will all have the herd instinct, and that is to be behind them or around them. It is hardest to make the dog look at the cattle from the front for that reason. By having the very firm DROP and STAY commands down pat --you will have the upperhand. What is the coolest thing you will ever see is when all of a sudden, you can start to insert hand commands as well as low whistles at the same time you say the words -- ie- DROP and the downward sounding whistle. After just a few practice sessions, you won't even need the words -- just down whistle -- they will be running flat out and when you say or whistle DOWN, he will slide on his belly like he was shot.THAT is cool!

I used several different commands depending on how much force I wanted. One was EASY -- for a slow creapy crawler type of action. If I was in need of force and speed, I used a firm voice and said PUT HER ON loudly!The fur would fly then believe you me. It would bring tears to a grown man's eyes to watch a really well trained and tuned up dog work -- they are so special. The best dog I ever owned was stolen by -I am sure - one of my so called good customers. I still to this day have not found one to replace him, and it has been 16 years! They are hard to find -- a good one any way!

TIP CS -- NEVER and I mean NEVER, change your commands after you start the dog. If you were to say CRAP (Sorry all) to the dog on day one for the command to lay down, I hate to tell you -- THAT is what he will start to respnd to --and NOT drop!!! hehehe

It would be pretty funny to come to visit up there and have you out there working your dog saying CRAP as loud as you could -- people would not only THINK you were nuts--they'd probably KNOW it!! hehehehehehe

Remember -- if I didn't like ya -- you wouldn't be getting picked on at 2 in the morning! hehehehe

Will wish you the best of luck -- just be consistent -- he will respond!

Terry
 

red

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Jan 20, 2007
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7,850
Location
LaRue, Ohio
OK, for all you brainy puppy trainers. Help me w/ THIS!!!!!  (dog) ??? :eek: :mad:

 

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