Chasing and wanting to control moving household items is a super common behaviour in our border collies and other herding breeds.
Possible chasing options include:
- Vacuum cleaners
- Brooms
- Lawn mowers
- Shovels
- Wheelbarrows
And the list goes on!
So can we teach our border collies to be calm around these objects? Yes!
To do that we need to understand why they are doing it. Some may be afraid but that isn't the most common reason. Often it is movement they want to control and are havin fun doing it!
To work with a movement control fun junkie we need to put a few things in place first.
Manage the environment so they can't practice the chasing!
Give them alternative, safe outlets for their herding behaviour with herding games.
Train a solid alternative behaviour you want them to do instead when the object is around. For Archie this is to settle on his mat.
Include some elements of movement control in training your alternative behaviour so you are fulfilling needs. In this video Archie gets to chase and catch a find it treat before returning to the mat.
Put it all together slowly. Introduce your object at a distance and low intensity to start. Slowly build up while your dog is successful.
And of course, have fun training!
#bordercollie #bordercollietraining #bordercolliesofig #kelpie #koolie #cattledog #forcefreetraining #positivereinforcement #herdingdogs #herdinginstinct #dogsofcanberra
Saturday walks in a new place 🥰.
The boys had a fantastic time with a new environment, new smells, new trees to wee on 🤪.
#bordercollie #kelpie #herdingbreed #saturday #saturdaywalkies #newwalkingroute #dogexplorer #Canberra #canberradogs
The weather and having covid has meant doing fun indoor activities for busy border collie brains! They really aren't too fussed about not getting out for a run around as long as their is something fun to do.
Winnie is loving adding new behaviours into his ball game to keep him on his toes 🤗
#bordercollie #bordercollielife #herdingbreed
#busybrain #forcefreetraining #indoorgamesforrainydays #covid
Should you give your herding dog an outlet for their herding behaviour?
Yes!!
Can you do this without access to sheep?
Also, yes!
It's so important to give our herders an outlet for their natural instincts! Herding behaviour will be part of our herder's lives whether we like it or not. It is what they are bred to do and plays a big part in how they navigate the world. It can be problematic in the wrong environment and when directed towards the "wrong sheep" like bikes or cars.
Providing safe, productive outlets helps fulfil needs, give them a sense of satisfaction, and directs them towards "the right sheep". It is also a great way to bond with your herder and see their natural skills come out!
One thing to get right, though, is knowing if the activity actually simulates herding or not. Fetch, for example, isn't anything like herding, so it wouldn't be an outlet, yet it is often recommended as one!
A big part of The Mindful Canine is teaching our urban herders games that will be an appropriate outlet for your dog!
We now offer this both in person and online.
#bordercollie #kelpie #cattledog #koolie #herdingdogs #urbanherding #herdygames #herdinginstinct #herdingwithoutsheep
Time out at the farm isn't all about working sheep or just running around. Farms are such versatile places to include all types of activities in different ways, just using what is already there!
We found fun options for elements of agility, parkour and balance work, nosework, long distance recalls, viewing different livestock and much more. The more time we spend there the more fun things we find to do.
I love sharing this place and all it has to offer to the herding breeds of Canberra ❤️
#dogsofcanberra #bordercollie #kelpie #koolie #cattledog #herdingdogs #herdingbreed #dogparkour #dogagility #nosework #recall #farmstyle
Indoor games for rainy days!
These are great for smaller spaces and you can just use objects from around the house.
This is our version of movement puzzles where we don't have the space for a bigger set up.
We train each object individually first so the dogs know what to do with them. This might be to go over, go under, two paws up, one paw up, sit on it, lie on it etc.
Then we line them up in different configurations and the dogs work there brains remembering what to do with each object without me giving them instructions. It's also great for balance, proprioception and confidence building!
And of course, we never miss an opportunity to add in a herdy element. In this case, stalking up on the ball with a stop thrown in at an unexpected time 😆.
Sneaking up on the weekend like...👀😆
Gigi has really mastered her stylish walk up!!
#bordercollie #bordercolliesrock #bordercolliesofig #stalk #herdingdogs #sneakingupontheweekend #weekend #bordercolliestare #dogsofcanberra
Today Lauren came to the farm for lessons! Archie got to work on being at a much bigger distance and widening his cast and responding to stops far away.
He has come such a long way from his humble beginnings with some sheep in a small round pen to now having a good stop, cast, call off, knowing his sides and being able to work in a larger paddock. He is ready to start his trialling journey! I suspect he has been ready for a while but it's me who's been the hesitant one 😉.
We are both looking forward to what lies ahead 🙌
Endless thanks to Lauren Vest for her knowledge, guidance and patience. We couldn't have got here without you 😊.
