controlling eye/off sheep, long

[Caroline]

I am posting this here because part of me thinks that training is different when instinct is strong/eye is controlling stuff.

 

Take Luke, he is loose-eyed on his sheep, gentle on stock, interested in his work. A bit hard to call off unless he is exhausted and even then he will pretend to head for the stock tank and then cut in for another speed run.

 

Off stock, he has a pretty good recall at the park and at home. Even off the neighbor's cat if I give a strong "HEY WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING" in a low tone.

He stayed at a friend's two nights that has guinea pigs, he needed quite a pull to keep from staring at them. This weekend he wouldn't quit staring at the bunnies at another friend's house. I had to haul him with his collar and tell him NO. I am thinking I am working up the ladder of correction perhaps (Bruce Fogt) and need to be stronger more quickly. Yes I could train with treats and distract and focus attention on me. What do people think? After training first 13 years ago with both corrections and then positive only, and now seeing so many dogs and am starting to think that corrections are warranted.

Thanks everyone,

Caroline

[Pipedream Farm]

We don't let ours lie and stare, they're given a that'll do and this is backed up with a correction if they don't comply. If they continue to insist on staring we put them up so they cannot. We don't want them to increase eye by staring.

 

Mark

[Shelby Kennels]

We give the that'll do and usually try to give another preferable form of entertainment - the distraction of something else usually stops having to give the second command or physical pull off. I have that issue here mostly with cats and chickens - neither of which I want herded! I remember Henry Kuydendall telling me once to not allow "the stare" - particularly with a puppy outside a livestock area.