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This is Ms.
Chloe at 10 months. Chloe's job is patrolling
the yard very aggressively to make sure the squirrels
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Lynda Chansky from Worcester, MA.
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Dog Training Tips
Partner Up – Four Key Dog Training Tips to Help You Lead
Your Australian Shepherd
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By Sylvia Jay,
Voice4Dogs.com
Professional CAPPDT member
Dog Behavior Expert, Columnist
Author of "Dump Dog" - transformation of
a feral dog. |
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I would have given a year’s
earnings to be able to enter my Aussie Davie’s
mind when she charged into a group of tired, organized and calm
sheep, stirred them up, just so that she could round them up again.
Sheep-folk call the act of causing disarray for the purpose of
re-organizing Aussie Bowling, because it is typical of the little
sharp, fun-loving and easily bored herding dog.
Australian Shepherds are bred since centuries to bring order
into chaos. That personality trait is so ingrained that they find
ways to create chaos in order to work. Hence, the clever Aussie
has a reputation for being determined, bossy, and active. And
for that reason many owners believe they have to be bossier, more
controlling and more determined to keep the pooch in line.
The problem is that unless the owner is born CEO material, the
persistent and stoic Australian Shepherd will struggle back. What
could be a relationship of mutual respect and voluntary co-operation,
is one that is overshadowed with confrontation and a whole array
of behavior problems.
Continues below...
The key to a rewarding partnership
with your Aussie is not to control the dog, but to control
and channel what is important to your dog, and to use her intrinsic
personality traits to your advantage. Understanding and paying
attention to the following four key aspects ensures that your
controlling Aussie doesn’t get out of control; that intensity
doesn’t turn into obsession; loyalty into possessiveness;
energy into hyperactivity; pack belonging into territorial aggression
and herding behaviors into chasing and nipping.
Australian Shepherd Dog Training Tips:
Activity
Your Aussie is “plugged in” from the moment you invite
her into your social group and remains alert, attentive and energetic
for many years. Chronological age doesn’t mean much to your
pooch. You have to put her to work right away and don’t
hope for retirement any time soon.
Many owners are aware of that, but many also believe that physical
activity is enough. It’s not. Quite the contrary, too much
physical activity often leads to a permanent high and your Aussie
becomes hyper and overly vocal.
You have to work his mind and body, and because he is a herder,
herding activities leave him mentally and physically satisfied
the most.
If there are several family members in your pack, teach your
Aussie to round them all up first thing in the morning, and several
times throughout the day. Make it her job to wake them, and let
her usher them to the breakfast table. On walks, spread out on
purpose and give your dog the joy to group everyone back together.
Make sure she waits until you command her to. That part is critical,
because you want to be in control of her drive, her instincts.
If you don’t have family members, name her toys and teach
her to bring each one, or to return it to the toy box. Spread
her stuff everywhere and teach her to bring it back, or to place
it all on a mat in the middle of the room. On walks, ask her to
find the car, or a glove you “accidentally” dropped.
Have her work for food by hiding part of it or stuff it in a Kong;
play ball and Frisbee but ask her in a down stay every so often
and hide it, for her to find.
Australian Shepherd Dog Training Tips:
Mind Work
Obedience and tricks, are a wonderful way to channel an Aussie’s
energetic personality and keep her balanced. Because she is easily
bored, spread her activities out, rather than having an allotted
time set aside for training. Stay involved. Don’t send her
in the yard on her own, join her in scouting the property; take
her to check the mail; ask her help to clean the cat litter box
– a good time to practice the leave-it command when there
is yummy cat-doo to be had. In other words, incorporate your Australian
Shepherd in anything you do and be attentive then, command her
to go to the mailbox, rather than have her trudge behind you.
It doesn’t take a lot of extra time but your dog will feel
useful; will feel like a working partner.
Australian Shepherd Dog Training Tips:
Off Switch
You have to have a command and hand signal to let your spirited
Aussie know when you’re done engaging with him. You’d
be hard pressed to physically outdo your Australian. He is like
the everlasting Energizer bunny.
