Studebaker Posted January 27, 2007 Share Posted January 27, 2007 We have a 6 month old Koolie pup. Beautiful boy but I am sure he suffers from ADHD! Anyway, we have tried teaching him to come once he is off the lead - sometimes he will but most of the time he gets distracted and chases birds (and I mean chases - straight down a 50 acre paddock, head in the air) He doesn't seem to hear commands when he is in "run & chase" mode. If I am near the car I can honk the horn to get his attention but it doesn't guarantee he will come back. We have tried whistles and even a long rope - when on the long rope he does whatever we want him to. I know he is a working dog and chasing is his life - we live on 500 acres but he is also a jumper and escape artist and I am concerned that he will be injured one day. He has already got in with the cows a couple of times and run himself almost until he was sick (lucky he was not kicked).....he just rounds them up and tries to move them towards gateways. We have considered getting a training collar for him but I am concerned because he does swim in the dam when he is out with us and it may get wet. (Obviously he would only wear it at certain times). We do have a 4 month old female who does whatever she is told...always heels when we walk and doesn't chase anything (which could mean that she will be hopeless with stock ) Does anyone have any ideas or recommendations for brands of collars? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sayreovi Posted January 27, 2007 Share Posted January 27, 2007 (edited) Someone more experienced will help you better but my suggestion is too not let your dog off lead at all in an open area if you know he wont come back. When you are yelling come come come all the time and he doesnt, all you are teaching him is too ignore you. He is at that age where he will wonder and start pushing his boundaries, i dont think your younger pup is at that stage yet. I personally would take it back to the start, put your pup on lead in your back yard and call him too you act really excited, make coming too you the best thing in the world!! Repeat this for awhile until you dont need to give a little tug too remind him and can do it in all places of the yard and house. Once he is doing it constantly, go back to the start and try this time off lead once again in your back yard, act nuts and everything give treats and lots of pats. Do the same as you would on lead. I realise you have tried the long rope, but does he actually know what come means to start with? Like i said others would be able to help you more with this. ETA: Something i was told as i have problems with recalls with one of mine is too never issue a command when you think your dog may not respond. So dont yell out come if you arent sure he will. I myself still do this as bad habits die hard, but it is a real good piece of advice. Edited January 27, 2007 by tollersowned Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nekhbet Posted January 27, 2007 Share Posted January 27, 2007 do you want them to be stock herders? in that case ask for a herding officionado on here hehhe really I would keep him on something like a horse lunge lead. Long and he still gets a run around. Unfortunately continuously letting him getting away with ignoring you will make training recall harder. E collar for a dog this young is a bit much, its like taking a child to the circus and asking it do their maths homework I would fence off an electric fenced yard for him when he is not around you so he cant into trouble with the cattle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted January 27, 2007 Share Posted January 27, 2007 (edited) Which is why a lot of koolies are not suited as 'pet' dogs. Our workers are all of a similar temperament...will run and run and run. However they DO come when called . All I can add is to try the triangle of temptation... Do NOT let him off lead anywhere that you cannot have full control.EVER! and make it so that he gets a lot of mental stimulation from excercises, games and training WITH YOU doing the directing, and him on a long lead. Get him to look to you for his next instruction.....whether it be permission to eat, go through the gate, get in the car, or whatever.....YOU are his "all powerful" , his giver of permission, and his reward bestower In my experience....youngsters go off and do the chasing stock thing...you call, and call...Oh! Yep they come back...BUT have had the immense reward of a minute , or 10 of the chase...... so they have had what they wanted. We try to ONLY give them that reward when they chase/herd/work WITH OUR PERMISSION. Our youngsters are not let off a long rope anywhere near animals once they are a few months old, and can run faster than us ;)They are also seeing the chooks, horse etc regularly, so they learn that they are 'off-limits' !! They are let off when in a work situation, and praised to the heavens for doing the 'natural' thing, then !Eventually they realise when work is ,and when NOT to 'work'. Mind you....if he is SO keen.. ( and he sounds really full of promise as a worker!)and won't settle for a more sedate life..he may be much happier as a