Teaching Imaginary Boundries/Near Me

[Heather Rae]

I was wondering if it was possible and if it is possible any tips/articles you can point me at that have worked for you.

 

Can I teach a BC/any dog to remain within imaginary boundaries without electronic fences?

 

Can I teach a dog to stay/walk a certain distance from me, like ten feet, without a leash?

[Ninso]

I have personally had no luck with the latter (I haven't tried too hard), but I know other people on these boards have.

 

However, the former--boundary training--has been pretty easy in my experience, though I haven't worked with an entire yard. My dogs will stay in rooms or yards that are not completely closed off. The way I trained this was to put the dog in the room, give the boundary command (I use "stay here"), leave the room, and then just body block the dog anytime they try to cross the boundary. When the pause behind the boundary on their own, I will release with "ok" and praise. Gradually build up the time, distractions, and distance you are from the boundary. Some boundaries I want the dogs to respect automatically--like the backyard gate and the top of the basement stairs. I don't ever want the dogs to cross those boundaries unless they are told they can, and I don't want to have to give them a cue every time. We worked on this with body blocks but no boundary command. They caught on pretty quick and I can walk out of the yard and leave the gate open and expect they will not follow.

 

Good luck!

[Heather Rae]

I have personally had no luck with the latter (I haven't tried too hard), but I know other people on these boards have.

 

However, the former--boundary training--has been pretty easy in my experience, though I haven't worked with an entire yard. My dogs will stay in rooms or yards that are not completely closed off. The way I trained this was to put the dog in the room, give the boundary command (I use "stay here"), leave the room, and then just body block the dog anytime they try to cross the boundary. When the pause behind the boundary on their own, I will release with "ok" and praise. Gradually build up the time, distractions, and distance you are from the boundary. Some boundaries I want the dogs to respect automatically--like the backyard gate and the top of the basement stairs. I don't ever want the dogs to cross those boundaries unless they are told they can, and I don't want to have to give them a cue every time. We worked on this with body blocks but no boundary command. They caught on pretty quick and I can walk out of the yard and leave the gate open and expect they will not follow.

 

Good luck!

 

Thank you sounds pretty simple for around the house, but I don't think I would be able to do it with my property.Maybe I could do the equivalent with like a leash instead block.

[mbc1963]

This definitely is something they can learn! My dog will reliably stay in the back yard even when I leave the gate open so I can move garbage or gardening supplies or what-have-you. I never formally trained it, but he definitely stays there with a slight "stay" command from me. Mind you, I wouldn't leave him out there with the gate open if I weren't around - too risky, what with the chance a strange dog would entice him out, or a kid would enter his territory and risk getting scared or bitten.

 

My neighbors have a dog, Comet, who knows the boundaries of their yard and the yard of their loving next door neighbor. Comet will run to the sidewalk to greet me when I walk, but is pretty reliable about not leaving that area. Aparently, when he was a puppy, they walked him around the boundaries many, many times saying "yard," until he understood the boundaries.

 

Here's just one of many websites that describes the technique my neighbors used:

 

http://ezinearticles.com/?How-to-Boundary-Train-Your-Dog&id=2534063

 

Mary

[Dex BC]

I have been fairly successful in teaching my BC to respect the boundaries of our 1 acre property when we are outside at the same time. However; I would not trust him on his own and the one time I tried it he was half way across the field to the neighbors barn. I trained him through verbal commands whenever he started to stray past the property line (into the fields). Mainly calling him back or a verbal warning or whistle.

 

He now stays within the property most of the time without any warnings even if I'm not in his sightline.

 

I've also taught the road boundary and to ignore passing cars but I'm less confident with this and always call him back if he is getting closer to the road than I would like.

 

I never had this much success with my Retrievers.

[Heather Rae]

I have been fairly successful in teaching my BC to respect the boundaries of our 1 acre property when we are outside at the same time. However; I would not trust him on his own and the one time I tried it he was half way across the field to the neighbors barn. I trained him through verbal commands whenever he started to stray past the property line (into the fields). Mainly calling him back or a verbal warning or whistle.

 

He now stays within the property most of the time without any warnings even if I'm not in his sightline.

 

I've also taught the road boundary and to ignore passing cars but I'm less confident with this and always call him back if he is getting closer to the road than I would like.

 

I never had this much success with my Retrievers.

Have you put much time into teaching this?

[rushdoggie]

I have taught it and I use it, but I would never count on it to keep my dog safe. In other words, I never leave them out alone in an unfenced area. Its just not worth the risk.

[Heather Rae]

I have taught it and I use it, but I would never count on it to keep my dog safe. In other words, I never leave them out alone in an unfenced area. Its just not worth the risk.

 

 

Oh of course not, but I like to think of it as the back up, back up, back up plan, like if for some reason he wasn't in the house or for some reason the fence has a hole or for some reason the gate becomes un-padlocked and jiggles open and for some reason even though there is never not someone at home no one notices this, that maybe boundary training would help keep him in a safe area. My old mutt never needed training for this, she always stayed in her place unless leashed, of course we don't have 5 year olds running around unlocking and opening gates anymore but the training couldn't hurt could it?

[Dex BC]

Have you put much time into teaching this?

 

Yes, I started back in the summer and Dex seemed to have learned the limits pretty well by the fall. Prior to that I always took him out on a leash or long leader for fear of him bolting after a squirrel, chipmunk, car, etc. which was always my prior experience with my Goldens.

 

He will still chase things on the property but he always hesitates when he reaches the propertly line.

 

I would not count on it either to keep any dog safe for more than a few seconds and I don't allow him to be outside alone. Border Collies are very curious and without supervision for a period of time they will eventualy wander to investigate items of interest. Even when I'm out with him I always check on his whereabouts every few mintues to make sure he knows I'm still watching him.