Herding Corgi Girls!

[annawolfsong]

I just figured out how to post video to my blog and have the girls beach ball herding efforts on there. As soon as Taffy heals up her ankle I have a *giant* beach ball to give her but she's got to be sound first. Poor baby +SAD+

[corgimom]

I love your video and that is great exercise for the dogs - that is Cody's favorite thing to do with his soccer ball(I need a soccer shirt for him) I am envious of your big yard - Now if I had a beach ball, Cody would have pushed it up against the house or tree and popped it in about 1 minute.

[Penutsma]

That's the kind of ball I bought for Delilah. It lasted 30 minutes before she laid on it and it POPPED! I wish you could have seen her face! So then I bought her the BIG one, and she played with it for about 5 seconds - ran it into the rose bush and POP! Next I bought her a soccer ball. Figure thats solid and won't pop. Nope, don't pop, but she has chewed big gashes in it. Grabs the ball and tosses it in her pool, shoves it out and around the yard.....with a high pitched yelping going on the whole time. I have to take it away from her to get her to rest (and to give my neighbors a break!). I bought her these balls after she ran her paws raw on the tennis court where Cheryl used to live before they moved into base housing.

26 hours till Cheryl is HERE!

[MrsGrace]

Okay, now I HAVE to bring Colby up to play with his family!! He does that with his balls, the neighbor kids, me...

[MrsGrace]

HI MOM!!!

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u282/Graceraven/th_S8000555.jpg (http://s171.photobucket.com/albums/u282/Graceraven/?action=view&current=S8000555.flv)

[Fluffypants]

Wow! Look at 'em go! That video is great, and I too am envious of the big yard!!! :LAUGH:

[LaRositaMonita]

ANNA! Colby is SUPER CUTE!!

(And other Anna... so are your beach ball herders!!)

How did you get him started on "talk"? We're still doing "down" with Mac, but this is where I always get confused.. how to create certain behaviors so you can reinforce them ;)

[dcole]

AnnaMarie:

That was a great video! I LOVE the way they were mouthing at the ball - they really were herding it!

Anna:
Colby is SUCH a cute little furball! :CUTE:

[MrsGrace]

ANNA! Colby is SUPER CUTE!!

(And other Anna... so are your beach ball herders!!)

How did you get him started on "talk"? We're still doing "down" with Mac, but this is where I always get confused.. how to create certain behaviors so you can reinforce them ;)

I have found in some dogs, you can stare at them when they're in a "romp & play" mood, and the staring makes them bark.

I will caution you though, before starting "Talk", get "Quiet" or "Hush" down first. I used Barbara's closed fist for "quiet" and an opening and closing fist for "Talk".

:CUTE: What can I say, he's an adorable furball, isn't he?

[MrsGrace]

How did you get him started on "talk"? We're still doing "down" with Mac, but this is where I always get confused.. how to create certain behaviors so you can reinforce them ;)

Oh! And don't get stuck on "He has to get 'down' before I move to another command". They wont get confused. If he's laying down, praise like mad, treat etc. If he's got a paw up, same thing. etc. Use whatever he's doing at the time that you WANT as a behavior and praise the heck out of it. Being good and quiet? I treat for that too.

How are you doing "down" anyway? I tried from the sit yesterday and that didn't work so well, so today we're going under the bent leg.

[mtoy]

I will caution you though, before starting "Talk", get "Quiet" or "Hush" down first. I used Barbara's closed fist for "quiet" and an opening and closing fist for "Talk".



I'm always confused at this. You have a signal for quiet or hush, but how are you getting them to do this? Is it something like waiting for them to bark at something, then when they quiet down you would treat? I can't see how this would work (at least not with my yappers :CHATTERBOX:).

[MrsGrace]

I'm always confused at this. You have a signal for quiet or hush, but how are you getting them to do this? Is it something like waiting for them to bark at something, then when they quiet down you would treat? I can't see how this would work (at least not with my yappers :CHATTERBOX:).

You know, I'm not sure how it's working, but it is. If I use the "talk" signal, and then go to closed fist, he'll quiet down. And when I catch him laying down and being quiet, I'll tell him "good quiet" etc. and treat.

