Older Dogs Needing Training

[lopolla]

my mum and dad have two 5 (or 6) year old lab x b.collie dogs. they live on a corner block (acre) and the dogs run up and down the fence anytime people walk past, large cars or motorbikes or trucks go by - barking while they are running also.

if the gate is open the female has also started going out the gate a bit when the posty comes or people walk past (barking). they are not aggressive dogs in anyway, but mum is not sure how to get this under control! they are brother and sister and if one starts the other follows.

help!

[OSoSwift]

First, keep the gate shut, If they are starting to run out they will get hit by a car if nothing else.

They are essentially herding things along the fence. When you have a dog wiith working instinct this can be very difficult to stop. Can you restrict their access to the front of the property? If you can then I would take them out only under supervision so you can train them to stop and they are not self reinforcing when you are not out with them.

[kat99]

hi , my belgian boy did this as he cant see out the fence ,

what we did that minumised the barking is when he ran up and down the fence barking we would get a plastic container and put a chocker chain it and though it down , if he automatically stoped i would thougha peice of cheese or something he liked down and praised him, when he stoped at that i would repaet though the container on the ground and say no/stop if he stoped i praised him with food again, he doesnt really do it anymore ocassionally he will esp when im out and hubby is just home but all we have to say i stop and he does. goodluck

Edited August 22, 2010 by kat99