wasn't sure whether to post this under training or what but I have an entirely unexpected change and I guess if I think about it I know there are training steps I can take but I'm feeling a bit "argh!" As some of you will know I have a river at the bottom of the garden with fields on the far bank. Barney does love a swim and I struggle to keep him out. If he wants to go in he's going in! he's also a very vocal dog and if someone walks the dog in the far field he has to run down to the bank and bark just to let everyone know they are on his turf. He will also run down to bark at ducks/swans etc and it's one habit I've not managed to break. The other day I did a double take - cows in the field opposite! I thought I was seeing things! But it seems this ins't a freak occurrence - they've been there ever since and the amount of fencing that this has been put in suggests will be there for a while. Luckily so far Barney hasn't seen them. I'm terrified he'll be curious enough to swim over to get a closer bark and the river is running very fast right now with all the rain. Let alone what might happen if he gets close to a cow. Normally when it's like this he knows not to go in but if he focuses on these strange animals he might try. Where we walk runs parallel to the river and the bank is low enough that he has twice previously got out on the far bank to play with another dog luckily then I did manage to call him back. The other unforeseen result is that the empty fields we walk in are now full of dogs! Everyone from the far side of the river is now walking our side because of the cows. The problem there is that Barney is over social and wants to play with everyone. If he's on a lead and there's a dog that he hasn't greeted he will bark the place down until he can greet it. If I've got all the dogs I can't hold him he's too strong so yesterday I ended up doing 3 separate walks 1 for each dog! (was ok today though heavy rain meant we had the place to ourselves again) Having just taken on the training challenge of Teasle the MDD dog I'm feeling very tired at the idea of having to find somewhere different to walk - which means a car drive instead of straight out of the door - and really tackling Barney's more ingrained habits. Sorry to ramble but I know you will get where I'm coming from...
Re: dismayed of kempston Oh dear Carole ...it does rather sound like the cows are there to stay doesn't it. . I can see your problem because you can't let Barney walk leash free in case he crosses the river ...or another dog or it's owner gets upset about him being leash free. I'm wishing you luck with it all. I don't know how those cows dare to occupy Barney's field!