The “All-done” command tells him that work is over
for now. Sweeten it by giving him a chewy, bone or stuffed Kong.
That way you teach that “All-done” is a desirable
command and doing nothing is rewarding. Be consistent with all
your commands; follow through once you uttered a request. Consistency
is important for all dogs and all commands, of course, but the
“All-done” is especially crucial for the Aussie.
If you throw the ball one more time after you off-switched your
dog, you can be sure that he’ll remember that. You only
have to do a thing your Aussie likes once, for him to believe
it’s a new routine.
Australian Shepherd Dog Training Tips:
Space
Australian Shepherds are herders and as such very aware of space
and space infractions. If you wonder why many space-clueless retrievers
are clued in by herding dogs, it is because the herders rightfully
know that being in someone’s face is rude. That means that
whenever your Aussie in encroaching into your space, she knows
what she is doing. Don’t let her.
Control your space. Because the Australian is
also very perceptive of body movements, again more so than many
other breeds, you best move her by walking into her, backing her
up with your body, or blocking her way. If she’s too close
on the heels rounding your children up, or ushering your guests
around, get in between your dog and the other person and back
her off. Don’t use any force, never confrontation, but be
convincing; move strong, confident and with conviction. Your dog
will learn space balance; to be respectful of a 30-50 cm personal
space everyone is entitled to. That is the single best way to
prevent heel-nipping.
Put cuddling on the couch or bed on command. Space control doesn’t
mean you can’t be close, but it means that it has to be
invited.
Your controlling Aussie might also see the need to be in charge
of your home’s entrance points, namely the doors. Teach
her very early on that you control the space around the door,
that you let your guests in and she needs to be a good 2-3 feet
behind you. Don’t allow guarding and don’t let her
bark out the window. Who exists and enters first when you go for
walks is irrelevant. What is relevant is that she doesn’t
perceive the home as a space she has the right to control.
Australian Shepherd Dog Training Tips:
Motion
Aussies are motion sensitive. They have a keen awareness of movement
in their environment. And because they are herders, movement causes
them to act, to charge up and redirect, or kill, if whatever moves
doesn’t belong into her perception of the world. Joggers,
children, cats, a flock of birds, anything can be targeted. If
she hasn’t learned space balance and bite inhibition, this
ingrained reaction to motion can get her and you into trouble.
To be aware and proactively redirect are keys to successful off
leash outings. Recall, leave-it and name attention to connect
her back to you should be solid. An Aussie is not the kind of
dog you can just take to the park and forget about. When she is
bored, she’ll create her own fun – if she focuses
on the environment, she’ll engage with the environment.
Stay engaged with her, play ball, teach her to jump across logs
or target sticks and leaves, play follow the leader and have her
chase you, keeping that 30-50 cm personal space in mind, organize
a playgroup with dogs that have similar play behaviors. She’ll
learn that you make fun and work happen; that the environment
is irrelevant and boring.
Your Australian Shepherd might naturally rule the other dogs
(and cats) in your home as soon as she takes residence and regardless
of age. Don’t let her bully them, and don’t let her
be bullied by the other dogs to “teach her a lesson”.
Australians are persistent and he won’t learn it, will instead
redirect aggression. Instead, step in and, without taking sides,
you guessed it, create space.
Your Aussie craves your attention and wants nothing more than
to have social belonging and be a working partner. To be engaged
with you should be her biggest reward, withholding attention her
biggest punishment. Social isolation is abuse, but don’t
give her all the attention for free – reward her with it
for desirable behavior and then be generous.
By Silvia Jay, Aussie owner, dog behavior expert and author.
Voice4Dogs.com
Stay tuned for more Australian Shepherd dog training
tips and basic dog training articles.
If you are interested in trying clicker dog training with your
Aussie you can get the clicker dog training aid i-Click from Karen
Pryor Clicker Training.
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