Ferguson K
Herd Master
I see hes trained you well. 
Bruce's Journal
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- alpacas. chickens
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- #162
Bruce
Herd Master
Partners train each other, right? Going out Tuesday morning at 4:30 was not him training me but my wife being quite unhappy about not getting enough sleep. Given I had only 3 hours of sleep at that time, I was pretty cranky myself.
He supposedly knows the "suggestion" "Come" but pretends he doesn't. He has however quickly learned "Back" when I come to the gate and want him to back up so I can open it without him having a possibility of going through it.
And I'm working on just calling his name from a window or door in the house when he is barking. When I do that and he comes to the gate I know whatever he is barking at isn't a significant threat. I saw his reaction the other night when he and Teddy were both alerting at something in the field. WAY different than "you called, maybe you are going to come scratch my ears". And no, I do NOT want to train him that barking is rewarded with ear scrubs. And I don't want him to train me to don appropriate winter clothing and go outside every time he barks.
He supposedly knows the "suggestion" "Come" but pretends he doesn't. He has however quickly learned "Back" when I come to the gate and want him to back up so I can open it without him having a possibility of going through it.
And I'm working on just calling his name from a window or door in the house when he is barking. When I do that and he comes to the gate I know whatever he is barking at isn't a significant threat. I saw his reaction the other night when he and Teddy were both alerting at something in the field. WAY different than "you called, maybe you are going to come scratch my ears". And no, I do NOT want to train him that barking is rewarded with ear scrubs. And I don't want him to train me to don appropriate winter clothing and go outside every time he barks.
NH homesteader
Herd Master
So... You're saying it's your wife that has you trained? 
Southern by choice
Herd Master
Why are you going outside everytime he barks? 
You really need to look at this quickly and decide whether he needs to go back to @purplequeenvt
You got an LGD to protect you alpacas and poultry.
LGD's BARK!
They bark as a deterrent first!
If the predator is bold enough to proceed to your livestock or poultry then they kill.
Right now he is in a new environment. Prior to his being there you had an idea what was out there but no real concept of how many critters are on the move. The heavier the load the more barking.
There are seasons where they bark more. Like this time of year. As well as sound carries with no leaves on trees and colder air.
Two things-
1.He is going to bark PERIOD! Just because you don't see, hear or smell it doesn't mean it isn't out there.
2. If you do not let the LGD be a LGD you will frustrate and exacerbate the dog. This allowing your LGD to be what you got him for is critical to the trust and best interest of the dog.
Not trying to be a jerk here but if you cannot handle the barking then you need a different type of guardian. If your wife is frustrated and irritated she will end up hating the dog, she will not respect the dog. When these dogs are not respected and they know there is resentment they will respond, mostly in negative ways.
I have seen this before and it can cause a great deal of strife.
Not everyone is cut out for owning a LGD. If your wife is already this upset with him being there for a few days and he hasn't even fully adjusted... this is not a good sign.
A good example- I can hear my dogs inside the house but I could not hear why they are barking.
A few minutes ago I took Rita out... off in the distance I hear coyotes... I also hear the cows (they are about 1/2 mile away)... not sure if the cows are calving or if it is the coyotes upsetting them but anyway my dogs are going nuts. They go quiet and stay quiet then they get set off. This is what they do.
You really need to look at this quickly and decide whether he needs to go back to @purplequeenvt
You got an LGD to protect you alpacas and poultry.
LGD's BARK!
They bark as a deterrent first!
If the predator is bold enough to proceed to your livestock or poultry then they kill.
Right now he is in a new environment. Prior to his being there you had an idea what was out there but no real concept of how many critters are on the move. The heavier the load the more barking.
There are seasons where they bark more. Like this time of year. As well as sound carries with no leaves on trees and colder air.
Two things-
1.He is going to bark PERIOD! Just because you don't see, hear or smell it doesn't mean it isn't out there.
2. If you do not let the LGD be a LGD you will frustrate and exacerbate the dog. This allowing your LGD to be what you got him for is critical to the trust and best interest of the dog.
Not trying to be a jerk here but if you cannot handle the barking then you need a different type of guardian. If your wife is frustrated and irritated she will end up hating the dog, she will not respect the dog. When these dogs are not respected and they know there is resentment they will respond, mostly in negative ways.
I have seen this before and it can cause a great deal of strife.
Not everyone is cut out for owning a LGD. If your wife is already this upset with him being there for a few days and he hasn't even fully adjusted... this is not a good sign.
A good example- I can hear my dogs inside the house but I could not hear why they are barking.
A few minutes ago I took Rita out... off in the distance I hear coyotes... I also hear the cows (they are about 1/2 mile away)... not sure if the cows are calving or if it is the coyotes upsetting them but anyway my dogs are going nuts. They go quiet and stay quiet then they get set off. This is what they do.
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- #165
Bruce
Herd Master
Yes! And no need to hide.So... You're saying it's your wife that has you trained?
Not to worry @Southern by choice I do not go out every time he barks. The first evening I went out and he came to the gate as soon as he saw/heard me coming, same thing the second time. I figured out then that there were "unimportant" things he barks at. The time he didn't come and was intent on a specific direction, as was the alerting alpaca, I knew it was a true threat outside the fencing. One interesting thing I've seen is that he doesn't react AT ALL to other dogs I hear barking. Doesn't even lift his head. Lots of times in neighborhoods, one dog gets going and then most every dog in hearing range starts up.
If he is going on a bit I can call his name in a normal tone of voice from the house and he will stop. If the time comes when I do that and he doesn't stop, I'll know I need to go out to see what he is concerned about. I mostly only do this around the time my wife is going to sleep.
