posted 01-13-2004 08:10 AM         

All the dogs responded MUCH better to the hand signals.

Border Collies and Aussies are extremely visual and got 37 out of 40 correct responses to hand signals but only 6 out of 40 correct for auditory signals.

Beagles and Miniature Schnauzers did not get ANY correct responses to the auditory signals (out of 40 attempts), but they got 32 out of 40 correct responses to the hand signals. (She says, "That will teach you to try to tell your Beagle to "come" while he is busy chasing a rabbit...")

We have always suspected a bit of Beagle in Nala. I think I will try hand signals, LOL.

Really though, I have noticed this. She knows what "down" means. But even when I have a treat in my hand and she is waiting patiently to get it and I tell her "Down" without any associated motion, she just sits there and stares at me attentively. I repeat it. Again. And again. Finally, she slowly and hesitantly lies down, and I can practically see the question in her eyes, "Is this it? Is this what you want me to do?" More practice only makes her down automatically, figuring it's what I will eventually want anyway.

Interesting. Perhaps that is why I am not having much luck telling her to "Go get your ball." I finally got her to understand "Go get your mailman" (I *think* she understands - her mailman is a stuffed mailman toy), but since she split his head open and ripped his "brains" out, he is currently awaiting repair.

I also think it is funny when I watch some people who have trained their dogs to hand signals. They use these HUGE, exaggerated gestures. Do you suppose this is really necessary? Dogs supposedly pay attention to very fine movements - it almost seems insulting.

posted 01-13-2004 09:30 AM         

Speaking of Beagles...I was at the park with Witt Sunday and it was freezing! anyhow, there was a beagle there, off leash, in the wrong area, it's owner meandering along behind him. I kept Witt close to me and watched the dog afraid once it saw Witt it would run to him. The more I watched the dog the more I realized it was not aware of anything around it...it's nose was on the ground and in hot pursuit of something. He never looked up, and after a bit he started to bay...just randomly baying along whatever trail he was smelling. Probably squirrels. I sat down at a bench and watched some more. The guy just followed behind him quietly and let the dog do this all over the place, which was fine with me since all he cared about was what was under the snow. As he attached the leash and started across the field the dog began baying harder, he was moving with the guy willingly but protesting vocally, it was hysterical.

posted 01-13-2004 09:48 AM         

Walks are difficult because Nala has to run from side to side, in front of you and behind you, to sniff every blade of grass. I usually make her behave at the beginning and the end of the walk, and let her run amok in the middle.

My husband lets her off-leash at the park (where he is not supposed to). She spends the entire time with her nose to the ground. She even runs with her nose down most of the time.

Boy, does she like to chase the deer!

posted 01-13-2004 11:54 AM         

His specialty is starting new dogs, so he sounds perfect. If Nala has no aptitude for it, we won't pursue it (obvisously). But my hope is that it will give her an outlet for her herding and therefore take some of the pressure off my cats. And you have to be able to call a herding dog off the stock, so that will transfer to the cats as well. I would not be opposed to competing with her if she enjoys it.

Here is his website (warning - CUTE pups on the home page): http://www.adastrafarm.com

We live in a regular suburban house, Maisey. Our yard is decent-sized, but not huge. I'm not sure we are zoned for ducks, although you can bet I have wondered often in the last few months. Or goats. Goats would keep the grass short. Can you herd goats?

posted 01-13-2004 02:27 PM         

We definitely don't have room for a flock of sheep. We could move south of town and get some land...

I know chickens are actually destructive little beasts. I wonder what ducks are like.

posted 01-13-2004 09:12 PM         

I think it really just depends on the dog, and their individual preferences (sort of like how some people are very visual learners, some are more auditory, etc). And no, hand signals don't have to be huge I usually start out with "bigger" ones (like when teaching Annie to "finish" after heeling, would swing my hand in a large arc from where she was in front of me all the way behind me), then as the dog understands what it means, downsize into more subtle gestures (now just a small downward wave). I think too that using big cues can actually make it easier for the dog's attention to stray while working, as it's easy enough to catch the big neon sign-like cues even when they're goofing off paying attention to other things. With smaller cues, they have to keep focused on the person they're working with, or they'll miss their cue.

EDIT: re: ducks... living by the water, we have tons of them around, and have raised a few abandoned or orphaned, so I figure I can give fairly decent comment on this. They aren't too bad in the way of destruction, but DO "poo" a lot, and dogs love to roll in it (some love to eat it ).