training directional signal

[KF]

Hi,

We have a 10 month old BC/lab cross. She is wonderful! We have done basic obedience and she has started going on horse back rides with me (40 min. We go on our dirt road where the traffic is all neighbors and then part of the ride is on logging trails. She does very well and actually comes to my horses side when I call her and will sit if I ask while I'm up on my horse. She also waits for us and doesn't ever go beyond my site.

 

Ok the problem, cars. What I would like is for her to move to the side of the road and continue moving when a car goes by (they usually slow down to less than 10mph)

 

If left on her own she pays no attention to the car and wanders in front of it thus the car stops and I have to call her out of the way (good grieve) So then I started calling her to me and we would stop and I would ask for sit stay. This would work but if the car slowed down and stopped I would loose the stay and she wanders in front of the car, another "good Grieve" Also, when riding it is best to keep the horse moving when traffic goes by.

 

By the way, I ride with a fanny pack of treats for rewards. The biggest problem I quess is not being able to reinforce the command while on horseback as a lease would total freak out my horse.

 

Also, Kira, will start agilty training with my 13 y/o son this month, would this be a place for us to get over lap with the riding?

Kim

[Windam]

There is an article in Horse or Your Horse magazine this month that deals with horses and dogs. (The magazine is British though so it is hard to find except certain stores.) What it says though is to make sure your horse and dog know all the proper commands that you may use while on the trail. (This means that your horse has ponied before and is okay with a rope on it/around it.) Then make sure dog will listen while horse is around and vice versa. Then lead them both at the same time. Then ride horse & have someone lead dog adjacently. Then lead dog from horse. Then ride horse and let dog run free. It is a pretty good article.

[KF]

Thanks, I thought I probablly would need someone on the ground to help, but cars are few so i thought perhaps setting something up with my husband driving by us. She is a very quick learner and i don't think I will need to use a lead while riding but the association of the car while someone else is leading her and I'm riding might be enough.I also know that her stay needs to be better and I need to practice it in other places than our yard (which she does great with.). I also really wanted to know how to teach direction (left, right).

I was using a target while she was on the lead but I think Left and right are confusing and someone said to use clockwise and counter clockwise as then it doesn't get confusing if they are headed toward you or away from you. any suggestions?

[diane allen]

Warning: I know NOTHING about dogs and horses! But in agility, folks use a lot of different commands as directionals. I'm too dyslexic (not really, but in the rush of competition - yes!) to use "left" and "right." What some folks use, with success, is "out" which means "go away from me," and "here" (or whatever special word you'd want to save for this particular occasion - close, come in, near, etc.) to mean "come towards me." With these, it doesn't matter which way the dog is facing - it's in relation to YOU (and presumably your horse!).

 

Maybe that'll help?

 

diane

[Bubby]

When mine were pups I taught them to sit on the side of the street when a car was approaching. After the car passed, they'd pop up and go right back to trotting along with us. It made our walks around the neighborhood a lot less stressful. The neighbors all said it was one of the most interesting things they ever saw.

[Guest rtphokie]

I think a "heel" command, albeit not a formal one, would be a good command for you to use. When a car comes, call your dog and tell her to "heel" or whatever (I use "with me") beside you for that short stretch, then release her ("OK") after the car has passed. you can use a touch stick or something similar to teach it w/o needing a leash. Might be a good one to teach on the ground first, then apply it when on horseback. I use this method when running my dogs loose through the woods when a biker or strange dog is approaching...works well.

 

Good luck and Happy trails!

 

Laura

Raleigh, NC

[KF]

Thank you!

I do ask for a sit when a car would come when we walk with a leash on the road, but we haven't had the need to take her on walks so that isn't a solid thing, yet. ( we have 53 arces for her to run and play with us on)I was trying this on horseback but calling her to me got her into the road and then she would sit with her butt in the road facing us! I then tried "here" and pointed besided us to get her to walk beside us but once again I needed to get her to the inside (right side)but i like the idea of using my target for her to touch and keep her mind on while the car goes by-I use the target with training for my horse, too, this might get confusing. I already have to give them both a reward when I say "good girl".

 

I was thinking the only way to make this really work so that I don't have to be training her in a dangerous situation, would be to start taking her on walks with the leash on the road and pactice "over" meaning keep walking but on the side of the road and a "here" kind of heel command. learning one command well and then the other after. Of course the need for the association with a car would be useful,too.

 

I've had to stop letting her come on rides because there are some big construction trucks going up and down our road and i don't want to take a chance of her getting hit.

 

This has really helped me process the problem and slow down a few steps to get my end results-thanks! Kim

[Britta]

The other way of going about it would be to use your 53 acres to train dog & horse together - practise the dog walking on which ever side you request, sits, downs, stays etc (i've even had some fun sending the dog over some low jumps while i'm on horse back) - Simply lots of practise at controlling your dog from horse back while in a safe environment (i just use the menage).

Then work on the car thing seperately on foot before you venture out on any roads.

A command i found very useful for one of my dogs who likes to be miles ahead of me when we are out walking is 'back' (or whatever you want to use) which means the dog has to stay behind me or to the inside of the road until i give a release command.

Britta

[Crofter]

Ah, Diane, this left right thing gets me so confused. I taught my pup go left, go right. Then my kids said I had got this wrong - they were correct - or were they ? Then I got confused. At training I am always the one trotting off in the wrong direction on my own !

 

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All Creatures Great and Small.

[ccnnc]

Hello all,

 

Just wandering around and found this thread. In stock work and trialing, we use the "that'll do" command -- primary meaning is "OK, we're done, come here."

 

The great thing about this command is it is absolutely unlike anything else. For instance, in teaching inside flanks -- when the dog is on the left side of the flock and you want him to flank to the right -- away from the pressure -- a lot of us have to cheat a bit an give the dog a "here" followed by the flank. After a while the dog gets comfortable on inside flanking and you don't need the "here" but it's always there if you sense the dog might not be willing this time.

 

And, as Hoggett said, "that'll do, Colin"

 

Colin Campbell

aka RTPDawg

 

[This message has been edited by ccnnc (edited 10-20-2002).]

[KF]

Hi all,

 

I've been working on the ground with her using the leash,my clicker and rewards. She is getting "over" to mean the side of the road, but unfortunately we don't have enough cars for her to start to getting the association and when a car does come she is very distracted by it. she knows "walk on" to mean continue to move forward. So I'm really expecting some complicated steps as she must get over then walk on and keep over.

 

She is still young (only 9 months-10 months. Am i expecting too much? Does anyone have a recomendation for a good training book-I think sheep herding must have some basics that would be helpful for us. She is doing very well. I just don't want to blow it by getting to confusing for her (I know I confuse myself sometimes!)

 

Thanks Kim