I don't usually live my life around what ifs. However, as we are surrounded by livestock, my dog's life is at risk if I don't train him to respond to commands EVEN WHEN livestock are nearby. It may be an unlikely 'what if' but the consequences are HUGE.

His recall around other dogs is MUCH better than it was. It used to be pretty much non-existant. These days he will come back every time (sometimes not as quickly as I'd like). It helps that I have another dog now whose recall is fab and he seems to be picking up a thing or two.

Edited to Add: This post is duplicated from another thread as it is more on-topic here.

Some Tips for getting dog into toys!

If you get pups its best to do this from Day 1, with a older dog you are going to have to work HARD!!!!!!

1. watch the dog naturally do stuff, do they use their feet or mouth, this may influence what type of toy you use.

2.a terrier or husky type you may be better off with a "prey" type of toy to turn the dog on. Try a fluffy little thing/ted it would be brilliant if this thing had a "pouch"tied onto a long lead, Tie the dog up & make as much fuss of this thing as you can. Ie (LOTS of acting skill here!!) "oh my goodness "Rover" look at that, pick it up smmooth it, treat it like a animal, pull it around the floor, flick it around.run it past your dog.

3. Get the dog onthe lead, "what have i got"??? "oh its..........."XXXXX" & produce the toy on the long lead from under your jumper, Flick the toy around on the floor, keep some resitance on your lead, & let the dog get it.

4. when the dog gets it, clap, "ohh look at you what you got?" mock chase (dog is on the lead so cant ****** off) try to get it but fail, make the dog feel REALLY important that hes "won" his praise

5. if the toy has some type of pouch, you could put food in to make toy really exciting.

6. Try to build up so you can hold one end & your dog can hold the other, you WANT the dog to have it, & build up a tug word.

7. dont worry about winning & being able to control the dog letting go, this isnt about any dominance stuff its about haveing a game & letting the dog win. When you want the toy swop for a treat .

8.at this stage you should have a word for the toy, a "get it" word& a "tug word" & a "swop word"

9. Build up the tugging each day, so its really really really strong

10, In the garden experiment with suprising the dog wth the "toy Word" & getting him to get it. With that you ideally want him charging back & grasping onto it & tugging it.
If he dosent keep working on the tugging

11. My young dog Mav, really likes "chasing", he will DIE for a throw of his frisbee, obvisley by throwing the toy makes it harder for you to control the game/training , but if your dog likes to chase then you may well have to work this in.

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Once youve done all this, hopefully you will be able to move onto a "bally on a rope" something easy to hold & carry, & you can do lots of tugging & training on a normal walk, then you can build up onto a distractions walk, (dog on lead but tugging).

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queries welcome!!!!!!

Excellent mishflynn! I'm going to try this! I'll let you know how I get on.

Should I modify this at all because I have TWO dogs? Or should this be worked on one dog at a time only?

Does it have to be done on-lead? Or is it OK to try it off-lead in the garden?

Using this method, if it is followed correctly, I know he's prevented all manner of dogs to respond to their owners.

Just realised I said he prevented dogs responding to their owners!!! Silly me!

Did not mean that!

Great link Wysiwyg! Thanks very much. I'm gonna find the ultimate toy and hopefully get Spike to think it's the best thing since sliced bread!

1. train them both to it, it might be good to actually do one where the other one can see, (but cant interfere) to increase the "want"

2.Do on lead for a few days, then take off.Its better on lead initally so its a real Team thing (u & dog & will build up on your bond) & also you can control the dog if he decides enough is enough,

To add keep the sessions short to start with, You end it whilst the dog really stills wants to go on!

I have copied this post from another thread as it is more on-topic here:

I have had him since he was about 3 months old. I wouldn't say I have a LOT of problems with this dog, so much as one BIG one! lol. On the whole his general training is going well. He is usually pretty well behaved although he is prone to over-exitement sometimes.

Sorry Sally, on the original post you were discussing the dogs used to produce yours and the bearing on the problems you were describing in this other thread, not sure this post belongs here as this is about training not about the ancestry of your dog.

I note you have not moved the posts to which I was replying so it would seem pointless for me to continue.

Sorry Pita, this thread is about how to train my dog out of livestock chasing and I thought that was what you were talking about re: breed traits/history and their relevance, and asking about whether my dog came from rescue.

It has been pointed out on the other thread that it is getting off-topic discussing my dog's livestock-chasing there when there is already a thread for it here.

Sally I would not dream of offering suggestions on training a dog out of such a big problem without seeing the dogs behaviour in general and his & your reaction to this particular one, I am just not qualified to do so anymore than I can make a diagnoses on a sick dog I am not a vet.

I do however think that it would be best to keep your dog under your control when near livestock and if this requires having him on a lead and/or in a muzzle then that is what I would suggest. A dog that has once decided to chase may never be 100% and the risk is just too great.