A person that bought a puppy off me nearly 2 years ago has two problems and ones that I haven't had dealings with before.

1) She rounds up children, especially if they scream, doesn't attack, but then tries to pull them back to her owners by getting hold of their coats or jumpers!! This is a herding breed, how wd. you stop it??

2) When it rains or if she sees a puddle she runs like mad and then dives on the floor!!! The owners find it funny but it's hell if it's raining. Has anybody had this problem with their dogs?

As she said, she thinks that I've sold her a mad dog. Does anybody think maybe clicker training or something with a sound wd. distract her from doing these daft activities. I'm seeing the onwers and the dog in 2 weeks time so advice wd. be greatly appreciated:d I believe that training re. other obedience matters is great but she has these two strange problems.

HIya,

The only thing i can think of (and its late, and i knackered) is John Fishers training discs..... have u used these before?

I would recommend that soemeone who HAS used them successfully shows her how to use them, as wrongly used they are at best ineffective, at worst can be damaging.

Basically the idea is similar to clickers....but the other way round, the sound of the disc signify's that an action will bring NO reward, and is therefore pointless.
You condition the dog to the sound of the discs in a similar fashion as well but again, the reverse, so put food on teh floor, when the dog goes to take it, you drop the discs an quietly remove the food. Then, have the owner offer some food to teh dog an reward it for coming to her.
After a few repetitions of the trainer 'disappointing' the dog, the animal begins to look to the owner when the food is put down. Then is time to had the discs over to the owner, who repeats the process, food on floor, drop discs, remove food. Then call dog over, and give food with a word such as 'Take it', from the hand, not the floor.

Then, my own choice would be to as much as possible, by ALL means (hwoever devious u have to be) ot prevent the dog from performing those behaviours, and making sure no reward is forthcoming should they do it, adn by using the discs to discourage.

It wont be easy though, as the dog will find the behaviours themselves, even if only partially carried out, self rewarding, so thats why i suggest the combined attack, both prevention and the discs.

Em

Hi,
Don't know about 1, but 2. Does she dive into the puddle? or run away from it and try to hide in the floor? if its the latter maybe she's been scared by the 'dog in the puddle' and is trying to hide bless her! or maybe she just doesn't like getting her feet wet.
My last dog did this sort of thing, wouldn't walk in the rain (sat where he was and wouldn't budge!) or walk over a puddle or even a shiny floor because he thought it was wet. He was a rescue and had spent too many days/nights in the rain without shelter. He wasn't going to get wet voluntarily LOL

Don't know if thats much help to you tho
Regards
Dill

with the puddle i think its because shes seen before the light and shadows of it , and she gets excited . my cocker has a thing for lights and shadows and does simulare things she will run round big puddles really fast barking at them.
If my dog sees a shadow on the floor she will rund round mental then throw herself on the floor , sounds pretty simulare to what youve said.
when i was on holiday i saw another dog who would wade out in the sea just to look at himself. used to be really excited .
Could it possibly that the dogs excited about what she see's?

but they are water dogs ?.gollie dose the same when there a mud puddle runs dive bomb into it,so we are luckly when she done at she gos off to the canal for a swim then put back on the lead so she dosnt do it again,gollie rounds up the cat but not pulling at her just chase her round the house,but again diane they are a herding breed which you said in the post,i thing all the traning in the world will not sort it out,it in the breed.gollie is getting alot better i just think this little breed takes time to mature,abit like my flatcoated retrievers 3/4 years old.or she thinks she is a /c.

no dill,this breed likes water,dirtyer the better,

if the owner dose not want her to do it just keep her on the lead, street walk the dog.

As Briedog says she is not nervous of the puddle it is excitement. I've never had it with my dogs so seemed quite funny to me when they said that this had happened!! Anyway Terri we will see her at Discover Dogs on the Sunday, so we can see what's what then. From what I can tell they say that she is extremely intelligent and if they don't find her things to do she will do something be it good or bad.

Just think that they've got a strong willed dog, she's still only fairly young so they've got time to sort it in the right hands. They live in London so I need to find a good obedience training place for them really.

It sounds as though you're thinking along the same lines as me! What do you know about the dogs lifestyle? Before she starts using training discs or any kind of training to stop the behaviour, she needs to take a close look at her dog to see why the behaviour is happening in the first place.

I know that spanish water dogs are very intelligent and active, and it sounds as though her dog is bored out of it's mind.

I would fufill the dogs need for swimming by taking it to somewhere it can have fun with water, either a special dog hydrotherapy pool or a safe lake, and spend more time using up the dogs mental energy.

I think clicker training as you suggested would be great, she could teach tricks, including useful ones (my dog is very helpful around the house, picks things up that I've dropped, shuts doors, puts things in the bin - mind you he also gets them out again straight afterwards but that's a very new trick still!) and just make sure the dog hasn't got a need to make it's own fun.

I might bump into you at Discover Dogs on the Sunday, will you be at the spanish water dog stand? I'm still in two minds over a portuguse or a spanish, so I'm going to have a good look at both while I'm there!

Jo

diana and myself will be there.i can only go on sunday beacuse of work,diana is there for the 2 days with her dogs, gollie be here on the sunday too,at the moment she sitting on my lap a cuddley teddy bear.

All i can say is does it have a brother/sister going spare?? Rounding up kids?? My ideal dog ;)

Yes as Briedog says I'll be there both days with Anton my 8 month old and his great, great grandma Dilita who will be 12 in January, although she thinks she's nearly 12 months not years!!

It's a lot easier for me with this breed as I have 4 at home and they keep each other company I think that when there's only one dog in the house a Spanish may not always be the most ideal unless she's a Dilita, which many aren't.

I know that they will do their best to try and remedy the situation and I feel that as it was me who contacted them to see how they were doing and not the other way around that things aren't too bad. I think now that she's nearly 2 they can try many activities such as agility etc. to help her calm down a little. Anyway she'll be there on the Sunday too, can't wait because she was gorgeous last year when she was there, although they are thinking of clipping her off just before she goes, aagghh.

Does anybody know of any good training places in London?. As I don't live in that area I'm not much help to them.

oh the poor dog---------its obviously worried about its pack wandering too far [children] and is bright enough to work out how to bring them back---cant you get it a job as a film star, ?????? about time something was smarter than lassie :D