#sheepdog #sheepherding #herding #herdinginstinct #herdingdog #sheepdogtraining #progress #sheepwork #farmlife #bordercollie #bordercollielife #bordercolliesofcanberra #bordercolliesofig #canberradogs
Training for leash reactivity is not a quick or easy process. We have been working with Cassie the Aussie Shephard and her mum for a while now. Cassie initially started out lunging and barking at other dogs from 30m away and was very uncomfortable in their presence. Over time, we have helped her change how she feels about seeing other dogs and what to do when they appear.
She is now at a point where helper dog Archie has become interesting rather than scary, and she was even trying to get a little closer for a sniff! But she is also able to be near him and just relax. Before this they had spent some time doing parallel loose lead walking to warm up and just enjoy the outdoors together.
Cassie and her mum have put a lot of work in to get to this point, and I am so proud of the progress they have made.
#aussiesofinstagram #aussieshepherd #australianshepherdsofinstagram #reactivedog #reactivity #reactivitytraining #forcefreetraining #positivereinforcement #dogsofcanberra #dogsofinstagram #reactivedogsaregooddogstoo #trainingprogress #herdingbreed
Make your dog a puzzle room!
These set ups are simple but provide long lasting mental stimulation for your dog. Provide a range of activites your dog enjoys such as puzzles, licki mats, snuffle mats, things to rip up, things to chew. I also scatter free treats around for them to find along the way. This set up is great for allowing your dog the freedom to explore at their own pace and choose the order in which they would like to do the activites.
Puzzle rooms are also great when you are a little time poor as you can set up and leave them to it (once you know they can do the activites safely on their own).
I also use this as a decompression opportunity when my dog may need some activites that promote relaxation.
The benefits are endless!
#puzzleroom #dogpuzzle #dogenrichment #lickimat #snufflemat #ripitup #exploreatyourownpace #decompression #mentalstimulationfordogs #dogsofaustralia #canberradogs
Today we prepared the farm for returning to work. With all the rain we've had even the sheep couldn't keep up with the grass and everything had become quite overgrown. The trough had also become a tad green and grimy 😕.
But now it is clean, slashed and ready to go! I look forward to seeing all our clients soon 😊.
#returntowork #farmwork #farmlife #farmchores #cleaning #dogtraining #sheep #sheepdog #sheepfarm #canberradogs
For some of our dog reactive clients one of the end goals is to hopefully attend a group class.
The black dog in the background is Ash the kelpie. Ash has been doing training for her reactivity on lead towards other dogs for some time now. She has made significant progress to the point that her mum now feels confident walking her and the walk is enjoyable for both of them.
Once we hit this milestone it was time to set up a mock class to see if Ash would also be ready for a group environment. I like to do a mock class with my reactivity clients first before putting them in a group class with unknown dogs. By having reliable dogs as the other class members I can set Ash up for success.
Ash did amazingly well and was very happy to do her training and was not bothered by the presence of multiple other dogs. She is now ready to do a real group class!
I am so proud of Ash and her mum and all that they have achieved. They have worked hard and I can't wait to see them enjoy their first group class experience ❤️
#kelpie #kelpiesofinstagram #bordercollie #poodlegram #mockclass #groupclass #dogtrainingclasses #reactivitytraining #reactivedog #positivereinforcement #progress
Recently, we have been working on some new exercises that help teach body awareness. The dogs need to slow down and be aware of their body and feet. Here, we have paw targets and cavalettis. The aim is for the dogs to pause on the targets and then carefully navigate the cavaletti at a walking speed. No running or rushing!
Body awareness exercises are great for improving your dog's movement and building confidence. It's also fantastic mental stimulation and a lot of fun. The boys found learning this one particularly tiring as everything had to be done slowly and precisely. They also had to be insync with my slower pace.
#bodyawareness #bordercollie #bordercolliesofig #bordercolliesofaustralia #postitivereinforcement #forcefreetraining #slowandsteady #cavaletti #pawtarget #herdingbreed #canberradogs #buildingconfidence
2023 was a tough year. Many plans and goals had to be set aside, and stress levels were often high.
In 2024 we plan to take it slow, make time for things like relaxation, farm walks, sheep work and helping the herding dogs of Canberra decompress because they need it just as much as we do ❤️. Here's looking forward to a much better year.
#herdinginstinct #herdingdogs #workingbreed #bordercollie #kelpie #cattledog #koolie #farmexperience #farmlife #farmlifebestlife #2024 #slowdown #relaxation #thelittlethingsinlife
The days are getting hotter, so it's great to have a range of inside activities to do with our dogs. There are plenty of enrichment activity options out there, but it's also great to provide outlets for our herders that specifically work with herding behaviour.
Here is one game my dogs absolutely love! Mouseballs!
