shock collars

[waldman]

I have a 5 year old border that i want to train so i can take him off his leash. his lived with me for about 1 year. i live on about 2 acres and when I let him off his leash he just goes. he'll come back but i simply cannot seem to make him stop even with a treat in my hand.I had someone suggest a shock collar and a clicker. any thoughts out there?

[Rebecca, Irena Farm]

Start small. Don't bribe - put that treat away until he's earned it.

 

You can either use the I AM GOD method - use a long line to keep him from blowing you off and then reward him when he comes back.

 

Or you can shape a stop/return with the clicker. There are people more experienced with the clicker than me who can give you tips on this.

 

It's time for me to start working with my pup. She's seriously blowing me off now. Ducks, sheep, there's way too many distractions outside so we'll start inside first, then jack up the difficulty one piece at a time. Meanwhile she'll drag a lttle line so she doesn't learn she can blow me off.

 

It's not necessary to use a remote collar to train a Border Collie for normal stuff. At least I've never known one that needed one. Now, chasing cars is another matter . . .urk.

[waldman]

thanks. the shock collar thing sounded logical but on the other hand if my little guy is gonna go after somehting (like cars) i don't think God could stop him. i know someone with a border collie that tried invisible fence. that worked until the dog just calculated the pain. he'd just crank up haul ass toward whatever he was after. a quick jump, twitch and yip and he was gone. so you say long line and just work him with commands?

[Cheri McDonald]

I used the long line method with both of our rescues. Worked great but you have to start slow and build. Both now have a reliable heel, excellent recalls and know that when I say they can go play it is okay to leave my side. But both come running to me as soon as they are called. Briar was the worst when we first brought her home. It only took a few weeks of having a lead that she was dragging stepped on for her to wake up and realize what I wanted from her. The reward was the party I threw when they returned to me. Lot's of praise and clapping and fuss!

[Rebecca, Irena Farm]

Yes, he doesn't know yet you mean it when you say, whatever you use for a recall.

 

There are lots of things you can do to reinforce it. Play recall games - have someone hold him, go about ten feet away, and get his attention without the command. Dangle a favorite toy, say his name in a happy voice, just generally act like you are having a party there but he can't come. But you partner DOESN'T let go for a few seconds, then the second he lets go, you say the command - COME, good come, good come! Give him the toy or a treat.

 

Here's another one: I know there will be gasps of horror at this one, but I'm teaching my Open dog "attention" games. He just has never experienced anything like a nice partnership with a person so we're starting like he's a puppy.

 

One is, he's on a long line sort of wandering around and I say, "watch" and give the line a quick tug - I reward the slight pause that results. I don't want him to turn around because I don't want to encourage that on sheep. But it would be helpful if you held out for that.

 

I've seen an obedience instructor go for the whole enchilada using this method - she would say the dog's name and instantly give the line a hard tug, then reward if the dog turned around. Eventually, of course, the dog would turn as soon as it heard its name. I thought that just a tad extreme and not useful for me, but your dog is a pretty desensitized to your authority.

 

You can, of course, do the same thing with a clicker. Name, look, click/treat. You start with the dog at your knees and work very slowly until he's across the room, then start at your feet outside, then slowly work until he's across a fenced area, then out of a fence at your feet, and work until he's listening at a sufficient distance to meet your needs.

 

Finally, using the long line other than above. For emergency recalls, your dog will be on the long line at all times. Use your recall command and step on the line. Don't reel the dog in, just take up the slack every time the dog comes toward you (praise too) and don't let him make progress in any other direction.

 

You can make a cheap and less obvious long line by buying a snap bolt at the hardware store and a cotton clothesline, 25 to 50 feet. Don't do 100 feet, too unweildy.