Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 13

Thread: Training advice

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Nov 2015
    Posts
    378

    Training advice

    Have an 8month old Shepard cross. So far he’s been pretty good. His recall is getting better all the time. He’s got quite the nose, so he gets distracted easily.
    main issue seems to be when he finds something he thinks he’s not supposed to have, he won’t come, or drop it. He just tries to make a game of chase out of it. Looking for ways to break this habit. He will even do it with his ball in the yard sometimes. He’s never been big into fetch.
    it becomes the biggest problem when he’s off leash for a run or bike ride. He’ll find something like a dead bird or some kind of anima bone, then he either wants to stay there and chew or eat it, or have me chase him so I can’t take it away.
    Any advice? E collar maybe?

  2. Site Sponsor

  3. #2
    Join Date
    Oct 2011
    Location
    Tent city Victoria
    Posts
    3,562

    Re: Training advice

    I have a shepherd cross as well, she would have made a great retriever if I put the work in. She was the same at that age, just a turd when she found something she really liked. What worked for me was having something she wanted more than whatever she was playing with, she is not food motivated so I ended up always bringing a chuckit ball on walks, for some reason she’ll drop anything for it.

  4. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Posts
    1,009

    Re: Training advice

    I had a similar problem. An e collar solved it immediately. You need to take the time to train them properly on the e collar but it’s not hard. I still use it but 95% of the time his recall is great. I only have to use the vibrate occasionally and the actual electric is limited to situations where his prey drive has kicked in and I don’t want him chasing something.
    Your asking in the wrong place. This is the tinfoil hat capital of the internet

  5. #4
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Kamloops
    Posts
    612

    Re: Training advice

    The problem is that you're way too boring compared to what your dog has found or is interested in. YOU have to become far more interesting and fun to your dog than the object it finds.

    Do not use corporal punishment on your dog, they are super smart and will figure out that being hit is not fun and makes you very much not interesting or fun. Previous poster suggested an e-collar - these can work well if you take the time to do it properly. It breaks the association with "correction" or even "punishment" from you the trainer/owner and places it more between the command or request and the expected behavioural outcome.

    This can be easily done with rewards such as food combined with appropriate love, affection, kind gentle words and so on.

    Shepherds are not retrievers. They don't care about retrieving. You can train them to retrieve fairly well, but it's not part of their genetic program.

    What they excel at is being a herding dog, keeping other animals or family together.

    They are also excellent tracking dogs, and can easily be trained to track very well if you know how to do it (there are trainers and books that are good - it's a time consuming process to do correctly, but is well worth it).

    If you are not getting the outcome with training that you're expecting, 99.99% of the time it is you and not your dog that is not doing things quite right. Have a very close look at what YOU are doing - or hire a good dog trainer to help you identify your faults in the training procedure.

    Also, it's often best if only one person trains the dog in your household, and then the other members are trained about what the training expectations are of the dog. The expectations, or outcomes, of the command or request need to be consistent - along with the reward - for a good outcome.

    And, when your ready for it, the best kind of reward once a behaviour is patterned is a variable reward (reinforcement) schedule. Variable reinforcement is brilliant when used correctly, but a total gong-show when it's not used correctly - ask any human this (though they mostly don't know they've been affected either positively or negatively by a variable reinforcement schedule).


    ~NH3
    NFA, CCFR, BCWF

  6. #5
    Join Date
    Jan 2022
    Posts
    1,903

    Re: Training advice

    GS's tend to be obsessed over things , its a trait
    they can be trained to obsese over what you have to offer instead of what they may find interesting at the momment
    teaching them the 'drop it' command followed by reward can work
    Glad to say I have hunted Northern BC

    Simon Fraser had pretty good judgement on what he found in BC

  7. #6
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Posts
    1,009

    Re: Training advice

    Training with the e-collar, I use food based rewards and praise. I view the e-collar like a leash extension. It’s a quick tug not a punishment.
    Your asking in the wrong place. This is the tinfoil hat capital of the internet

  8. #7
    Join Date
    Oct 2011
    Location
    Tent city Victoria
    Posts
    3,562

    Re: Training advice

    Quote Originally Posted by high horse Hal View Post
    GS's tend to be obsessed over things , its a trait
    they can be trained to obsese over what you have to offer instead of what they may find interesting at the momment
    teaching them the 'drop it' command followed by reward can work
    Yeah this describes Juno to a T. Shepherd/lab cross, obsessed with sticks but will drop anything at the site of the orange ball.

  9. #8
    Join Date
    Jan 2022
    Posts
    1,903

    Re: Training advice

    watch some working dogs or in-training
    A GS will do anything so he can get his toy back
    other breeds are less intense and happy with a pat on the head, but can't be pushed to do the same choirs
    They can be more independent too, sometimes lacking the serious bond to a handler needed for best responses
    Glad to say I have hunted Northern BC

    Simon Fraser had pretty good judgement on what he found in BC

  10. #9
    Join Date
    Nov 2015
    Posts
    378

    Re: Training advice

    All good points.
    I am working lots on making me what he focuses on. It’s tough sometimes as he seems scatterbrained sometimes. He is food motivated. But when he finds something like deer/elk bones or something dead he loses that focus. With sticks and bones it helped just not making a big deal out of it, and he would follow along and drop/forget about it shortly, but that’s not what I want. So he’s back on the leash when we’re on trails until he learns what’s expected.

  11. #10
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    P.G. 7-15
    Posts
    1,960

    Re: Training advice

    NH3 has it. I never go out side with out treats in my pocket, have them on a shelf a the door of the house the shop in the truck, every good action gets a reward. My brother in-laws 8 year old hound shepherd cross always runs away and won’t come back to him until he’s ready. After 2 days with me he would hardly leave my side. Praise and reward always.
    No one on their death bed ever said; I should have spent more time at work.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •