Stay command-its a good thing

[RoseAmy]

Hi Bob,

Just wanted to give you a great big thank you--you have given me a brand new dog.

 

If you remember I have the little over keen, over reactive spitfire. She really saw no need to have me in the picture. I was starting to doubt my training abilities and if I was the right one for this dog.

 

Then I read your reply to Gregg about using the stay. Now when I was behind her she was find..it was when she was opposite me that she would try to blow me off..

 

Now I had never thought about using stay in with the sheep. BUT my dogs know stay. Being on a farm with horses it is very important that when i tell them stay they stay rooted until I release them.

 

So I took three days and worked on nothing but stay..I put about 30 sheep in an 1/2 acre field and went out and just work on stay. No sheep work..needless to say it drove her nuts. I would put her on a stay and go and move the sheep myself..if she broke I did the Bobby D. thing and grabbed her by the collar took her back and cuffed her nose.

 

 

Well let me tell you when i put her back to work it was like a totally different dog. Somehow in her mind she seemed to think down meant I didn't want her to work the sheep so she would rebel..either by trying to take off or getting clappy and working them with her eye. On the other she treats stay like she is just waiting for another command.

 

She's still little miss spitefire..fast and reactive..but now she working with me and what a difference.

 

Thanks so much..

[RMSBORDERCOLLIES]

Hi Bob,

Just wanted to give you a great big thank you--you have given me a brand new dog.

 

If you remember I have the little over keen, over reactive spitfire. She really saw no need to have me in the picture. I was starting to doubt my training abilities and if I was the right one for this dog.

 

Then I read your reply to Gregg about using the stay. Now when I was behind her she was find..it was when she was opposite me that she would try to blow me off..

 

Now I had never thought about using stay in with the sheep. BUT my dogs know stay. Being on a farm with horses it is very important that when i tell them stay they stay rooted until I release them.

 

So I took three days and worked on nothing but stay..I put about 30 sheep in an 1/2 acre field and went out and just work on stay. No sheep work..needless to say it drove her nuts. I would put her on a stay and go and move the sheep myself..if she broke I did the Bobby D. thing and grabbed her by the collar took her back and cuffed her nose.

Well let me tell you when i put her back to work it was like a totally different dog. Somehow in her mind she seemed to think down meant I didn't want her to work the sheep so she would rebel..either by trying to take off or getting clappy and working them with her eye. On the other she treats stay like she is just waiting for another command.

 

She's still little miss spitefire..fast and reactive..but now she working with me and what a difference.

 

Thanks so much..

 

You're very welcome and I'm glad I could help. You are very lucky to have a dog like that; fast and reactive is good. I love those little fast dogs. You can put them anywhere in a flash and the stock always know they can't get away....Good luck with her.......Bob