The adventures we never hear about...

[snowbunny]

Lovely video thanks Fiona. I clearly need to up the value of treats, as they just don't hold fascinations stronger that sniffing when K-dog's really in the zone. And I'm going to have to nail figure of 8 right at the beginning of walks because that's when we struggle the most. Plenty to work on!

It's more about reinforcement history than the value of the treats, although better treats do help at first. You're not trying to compete with the environment; you'll always lose if you do that.
Here, I'm using boring kibble - the Acana stuff I bought in Andorra, which is pretty much at the bottom of the pile when it comes to value. But we have a very solid history, built up from practicing a lot in easy environments, using the long line on Shadow when he had a blip, and most importantly, playing lots of games throughout our walks. Even just doing jumping hand targets every now and again is enough to keep them enthused about keeping close.

 

[snowbunny]

I should say, the woods to either side are full of wildlife, and Willow and Shadow are both VERY hunty dogs. It used to be just Shadow, but now Willow is so much more relaxed, her natural hunter is surfacing. This is the path we were on just a couple of days earlier when the boar came out of the woods and ran across in front of us. So this is a super challenging environment for them, albeit very familiar, so we've worked up to this level of engagement.

Start off with engagement games as soon as you get out of the car, and start as you mean to go on

I would also prefer to use a clicker, but I kept it as a verbal marker for this video, as I didn't want to over-face my friend.

 

[Shaz82]

Upping the reinforcement for checking in, means they check in more frequently. That means they naturally roam less far because they go, say, 5m, and then check in. They start automatically turning back when they hit that distance.

I've been doing this lately as Maisy tends to walk much quicker than me when off lead and gets further than I like, although she does keep stopping to check on me. So far it's working quite well.

 

[Boogie]

I agree with this but I'm interested in how much this can be trained and how much it the personality of the dog.

Ella doesn't leave my sight but I haven't trained this, she just automatically stops and looks for me and want's to know where I am. Of course I reward check-ins but I can't help but feel there's more to it than that.

My friend has an Aussie Shepherd that also frequently checks in (and is rewarded for doing so) but will happily dart off out of sight and reappear shortly afterwards.

I know you could prevent them going past an eyesight distance cut do you think you could train them to shorten their natural "exploration distance"?

I’ve trained it with Tatze and all my pups. The way I do it is hiding (from when they are very small) so that they are constantly checking where I am rather than me checking where they are. Along with this lots of rewards for checking in. Every time they voluntarily check in they get a reward and occasionally a jackpot. Now, at ten months I don’t treat every check in - but still lots of them.

Each one has had their own distance they keep, some shorter than others. Tatze’s distance is 5m or so. Spencer’s is a bit more. Mollie used to stick very close.

 

[M.F.]

Many, many years ago, when dogs roamed freely (about 50 years ago), my dad had a patient in his examination room. He asked what she did. School teacher. He asked if she knew his dog (boxer x English bulldog), cos the dog would follow the kids to school. Damn right she knew! She was the biology teacher and she let him know that on one occasion his dog ate all the biology specimens! And chewed the door knobs.

 

[Shaz82]

She was the biology teacher and she let him know that on one occasion his dog ate all the biology specimens! And chewed the door knobs.

 

[Emily]

I’ve trained it with Tatze and all my pups. The way I do it is hiding (from when they are very small) so that they are constantly checking where I am rather than me checking where they are. Along with this lots of rewards for checking in. Every time they voluntarily check in they get a reward and occasionally a jackpot. Now, at ten months I don’t treat every check in - but still lots of them.

Each one has had their own distance they keep, some shorter than others. Tatze’s distance is 5m or so. Spencer’s is a bit more. Mollie used to stick very close.

Well that's what I've always done with Ella but I'd always just assumed that she stayed close because "that's just what she does".

I'll take that accidental training success *pat on the back*

 

[Jen]

Stanley stays close because I have treats and he might get one

 

[Stacia]

Having had GSPs who are hunting dogs, I do not mind if Rourke goes away from me, he has been taught to keep his eye on me so if I suddenly change direction he will follow and then move forward or sideways to the distance I don't mind.

 

[Emily_Babbelhund]

@Rosie is Pongo doing OK after his mysterious adventure?

You're just going to have to go to an animal communicator to get to the bottom of it. Years ago a friend dragged me to a whole weekend seminar with a 'famous' US animal communicator. It was at a beach that is normally off limits to the public and involved dogs, so I was very willing. I took Duncan (Rottie) and Tavish (evil toy poodle). By the end of the weekend, the only things those two told anyone was that Duncan was very happy with me and Tavish didn't like having his fur brushed because it was boring. Heh, heh... already knew that but the beach and company were nice.

But who knows, maybe the Pongster would be more forthcoming!

 

[Rosie]

He's fine! It's really most odd, it looks like his paw has been shaved....the skin is unbroken, he seems completely unphased by it and fur is already starting to grow back. At the moment it looks a healthy pink and no heat in the area, so I think he's genuinely uninjured - just a mysterious shaved paw.
He's not telling me anything so I guess we'll never know....

 

[Shaz82]

[QUOTE="Rosie, post: 75299, member: 56"just a mysterious shaved paw.
He's not telling me anything so I guess we'll never know....[/QUOTE]

Could it have been caught on something sticky that pulled the fur off? Tree sap or something? Very odd.

 

[Stacia]

Or caught it under a fence?

 

[Rosie]

Yes, or maybe even a snare wire - but it is odd that there is no scratch or break in the skin, no apparent abrasion or bruising. I'm not complaining, you understand, it's just odd!

 

[Rosie]

The mysterious injury...

 

[Emily_Babbelhund]

That IS mysterious. Maybe the aliens have landed and wanted a bit of Pongo fur.

 

[snowbunny]

Ouchies! Is she sure it was Moss who squealed? I know Shadow can sound quite like Willow if I stand on his foot...

 

[HAH]

How very curious! It’s cropped so close... it couldn’t be a burn could it? Like from an electric fence?

 

[Rosie]

Maybe the aliens have landed and wanted a bit of Pongo fur

Hmmmm…..possible. But they could have taken twice as much just by brushing my carpet....

 

[Rosie]

Ouchies! Is she sure it was Moss who squealed? I know Shadow can sound quite like Willow if I stand on his foot...

Yes, I'm wondering that. Pongo has got a pretty high-pitched voice when he's excited. But what is really strange is that it really doesn't seem to hurt him at all...