Once a month i watch ACD's run all day long on a farm, they're cattle dogs, it's what they are made for.

I'd still have to respectfully disagree with the idea that a one year old dog needs hours of running.

While I don't have experience ACDs, I am familiar with working stockdogs. I know with working Border Collies that younger dogs are not out running for hours a day. They get out and work. And while they can be useful at that age, the majority are not mature enough to handle the mental pressure of working livestock all day at a year old.

And even when they are out working, they're expected to control themselves and use their brain - they've got to have the self control on them first before they are useful as a working dog. There is a huge difference between running until they're tired and the activity of working stock. Stockwork fulfills their need for both mental and physical exercise, running just does one.

I know my Border Collies are physically able to go all day long - I heard somewhere that they were built to cover up to 50 miles a day working hill flocks - but the majority do not need that much activity to stay well adjusted. My current daily schedule includes about 45 minutes of structured exercise throughout the day plus another 1/2 hour or so of training. Probably 2 days a week they get more than that - some search problems, or stockwork. They are happy, sane well-adjusted dogs.

Coming late into this conversation and have read pretty much none of this thread so take what I say with a grain of salt.

I am going on 15 years of living with ACDs. I don't advise forced exercise such as a treadmill until the growth plates have closed on a dog nor do I really do much running (as in the dog going on mile or more runs with me) until around 18 months to 2 years old for the same reason.

The key (for me) to surviving puppyhood and sub-adult periods of an ACD is to exercise the dog both physically AND mentally. I do lots of fun obedience/tracking/trick games that mentally tire the dog and I play fetch, go swimming, hikes etc as well to physically tire them out. I can't stress enough that mentally tiring out an ACD is as important, if not more, than physically tiring them out.

 Quote: Ingrid Rosenquist

Coming late into this conversation and have read pretty much none of this thread so take what I say with a grain of salt.

No salt needed......nice post .

I think my posts may have confused the thread; I stated the OP did not have to run his dog and I think that was taken as advice not to exercise his dog. I am putting together alternate ways to exercise in a PM as requested by the OP. Sorry folks if I confused the issue.

todays adventure... went to the park to play ball...not run or anything just ball.... got out of the car, he immediately starts whining and pulling on the leash.... i remained calm and asked him to heel etc and slowly walked towards the park from the parking lot and within oh 45 sec of being there he went right after the leash again... so i walked him (well pulled him as he tugged) picked him up by the harness, put him in the car, drove home and put him in his kennel.... i chose this time to go to the gym myself...

i guess we are off of ball and running now until i can figure out how to get this under control

I have a large kitchen that is approx 20' by 12". I have a 9 1/2 month old malteese mix. I have fenced off one third of the kitchen for her to stay in while I am not home. She never has any accidents when I leave the house. I do crate her but not as much as I used to because she is very reliable. I have now tried to remove the gates to let her have the full run of the kitchen but when I am not looking she will go to the far end of the kitchen to urinate. How can I keep her from doing this?

 Quote: mary fiore

I have a large kitchen that is approx 20' by 12". I have a 9 1/2 month old malteese mix. I have fenced off one third of the kitchen for her to stay in while I am not home. She never has any accidents when I leave the house. I do crate her but not as much as I used to because she is very reliable. I have now tried to remove the gates to let her have the full run of the kitchen but when I am not looking she will go to the far end of the kitchen to urinate. How can I keep her from doing this?

Mary, you're hijacking someone else's thread.

You want to go to the appropriate forum, such as this one:
http://leerburg.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/ubb/postlist/Board/16/page/1

Now up near the top, left of center, see "new topic" in blue print? Click that and you will have a new message box for your own title (maybe something like "recent accidents") and start your own thread. You will receive house-training answers then.

Welcome!

.... and back to "Training questions with an ACD" .....

 Quote: john vanecko

todays adventure... went to the park to play ball...not run or anything just ball.... got out of the car, he immediately starts whining and pulling on the leash.... i remained calm and asked him to heel etc and slowly walked towards the park from the parking lot and within oh 45 sec of being there he went right after the leash again... so i walked him (well pulled him as he tugged) picked him up by the harness, put him in the car, drove home and put him in his kennel.... i chose this time to go to the gym myself...

i guess we are off of ball and running now until i can figure out how to get this under control

I may have missed some posts, although I went back and reviewed, but how has it been going to teach two-ball, or to teach the release of the ball into your hand (separately, as a separate command, before throwing it for him), and getting him less amped at home before the trips to the park, and how is the marker obedience work in multiple upbeat sessions throughout the day to tire his brain as well as his bod?

IOW, how are you draining off some of the energy before taking him to the filled-with-distractions exciting places?

John it still sounds like a dog needing to learn some self control to me. You did the right thing in this instance, and I can tell you, with smart dogs, many get the idea rather quickly that if I act up, I go home. I've used this technique at agility trials. Little brat used to blow me off, until one day I got fed up, finished the run, picked her up, did not reward her, popped her in her crate, ignored her for 10 minutes and I can tell you honestly that she's never blown me off since - no reward and ignoring was something that stuck in her brain.
So I think if you can keep up with the bad behaviour equals going home, that will really help.
Another thing, amongst all this great advice everyone has given (especially upping the obedience work), is a game you can play that promotes self control, that could be very helpful in your situation. If your boy is food motivated (can't remember if you mentioned that), sit him in front of you, hold a treat that he can see in both hands. Hold your hands out to the side of your body 9not too far at first). Treat as soon as his eyes move off the treats, and land on your face. Initially it will be instant treat when he gives eye contact. Then, build up the amount of time that he needs to focus on you before the treat can be had. You can also do this with toys in each hand or one hand. He learns to control himself, and basically ask permission for the toy or the treat by holding eye contact. Move it to more distracting environments once you feel he is doing well. Add a look at me command if you like.
Really awesome for promoting self control, and can be worked into the leave it command as well (dog is looking at the thing to leave, but is only rewarded or allowed to take the thing when he/she focuses on the handler). This has worked for me with an extremely outwardly focused, uncontrolled, pushy, fearful bully, as well as with my impulsive, outgoing, highly driven JRT's.