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reno
Aug 25, 2006, 1:32 AM
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Monday evening, I went out for some sushi, a cold beer, and a little pre-season football action on the television. Before I left, I fed my dogs (2 y/o GSD mix and a siberian husky,) made sure they had water, full Kong balls, and Miles Davis jazz on the stereo (the husky is a fan of smooth jazz.... don't ask.)
Two hours later, I pull into the drive and see Casey, my GSD, sitting in the front yard, looking at me. I hop out, shout "HEY!" (our signal that she's doing something wrong,) and she turns, takes one step, and jumps over the fence that seperates the back yard from the front. Cleared it in the air. One step.
That fence is 6 feet tall, just for the record.
So I reach down, pick my jaw off the sidewalk, and walk in, wondering how I'm going to fix this problem.
Here's some unique facets of this case that may or may not influence your advice:
1. Crate training isn't a viable option. My wife and I both work either 12 hour shifts or longer (hospital) and our work day (from leaving to getting home) is 14+ hours most days.
2. The Home Owner's Association has a limit on fence height... 6 feet. I'm going to see if I can get an exemption to make it higher.
3. I doubt they'd approve barbed wire, though.
4. I don't have a big enough yard to build a dog run (this is suburban Phoenix, where houses are packed in like sardines,) and I wouldn't want to leave them outdoors in triple digit heat anyway.
5. Yes, I've tried to tire her out.... She got to pull me around on my bike for an hour the other morning before I went to walk my old husky. I hadn't made it to the corner before she came running up to me, having jumped again.
I've considered those anti-jumping leg harness things. Input?
Other ideas?
Thanks, y'all. Much obliged.
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blonde_loves_bolts
Aug 25, 2006, 1:42 AM
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:wtf:
Holy CRAP!
I'd say get that dog into agility competitions... if only my shepherd's hips could do something like that...
Try to avoid restraint methods, if possible. Maybe if the fence were higher it would help dissuade her from jumping? It's kind of hard to take the verbal disciplinary track when she's jumping the fence while you're not around.
Can you leave her in the house?
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zozo
Aug 25, 2006, 2:35 AM
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I would definetly keep her in the house till a better solution is found.
Im torn on the idea but I have friends who have really good results with the electric fence.
If she is totally house trained then 12 hours isnt THAT bad, but she may really need to go when one of you get home. Not making any promises on 14 hours though.
Germans are smart as hell, Im sure you could train it out of her but you kind of need to catch her in the act a few times.
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macherry
Aug 25, 2006, 2:52 AM
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i'd say try an electric fence or leave in the house.
i have a german shepherd/husky cross and i tire her out with a morning run and she's quite happy to remain in the house until i return.
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reno
Aug 25, 2006, 3:30 AM
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In reply to: Germans are smart as hell, Im sure you could train it out of her but you kind of need to catch her in the act a few times.
Once, actually. Well, one correction was all it took for me to get her to stop chasing rabbits. Now she'll walk off-leash at my heel and not chase the rabbits that live in the area.
I don't like the invisible fence idea at all.
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zozo
Aug 25, 2006, 3:49 AM
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In reply to: I don't like the invisible fence idea at all.
I dont either but short of anything else I dont think they are as bad as I once did. It doesnt give the dog a nasty zap but builds up an electrical charge the closer the dog gets to the boundry. This is second hand info though. So a smart dog get's "uncomfortable" getting near the boundry. It's a piss poor substitution for training but if you need a short fix that will be backed up by training later it may work to keep her from getting in the street.
Yeah some dogs will push it to the limit but I dont see that happening with a German Shepard.
My dog used to shred the garbage....but I could never catch him. So once I set him up (proving that people are slightly smarter than your average dog ) and caught him in the garbage and like your shepherd I only had to yell at him once. Never touched it again -cept once in awhile when it was my own fault really.
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blonde_loves_bolts
Aug 25, 2006, 5:26 AM
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In reply to: Well, one correction was all it took for me to get her to stop chasing rabbits. Now she'll walk off-leash at my heel and not chase the rabbits that live in the area. I don't like the invisible fence idea at all.
