Dolphins

"Pat Porter" wrote in message
...
I don`t even teach my dog to perform tricks - I teach it to be obedient
for everyone`s
sake, including that of the dog, but tricks diminish it in my opinion.

What you might want to explore is to teach your dog the behavioural traits
she was bred for. We got a sheepdog so we researched the skills that should
be natural for them and train the dog to do our equivalent of the skills
that sheepdog should have. Such as responding to whistles, lying flat on the
ground when signalled like sheepdog do when doing their job, but the dog
decided she was going to learn acrobatics because one day I was holding out
a sandwich for my husband and she stood on her hind legs stretching for it.
She is pretty good at it now and it is the only non-sheepdog thing she
trained. Also we have trained her to recognise objective by giving each toy
a name and encouraging the dog to go retrieve it from another room. She is
dead on every time so that shows her intelligence.

I do hope you have some toys for your dog to play with when you can't give
her complete attention, because it is not nice for the dog to be bored. They
end up chewing or scratching themselves in boredom then.

Some tricks can be useful tricks to learn as they sharpen the dog's skills
and intelligence, just make sure they match to the nature of the dog.

We are planning to take our dog for a sheepdog training holiday we heard
about on television.


Stitch Lady


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Toys? I should say so! Her favourite is a plastic octopus with rope
tentacles (It`s a grotty old thing now, but she still loves it) and is very
good at "Fetching", usually putting it on your lap. Apart from that she
seems to have toys in every room!

She`s a cavalier King Charles so I don`t REALLY want to train her to be what
they were originally used for - retrieving small bird, quail, etc. We had
enough trouble with the last one who kept catching birds in the garden!

We`ve had cavaliers for at least 30 years - always having two at any one
time, and they are really easy to train, as they seem to want to please you.
There`s a big difference between "Tricks" and obedience. I`m all for
obedience! In fact we rarely have to say a word, as they now know what is
expected just by being observant - even the pup. For instance, I only have
to turn the key in the lock to lock the back door, and the pup rushes in and
gets into her bed in the kitchen. We still don`t trust her to have the run
of the house while we`re out - she`s just too darned curious about
everything, but we have a baby gate at the kitchen door so she can still
"talk" to the old dog - and she has a supply of toys in there, of course,
but when we`re out we`re pretty sure she just sleeps until we get back!

They follow their original reason for existence with enthusiasm, of course,
as they were used in the 17th century for keeping ladies` laps warm! LOL!

Pat P

"Stitch Lady" wrote in message
...

"Pat Porter" wrote in message
...
I don`t even teach my dog to perform tricks - I teach it to be obedient
for everyone`s
sake, including that of the dog, but tricks diminish it in my opinion.

What you might want to explore is to teach your dog the behavioural traits
she was bred for. We got a sheepdog so we researched the skills that
should
be natural for them and train the dog to do our equivalent of the skills
that sheepdog should have. Such as responding to whistles, lying flat on
the
ground when signalled like sheepdog do when doing their job, but the dog
decided she was going to learn acrobatics because one day I was holding
out
a sandwich for my husband and she stood on her hind legs stretching for
it.
She is pretty good at it now and it is the only non-sheepdog thing she
trained. Also we have trained her to recognise objective by giving each
toy
a name and encouraging the dog to go retrieve it from another room. She is
dead on every time so that shows her intelligence.

I do hope you have some toys for your dog to play with when you can't give
her complete attention, because it is not nice for the dog to be bored.
They
end up chewing or scratching themselves in boredom then.

Some tricks can be useful tricks to learn as they sharpen the dog's skills
and intelligence, just make sure they match to the nature of the dog.

We are planning to take our dog for a sheepdog training holiday we heard
about on television.


Stitch Lady


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Brenda Lewis wrote:
Stitch Lady wrote:

What you might want to explore is to teach your dog the behavioural
traits
she was bred for. We got a sheepdog so we researched the skills that
should
be natural for them and train the dog to do our equivalent of the skills
that sheepdog should have. Such as responding to whistles, lying flat
on the
ground when signalled like sheepdog do when doing their job, but the dog
decided she was going to learn acrobatics because one day I was
holding out
a sandwich for my husband and she stood on her hind legs stretching
for it.
She is pretty good at it now and it is the only non-sheepdog thing she
trained. Also we have trained her to recognise objective by giving
each toy
a name and encouraging the dog to go retrieve it from another room.
She is
dead on every time so that shows her intelligence.


