They shouldn't even make it to the fence to run it. The behavior cannot be corrected once they are there and in the zone. Mine thought they could away with it when the deer would come close. After training, lasting for weeks and me always supervising EVERY trip outside, I ended up with this, dogs that sit and watch the deer, calmly.
First, it was on leash. Every time. If they wanted to charge, they got a correction. We also had "idiot neighbor dogs" that would instigate fence running. They were never corrected. Didn't matter in my training, my dogs weren't allowed to participate. Now, we have a neighbor kid that teases the dogs. No. Told the kid, told the parents, they don't listen. Doesn't matter if they listen... but my dogs have to listen. I have the power to control my dogs, even if I can't control the deer, turkeys, squirrels, neighbor dogs, neighbor kids.
After they learned it on leash (took about 2 weeks with individual training, and then group training) then I would stand on the fence line. I was the one in the way. If they started a run, I was there to stop it, immediately.
During the training time, they can't be left alone out there. You really have to commit to the time and be consistent.
Now, months and a move later to a new situation (had to do reminders on the new fence line) I can put them out alone. As soon as I hear one bark, I go and call them in. They come immediately, because they have learned I don't play and I will come after them and I will get them. I am pack leader. Even over my insanely dominant female Shepherd. My corrections are fast, quick, and in a hurry. It's the only way to get the point across. Immediately following the correction everything goes to normal and all is forgiven.
There is no yelling and screaming, no knocking them around, no kicking, swatting, nothing like that. A simple correction would be non physical body blocking, were I simply stand in the way with a pointed finger at them, and they slink away to do something else. I encourage that that grabbing a toy and throwing it for them, to give them something else to do. I maintain my position by the fence line, I'm pack leader, I'll deal with it. I'm ignoring whatever is on the other side of the fence, you should too.
A more severe correction would be me grabbing the female by the neck, behind her head, and forcibly moving her. I haven't had to do that in a long time, she knows. I can cast her a dirty look and she'll stop what she's doing. The boy... never did had to touch him since he has a totally different temperament. Couple leash corrections early on and he was good as gold. He's also seen me get after the girl though, he knows.
Pack leader is a 24/7 job. You can't stay on the couch when you hear something because it's the best part of the movie. It's really hard when you have kids because you can't just up and leave them to correct dogs. But during training, the dogs require just as much focus as you would when you monitor a toddler.
But if you've never done the training before, you need a professional to help you. Corrections, your tone, your stance, everything matters. It all has to be consistent, quick, and the bad habits you have need to be changed, someone needs to be able to tell you where you need to make changes. Watching a couple episodes of the dog whisperer might help, but you'll still look like the people he's helping and not him, there's no such thing as becoming an insta-leader. It's a process between you and the dogs, and there are a lot of details. They know you as not being the leader. Which is why they're acting the way they are. So you have to undo all that, change their thinking of you, break their bad habits, and yours.
Left unchecked though, it will continue to escalate. Always does. I've raising dogs for my whole life. Mostly dominant and aggressive breeds. You really need to get the chow girl listening, she's right at the age where she'll start to elevate her pack status. She can't be allowed to choose her place, you do that for her. The good news is the male is older and a male at that, get after him, make an example of him, do the same to her. They can work together and listen together. The worse is two dominant type females of the same age, at least you're not dealing with that. I put 3 years or more between female dogs just so I don't have to deal with it even though I know how to.
First, it was on leash. Every time. If they wanted to charge, they got a correction. We also had "idiot neighbor dogs" that would instigate fence running. They were never corrected. Didn't matter in my training, my dogs weren't allowed to participate. Now, we have a neighbor kid that teases the dogs. No. Told the kid, told the parents, they don't listen. Doesn't matter if they listen... but my dogs have to listen. I have the power to control my dogs, even if I can't control the deer, turkeys, squirrels, neighbor dogs, neighbor kids.
After they learned it on leash (took about 2 weeks with individual training, and then group training) then I would stand on the fence line. I was the one in the way. If they started a run, I was there to stop it, immediately.
During the training time, they can't be left alone out there. You really have to commit to the time and be consistent.
Now, months and a move later to a new situation (had to do reminders on the new fence line) I can put them out alone. As soon as I hear one bark, I go and call them in. They come immediately, because they have learned I don't play and I will come after them and I will get them. I am pack leader. Even over my insanely dominant female Shepherd. My corrections are fast, quick, and in a hurry. It's the only way to get the point across. Immediately following the correction everything goes to normal and all is forgiven.
There is no yelling and screaming, no knocking them around, no kicking, swatting, nothing like that. A simple correction would be non physical body blocking, were I simply stand in the way with a pointed finger at them, and they slink away to do something else. I encourage that that grabbing a toy and throwing it for them, to give them something else to do. I maintain my position by the fence line, I'm pack leader, I'll deal with it. I'm ignoring whatever is on the other side of the fence, you should too.
A more severe correction would be me grabbing the female by the neck, behind her head, and forcibly moving her. I haven't had to do that in a long time, she knows. I can cast her a dirty look and she'll stop what she's doing. The boy... never did had to touch him since he has a totally different temperament. Couple leash corrections early on and he was good as gold. He's also seen me get after the girl though, he knows.
Pack leader is a 24/7 job. You can't stay on the couch when you hear something because it's the best part of the movie. It's really hard when you have kids because you can't just up and leave them to correct dogs. But during training, the dogs require just as much focus as you would when you monitor a toddler.
But if you've never done the training before, you need a professional to help you. Corrections, your tone, your stance, everything matters. It all has to be consistent, quick, and the bad habits you have need to be changed, someone needs to be able to tell you where you need to make changes. Watching a couple episodes of the dog whisperer might help, but you'll still look like the people he's helping and not him, there's no such thing as becoming an insta-leader. It's a process between you and the dogs, and there are a lot of details. They know you as not being the leader. Which is why they're acting the way they are. So you have to undo all that, change their thinking of you, break their bad habits, and yours.
Left unchecked though, it will continue to escalate. Always does. I've raising dogs for my whole life. Mostly dominant and aggressive breeds. You really need to get the chow girl listening, she's right at the age where she'll start to elevate her pack status. She can't be allowed to choose her place, you do that for her. The good news is the male is older and a male at that, get after him, make an example of him, do the same to her. They can work together and listen together. The worse is two dominant type females of the same age, at least you're not dealing with that. I put 3 years or more between female dogs just so I don't have to deal with it even though I know how to.
