Haven't posted in a long while, but that's because stuff is mostly going well. I'm still having a problem with her jumping the fence though. Usually once or twice a day I'll put her out in the backyard with a tie-out line. I'd like to just be able to put her out in the back yard without the line. I hate the line. She's always getting tangled up. She'll run and hit the end. It's just bad. However, as soon as she's free in the back yard she makes a bee-line for the fence, jumps it and will run the neighborhood at top speed for about 30 minutes. She's broken three collars before I learned to get a buckle collar instead of a snap collar. She'll hit the end of that line and just snap them. With out even slowing down she'll run for the fence and jump it.

While she's out of the yard and running she doesn't actually go very far. Probably a five house radius. Behind the houses across the street are untouched woods of protected land. She literally makes laps running around the back of these houses, down through the woods, back up around the house and back down to the woods. She likes to see me while she's out running.

I don't chase her. Of course, my kids have chased her; I never have. She's unbelievably fast. I'm usually standing calmly waiting for her to come back. I don't really call for her to come (though sometimes I can't resist). She has zero recall in this situation. She'll run by me at top speed and I can see her little eyes gleefully tracking me as she zips by, but pays no heed to any calls. It's like she's in the zone and can't be broken out of it. Really, my only hope for retrieving her when she jumps the fence is to wait until she's exhausted herself. She'll come trotting home huffing and puffing with her tongue hanging out.

I have not bought an electronic collar. I don't have the cash. I have not bought an electronic fence; again cash. I'm not doing a lot of marker training with her. It's very sporadic. She knows her positions and will do them when asked (at about 80 or 90% compliance). When in the house she'll come when called with about 90% compliance. In the house she's mostly always on a leash.

I'm exercising her what I think very well physically. I've walked her for nearly an hour pretty much every day I've had her with only a few skip days. Lately I've started "jogging" with her. She's only 10 months and I know I'm not supposed to really run with her. I've not been to a vet or paid to have her growth plates x-rayed to know if it's safe to run with her or not. However, I'm jogging at a very slow pace. It's basically right below the line when she switches from a walk to a trot. I'm doing about 12:30 min/mile. Again, this is pretty much every day for pretty much 30 or 40 minutes (about 3 miles daily).

I also play fetch with her pretty regularly both inside and outside. She's pretty enthusiastic about it for about 10 minutes at a time then looses interest. In fact, I started putting her on the tie-out line because she would jump the fence while playing fetch. It'd be like: fetch, fetch, fetch, jump. There's a 100% certainty she'll jump the fence anytime she's in the backyard not on the tie-out; any time of day, any weather conditions, even right after one of our runs.

I'm not sure what to do with her at this point. I know I should work on recall and get that better (rock solid even). I'm not sure how to progress farther than what I've done. I'm kind of stuck.

Hi, Doug!

Well, I have neighbors who extended the fence height because of a dog coming IN (to "visit" -- in the conjugal sense -- their female).

If that's not possible, I'd probably look for an enclosed field where you and the dog could visit regularly and the dog could learn a "go" command.

But right now, I'd start frequent upbeat marker sessions immediately.

I would not let the dog have any opportunity to escape, period, because I'd be so worried about a car accident and the terrible results for the dog, for you and your family, and for the driver. That would mean no dog in yard without either a taller fence or me on the end of the long line.

I'd probably do all these things, and while I was doing them, I'd try to get Ed's video http://leerburg.com/318.htm

I have a dog who has occasional attacks of the zoomies, also running circles (smaller ones because he can't get over our fence), and I know that "zone." I stand there and wait, and then I up the structured exercise and the fun training sessions and playing because I know that there has been a buildup that I didn't allow to be drained off.

I want to add that marker sessions are a HUGE contributor to all of my dogs' mental health. They really do need that brain-drain as well as the physical outlet. It's not a vague maybe thing. I can see the clear difference in them when they have not been having enough training and games.

Oh, and the recall is fun to teach. How about backing up to square one on that (maybe with a new word) and do two things: Get that great recall, and have upbeat sessions teaching it.

Have you seen any of the recall threads here? I could dig some up later today.


eta
And I know others will help too. Weekends are slow on the board, when many folks are out training (and I'm on my way).