I am working to learn the different barks. I think he followed a bark with a bay yesterday. Don't know what that means but I didn't call to him and he didn't keep it up. I called to him once last night when my wife was going to bed and he stopped. Didn't hear anything from him the rest of the night. If he was barking neither of us heard him. Given the expected overnight wind chill of -25F I'm guessing there won't be much of anything on the move for him to be concerned about tonight.
I think the Tuesday morning event was as much an exhaustion thing as not. Mondays are always really busy because even though the P.O.s aren't open on Sunday, mail is still moved so it is often 2 'regular' day's worth of mail. There are days that she can't get in the back of the P.O. as usual because it is packed full with mail. But the light switch for that room is by the outside door so she has to go in at least to turn on the light then go around front to get into the mail room from the other side and start working through it. As you can imagine it is pretty busy at the P.O. this time of year, it isn't a big office and she is the only one there.
She likes Merlin and goes to see him when she gets home from work to give him ear scrubs even though it is already dark. He happily comes to the front gate between the barns for that. Might even be going there as soon as he hears the car for all I know. I did explain that GP's bark to warn off threats, that he is getting settled, learning what is around and declaring his territory. And I ASSUME the things he is warning off will learn that there is a new threat to THEM that just moved in and modify their activities.
- Thread starter
- #166
Bruce
Herd Master
Today's activities:
- Given the wicked wind we are having tonight, I replaced the string on the alpacas' (and also Merlin's now!) door with bungee cord material both outside and in so the wind can't blow it open too far or close it (the original purpose of the string). The alpacas, being wider in the middle than in the front, were pulling the door shut when they tried to get in on my first attempt so I lengthened the inside one and shortened the outside one. Had to do that twice. Had to bribe the boys with pellets in their bins on the gate to try the door while I watched so I could see if they COULD get in. That is how I saw that Laddie was only getting in partway before the door started closing on his neck. Hopefully this needing to push through will be good training for when I have it on double acting hinges.
- Attached a large heavy duty clear tarp to the strike post on the gate outside the north end of the barn and most of the way to the NE corner to help block the north wind hitting the new door. It originally helped keep snow off the covered but open sided entry to the half of the house that was rebuilt. It still had the 2x4 on one end and a 2x2 on the other. I screwed the 2x4 into the strike post and connected the 2x2 to the corner post with wire. Don't know how much wind it will block given the door is about 15' from the fence. I also took the 4x8 sheet of plywood that had blocked the door frame when the silo was taken down and put it inside the 'block animals away from the hot wire ground rod piece of "fence". That should block some of the west wind.
- Cut the horizontals off a piece of cattle panel (left over from the fencing project), drilled a hole, above and below, in the middle of the coop frame for the smaller chicken door and slid the "rod" down. This SHOULD be enough to keep Merlin from going in the coop until the chickens realize they can trust him. the 13" opening (unless he decides to push through and bend the "rod" until he gets in) is now divided into two 6.5" wide openings. I don't THINK Merlin can fit through a 6.5" opening. You would think that him not bothering the "ostrich" Faverolles the other day would be a good hint. But as they are bird brains and the Fav with her head in a hole, being unable to see the dog, didn't likely notice that he could have snacked on her any time, they don't realize he isn't likely to hurt them.
Merlin is living the high life having an whole barn to live in vice being out in the elements. Long as he has some hay/straw/wood chips to snuggle down into, I'm sure he'll be fine. Mel was just fine laying down on an old piece of carpet out on the open air back porch last winter and some nights it was very cold and very windy. Never seemed to bother him and Merlin has a much thicker coat than Mel... They're really related to polar bears you know... I have that on good authority 
- Thread starter
- #168
Bruce
Herd Master
I don't think he was living out in the elements at his prior location. There is a REALLY big barn and sheep to keep the dogs warm
He doesn't seem to mind being outside all that much. He'll be out even when the alpacas are lounging inside. Of course sometimes the boys are out and he is napping in the barn.
First pass at a "dog excluder" for the coop seems to have worked.
I am hoping the girls will get a bit brave and venture out, eventually figuring out Merlin isn't a threat. I don't expect they will learn that he is actually a safety feature but who knows. My wife and DD1 think that when we get more chicks this coming spring, they will not be afraid of him since he will have been there 'forever' as far as they are concerned. I'm not so sure. If the older girls are still afraid of him, the chicks will learn that from them.
It has been said that these dogs are smart and quick to learn. So far I would agree. He backs up from the gate when I go down now, I don't even have to ask him to back up. I don't think I had to ask him to back up more than a few times in the first place. Not only does he back up, he lays down. I didn't ask for that. Maybe I can "teach" him "down"
He doesn't seem to mind being outside all that much. He'll be out even when the alpacas are lounging inside. Of course sometimes the boys are out and he is napping in the barn.
First pass at a "dog excluder" for the coop seems to have worked.
I am hoping the girls will get a bit brave and venture out, eventually figuring out Merlin isn't a threat. I don't expect they will learn that he is actually a safety feature but who knows. My wife and DD1 think that when we get more chicks this coming spring, they will not be afraid of him since he will have been there 'forever' as far as they are concerned. I'm not so sure. If the older girls are still afraid of him, the chicks will learn that from them.
It has been said that these dogs are smart and quick to learn. So far I would agree. He backs up from the gate when I go down now, I don't even have to ask him to back up. I don't think I had to ask him to back up more than a few times in the first place. Not only does he back up, he lays down. I didn't ask for that. Maybe I can "teach" him "down"
NH homesteader
Herd Master
My chickens are in no way afraid of my dogs. Even the one that likes to run through the flock of them to see how fast they scatter. Working on that habit! I think they'll be fine with him
CntryBoy777
Herd Master
It might be 'Worth' and extra 'Ear Scrbbing or 2'....huh?...
