My New Puppy
by Brad Lemon
6th June 2014
He'd never seen me before, and in a house full of people all fussing about him, I had to take over training him from where Shasta finished with the breeder, Borderpower Border Collies. He's going to be a companion dog, so I needed him to bond with me. He's a very clever dog, and the breeder taught him to recognise his name, and collar trained him. Borderpower even clipped lead to him for a minute or so repeatedly in the week leading up to his departure so he would know what one was when I clipped a lead to him at Melbourne Airport. Borderpower spent one-on-one time with all of the litter, and their dedication has made everything a whole lot easier for us. I'm very grateful.
The first job:
The first task was to make sure Shasta understood his name. To do this, I became Dr Who. I filled my pocket with treats. I used Schmackos, which are the most irresistible treat for a dog that I know of. I cut them into tiny little pieces with the scissors. One Schmacko makes just over a dozen nibbles. Every time I called his name, and he acknowledged by looking at me, I gave him a Schmacko nibble. I did this about ten times within half an hour. This got him used to taking treats from me, and recognise his own name, which he was already familiar with.
Teaching him to come:
The next task was to get him to come when called. This was easy; I waited until he walked a little way away and then said his name. This made him think he'd get a nibble, so as he walked towards me I said "Come here." After a few of times doing this, I would say "Shasta, come here!" and he would come. Then he'd wait while I bent down to give him a treat.
After repeating this lesson every half an hour or so for a few hours, I was able to get him to come without giving him a treat, but just praising him, which he loves. I demonstrated his skills when he was in the backyard and my wife and daughter watched, as I said "Shasta, come here!" from the back-door and Shasta came running straight to my feet. Of course, he got a treat. I'mDr Who now!I always have treats in my pocket! Admittedly, he's not perfect, and still needs coaxing sometimes.
After repeating this lesson every half an hour or so for a few hours, I was able to get him to come without giving him a treat, but just praising him, which he loves. I demonstrated his skills when he was in the backyard and my wife and daughter watched, as I said "Shasta, come here!" from the back-door and Shasta came running straight to my feet. Of course, he got a treat. I'mDr Who now!I always have treats in my pocket! Admittedly, he's not perfect, and still needs coaxing sometimes.
Yes, I'm boasting and showing off, but really, it's not my work. Shasta is the smartest puppy I've ever seen. And he's only 8 weeks old!
The credits:
The success I've had with this early training is entirely due to the preparation work that was done by Borderpower Border Collies, and Schmacko's. I tried liver-treats, but they're not as irresistible as Schmackos and didn't work as well. Yes, they're about the most expensive treat you can buy for a dog, but cut up they go a long way.
The success I've had with this early training is entirely due to the preparation work that was done by Borderpower Border Collies, and Schmacko's. I tried liver-treats, but they're not as irresistible as Schmackos and didn't work as well. Yes, they're about the most expensive treat you can buy for a dog, but cut up they go a long way.