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Standing up like a meerkat


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I know, I gotta get pictures of this. :rolleyes:

 

Faith, who will turn two this fall, has never adopted the BC crouch - I've never seen her do it even once. Several months ago, though, she began standing on her back legs like a meerkat when something catches her attention. She can balance herself like that very well, and will stand motionless for quite some time if you let her, staring just like a border collie. :D She's been doing it more and more often, until finally today it clicked for me - she stands up and stares in exactly the same situations as Violet (or other normal BC) would crouch and stare.

 

Is there any chance anyone has ever known another BC who did this? I'm thinking it's gonna look a little strange to the sheep! :D

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Mine do this to find sheep in tall grass. Dinah also does the dolphin run in tall grass until she gets a set on where the sheep are. Once she does then she plows down low and goes around to the top end like a stealth bomber.

 

One of the funniest moments I remember at a trial was with her. We were sending uphill into thick tan grass and it was all waving and moving with that relentless western wind. The sheep were the same color tan with black accents :rolleyes: One moving sea of tan!

 

I was standing behind the judges tent and letting Di look uphill to find her sheep. She kept rolling her eyes across the field, then flicking them back to me "are you sure?"

 

Yes, Di I am. "See Sheep"

 

She looks again. Rolls an eyeball back at me. Nope. "Are you sure?"

 

"See Sheep Dinah, See Sheep"

 

Frustrated with me, she stood up on her hind legs (and Dinah's got legs longer than a giraffe) and balancing there she peeeeeered up the field.

 

SHEEP!

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LOL! That story is fantastic! Ceana stands on her hind legs at the window only. Poke stands on his to reach things up high that are "all done."

 

I'm thinking it's gonna look a little strange to the sheep!
I have the funniest picture in my head of faith zombie/ frankenstine walking on her hind legs trying to herd a flock of sheep! lol!
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Frustrated with me, she stood up on her hind legs (and Dinah's got legs longer than a giraffe) and balancing there she peeeeeered up the field.

 

SHEEP!

:D I bet that was quite a sight. Thanks, I feel better (somewhat) as this is the kind of situation when Faith stands up - when she's outdoors looking at something some distance away. The grass isn't high enough that she can't see over it standing on all fours, though, I promise! :D

 

I have the funniest picture in my head of faith zombie/ frankenstine walking on her hind legs trying to herd a fock of sheep! lol!

Yes, well, that would be an improvement on the technique she demonstrated in January at the Jack Knox Clinic. :rolleyes::D I suppose at least she'll have a harder time diving in and grabbing if she's standing upright. :D

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My best dog does this although I have only ever seen him go up and take a quick glance. Like Lenajo's dog he will run in tall grass frequently jumping up high for a look. I have also seen sheep do this and I have wondered who did it first. I have sometime lost track of my dog in very tall grass and I have thought it would be handy to use a Jump-Up command. I have no idea how you would apply that however.

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My input is "click and treat!" If she is doing it on a regular basis I would take advantage of it and have her do it on command. Then you can get her to do the walk and spins with it. :rolleyes: She has already done the work for you.

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My input is "click and treat!" If she is doing it on a regular basis I would take advantage of it and have her do it on command. Then you can get her to do the walk and spins with it. :rolleyes: She has already done the work for you.

 

I guess I'm missing something. Is this a behavior desired in some discipline? :D

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My Celt was once bringing in unfamiliar sheep from an unfamiliar and very overgrown pasture where the grass was over his head. He flanked back and forth behind the sheep, boing-boing-boing like a kangaroo. I only wish I could have gotten it on video.

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I guess I'm missing something. Is this a behavior desired in some discipline? :rolleyes:

 

It's definitely desired in Musical Freestyle, if it is not a physical problem for the dog. Because of Speedy's age and arthritis, I only have him get on his hind legs, touch my arm with his paw and we move across the ring together with him going backwards on his hind legs.

 

Dean will be able to do much more because his back end is very strong and flexible.

 

I've seen him get up on his hind legs spontaneously to try to intercept a thrown ball and while playing with other dogs.

 

Even for non-Freestyle dogs, it's a great trick, and can be incorporated into fitness exercises.

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I guess I'm missing something. Is this a behavior desired in some discipline? :D

 

Absolutely! Root Beer mentioned freestyle but given that Im into disc doggin' (frisbee dog competition) it is an absolute MUST to have this trick incorporated at some point. Getting said pup on his hind legs while you quickly shoot 4-5 discs in his mouth at close range is very cool. Not to mention all of the spins and freestyle moves you can incorporate along with it - having your dog doing spins on his hind legs while he circles you.

 

Koda has been working on this one for a while and is doing great for 9 months old. It takes a lot of muscle memory for most dogs, although small dogs do this without thinking about it. My 2 chihuahuas do it instinctively and just stand there like that as though its just a comfortable way to be.

 

Here is a video incorporating some moves with this trick. You will see it a few times thrown in there. And enjoy these guys jammin with their dogs. This is the ultimate evolution from herding sheep :rolleyes: Border Collies have moved on to more enjoyable things like herding frisbees :D

 

http://blip.tv/file/653336

 

Ryan

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My girl does this whenever she wants a better view of something. Over tall grass, long distances over the back of the sofa when we're playing hide-n-seek. She can take a few steps forward, easily goes side to side, and does the kangaroo hop very well too. Goofy dogs! :rolleyes:

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My input is "click and treat!" If she is doing it on a regular basis I would take advantage of it and have her do it on command. Then you can get her to do the walk and spins with it. :rolleyes: She has already done the work for you.

 

Shiner does this, and we have gotten him to spin and attatched the command "dance" to it. So far it's just good for entertaining friends, but hey, that's something....

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I just thought that I would add a little bit on how to train this trick if anyone reading would like to do so.

 

The most important thing is to train it slowly and its a two stage process for best results. The first is to teach your dog to beg where they are sitting on their rump but front paws off of the ground. Lure your dog up with a treat from a sit by taking the treat over his head and then placing your forearm even with his chest and hooking your hand at the wrist. Just picture making a snake shadow figure standing up and ready to strike with your arm and hand and thats exactly how to do it.

 

Once you have your dog consistently doing the beg, its time to move on to the stand. Place your dog in a beg with the same arm position as before. If he is consistent you wont need this position anymore but do it anyway. Then take the treat and pull it upward and slightly forward as if there were a string attached to the dogs head and you are pulling him up with it gently. Your dog should follow the treat by rising up from this position standing on his hind legs. It takes a bit of practice and some encouragement for some dogs but they WILL get it.

 

Make sure to use two different verbal cues for the beg and stand. Also, I HIGHLY encourage the use of a clicker for this to mark the correct behavior - its the best tool around for this stuff. Also, dont be stingy with the treats and mark the behavior in the beginning when they are on the right track. It doesnt have to be perfect, just earned. Reward the effort and your dog will be doing it correctly in no time.

 

Good luck!

 

Ryan

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I posted this earlier, but I must have either posted it wrong, or it went into the ether...

Mya has a similar stance when interested in something...

 

Craig & Mya

 

LOL! That is hilarious. Never seen a dog do that before.

 

More pictures, please, meerkat-dog owners! :rolleyes:

 

Mary

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Too funny! I've taught my young 'un to sit up and "beg" (only it really isn't begging), and I've always thought he looked like a meerkat! My oldster sits up, but keeps her feet up (for balance?). I haven't gotten the young 'un up on his legs yet - but he does crouch sometimes (not thinking these two are really related though...) !

 

diane

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