The meaning of "That'll do"

[Guest pax]

My question:

 

What does it mean? (I know "that will do" as in "that will suffice".)

 

But is it/should it be; "You are done" with no connotation other than that?

 

Do you/should you/what do you think about using it with different tones to indicate your appreciation (for better or worse) of the job done?

 

 

 

 

 

 

My experience:

 

 

I have a hard time repressing the urge to squeal "That'll do" in tones that convey "I am amazed at how wonderful you are" and that functionally serve Starr as warning I might forget myself and attempt to slobber on her. I am trying to keep it level and even, but still positive. On the other hand, I don't want to overuse "that'll do" in a negative way with Nash (née Notch) the puppy, if it's completely inappropriate and what I should be using is a completely different thing, like "No" or a noise like "Ugh".

 

 

My feeling is it's ok to use it sparingly with inflection, and it's better to use another word or sound for a negative. Am I on the right page?

[Rebecca, Irena Farm]

I use it for a recall. Without here to mean "quit" but not necessarily come all the way back or with "here" to mean come all the way back. With a leg pat to mean come all the way back to my leg.

 

Recently I've added an additional useful command, "Let's go," meaning, "We're done here, don't even think about going back."

 

Judging from my dogs' attitudes while working, they can tell without any code words or purposeful inflections whether I'm satisfied, grumpy, irritated, or deliriously happy with what we've been doing that day. At little too much, actually. Cord especially doesn't seem to have any happy medium between hangdog and cloud nine - it's a little unnerving sometimes!

[Joe Anne]

I agree with Rebecca. I use a moderate tone of that'll do, for either "stop what you are doing now, (sweet, good doggy boy of mine.. my editoral, LOL ) and head back in my direction", and either end it with a "here, and a pat on the leg", or:

sometimes I say that'll do, let him start toward me and say... "hold on" or "lie down", to have him stop or slow down where he is or change direction etc., as he is coming back toward me. If I want him to, "go in" (the house, the crate, the car, etc), I say, "that'll do.... go in and point to where I want him "in".

If I want to stop something he is doing right now and he chooses not to listen to my moderate tone of voice "that'll do",I give a serious loud aaaaargh!!!!!!, what are you doing???????? which usually gets his attention, and he seems to know that he had better pay attention NOW! I try not to overuse that'll do, sometimes just "Phoenix!, here", works just fine. It has been working really good lately, even with the distraction of 2 charging, maniac barking Beagles, which he really wanted to go after. I was totally amazed.... this happend yesterday and today,,, and he stopped right in his tracks!!!!!! something new and wonderful, I just wanted to share!!!!

I am soooooo proud of my Phoenix, he has come a very long waaaaay in his behavior, and most of the change has come since we started our herding training!

[stockdogranch]

I use it as "stop whatever you're doing and wait for the next command." So "that'll do, come," means stop working or playing and come to me. In the house when they get to playing a bit too enthusiastically, a fairly stern, "that'll do!" just means to settle it down a bit,

Anna

[Bo Peep]

I use mine as a mono tone type of like I put you on a lie down and now you can get up, but you don't have to come to me, thing. Or yea, you can get off your bed now. When I worked sheep I would give my leg a pat and say that'll do and it meant hearding was over. No yippee get excited no growl - just talking.

[juliepoudrier]

In the case of the dog who doesn't want to quit and call off, I will add a bit more emphasis to the "that'll do." Sometimes Twist will only call off if I go to "That.Will.Do!" (usually she'll turn back toward me on the "That" 'cuz she knows she's tried my patience at that point). But I'd rather have that problem than the opposite....Like Anna and others, I use it to also mean stop what you're doing, even outside of the context of working stock. At any rate I don't make a conscious effort to keep it monotone--I just say it in whatever tone of voice suits the occasion.

 

J.

[bcnewe2]

I started using it as a crutch when I was trying to get Mick comfortable on his inside flanks when he was way out on a drive. If I couldn't get him to break his eye I'd say "that'll do" he'd turn to come back to me and I'd send him on his flank.

I used it so much that it backfired on us. We had a horrible time getting back to that'll do meaning we're finished, he'd start antisapitating the flank, stop mid recall and not get back to me waiting for the other command.

 

I quit using it as a crutch and it took about a month or more to get back to what I really meant by that'll do. I'd have to turn and walk away to convince him we were reallly done. It wasn't pretty. We're much better now.

 

To us it means stop what your doing and at least check in to see what I might want.

Kristen

[MickeyDogs]

I, too, use that'll do to mean quit what you're doing (barking 'cause someone's at the door, harassing the cat, or driving the flock into the pen). I follow it up with the next thing I want the dog to do - "that'll do, here" for the dog to quit what it's doing and come to me; "that'll do, come on" - quit what you're doing and come along with me, etc. This seems to work great with my border collies but Oscar, the springer, just doesn't speak that kind of language. For him instead of that'll do, it's a quiet "no". Ya think after all these years living with border collies he get it by now??