Maybe it's the clicker? Because I can "mark" the exact behavior and he's learned what it means? (note: I only got around to starting the clicker, but he's got it's meaning down! TREATS COMING!!!! :LAUGH: )

[LaRositaMonita]

For down she just stuck with the traditional "Put the treat between your front legs" thing. It got kind of jumpy and fussy at first, which means it's taking longer for him to figure it out, but he's coming along. If he stood up, I went slower with moving the treat down. if he want really crazy and mouthy, you slowly bring the treat forward after bringing it down (like an "L" shape). He can't do it for me without a treat or just using the word, but if I use my hand to point towards the ground in front of him he's got it. (Needs a treat after, though!)

QUIET is a good idea to teach first, and we're working on it. Maybe I'll at LEAST wait until he has that down before I start "speak". Mac is a pretty laid-back guy, so it's tough to MAKE him bark. He barks when people come to the house though, and at interesting things outside. He also does it if you approach him a little too aggressively (hunched over, or coming over the top of his head, one of my best friends came by today and was sad because she scared him a bit). I'll try different things...

[MrsGrace]

QUIET is a good idea to teach first, and we're working on it. Maybe I'll at LEAST wait until he has that down before I start "speak". Mac is a pretty laid-back guy, so it's tough to MAKE him bark. He barks when people come to the house though, and at interesting things outside. He also does it if you approach him a little too aggressively (hunched over, or coming over the top of his head, one of my best friends came by today and was sad because she scared him a bit). I'll try different things...

Mac barks at people and stuff out the window?? I can only get Colby to bark if he's in a playful right mood or if I wrestle/tickle my daughter.

People coming by? He looks interested, then walks away! Hubby comes home, neighbors walk in our door? He sees whats' up and meanders off!! SHEESH!! Here I thought he'd be barking at EVERYTHING!! That's why I taught him TALK, to make sure he could! :LAUGH:

I'm sure one day I'll get my wish, and then I'll want him to zip it!

[ColColt]

I loved that video. Nothing like watching a couple of bunny butts in action and they were certainlly making tracks!!

I'm sure one day I'll get my wish, and then I'll want him to zip it!

It's ok, MrsGrace. Just remember good things come to those who wait!:LAUGH:

[Dillydoodle]

First things first, cute video, glad you share that.

as for barking puppies, i would say dont encourage the barking, they will find their voices i am sure! Dillon was a very very quiet puppy... he was not a barker... he would bark when Matt would come home from work to let me know that daddy was home... and when we would play a really fun keep away kind of game, then he would bark, other than that, he used to come to work with me ( i used to work out of the house) and he would go in with matt to work as well with no issues, never made a peep. Now , he barks a whole lot more, not a nuisance barker but still he has definately found his voice. He barks at the doorbell, a knock at the door, the neighbor's cat in our yard, Matt coming home from work, if i move too quickly ( he thinks if i jump up for any reason , that it must be that someone is here... or that there is a problem... and he barks)... he will speak on command, he will also bark if i say " what was that?" in a concerned tone...
Gus excitedly barks every time i throw a toy, he barks to let me know his daddy is home, and when someone rings the doorbell, basically he barks whenever Dillon barks.
I am really impressed with how much you are all working on training , an early start is a great thing!

Emilie

[LaRositaMonita]

Mac barks at people and stuff out the window?? I can only get Colby to bark if he's in a playful right mood or if I wrestle/tickle my daughter.

People coming by? He looks interested, then walks away! Hubby comes home, neighbors walk in our door? He sees whats' up and meanders off!! SHEESH!! Here I thought he'd be barking at EVERYTHING!! That's why I taught him TALK, to make sure he could! :LAUGH:

I'm sure one day I'll get my wish, and then I'll want him to zip it!

Well, lucky you that he only barks on command! Mac isn't a HUGE barker... he is very quickly learning "quiet" and will stop when told, but I can't MAKE him bark at all!! We got it to work tonight by showing him the Rice a Roni Cardboard Box of Death....but he was too anxious to eat his Cheerios :oP

[annawolfsong]

Taffy loved her vid from Colby! She's still on crate rest (very irritated by this) so she almost knocked the laptop off my lap!