full-time worker somewhere.....just keep that in the back of your mind.... Best of luck to you BOTH Edited January 27, 2007 by persephone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Studebaker Posted January 27, 2007 Author Share Posted January 27, 2007 He is a really promising worker Persephone! (I think he may be a little too hard, though) I will try the horses lunge line on him again. I was worried about him not getting enough exercise and getting bored on the chain too much. He is not interested in toys very much (never has been) so distracting him can be a little difficult. Trust me - when he was younger we did consider giving him to a home where he would be constantly worked (rather than the twice or 3 times a week we can give him) - but unfortunatly we fell in love with him My OH has had Koolies all his life but has never come across one that is so 'dedicated' to the job. He is learning to heel when off the lead - it is getting his initial attention which is the problem. I think we tried a lot of things when he was younger and haven't tried them again now that he has settled down a little. We did try the foot in the collar trick but he runs as fast with it in as with it free! I might just go back to the drawing board and try from the beginning again now that he is a little older. Starting with the lunge line and moving on from there. (His pet sheep are arriving in a couple of weeks - what dog do you know who gets his own sheep to practice on? And no bad comments - we are going to sheep dog training school as well) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Studebaker Posted January 27, 2007 Author Share Posted January 27, 2007 I forgot to say that this boy has been one of those dogs that is mature beyond his years. I sometimes forget that he is only 6 months old......and still very much a baby. As this is his only problem I suppose i shouldn't worry too much! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
macnme Posted January 27, 2007 Share Posted January 27, 2007 ADHD is a real human condition. As far as I'm aware, canines do not suffer it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Netti Posted January 27, 2007 Share Posted January 27, 2007 My brother in law came a few weekends ago with his 6mth old coolie X smithfield who was having the same problem as you in that his pup would get distracted with what he is doing and not return on the come command. I suggested that he use food rewards when the pup did return, it worked a treat. By the end of the weekend pup was returning every time he was called. Cheers Netti Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doghouse Posted January 27, 2007 Share Posted January 27, 2007 (edited) We teach the pups in the shearing shed/any shed would do the basic commands before we let them out with the other dogs (for cattle training) on the other properties. From the shed we move to the home yard, then to the machine yard, driveway and then to the paddocks. If they dont get the idea with 500kg of hormonal cow with calf at foot, then they soon do (not even I hang around, the quad bike should be fortified !!). Liver treats work a treat so so strange commands that no one else understand apart from you and your dog... Lola (kelpie x) has just turned 6 months and has gone from a very well controlled dog into your typical 13 year old daughter,, what >??? Now ?? why??? Dad doesnt make me??? Go f*** yourself mum.. just when I thought I had it all sorted... Edited January 27, 2007 by Doghouse Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Studebaker Posted January 27, 2007 Author Share Posted January 27, 2007 I shouldn't laugh! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helen Posted January 29, 2007 Share Posted January 29, 2007 Give him time, he will get there eventually, I'm sure. have a look at the puppy training pages here, loads of great information - http://www.k9events.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
12345 Posted January 31, 2007 Share Posted January 31, 2007 All I can say is get down low - give high pitched calls - have a reward for the pup when he comes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Studebaker Posted February 4, 2007 Author Share Posted February 4, 2007 Well here is a very unlikely update..... After I wrote the above we got a foster dog. Beautifully behaved Staffy x. Banjo and he hit it off and are great friends BUT the staffy is dominant. They play but the Staffy does lie across his back after a while. He comes when called and pays attention to the human at all times. Since getting him Banjo has been attention seeking - placing the focus on me (or whoever else is around). One whistle will bring him running. The foster dog goes to his forever home later this week so the problems may reappear but I am hoping to consolidate what he has learnt in the meantime. I never thought of putting him with a mature, well behaved dog. i was always afraid that he would give the other dog bad ideas. I might have to look into getting an older, farmwise, obedient rescue dog to help out..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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