Cowsavy Posted December 8, 2002 Report Share Posted December 8, 2002 Ok with the help of online translation I have gotten all the english comands translated over to german comands. Which I have no idea if I pronounce them correctly. So I thought I'd ask if anyone has any sujustions on this subject. I have two pups that I have took a liking to which means I am probally going to keep both. I would like to train them in different comands so I could move either dog when I wanted to. I know this is done alot. I just never knew zatly how they did it so if any of you have any sujustions I am ready to learn. Surly there is a better way than German. I guess I picked German because when I was training police dogs we trained them in German and hoped whoever they were after didn't speak German. Ok one of you come up with this simple easyspoken way that I can handle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Fosher Posted December 9, 2002 Report Share Posted December 9, 2002 I work two or three dogs pretty regularly, and I don't have them on different commands. I simply say the name of the dog before each command. This works fine as long as I want all the dogs to come onto the sheep. It's pretty interesting how it works. When you say "Bess, walk up," everybody walks up, and when you say "Tweed, lie down!" everybody (including Tweed) walks up. Seriously, it's hard to work more than one dog with the same level of precision that you might be able to get out of any one of the dogs in the group. They get competitive with one another and all want to be "first" or most in control or something. I'm told that whistles are a better way to handle multiple dogs because if you do it correctly, there will be whistles that are meaningless to dogs other than the one you're asking for. ------------------ Bill Fosher Surry, NH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diane allen Posted December 9, 2002 Report Share Posted December 9, 2002 As most of y'all know, I know nothing about herding....though Bill's idea of whistles makes sense. German seems like a difficult language to learn "from a book" - though I guess the dogs won't know if you're pronouncing things correctly, eh? (OK, there'd be that embarrassment factor when someone who did know, heard you....) Another option: find a language that someone around does speak, and use that for your commands. A high-school Spanish teacher, for instance, or someone else locally who'd be willing to "tutor" you for a few sessions. Just a thought! diane Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest PrairieFire Posted December 9, 2002 Report Share Posted December 9, 2002 Heck, if you're gonna use another language, do it in some language that's useful - like spanish, basque, or portugese - that's what most sheepherders in the world (including the states) are now, might as well be useful if you want to sell one of the biscuit-eaters...or rather "comedor de bisquito"... ------------------ Bill Gary Kensmuir, Working Stockdog Center River Falls, WI 715.426.9877 www.kensmuir.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L and M Ranch Posted December 9, 2002 Report Share Posted December 9, 2002 I work more than one dog on a regular basis but usually it's when I don't need quite as much precision so I tend to let them handle the situation and figure out their teamwork whenever possible. I also use their name before their command if using verbal commands. Like Bill said though, they tend to get pretty competitive and would rather just go ahead and take the other dogs command as well. On the whistles. Mine tend to work better together on whistles but even those they figure out. Or should I say they just "make it up" if their not sure what it was supposed to mean! "Oh, are you sure that wasn't my walk up, I could have sworn it was!" Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cowsavy Posted December 9, 2002 Author Report Share Posted December 9, 2002 Whistles, That was my number one plan. The problem is I can not master them. I have one with me all the time and I can do pretty good riding in the truck or her in the house but when I am working my dog I kinda get loose my expertese. I know to others this is a simple thing to me it is complicated for some reason, my pucker just don't pucker when I need it to and by the time I get it placed right in my mouth it is too late for the comand to be effective. I have been blowing on this dang little sucker for over 9 mo and still don't feel efficient enough to use it on my dogs I get confused and I know they would. I haven't given up and if any of you have any susjustions it would help on blowing the whisitle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kajarrel Posted December 10, 2002 Report Share Posted December 10, 2002 I absolutely loved Bill's description of working his two dogs - I also frequently use multiple dogs and haven't done a good job of getting them to repond seperately to commands. I have friend, however, whose dogs DO work on different commands when their names are given before the commands. The major problem I've experienced is that when I give a verbal correction, they also both take the correction (especially my more sensitive, better dog) - this has been more troublesome than any of the other issues I've had when working two/multiple dogs. So I'd recommend that you have some solid training on both dogs you plan to work together before you start working them in tandem. Kim ------------------ Black Dog Farm http://www.blackdogfarm.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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