You know, every time you talk about your dog, I start to feel like the parent of an average kid at a PTA meeting.
:?
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climbsomething
Aug 25, 2006, 6:17 AM
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I don't have experience with SMART dogs (my dog is slightly smarter than a carabiner), but my dog is pretty well-behaved for her energy level, and the antithesis of the nightmare husky. Tilly's a freak- never jumped a fence or really chased a little critter in her 5 years (our cats don't count ;) ). She's also remarkably good cooped up; I can leave her inside for 12 hours (not in a crate) and it's all good. She hasn't shredded a shoe or a book since she was like, 5 months old. I can count all her post-puppy potty accidents on one hand. So when I want to make sure my pooch is safe, secure and cool, I just leave her in the house. I take it Casey would not be down with that, though.
Maaaaaybe you could put something prickly near Casey's "launching pads?" Where she steps off to make the leap, throw down some cactus or spikes or something so she can't get close enough to clear the fence. If she's smart, which I know she is, she won't wanna stick her paws in that. Even a stupid dog like my own won't step on something sharp. I dunno, I'm just thinking aloud.
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overlord
Aug 25, 2006, 8:18 AM
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i was watching a tv show about (re)training dogs and they had a really nice modification to invisible fence.
that thing didnt use electricity but sprayed the dog (i dont know what whith, probably just water for shock effect). its as effective as electricity and doesnt hurt the dog.
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zabens
Aug 25, 2006, 10:04 AM
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You would be a perfect candidate for the dog whisperer! That or you can do what I did... wait until your dog gets too old to outsmart you. :)
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epoch
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Aug 25, 2006, 11:20 AM
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As a proud owner of a young Border Collie, I can say that it takes patience and some creativity to teach your pooch to not do unwanted behaviors. Look into the Clicker Training method
Product information at this link.
Because you have a percieved dislike of shocking devices, I think that this would be well suited for you. It is an audable ONLY tool. The methodology involved will improve your communication between you and your dog, and leave them trusting you with obiedience.
I trained my BC with an electronic collar, which is NOT the Clicker. I've only used it as a reinforcement tool, as it has several modes of operation, starting with an audible tone, to vibrating, to the shock. I reccommend that you check out the links I provided to you, as it is non-invasive, safe and Humane. I don't reccommend shocking devices to anyone who isn't fully aware of what they can do, or how they should be properly used.
If I confused you PM me or let it fly in the forum.
In reno's situation, with his personal preferences, I think the clicker would be best suited. You're going to want to reinforce that jumping the fence is an unwanted behavior.
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flying_dutchman
Aug 25, 2006, 12:41 PM
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my dad keeps his police dog ~ a germen shepard in a 8'x12' kennel with a roof for that reason. Those dogs are specifically trained to jump over things I climb over, among other things. That said, just take the dog out routinly for walks and the small enclosure shouldn't be a problem. Or if they never try and escape anyhow, why change the current system?
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flying_dutchman
Aug 25, 2006, 12:47 PM
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In reply to: 1. Crate training isn't a viable option. My wife and I both work either 12 hour shifts or longer (hospital) and our work day (from leaving to getting home) is 14+ hours most days.
nevermind what i said about a kennel. Not sure if i would want a dog let alone two if i put in 12 to 14 hour days. I've been there and didn't usually don't have the energy/enthusiasim to do much after those work days like taking hyper dogs for walks.
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lagr01
Aug 25, 2006, 2:37 PM
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reno,
If you can't make your fence higher, don't want to leave your dog in a kennel the whole day and don't wanna use electricity, I think the only choice you got left is training. You're gonna have to find the time to correct her any time she jumps the fence, which means you'll probably gonna have to take a whole day to teach her that jumping that fence is unacceptable.
