Training Not To Chase Other Animals

[01kismet]

Hi,

Our puppy is growing well and gaining confidence, she is now chasing the chooks and ducks and of course if she does it the big dog joins in. I can stop Kenny by yelling his name (usually takes 3 times) but she just keeps going.

I'm not sure if I should be using an aversion, just taking her out on the leash or trying to reward (although she doesn't stop)?

Help and suggestions would be great.

[Erny]

I'm not sure if I should be using an aversion, just taking her out on the leash or trying to reward (although she doesn't stop)?

How old is your pup?

[WildatHeart]

An e-collar can be very successful in training dogs to not chase stock. But they cannot be used on very young dogs. So depending on how old your dog is you may need to look at another way...

[01kismet]

She's still young 12wks on Saturday, that's why I'm thinking get in early. The old boys nearly 9 yrs but he only does it if the pup does so if I stop her it'll all be good.

I'm thinking maybe a tin with a chain/marbles in to throw and distract her when she does it?

She's a German Shepherd.

Edited April 23, 2009 by 01kismet

[sandgrubber]

Have a read of the crittering article on Lou Castles e-collar website (google will find it for you). 12 weeks is probably too young . . . lots of other things to train at that age.

[corvus]

With a dog that young I reckon your aim should be to make the birdies boring rather than aversive. Pups can be super sensitive to aversives. A loud noise during toilet training once made my puppy refuse to come into the kitchen for an entire evening.

When my pup was discovering rabbits, I was helped greatly by one of them fiercely ignoring the pup no matter what he did to her. He learnt he couldn't get her to do anything fun so he gave up. The hare was a bigger problem because he's so flighty he is easy to incite to run and very exciting to try to chase. Kivi is getting very good, now. A few things helped. Training in front of the hare's cage so Kivi was focused on me rather than the hare even though he could still smell the hare. Doing some more focus exercises with the other rabbit out of her cage. And not allowing him to chase the hare. If he looks like he's interested in the hare he gets a verbal correction "ah-ah!" and I come down and shoo him away. To begin with he would try to come back, so I would stand there and block him and send him away again. Next dog I get will do most of its early training on a leash in the hare's enclosure so it can learn that hares are boring.

[Lablover]

I can stop Kenny by yelling his name (usually takes 3 times) but she just keeps going.

What happens when Kenny ignores your first cue/command?

[01kismet]

Kenny if doing something I don't like will have his name yelled at him if he comes he gets pats etc, when he ignores me (usually in favor of annoying a cat or chasing the chooks with the pup) will do a quick glance and keep going, 2nd yell will usually stop look at me look back at ? and go back to ?, by third yell my tone of voice is cross and I do the click fingers and point at him then down to me and he comes. He then gets a pat and good boy.

[Kavik]

By repeating commands and then rewarding like that you are teaching him he does not have to come on the first command