All you need is some scruched up paper balls! About 10 is a good number to start. These can be with food or without. Winston doesn't quite see the point in just paper balls and needs there to be some treats included. Archie, on the other hand, is more than happy without food involved so the game can progress faster! This can also be done with small soft toys.
You then flick the paper at high speed and watch your dogs' natural instincts for eye, fast responses, movement anticipation, and movement control come out. This is a lot of fun and doesn’t require any fancy equipment or large spaces.
I always finish with a more calming activity to bring the arousal levels back down. This can be some slower, more methodical behaviours like mat work or, in this example, put away your toys.
#bordercollie #bordercolliesrock
#kelpiesofinstagram #kelpie #bordercolliesofig #kooliesofinstagram #koolie #cattledogsofinstagram #heelergram #herdingdogs #herdingbreed #herdinginstinct #urbanherdingdog #urbanherding #indoorgamesfordogs #summerheat #indoorgames #canberradogs
Many of our herding breed dogs find the urban world quite overwhelming and herding behaviour can crop up in areas we would rather it didn't.
This is where breed specific outlets come in! An outlet for herding breed dogs should simulate herding behaviour as much as is possible without the real thing and give the dogs a safe way to use instinct.
Herdy balls is designed to do just that. I love watching all the dogs unique styles when playing the game and watching them play in a way that makes sense to the herding brain is endlessly satisfying. Sheba is a star at herdy balls and it is a beautiful sight to watch ❤️
#kelpie #cattledog #bordercollie #herdingdog #herdingdogsofinstagram #herdyballs #UrbanHerding
Our herding breeds are bred to be reactive to movement. To react with speed and intensity without delay to keep their livestock under control. Without this trait they wouldn't be any good at their intended purpose. So is it really any wonder that they can be reactive to moving stimuli in our urban environments? But without the ability to act to control the movement they can end up stressed and frustrated. A trait we purposely bred them for became a "problem behaviour".
Do you have a dog that is reactive to moving stimuli? Think bikes, cars, joggers, running dogs, vacuum cleaners.
Our webinar 'Things on the move' on December 6th will delve into why this happens, the motivations behind it and how we can work with it successfully. The presentation will be recorded for those who can't attend live.
Link for tickets 👇
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/things-on-the-move-helping-dogs-with-reactivity-to-cars-bikes-vacuums-and-other-moving-stimuli-tickets-748247186477?aff=Facebookads
#bordercollies #kelpiesofinstagram #cattledog #koolie #heelersofinstagram #bordercolliesofig #kelpie #herdingdogs #herdingbreed #reactivedog #reactivity #forcefreetraining
Herding other dogs is a common issue amongst our herding breed friends. Their innate need to control movement is very hard to pass up!
While some dogs can play and herd each other quite enjoyably, there are other times when the behaviour can really affect how they interact with other dogs and get them into trouble. It can be very unpleasant for the dog being herded.
Winston use to herd Archie relentlessly when he was playing ball as he knew he would move quickly. This was not at all an enjoyable experience for Archie and ruined his fun. Winston is nicknamed "the fun police" for a reason 😉.
I taught Winston that he could find fullfillment from other activites that also involved chasing and controlling movement and that he no longer needed to herd Archie. Now he gets to do treat chases and catches when Archie plays ball. He can restart the game by bringing his attention back to me. Over time he no longer needs to do this every time and can happily go an explore and sniff while Archie plays ball. This has made life much easier for everyone!
#bordercollie #bordercolliesrock #herdingdogs #herdinginstinct #bordercolliesofig #bordercollielife #herdingotherdogs #jobtodo #dogjob #positivereinforcement #dogsofcanberra
Dogs can be reactive to moving stimuli for a variety of reasons. In Winston's case, it is based in frustration and wanting to control the movement. Being a border collie he was bred to control movement so moving things in the urban world can present quite the challenge for him. Finding out why your dog is reacting in this way is crucial to working with the behaviour successfully.
Do you have a dog that reacts towards, cars, bikes, joggers, running dogs or similar and would like to learn why this happens and how to help? Then join me and Dr Emily Lucas at our webinar "Things on the move" on Demcember 6th from 7:30 - 9pm AEDT. The webinar will be recorded for those who can't attend live.
Link for tickets below
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/things-on-the-move-helping-dogs-with-reactivity-to-cars-bikes-vacuums-and-other-moving-stimuli-tickets-748247186477?aff=Facebookads
I am so impressed with how far Cocoa has come since I first met her. She was completely unable to eat and respond to her people when out and would even get diarrhoea. She continues to progress and today we tried a new area away from the farm. This space was specifically chosen to be in suburbia but in a reserve type setting where suburban noises could be heard but not in view. Cocoa did so well and showed how us how all the work her family has put in is really paying off ❤️
