[kokosnood]

Hi,

I live way out in the country. I have an older female mix breed who will stay around the house when we leave. A few months ago we got a 1 year old aussie/border collie mix. He is a sweet dog, and they both love to go with us in the truck when we go places. But we can't always take them.

If we try to leave without them the 1 year old will run like crazy behind us until we lose him. And the old female will follow him. Once he followed us 10 minutes to the main road, and we had to load him up and take him back. We found the old female about 1.5 miles from the house trying to catch up with him. It isn't safe for her to be that far from home because of the neighbor dogs who might attack her. There is no traffic out here until you get to the main road, and he can outrun any other dogs around here...but I don't want either one of them to follow us when we leave. How can I get him to stay? (I'm sure she will stay if he does.) It's a big place and fencing it in is not possible now. I could build a kennel, but if it weren't for the first 10 minutes after leaving it would be unnecessary. Once we're gone they stay here, it's just the act of leaving that causes trouble.

Thanks,
Stefan

 

[Elana55]

How long are you gone for? If it is never very long, you could tie him up. A dog kennel would be better.

When I had the farm I confined my dogs when I went to town OR they went with me (most of the dealers etc. allowed dogs). The only time they HAD to stay behind was grocery shopping or clothes shopping.

 

[kokosnood]

Does anyone have a technique to train this boy to stay at home and not follow the truck. We like to take the dogs, but we can't always do it.

I suppose a kennel would be in order; but I think they'd be happier without one!

 

[Elana55]

If there were a reliable way I would have shared it.

There might be a way to rig the kennel with a timer so that the door automatically opened an hour after you leave. Other than that, the only RELIABLE answer is to confine the dog(s).

Another idea (if you have enough help) is to use two vehicles and drive out with both with the farm truck returing to the farm b4 the end of the road. Problem is, with this method someone has to stay home.. and in that case, they could just hold onto the dog until the dog showed no inclination to follow.

 

[kokosnood]

The big problem with taking them everywhere is that it gets hot in the back of the truck. I locked the 1 year old in the laundry room and he spilled his water dish and scratched the door a lot.

 

[Elana55]

Oh no questions. There are days the dog must stay home and days the dog may come with.

It is just there is no way short of fencing, crating, kenneling, tying or having someone hold a leash to keep the dog home reliably when you go out with the truck.

Of course, you could get a nice Beef Filet and hang it off a tree just low enough for the dog to almost get it.... and that might be more interesting than following the truck.

 

[Lolas_Dad]

Does anyone have a technique to train this boy to stay at home and not follow the truck. We like to take the dogs, but we can't always do it.

I suppose a kennel would be in order; but I think they'd be happier without one!

They might be happier without a kennel but would they be safer?. What about the safety of others?.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

I think another option would be to teach the dogs a good, solid Stay. It would take a lot of work, but I don't think it would be impossible.

The way I would probably handle it is to just start with having the dog stay while you walk towards the truck, then return. Keep working til it's Solid. Then add opening the door of the truck, then closing and returning. Then opening the door, getting in, gettin out, closing the door, and returning. Once you can get in and close the door, then you add the starting of the truck, then turn off, get out, close the door, and return. Just take it in baby steps. If the dog fails a step, go back to the previous step and work some more. Once you get in the truck and start it, you can then move on to putting the truck in gear, then back to park, turn off, return to dog. Then you can start with some truck movement and repeat. And if you have an area where you can turn around, maybe drive the truck out, turn around, then return. Again, work it in small steps so it makes it easy for the dogs to succeed. Eventually, you should be able to leave without the dogs following.

 

[blackrose]

Rose is the same way. If someone leaves, she will follow the car and not give up. If you gun it you can loose her in the woods and she'll go back home, but even then she still tries to follow. Since someone is almost always home, we just hold her until the car is gone or let her inside before we leave.

We have a dog kennel. It is 10'x20' and runs up against the side the house. When Blackie and Rose were outside dogs, they were NEVER left loose when we weren't home. Yes, they stayed around the house, but what if something happened? I'd rather the dogs be secure and have peace of mind. They don't mind going into the kennel either and it is big enough that on hot days they not only have their dog houses, a cement block, a table, and a shade tarp, but they get a kiddy pool as well.

 

[kokosnood]

Of course, you could get a nice Beef Filet and hang it off a tree just low enough for the dog to almost get it.... and that might be more interesting than following the truck.

I gave them some beef rib bones right when I left and we had no problem with them following us. But I can't do this every time.

 

[Willowy]

I think another option would be to teach the dogs a good, solid Stay.

If it were a TRULY solid Stay, wouldn't they still be in the same position when the owners got back .

Seriously, I think a command like that would be useful, if you were willing to put the work into it. I've read several other methods in training book, but none of them are the sorts I'd be willing to recommend .

 

[Elana55]

I gave them some beef rib bones right when I left and we had no problem with them following us. But I can't do this every time.

A little off topic.. sort of...

You have just learned and shared with everyone the #1 premise of dog training. Dogs will do what they do for the thing MOST VALUABLE TO THE DOG.

Primary reinforcers work better than punishment or praise and here is an example. This dog loves to ride in the truck and go places. He will run the truck down to get that self reward. However, if the dog is provided with something MORE VALUABLE TO THE DOG than truck Riding, he will go for the more valuable thing (in this case the primary reinforcer of food). This is why Food usually works so well when training a dog to do ANYTHING.

Now.. back to the dog and the truck scenario. You have learned there is something the dog places higher on his list than truck riding: FOOD. In this case it was beef bones.

Next I would see if Kibble worked. If you fed him and drove away in the truck, would he choose the dog food over the truck? If he does, you have answered your own question. Try it and see.

You can go to Petsmart or Pet Supplies Unlimited (Omaha Vaccine) and get a large Buster Cube (I got mine online). Put his entire dinner in the Buster Cube (don't feed him the day you do this and there is no rule that a dog HAS to eat his meal all at once from a bowl) and give him that just as you go to leave in the truck.

The Buster cube requires the dog to nose it around and move it so the food comes out of it. It is a self rewarding food puzzle that can keep a dog busy for a bit of time. While he is busy with the Buster Cube you can be busy driving down the road.