Novel way of releasing pressure

[RoseAmy]

This young dog of mine has me going crazy..

 

She's very keen and has alot of stock sense however she is also one of those types that just scare sheep. Though no fault of her own I might add. She has never gripped taken cheap shots etc. Even when she stops sheep just run from her. An example I have a friend whose young dog is always taking cheap shots, diving at the sheep etc..sheep hang out with handler..same sheep.. my dog walks in the field sheep try to run.

 

She has developed alot of eye and tries to hold the sheep with her eyes..works well..so she doesn't want to release the pressure and flank cause she's afraid of them running. (There is a method to her madness lol). So we get clappy.

 

Well I've done all the usual things and it is like this dog goes into a trance. The other day I just gave up and said that'll do and she jumped up and flanked beautifully around. Too make a long story short I did some experimenting. If I say that'll do she releases the pressure and goes.

 

Now this is probably going to come back and bit me in the butt..but this morning when she clapped up I said that'll do-- way to me or come bye and she worked wonderfull.

 

When I want to finish I said all done and she called off the sheep and came to me.

 

Don't know how her brain got warpped with the that'll do thing. BUT it works so what do I do????

[sgkoether]

I'm new to this board but I have trained a couple of dogs so I'm not sure how good this advice is. But it seems to me you use it for a while until she is understanding her job and then start to phase it out. So when she gets "clappy" say "that'll do, go-bye or way-to-me" and use a hand signal. When she gets to the point where she is starting to do the command quickly and almost before you start the "that'll do" then start to either say that'll do quietly then pahse it out or just stop all together. Also do you have a "get out" or a way to get the dog off the sheep? You could try using that and the the "go-bye or way-to-me". If you don't it may be a handy tool to have.

[Nancy Bovee]

I would really like to hear more about this - maybe it's a good one to move to the 'expert' file as well. Neither of my dogs responds to a 'that'll do' the way I'd like to see it. My younger dog will stop and come to me, but usually with a "just a minute I have to look back and check because I'm not sure and maybe I should still be holding my ground" and it takes a bit of walking before I get the happy gallop of true release of work. My older really a handful dog (who also scares sheep, but now actually scares sheep, too). often hears the "that'll do" as Time for one last blast at that come-by laggert!, and then he happily calls off. This is the same dog who will readily call off if his outrun hasn't started right and he zooms back with a happy, "Want it different?" attitude. It tells a lot about their relating to me, but go ahead, I an take it...

 

Nancy

 

This young dog of mine has me going crazy..

 

She's very keen and has alot of stock sense however she is also one of those types that just scare sheep. Though no fault of her own I might add. She has never gripped taken cheap shots etc. Even when she stops sheep just run from her. An example I have a friend whose young dog is always taking cheap shots, diving at the sheep etc..sheep hang out with handler..same sheep.. my dog walks in the field sheep try to run.

 

She has developed alot of eye and tries to hold the sheep with her eyes..works well..so she doesn't want to release the pressure and flank cause she's afraid of them running. (There is a method to her madness lol). So we get clappy.

 

Well I've done all the usual things and it is like this dog goes into a trance. The other day I just gave up and said that'll do and she jumped up and flanked beautifully around. Too make a long story short I did some experimenting. If I say that'll do she releases the pressure and goes.

 

Now this is probably going to come back and bit me in the butt..but this morning when she clapped up I said that'll do-- way to me or come bye and she worked wonderfull.

 

When I want to finish I said all done and she called off the sheep and came to me.

 

Don't know how her brain got warpped with the that'll do thing. BUT it works so what do I do????

[RoseAmy]

Thanks for the replies.

 

Yes she does have a get back command and I really do feel that she understands what I'm asking. The problem is that she is so afraid the sheep will get away that she locked onto them with her eye and when it comes time to flank she doesn't want to release the pressure and flank.

 

I have done the get in her face and tell her get back, the stomping the ground, the calling her name which just results in her flanking over a few feet.

 

If I can keep her eye freed up she works beautifully.

 

Somehow or other she has come to terms in her mind that that'll do is a release and it frees her right up. Off sheep I use ok as a release word so I'm going to try that to get her to release the pressure..as in ok comebye. I let you know how it works.

[Lenajo]

Who else is handling these sheep besides you? If they are being chased about then their response to your dog is going to be skewed.

[MyTDogs]

I am new here & a novice for sure but I did watch Derek Scrimgeour's latest video (& listened to the audio version too). I am pretty certain he does exactly what you've described and uses "that'll do" to break the dog off the stock & then redirects. He doesn't explain exactly that you fade the "that'll do" over time but that is what I understood should happen.

 

I have used this technique very successfully with my dog while learning to drive- she wants to flank around to fetch and I have to stop her & give a "that'll do" to get her to break off contact long enough to flank back towards me.

 

Of course it did have the expected consequence of diluting the that'll do command. She would gallop back to me looking for any tiny signal that meant she should arc out into an inside flank. If I notice this during a session I will use "that'll do" and actually quit her several times to keep the command as clean as I can. I know some folks think it is cheating & unfair to the dog but it has really helped me get her flanking on the inside & I never get harsh when she mistakes which one I'm asking for just insist I get what I want.

 

HTH,

Cindy

 

 

Thanks for the replies.

 

Yes she does have a get back command and I really do feel that she understands what I'm asking. The problem is that she is so afraid the sheep will get away that she locked onto them with her eye and when it comes time to flank she doesn't want to release the pressure and flank.

 

I have done the get in her face and tell her get back, the stomping the ground, the calling her name which just results in her flanking over a few feet.

 

If I can keep her eye freed up she works beautifully.

 

Somehow or other she has come to terms in her mind that that'll do is a release and it frees her right up. Off sheep I use ok as a release word so I'm going to try that to get her to release the pressure..as in ok comebye. I let you know how it works.