Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Pets

Join our community on the Pet forum to discuss anything related to pets.

Flip

Original poster

Help with doggie please

13 replies

LuckySalem · 08/12/2009 21:12

Hi all,

After some advice for my puppy please. She's a 6 month old collieXspringer (possibly X whippet)

I've been taking her to training classes and she's nipping at any dogs that go past her. Training lady says this will be due to the herding collie in her and that she needs a dog to tell her off so that she learns. I was happy with this as I assumed that it was the stress of the place. However, we went on a walk and while on the lead she barked and jerked towards this golden retriever that happened to go past her.

Yesterday she was off lead and didn't come back when a dog appeared and went over to the dog (yorkie) and played with it but that same day while on the lead barked and jerked at another dog (collie)

Can you help please?

I'd like to work on her recall more and not let her off the lead at all till this is sorted but she's so high energy that she needs to be able to RUN for 1/2 hr. And believe me she doesn't stop for that whole 1/2 hr.
I've tried a long line but she treats it like a normal lead and runs to the end and just pulls like a train (same as she does on her short lead)

OP posts:

minimu · 09/12/2009 12:35

Herding and nipping are working instincts in collies.

Your collie needs to be encouraged to work and be kept busy and then you will have less of these instances.

Your dog must find you the most irresitable person/object there is. Usually with a collie this is easy to achieve. Does she like toys? I would play with her frequently with either a ball or a tuggy. Tuggies are great as all the interaction comes from you so helps to increase the bond with you.

As she is a puppy her exercise is obviously restricted but she must have brain work to do. I would work on the watch me command- when she looks at you click and treat
the touch command you hold our your hand and click when she puts her nose on it.
Obviously sit, wait, down. With a collie she should pick up right and left easily too.

Teach her a go to bed so when yo say bed she goes and lies sown in her bed.

When you are out with other dogs about she should be concentracting on you. If she goes to lunge you need to be able to notice the early signs for this immediately ask her to watch you and reward her. In the training classes I would be encouraging you all the way through the lesson to have her attention on you. So the watch command and treat her when other dogs are working and especially when they are walking past you.

Think about enrolling her for an agility or flyball class when she is older so that her brain is constantly being worked.

To work on her recall have her on a lead say the recall command (Not just her name) and when she turns to you take a step backwards and treat. With a collie she will pick things up very quickly.

If you also teach a distance down so if she does go off with another dog yelling down often works if the recall has failed.

I am afraid soon a half hour free run will only be a warm up for her!

Let me know if this helps if not there is always a plan B, and C and D if required usually we can stop at B!

Original poster

LuckySalem · 09/12/2009 20:24

WOW Mini!! That is ace!! Thanks so very much!!

We are going to be doing agility with her when she gets older and when I'm not pregnant!! but I've been told in order for her to do this she needs to have the basic commands down to a tee before most agility classes will take her on.

She is so quick at learning but there is a selective deafness about her. She comes within seconds when there is nothing more interesting.

She likes her tug toy but isn't interested in it once we're in class she's too busy trying to play/nip the other dogs.
Watch me is something our trainer was starting on last week and is our homework for this week so she is getting better at it but again once there is something else i've lost her.

I've tried with strangers and other dogs asking her to sit down and play with me but she just howls and barks and pulls and allsorts. I personally think most of this is down to her needing to expend her energy more but I don't have this luxury with her not listening to me. If you know what I mean - we're kinda in a damned if you do at the mo.

Thanks for all this though - I will try to get her to concentrate on me more during our walks. Maybe asking her to recall when there is nothing at all to distract may help too as I tend to only do this once or twice while on our walk cos it takes so long for her to actualy listen I feel dumb standing in the field saying come over and over with a dog shooting past me! lol

OP posts:

Original poster

LuckySalem · 09/12/2009 21:08

Anyone else with some good ideas?

OP posts:

Romanarama · 09/12/2009 21:37

Are you using the clicker? I'm no expert, but I bought one 2 days ago, and have already taught my 8 wk old retriever to sit, lie down, roll over, stand up, jump, and stay on command. Not completely reliably yet of course 2 days in(!), but still I'm astonished at how responsive he is.

(All thanks to the Minimu genius, btw )

Romanarama · 09/12/2009 21:39

Oh, and spin around, which the kids think is cool!

minimu · 10/12/2009 08:53

Romanarama what a star! Now I have a class that needs teaching on a Thursday afternoon beginners clicker training are you up for it?

Romanarama · 10/12/2009 09:02

Only if it's in Belgium!

If I can manage to teach him not to bite feet I'll be truly happy. I was inspired by this video

(Can't work out how to do the high 5 though!)

Original poster

LuckySalem · 10/12/2009 19:25

I've never used a clicker, will look into it though. I must admit I thought they were abit silly but maybe they're worth it.

OP posts:

minimu · 10/12/2009 19:32

Clickers are fab and directly caused my change of career from maths teacher to dog behaviourist!

They have a lot to answer for .

As soon as I got a dog to skip over a skipping rope I was hooked. Also all you Gpig owners they can also be clicker trained.
Although rats are easier!! We should start a lets get clicking in 2010 campaign.

Original poster

LuckySalem · 10/12/2009 19:34

Tizzy is actually getting worse at the moment. We went for a walk today and she didn't listen to me once so I think I'm gonna have to keep her on the lead from now on.

Does anyone have any tireing things I can do while she's on the lead?

OP posts:

Romanarama · 10/12/2009 22:25

(I sussed the high 5. And have got him to leave salami on the floor when I say 'leave it'). [proud].

Thanks for the tip, Minimu.

minimu · 11/12/2009 18:02

Luckysalem expect things to get a bit worse wround the 6-9 months mark. Puppies begin to get mire confident and turn into delightful teenagers. At this point you must be more consistent than ever and not let get away with things or you can have a problem for much longer. So they will need gentle reminders of what is expected of them. Put him bacl on the lead and recall on the lead until it is reinforced again

Original poster

LuckySalem · 12/12/2009 15:42

Thanks mimi - She is just hitting the 6 month mark now. Due for her spaying next month when I have the money.

She is pushing the boundaries ALOT more but we went to puppy class last night and she learnt within 5 mins the "settle" command when the trainer did it. I came home and she ignored me so it must be me and I'll have to practise it more.

OP posts:

Flip