Edited by Connie Sutherland (10/31/2009 10:44 AM)
Edit reason: eta

 Quote: connie sutherland

I'd probably do all these things, and while I was doing them, I'd try to get Ed's video http://leerburg.com/318.htm

I think I'd really like a remote collar and Ed's video, but I can't get one.

I appreciate your input. I know I need to do more marker training. I'm just kinda stuck. I don't know where to go from here. We're both bored with positions. I guess what I need is Ed's "Basic Obedience" DVD (http://leerburg.com/302.htm). I'm assuming that's more formulaic and will walk me through different exercises. I'd also really like "The Power of Training Dogs with Food" (http://leerburg.com/220.htm), but I don't know how much of that content is practical "do this" versus "here's why".

Hey Doug! Long time no see. Have you checked to see if you've got any local opportunities for agility or herding in your area? Getting Suzzie into something like that might provide you with another outlet to burn some of her physical and mental energy off.

I have also found Connie's suggestion to use an enclosed field and allow the dog to "go!" to be very useful. Enclosed fields double nicely as a place to work on some informal OB under distraction.

 Quote: doug alcorn

. I know I need to do more marker training. I'm just kinda stuck. I don't know where to go from here. We're both bored with positions. .... I'd also really like "The Power of Training Dogs with Food" (http://leerburg.com/220.htm), but I don't know how much of that content is practical "do this" versus "here's why".

Besides Jasmine's great suggestions, I'm a big believer in training tricks with a dog who isn't doing any particular sport or other work.

Seriously. It's fun for both of you, it REALLY uses us brain-energy (for both of you ), it's a big bonding thing, and as long as you are using marker training, the dog becomes a "train me! Please train me!" dog. (I have all "please train me" dogs. As I have mentioned, one hint of the bait bag coming out and they line up with their paws waving like Arnold Horshack.)

Agility is great (caveat: my only "expertise" is that a few folks in our club are doing it, and I watch them train sometimes). Those dogs and the Rally-O dogs are obviously having a blast and a workout.

But people also do "homemade" agility in their own yards (and even in basements). I was impressed at the photos and video clips I saw of several different folks on a forum setting up their own ramps, tubes, steps, and so on, and inventing varying routines.

And back to tricks: This is a no-investment activity that is unlimited in scope.


And back to the recall: Here is one thread that has a lot of hints that apply particularly to your dog:

http://leerburg.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/247185/page/0/fpart/1

 Quote: doug alcorn

... I'd also really like "The Power of Training Dogs with Food" (http://leerburg.com/220.htm), but I don't know how much of that content is practical "do this" versus "here's why".

It's both. Do you have the one that precedes "Power of Food"? http://leerburg.com/219.htm is the first one to watch, IMO, followed by "Food."

And I can help you find some threads on both the recall and teaching tricks when I get home later this afternoon.

You can get un-"stuck" in a hurry. Just starting over with the recall can excite and interest both you and the dog.

I don't have NEARLY the knowledge or experience that others here have, so take my suggestion with a grain of salt (heck, use the whole salt shaker, if you wish)...

The first two commands I taught Casey when I got her were "Stop!" and "Come!"... in that order. I had her on a long leash and would let her stroll about, learning about the area, sniffing, and so forth. Then, at various times, I'd call STOP and signal through the leash to stop moving and sit down. I'd mark this behavior (clicker) immediately. Lather, rinse, repeat a couple hundred times. Did it in all sorts of places: Traffic nearby, road/sidewalk intersections, rabbits running in the park, a child's ball rolling into the street... anything I could think of.

To this very day, if she's off leash in an open space and decides that the prairie dogs look worthy of chasing, I can call STOP and she promptly plunks her butt on the ground.

It probably helped that Casey is a smart dog who learns quickly (and is a far better dog than I deserve,) but it's something that you might consider teaching your dog.

 Quote: connie sutherland

 Quote: doug alcorn

... I'd also really like "The Power of Training Dogs with Food" (http://leerburg.com/220.htm), but I don't know how much of that content is practical "do this" versus "here's why".

It's both. Do you have the one that precedes "Power of Food"? http://leerburg.com/219.htm is the first one to watch, IMO, followed by "Food."

Yes, I have "The Power of Training Dogs with Markers" (http://leerburg.com/219.htm). So you'd recommend "Food" over "Basic Obedience"?

Thanks for the link on the recall thread. I'd already read that way back when, but had forgotten about it. Seems like the thing to do is start over with a new word ("here").