Dog Training- I need a little help!

[dainerra]

What are they doing when they run around the yard, or chase rabbits over 5000 acres? That's not mental stimulation or physical exercise? The reason I am building kennels is because one of the beagles is running more than she can eat and losing too much weight. I suppose you think I should kennel them and then exercise them on a lead every day while giving them math quizzes?
My dogs are well cared for. We have too many of them, but saved a bunch of them from the pound.

train them. Use them for hunting. compete in obedience. hunt competitions. field work. there are a million things you can do with dogs. And no, dogs actually DON'T exercise as much as people think when they are left alone to roam. They spend most of their time sleeping, like wild animals.
When left alone, dogs get into trouble. They find ways to amuse themselves, often in ways that your neighbor's won't appreciate.

 

[TheSitcomGirls]

It's a pretty amazing feeling when my dogs are full throttle after a deer and I whistle and they stop, turn around and come right back to me. Because you have the land you have an opportunity to create an amazing relationship with your dogs. That's what mental stimulation is about when you exercise a dog- finding a breed appropriate activity which creates a bond between the two of you.

When your dogs run without you to tell them what to do, it's all about excitement for them and being out of control. There are no rules, no limitations. Instinct guides them and they don't learn how to control themselves. Your dog that is getting skinny would benefit from learning to control her instincts, not from being locked in a kennel. She will be miserable.

I don't exercise my dogs on a lead. They run free in the woods and follow me. I let them chase whatever they want, but only for a minute then I call them back. I do this because my property is surrounded by other properties where people hunt. If I let my dogs run as far as they want to they could get shot. It's my job to protect them.

My cousin has a coon hound and he uses a shock collar with him because the dog smells something and he is gone. What my cousin does is the minute he sees that dog lower it's head he shocks him. Snaps him right out of it. The collar is not a punishment, it a tool to get the dog's attention. Timing is everything. If your dog looks at the chicken, zap him on the lowest setting....once. If he learns not to look at the chickens, he won't chase them. Chasing prey always starts with a look. You have to catch that look.

I hope you try the exercise, for your dogs. Put the shock collar on the skinny dog and talk her for a run in the woods. When she takes off after something give her three seconds at the most and call her. If she doesn't come back, shock her and call her again. Praise her when she comes back toy you, every time. Teach her to control her instincts and she will be a much happier dog!

 

[loanwizard]

An update: My pup still loves me. She still gets into the meat chickens yard, but doesn't harm them. I think she is actually playing with them. She doesn't do it around me, but she still does it. As long as she doesn't harm them, I am fine with it. Apologies to those I got snippy with. Sometimes on the internet, words are misinterpreted. There is no voice inflection, nuance, etc...

Anyhow, as far as exercise, I try to let most of the dogs run daily. We have 4 large dogs plus this pup, and then I also have 5 beagles and 3 new pups. I work full time, so sometimes they don't get the attention and exercise they deserve. Believe it or not, I am an animal lover, and have seen animals treated much worse. Not an excuse but it is what it is. As far as my view on shock collars, I use it as a tool in my view. I would NEVER use it to pull her or any beagle off a rabbit track. Too much of a mixed message. It is used to train not to bother chickens, to call in at the end of a hunt, exercise period, and as an emergency type situation either where they are endangered or livestock is endangered.

In all reality, I don't use the collar as much as I should, only to correct a glaring problem. Unfortunately, not enough time in a day.

I need to work on spending more time with my dogs. A couple more collars and some time and training would help.

For those unfamiliar, a shock collar does not hurt unless abused (turned on 4, 5 or 6). I have used them on myself just for the experience. That said, I have used them on my arm, not my throat. On 1 I can't even feel it. On 2, barely. On 3, mosquito bite. 6- wasp sting.