I think it's cute you taught him to talk, I'm always saying "no bark" when they go off in the yard. Since we bell trained Taffy she doesn't bark much in the house at all. However, sometimes it's as if we have a sleigh full of reindeer around :TWITCHY:

[MrsGrace]

I think it's cute you taught him to talk, I'm always saying "no bark" when they go off in the yard. Since we bell trained Taffy she doesn't bark much in the house at all. However, sometimes it's as if we have a sleigh full of reindeer around :TWITCHY:

Bell trained? Do explain, that sounds interesting! I'm going to start using bells this next week and make the connection that bells means "OUTSIDE! for potty!".

We'll see how it works.... :TWITCHY:

[Dillydoodle]

Dillon was trained as a puppy to ring a small brass bell that hangs from the door- he taps the bell, it rings and i open the door for him, he learned very very quickly it meant he could go out and potty... Gus was here for less than a week before he understood that ringing the bell would magically make mommy or daddy get up and open the door for him to go out. I also taught them that if they DO ring the bell, i expect production, i go out with them and send them down to their pen...if they do something, i praise them and then let them have the option to stay out on the deck or pen if they would like OR they can come back in... If they do not produce, after a minute or two, i call them back into the house and they are not allowed to just hang out - the bell means potty not go outside to play... they learned that fast too...

Emilie

[corgimom]

Now , he barks a whole lot more, not a nuisance barker but still he has definately found his voice. He barks at the doorbell, a knock at the door, the neighbor's cat in our yard, Matt coming home from work, if i move too quickly ( he thinks if i jump up for any reason , that it must be that someone is here... or that there is a problem... and he barks)... he will speak on command, he will also bark if i say " what was that?" in a concerned tone...


Cody and Dillon must surely be related; you are describing my Cody perfectly.

[annawolfsong]

With Taffy I hung a bell on the door and every time I took her out to potty I rang the bell. After about one day she wandered over and probably by accident rang the bell. I popped up and took her out.

You should have seen the little light bulb go on :TONGUE:

She rang the bell almost constantly for a few days and I took her out alot but she calmed down and it worked well. The problem was.... she started ringing the bell every time she wanted *anything*. I got in the habit of asking her, "show me" and she'd run to the water bowl, cookie jar, stand by the door, jump up to be held, etc. Now, who trained who here? :EEK:

This doesn't sound like much of a problem does it.

Patty has *decorative* bells on one of her doors :LAUGH: I got a phone call after dropping Taffy off one night (probably during a heat). "she keeps ringing the dang bell, what does she want!!!!????" I was laughing and told Patty to ask Taffy "show me". Apparently she wanted a chewie.

Patty now removes the bells when Taffy comes to visit and Taffy has to toe the line with everyone else at the farm.

It's always interesting when Corgis have two homes like my situation. They go back and forth from Patty's to here and since we train differently on a few things it's a riot. My home allows dogs on the furniture, Patty's does not. They actually do learn this easily. Patty feeds at bed time, I do it at my dinner time. It's like they have little clocks in their heads!

Anyway, that's my bell training in a nutshell.

[LaRositaMonita]

With Taffy I hung a bell on the door and every time I took her out to potty I rang the bell. After about one day she wandered over and probably by accident rang the bell. I popped up and took her out.

You should have seen the little light bulb go on :TONGUE:

She rang the bell almost constantly for a few days and I took her out alot but she calmed down and it worked well. The problem was.... she started ringing the bell every time she wanted *anything*. I got in the habit of asking her, "show me" and she'd run to the water bowl, cookie jar, stand by the door, jump up to be held, etc. Now, who trained who here? :EEK:

This doesn't sound like much of a problem does it.

This is super!! I love dogs.

Mitzie used to just stand near you to ask for something... and then you could ask "What do you want?" (Which made her speak), and then you could do "Show me!" too and she would either go to the door, her bowl, grab a toy....

Puppy stage is fun, but I look forward to the day when the training time is over (not that it really ever is) and Mac can do these things ;)

[CorgiMum]

Mine do "show me" too. It is almost always one of three places...the pantry, the fridge or the treat jar in their room.:D

[MVons]

Taffy loved her vid from Colby! She's still on crate rest (very irritated by this) so she almost knocked the laptop off my lap!
Chester was snoozing on my lap (just like a child needs the lap before crate/bed) and popped up barking back at Colby, like "I can do that too". He liked your voice too mrs. Grace. He didn't like my uncle's voice on my message machine. Interesting, I need some deep voices to expose him to.