Training Dogs With Lights

[heroeswit]

Hey I have a question my new puppy is a very interesting dog. She has the voice and lungs of a banshee, she is a tester (who will give in first) and I have just discovered she has a high drive for red lights.

With red light she has understood sit and drop she wouldn't do this for me with treats. I haven't tried this during the day but I was wondering is it likely that you can train a dog with light?

[corrie]

I wouldn't.

I'm no expert but personally I would try to increase her drive for other things and use that.

As far as I know using those lights don't actually give drive satisfaction and it can create an obsession with light that can very difficult to break.

[Kavik]

Don't do it! Dogs can get obsessed with lights/shadow and this can create obsessive behaviours - staring at and chasing shadows etc, and as corrie said it can't create drive satisfaction. Better to build drive for more useful rewards such as tug or a ball - if she likes to chase the lights she may have decent prey drive to chase other toys.

[Nekhbet]

what about a tug toy or rag?

I would never use a light, its not a physical item that the dog can actually get satisfaction from. Some will end up chasing lights due to the fact they keep chasing chasing chasing and can't grab it to finish the prey cycle. Not a good idea.

[heroeswit]

Thanks for your replies she responds to any moving object which is good i just hadn't seen any dog react the way she did and i now believe it was my hands she reacting to.

[Weasels]

Sorry to hijack, but I have been wondering about drive satisfaction for my boy too. When we go out, I throw a ball for the Foxdog and Weez just chases her. He is very focussed about it and doesn't look at the ball at all, but I worry there is no 'seize' moment for him like there is for Fox when she gets the ball.

When I take him out alone he will sometimes chase a football but mostly 'herds' it and rarely grabs it with his mouth, just stares at it until I kick it again. Do people think this is something I should worry about or is the herding action enough to keep him happy?

Again sorry dwilds for going OT

[Mason_Gibbs]

Sorry to hijack, but I have been wondering about drive satisfaction for my boy too. When we go out, I throw a ball for the Foxdog and Weez just chases her. He is very focussed about it and doesn't look at the ball at all, but I worry there is no 'seize' moment for him like there is for Fox when she gets the ball.

When I take him out alone he will sometimes chase a football but mostly 'herds' it and rarely grabs it with his mouth, just stares at it until I kick it again. Do people think this is something I should worry about or is the herding action enough to keep him happy?

Again sorry dwilds for going OT

I noticed at the beach that he seems happier to stare at the ball than actually have the ball? Maybe it was just that day??

[Weasels]

Mason, no, that's how he is everyday :laugh: It could be that he is happy doing that since he's a good little herding dog, but I'm not sure if I should be encouraging him to play more 'traditional' dog games like fetch and tug. (he will play tug in the house, only sometimes out of the house)

[Mason_Gibbs]

Mason, no, that's how he is everyday :laugh: It could be that he is happy doing that since he's a good little herding dog, but I'm not sure if I should be encouraging him to play more 'traditional' dog games like fetch and tug. (he will play tug in the house, only sometimes out of the house)

Mason is not a tug fan, he will play it, but he prefers retrieving and food lol as a reward

[TigerJack]

Mason, no, that's how he is everyday :laugh: It could be that he is happy doing that since he's a good little herding dog, but I'm not sure if I should be encouraging him to play more 'traditional' dog games like fetch and tug. (he will play tug in the house, only sometimes out of the house)

both my kelpies do this. They line up behind the dog that is actively chasing the ball and then run out further to herd the perimeter when its tossed. They stay in formation and follow the ball dog back in. If the ball dog doesn't see where the ball gets tossed to, my girl will go out to it and drop next to it as if to say 'here it is, found it for you, come and do your bit now.'

When I am out with friends who also have kelpies it is similar, we have a whole lineup of herding dogs all focussed on the dog that's doing the retrieving. its hopeless if you haven't got a dog that will retrieve along with you.

Both my kelpies will tug at home but not much away from home.

[Kavik]

We should have a 'my Kelpie tugs at home but not away from home' party :laugh:

My previous dog used to shadow other dogs with balls. My current dogs don't.

