As high-energy herding dos, Australian cattle dog training is extremely important not just for both your yard and household. They’re very intelligent, sturdy, and active breed, the very characteristics needed to handle herds of cattle on expansive ranch. As with other breeds of herding dog, they thrive and enjoy on having a job to do and become part of family activities. However, an untrained dog with such characteristics can wreak havoc to your home, and yard.
Now there are tons of training methods and strategies to train your dog. In this entry, we will talk about the three lesser-known things nobody tells you about training herd dogs like Australian cattle dogs.
Exercise, Exercise, Exercise
As said earlier, Australian Cattle Dogs are herding dogs, thus they are extremely active. As with other active dogs, they need an outlet to release their energy. Experts say they need at least 40 minutes of running every day, in addition to walking and games.
Teaching your cattle dog fetch is a good way to give them an outlet for their energy. You can use identical toys to get your dog excited about the toy before being thrown. If he doesn’t bring it back, end the game. If he does bring it back, then pull the other one, make your dog excited before throwing it out again. Note that these toys should only come out when you want to play. Never leave the toys lying around for them to see and play it, as this can lose their interest and make it less exciting for them.
You can also use creative feeding to give your dog mental and physical exercise. Rather than putting their good on their bowl, try tossing kibbles across your yard or floor so your dog will run for it.
Teach Your Dog to Socialize
Dogs are social pack animals. They can get along with others easily. However, since they’re also territorial, they become suspicious with strange people and dogs if they’re not properly socialized. Thus, make sure you spend time to introduce your dog to other people and dogs. Never force your dog to meet others though, especially those that make them feel uncomfortable, as this can cause stress to your dog.
When introducing our dog to someone new, stop and talk to your dog cheerfully. If your dog comes out to sniff, give it a reward in a form of a treat or compliment. Once they start to approach other people with confidence, let the strangers give them treats as well.
When introducing your pet to other dogs, keep your dog on a leash. Cattle dogs are very protective and even aggressive in play, so you want to control. If you think your dog starts getting rough towards the other dog, pull your dog back on the leash and give him a short timeout. Do this each and every time, until your dog starts to understand what an unacceptable behavior is. The key to Australian Cattle Dog training is repetition, much like on other dogs. Also, make sure you introduce your puppy to dogs older than 3 years old, as matured dogs will also correct your puppy when they’re getting too rough.
On Chewing and Digging
Since herd dogs are very active and energetic, they look for ways to cattle their energy, especially if they don’t regularly get enough exercise. This is when they start chewing and digging, which can be a handful for your household. To minimize this, make sure you restrict your dog’s access to your house and yard, until he fully understands what he can chew on, and what not. Never punish your dog, rather, tell your dog to “leave it” and redirect his attention to another toy.
When your dog has an object you don’t want him to have, do not chase him around. They will see it as a game and do it over and over. Instead, get a toy and run around with it. This shows your dog you have the more exciting toy and he will come for it. When he drops the item that you want, reward your dog with a game.
To avoid digging in your yard, never allow your pup roam around unsupervised. When they start digging simply yell “leave it” to stop them from digging. Also, you can dedicate a specific space for digging for them. You can bury a few toys in where he can see them. Praise or reward your dog when he digs in the right place.