I have a stubborn male Rottweiler that loves to test my authority every now and then, and I can safely keep him enclosed in a fence about 4 feet tall. He was capable of jumping it before he was 10 months old and all I had to do to teach him to stay there was by correcting him and by getting him in as many times as necessary, and out he jumped, and in I got him, jumped out, I put him in, on and on, until he realized I was serious and I wasn't going to give up. After I made it perfectly clear for him, he never jumped that fence again, even though he could easily jump it any time.
For dealing with this issue before you can teach your dog you could try placing stuff next to the fence so she can't get momentum to make the jump.
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waynew
Aug 25, 2006, 4:19 PM
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I had a German Shepherd that could clear fences like that; seemed like he mostly did it to amuse himself when I wasn't around. He'd sit right outside the fence until I came home and then jump back in.
I ended up building a chainlink ceiling over his kennel and that was the end of that, but was able to find a neighbor kid to take him out for walks midday just to keep him from getting bored and lethargic. Maybe I should have tried the jazz ;-)
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justthemaid
Aug 25, 2006, 4:37 PM
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Wow. That's a pain.
For the short term I kinda like Climbsomething's idea. I'd get a bunch of potted cactus- preferably something with arms (like ocotillo) and make a mine field out of your dog's launch pad.
Long term. This will take some training, and if you are gone a lot that is hard.
I would talk to your homeowners association too. I had a friend that got a pass from her assocation with the fence thing. She was allowed to add a 2 foot (non-permanent) lattice extension to her walls to prevent her dog from getting in the neighbor's yard. The association was much more concerned with dog-liability issues than the fence rule.
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phillygoat
Aug 25, 2006, 7:17 PM
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Doggy backpack filled with sand?
:lol:
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wjca
Aug 25, 2006, 7:30 PM
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I suppose that crippling the dog would be out of the question, right?
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rhaig
Aug 25, 2006, 7:40 PM
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In reply to: In reply to: Well, one correction was all it took for me to get her to stop chasing rabbits. Now she'll walk off-leash at my heel and not chase the rabbits that live in the area. I don't like the invisible fence idea at all. You know, every time you talk about your dog, I start to feel like the parent of an average kid at a PTA meeting. :?
can't get your kid to stop chasing rabbits?
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pinktricam
Aug 25, 2006, 10:42 PM
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I'm curious, reno, is your dog neutered?
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euroford
Aug 25, 2006, 11:17 PM
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i have no good advice to offer, becouse basicly i think your screwed.
i'm very glad my dog can't do that!
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climbsomething
Aug 25, 2006, 11:38 PM
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Arizona HOAs are filled with tinpot dictators. I wouldn't put it past one to harass Reno just for having a mutt. But on the chance that the HOA is reasonable, maybe they'd relent to a little fence modification. Can't hurt to ask... well, it might, but in that case, at least it'd make for more community discussion fodder.
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reno
Aug 26, 2006, 2:45 AM
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In reply to: I'm curious, reno, is your dog neutered?
Yes, she is. She's a former "Rez" dog that we rescued. Her prior "owners" mistreated her quite terribly.... malnourished, beaten, etc. We got her when she was 6 months, and have had her since. Since then, she's tripled in weight (much needed, I should add,) and with a lot of love, training, and exercise, she's gotten to be quite the loyal pup. Climbsomething can testify.
I didn't get a picture, but today we managed to find a big puddle of water left over from yesterday's thunderstorm. Chasing a tennis ball into a pool of water is great fun for dogs.... or so it seems.
Is there anything quite like the sight and smell of a wet dog? :D
I *did* manage to catch her heading toward the gate this evening when I went out for dinner.... A loud "NO!" and a kick of the gate sent her scampering away, so.... maybe.... maybe....
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pinktricam
Aug 26, 2006, 6:39 PM
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In reply to: In reply to: I'm curious, reno, is your dog neutered? Yes, she is. |
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jred
Aug 28, 2006, 6:51 PM
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Rez dogs rule! What about stringing a line visible to the dog about two feet in from the fence at the same height (as the fence)? The line would be too far for the dog to clear both it and the fence and too close for the dog to jump in between.
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