Training 'That'll do'

[hoku's mum]

As a splinter off the puppy thread, any tips for a dummy on training 'that'll do'? I think we will start some hobby herding lessons, and would like to get as much foundation stuff started as we can. We have a great 'leave it' when in the house with treats and toys, but it all goes out the window when we are outside and a kitty, or good poop, or (fill in the blank) comes our way. I'm working Hoku on a long line when walking off leash on our neighbours ranch to be able to enforce my 'here'. Hardly have to use it anymore (except when 100 cows come up over the rise unexpectedly.... thank you, long line!!!!) Should I use the line with 'that'll do'? Any thought on how you have trained it would be greatly appreciated. Also, any thoughts on using it out of herding context, such as working the cat...

 

Kristin, Hoku and Gussy

[juliepoudrier]

You can certainly use "that'll do" out of context (off stock). I use it to mean stop whatever you're doing. If I tack "here" on the end, it means stop what you're doing and come here. The distinction is that sometimes I want the dog to stop doing something but the dog is already near/by me, so I don't need to call it over.

 

As for training it, I don't have a method per se. I think the youngsters pick it up from the older dogs. I do the basic recall training ("here, here") on pups, but when we go for a walk as a pack and I call "that'll do, here" everyone comes running. I honestly think that at first they're just following the pack, but that eventually they get the meaning (especially since they already know what "here" means). Sorry, but I guess I'm pretty lackadaisical in my training of "that'll do"--it just seems to come....

 

As for behaviors like bothering the cat, I might say "that'll do" to the dog to get it to stop, but I'm more likely to use whatever my normal correction word is (ahht! or ah, aht!) since I really want to convey that I don't like the behavior and not that I just want the dog to stop what it's doing. A fine distinction, perhaps, but the correction really does convey "I don't like what you're doing. Stop it."

 

J.

[hoku's mum]

Thanks for the thoughts, Julie. The difference in the correction and 'that'll do' make sense to me. Now I just need a trained pack to pass so wisdom on to Hoku

 

Kristin, Hoku and Gussy

[Alicia]

I use "That'll do" and havent started herding yet. Dally's still learning but is picking it up quick

 

Here's the way I use it...

First I say "Go On" with my right hand raised and that means to go away from me. So Dally goes away

 

Once she's away from me as far as I want I say "Down" and she downs (about 90% of the time lol)

I then say "wait" if she moves I say "Ack!" and she downs and stays.

 

I then call her with "Here" after a few steps I say "Down" and she downs.

I repeat this until she's within a few feet from me then I say "That'll do. Here." and she releases her Down and comes to me.

 

 

With this she's figured out that when we're working our commands like this if I say just here that she has to come towards me but I may ask for something else, usually a down-stay and sometimes a down followed by 'go on' and we continue this mixing it up and if I say That'll do, Here at any time she will come directly to me without stopping.

 

 

Now, I'm not sure if this is right..?...because I've never herded before, but it seems to work so far She also knows That'll do as a stop what you are doing. For instance, she hears something, starts barking or growling and I say "That'll do", about 80% of the time she stops barking/growling.

[Alicia]

Oh and as far as herding the cats. I, like Julie, use "Ack" Dally is allowed to play with the cats because she's very gentle with them and loves them so. But, if I hear any sort of complaint from the cats such as a growl or any such sound, I say "Dally, Ack!" and she stops and comes immediately knowing that she went too far. So far this has worked for her

 

I also use Ack for anytime she alters from the command I gave her. For instance I say "Dally, Heel." and she starts wandering or stops and gets behind I say "Ack! Heel!" and she comes back to my heel again.

Same goes for stay/wait, leave it, stop that, etc. I say Ack if she alters from any command. "Ack! [repeat command]!"

[Carson & Donna]

I have dogs who get so excited when you say those magical words " do you want to go out?" that they rush the door in an attempt to beat the other one out the door....so I started to ask for a lie down and a "wait"..( so I wouldn't get trampled in the stampede!)....that was until I recently got Jade *smiles*. Jade, being a wonderfully finished working dog, heard the "lie down" ( which she did ) and then the "waaaaaaait"...so being the good girl that she is...she took a right flank around the kitchen back to the door!

 

I choose my words a bit more carefully now!

 

with kind regards

Donna

[hoku's mum]

What a good girl, Jade! If I could only be so well trained....

[woliver]

Kristin:: Do you know what Thatt'll do (That will do)means. In britan and in many of the US dogs it means "lets go home, the work is over." Whith come, come here, etc means to come to the handler but without telling you dog what is next.

ust a thought on the old ways of the scottish.

[hoku's mum]

Wayne - Thanks for that. I love hearing of the old ways of, well, of most old ways!

[Rebecca, Irena Farm]

I use that'l do to mean, come all the way to me. "Name" means look at me or start coming to me, depending on insistant I am. "Here" for my older dogs actually means get in tighter on the sheep. "Let's go" means we're done, let's stop working now.

 

I had a dog here a few weeks agop trained by Karen and used "let's go" to quit. Oops. "Let's go" for her means get 'em moving. She expects that if she leaves the dogs leave with her automatically, but if that doesn't happen, "Knock it off!" means "The rest of us are leaving now if you'd care to join us . . ."

[Mona Howard]

I also use "that'll do" to mean: stop whatever you are doing and come to me immediately. One thing someone told me once and I think it's excellent advice is to never try to teach a recall to your dog unless you are certain you can make him obey. Someone once asked a man why he did not recall his young dog when it was doing something wrong at a distance but waited until he had run out closer to the dog and he replied: I was not sure that I could stop him but more importantly I did not want him knowing that I could not stop him.

[Lenajo]

That'll do traditionally means "the work is done". I don't use it for anything else, don't pre-teach it, and after a few wet saddle blankets the dog is glad to hear it and head for the water tank.

 

"No" is more appropriate for the cat antics.

"Here" is my recall - That'll do will also bring the dog in to me, but he knows there is no more work coming.

 

"Cut" or "Here" will indicate a shed

 

I'm bad to say the dogs name too much. My instructor is old school and humorless on this...after about 50 or so "name" here, "name" go by, "name" that'll do's from me one day he tapped me on the shoulder and said "is there anybody else out here besides us?"

 

I said "well, er...no".

 

He smiled then and said

"Then I figure your dog knows you mean him with the commands"

 

I hate when he does that ROFL

[Dixie_Girl]

LOL MY trainer is the same! And I too say Jacksons name constantly! But I'm getting better.....sorta

[painted_ponies]

Lenajo - I once had a friend who refused to name his cat for that reason. He said since it was just the two of them at home, she'd know who he was talking to.

 

I've taught Violet "that'll do" although we haven't started on sheep yet. I use it as julie said, to mean "what you were doing was just fine, but it's time to leave off doing it for now." I tack "here" on the end if I want her to come to me. But if it's something I'm never gonna want her to do I use "anngh." Violet figured out the difference amazingly quickly.