[Weasels]

We should have a 'my Kelpie tugs at home but not away from home' party :laugh:

:laugh: Or a support group :p

TigerJack that's a good point, when we meet other kelpies they often fall into the same pattern, so it probably isn't too unusual. All of Weez's training rewards have been either food or sheep access so far. I've tried to use Fox as a reward but it can be a bit awkward, and she gets bored in a downstay if he's taking too long to do something.

[pie]

Don't use the laser, my brother's dog is now completely obsessed with anything shiny / flashing after they used the laser when she was little, unaware

MY brother's Kelpie X is ball obsessed and happy to have the ball, unless Kyzer is holding it! Then she is obsessed with him and does the staring / herding moves described above!

[Jumabaar]

We should have a 'my Kelpie tugs at home but not away from home' party :laugh:

:laugh: Or a support group :p

TigerJack that's a good point, when we meet other kelpies they often fall into the same pattern, so it probably isn't too unusual. All of Weez's training rewards have been either food or sheep access so far. I've tried to use Fox as a reward but it can be a bit awkward, and she gets bored in a downstay if he's taking too long to do something.

Abby (kelpie) will chase a ball, until there is someone ELSE chasing the ball, then she will happily herd them instead!! The younger dogs all just herd Abby with ball!!

Kavik- Abby will tug at home and under my gazebo but only with one particular toy (I did a 2hr round trip to IKEA to stock up on said toy).

Tug outside away from the gazebo?? Not on your life!

[Kavik]

What toy did you get from IKEA?

Kaos is really liking the udder toy though he doesn't get as good a grip on it as some others, he finds it really exciting though. At least he has stopped putting it down to chew on it :laugh:

[mirawee]

We should have a 'my Kelpie tugs at home but not away from home' party :laugh:

Banjo would like an invite please

[Kavik]

We should have a 'my Kelpie tugs at home but not away from home' party :laugh:

Banjo would like an invite please

At least this is making me feel better knowing I'm not the only one :laugh: the little buggers!

[LizT]

A friend of my daughters mum has a Cavalier that since it was a puppy has been completely "obsessed" with any form of refracted light. All things shiny compel her to bark and try to catch it. The vet told the owner he sees it as an OCD and that the dog and she (the owner) have a problem. Not sure of the outcome as this person has since moved from the area.

[gsdog2]

Don't use the laser, my brother's dog is now completely obsessed with anything shiny / flashing after they used the laser when she was little, unaware

MY brother's Kelpie X is ball obsessed and happy to have the ball, unless Kyzer is holding it! Then she is obsessed with him and does the staring / herding moves described above!

Sadly we used a laser light when our 6yr old GR was around 9 mths of age and I would now describe him as OCD. It took one night to change our boy into a dog that is obsessed with lights and reflections - very sad. My GSD has identified his behaviour and she tends to chase him when he starts, which has worked a treat as she takes his mind of the light/reflection :)

A friend of my daughters mum has a Cavalier that since it was a puppy has been completely "obsessed" with any form of refracted light. All things shiny compel her to bark and try to catch it. The vet told the owner he sees it as an OCD and that the dog and she (the owner) have a problem. Not sure of the outcome as this person has since moved from the area.

So the vet diagnosed the problem but then told the owner it was THEIR problem - without offering any advice?

[LizT]

Don't use the laser, my brother's dog is now completely obsessed with anything shiny / flashing after they used the laser when she was little, unaware

MY brother's Kelpie X is ball obsessed and happy to have the ball, unless Kyzer is holding it! Then she is obsessed with him and does the staring / herding moves described above!

Sadly we used a laser light when our 6yr old GR was around 9 mths of age and I would now describe him as OCD. It took one night to change our boy into a dog that is obsessed with lights and reflections - very sad. My GSD has identified his behaviour and she tends to chase him when he starts, which has worked a treat as she takes his mind of the light/reflection :)

A friend of my daughters mum has a Cavalier that since it was a puppy has been completely "obsessed" with any form of refracted light. All things shiny compel her to bark and try to catch it. The vet told the owner he sees it as an OCD and that the dog and she (the owner) have a problem. Not sure of the outcome as this person has since moved from the area.

So the vet diagnosed the problem but then told the owner it was THEIR problem - without offering any advice?

No, I'm not sure of the Vets recommendation as the woman moved from Melbourne to Gippsland, my daughters friend has not lived with her mother since about 10 years old and only stays during holidays, hence I don't know if she followed up on the dogs issues.