Guest Bart Posted December 22, 2005 Report Share Posted December 22, 2005 what do you do when one of the dogs you are training sort of "explodes". My 1.5 year old BC at times when we are moving the sheep in a calm deliberate manner will just take off and head them. He gets this wild look in his eye and he will not listen. I don't like coming down on him or trying to command him since he won't listen anyway. Will he grow out of this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Amanda Posted December 23, 2005 Report Share Posted December 23, 2005 I'd out do the dog for wild look, and make him listen. No one (well I suppose there are exceptions) likes to come down on dogs. If he gets subversive about a job and you are confident he knows better, come down on him. He'll listen if you require him to do. Explode your self and be swift, not sort of. Amanda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bart Posted December 23, 2005 Report Share Posted December 23, 2005 tried that, will waiting till he matures help? It just occured to me that I have not told you I do not work them in the field i.e. on flanks etc, but rather I create a ranch job for them every day and it is always diffent. We move my sheep to diffent areas on my 50 acres of hills and each day there is something new - we drive we fetch we scoop them out of the brush. They are never bored that is for sure. With the amount of time they get on sheep I would think they would settle down. Bart the 2 year old we spoke about originally that needed to be kenneled is the only one that does not explode. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Amanda Posted December 23, 2005 Report Share Posted December 23, 2005 Maturing might help. But no one thing is more certain: allowing repeat behaviour, bad or good, amounts to training them to do it. So if you feel you dog really is too immature to not "explode" and be effectively reprimanded for doing so, maybe he is too young altogether to be on sheep. If you feel he is too young. Stop. If you are failing to correct bad behaviour in a dog ready for action ( a year and half is not so young), then re-examine your own training techniques and the demands you are making of your dog. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bart Posted December 23, 2005 Report Share Posted December 23, 2005 my take is that this is not bad behavior but some instinct he can't control kicking in. His eyes are glazed over and he just can't help himself and does not relax until he brings the sheep back to me. Is that possible? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Amanda Posted December 23, 2005 Report Share Posted December 23, 2005 Bart You are writing to the expert with a report of undesireable behaviour. Bad behaviour and instinct uncontrolled are the same thing. You say his eyes glaze over. Unglaze them. Make him help himself and therefore you. You are unrelaxed while he does it and then the dog gratifies himself by doing just as he pleases, bringing the sheep back to you. Worse than that, not stopping him just reinforces the second time around. If you don't like the behaviour, treat it as bad bahaviour. Amanda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bart Posted December 23, 2005 Report Share Posted December 23, 2005 Ok I can almost tell when he is going to do it. I will force him to unglaze - good idea. I was confused between instinct uncontrolled and bad behavior. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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