I wish I knew how to do this. I know Shetland Sheepdogs are supposed to
have herding ability but ours uses it only when she wants. She herds us
to dinner and to bed when SHE wants those things. I would like her to
herd the baby which would help keep them both occupied. She has a
natural sense of unmarked boundaries--she figured out on her own where
our property lines were and will not cross them unless we allow it. She
also will not get on unfamiliar furniture (at someone else's house)
without getting permission from both of us. Really! She looks at each
of us and waits for an 'ok' signal. She's a great dog.

Sometimes it's a matter not of giving the dog a job similar to that for
which it was bred, but of using the qualities that allow the dog to do
that job so well. Shelties are very attentive, very intelligent, and
very attached to their people. As such, they are very good at both
obedience (formal competition work) and agility. You don't have to
compete, but taking her to class will increase the working bond you have
with her and show you how to teach her what you want. Obedience classes
are fairly easy to find, agility is a little more difficult. In either
case, if the instructor makes you uncomfortable at all, find another
one. She's your dog and you know how your comfortable working with her.
If you can find someone who does clicker training, you'll probably
find that she responds very well.

Elizabeth (and Harry, a Belgian Tervueren)
--
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~living well is the best revenge~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The most important thing one woman can do for another is to illuminate
and expand her sense of actual possibilities. --Adrienne Rich
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*barnacle-encrusted bitch~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A friend of mine who also had a Cavalier decided to take it to dog training
courses - and everyone there laughed, even the instructor. "TRAINING?" she
said "A CAVALIER? They don`t need training - they do what you want anyway!"
It`s true, too - they do! Mostly, anyway. They do suffer from selective
deafness at times, as they get older and wiser, though!

Pat P
"Stitch Lady" wrote in message
...
"Dr. Brat" wrote in message
...
Sometimes it's a matter not of giving the dog a job similar to that for
which it was bred, but of using the qualities that allow the dog to do
that job so well. Shelties are very attentive, very intelligent, and
very attached to their people. As such, they are very good at both
obedience (formal competition work) and agility. You don't have to
compete, but taking her to class will increase the working bond you have
with her and show you how to teach her what you want. Obedience classes
are fairly easy to find, agility is a little more difficult. In either
case, if the instructor makes you uncomfortable at all, find another
one. She's your dog and you know how your comfortable working with her.
If you can find someone who does clicker training, you'll probably
find that she responds very well.

In respect of obedience classes, I am in luck as I had training so I could
call myself a dog trainer by rights. Okay, it is not a formal
qualification,
but I know enough from the training to know how a dog should behave as a
social creature and how to train it as a useful member of the household
and
in public. No wonder all the kids love the dog so much.

My dog is very loyal and because I reward her loyalty it makes her more
willing to obey.

Just personal notes/observations relating to my own dog.


Stitch Lady


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Dr. Brat" wrote in message
...
Pat Porter wrote:
A friend of mine who also had a Cavalier decided to take it to dog
training
courses - and everyone there laughed, even the instructor. "TRAINING?"
she
said "A CAVALIER? They don`t need training - they do what you want
anyway!"
It`s true, too - they do! Mostly, anyway. They do suffer from
selective
deafness at times, as they get older and wiser, though!

I think perhaps selective deafness is a general Spaniel trait. It took
me quite a while to figure out that my old cocker had gone deaf - he
ignored me whenever it suited his fancy anyhow!

Elizabeth

Our old lady who died before Christmas was very selectively deaf. Couldn`t
hear a thing if she smelled a rabbit in the bushes - but would hear the
rustle of a crisp packet or sweet wrapper from half a mile!

It`s a very useful attribute for humans at times! LOL!

Pat P.

We were just commenting yesterday about our old dachshund "Whisky". He is
allowed to go outside by himself, so he can water down his favorite
flowerpot. Then he likes to sniff the air, look at butterflies etc. We call
him to come in, and NOTHING. Since he is old, we figured he must be deaf.
Then DH VERY quietly said "cookie", and the old guy comes trotting up the
ramp, tail a-waggle, and licking his lips!! Selective hearing, definitely.

Gillian
"Pat Porter" wrote in message
...
Dr. Our old lady who died before Christmas was very selectively deaf.
Couldn`t
hear a thing if she smelled a rabbit in the bushes - but would hear the
rustle of a crisp packet or sweet wrapper from half a mile!

It`s a very useful attribute for humans at times! LOL!

Pat P.

"Stitch Lady" wrote .

What you might want to explore is to teach your dog the behavioural
traits she was bred for.

My dear Emma is apparently descended from a long line of couch guardians!!
She lies on the couch during the day, ensuring that no one will steal it
She is a very large mixed breed dog. She is the sweetest tempered thing in
all the world, and her chief behavioral trait seems to be smiling happily
at me, the cats, and her master, and licking small children especially ones
with food smears.
Dawne.