Smokjbc Posted January 30, 2008 Report Share Posted January 30, 2008 Hi, In the topic regarding length of an outruns, you mention that you have limited space to practice outruns in and that you may have to ask a dog to go further at a trial than they normally do at home. I currently have a unfenced 350 yard max area to practice outruns on- which I couldn't utilize fully until my SO also became a good training partner (his first dog). The area we have is quite hilly and there are lots of good spots to hide sheep in or arrange it so the dog will be out of site for part of their outrun. One of my dogs, who is a good outrunner at home and will make the most of those 350 yards, could use some help in situations where she is in a new place or going further than she is used to. I liked the suggestions you had for teaching redirects in the other thread and wonder if you have any other good exercises to help a dog listen to you on the field when they've lost their way. Thanks for your help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lambert Posted January 31, 2008 Report Share Posted January 31, 2008 Teaching the dog to listen is the primary goal of all my training. I want the dog to look to me for guidance whenever he is lost and unsure; on his outrun; at the pen; on the drive. He should always allow my judgement to over rule his if I say so. This is the philosophical justification when I say that listening on the outrun is reinforced with having the dog listen on the outrun, but it is taught from the first time you and the dog go on the field. So my dog that stops when I tell him to (and I mean when I tell him to if I give him the command to stop (different from asking him to stop)) and flanks as I wish him to will listen to me on the outrun once he understand that I want him to. We don't usually ask dogs to listen on the outrun, we just let them go and hope for the best. If the best isn't developing we start whistling and yelling. Adding a confusion of commands to an already confused situation. Since the dogs don't usually make mistakes at home on their outruns we don't realize we have no outrun control until we get to a new place when all of the controls are somewhat less then they are at home and the whole issue gets a bit clouded for us and the dog. So once my dog is running out well I will start having him stop on the outrun. Once he is stopping well I will cross him over to the other side of the field and send him on. Once he does that well I will cross him back and forth (since I only have about 200 yards to work with the most crosses I can usually get is three). Once all of that is pretty good and he is accustomed to turning back for shed sheep I will begin working on setting him up for one group of sheep he can see and re-directing him to a different group of hidden sheep. All of these exercises help the dog to listen on the outrun and they also help him to believe me when I tell him I know something he doesn't. Beverly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smokjbc Posted February 2, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 2, 2008 Hi, Thanks alot- I tend to be the "hope for the best" kind of person, so very good tips and a new way (for me) of looking at outrunning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.