Train a dog??

supermouse

Hey there,
I have recently had to put down my much loved Jack Russell due to old age, got to 18 years bless him! But our Lab X is very sad now he's gone and we would love to get her a new friend. We live in the country and have a half acre of land where our dogs used roam but they were very good in knowing their limits and staying within it.
Our planning permission on our sloping site ment that our garden meets the top of our front wall so apart from the gates we have up, if the dog got onto the front lawn they could run out on the road.
If i get a new pup how can i ensure they know their limits? Unfortunatly, having the dog indoors is not an option and they have big kennels out our back but no run as such as we never needed one.
I have been reading up on electric collars and being honest, i think they are nasty out. The puppy we have our eye on is only 8 weeks old, we couldnt do him harm.
What do ye recommend? Training is the ideal but will i be able to do it myself? We can build a run for the dog during the day when we are at work so id have the evenings and weekends to train him - will this work?
We were obviously blessed with our other two, they used never roam! Hopefully the pup will take heed of his older sister when he meets her!
Thanks in advance for all your replies.

kerrysgold

The only way of keeping dogs in for sure is to put a fence up.

and why can't the dogs come inside? whats the point in getting a pup if it's going to be left outside all the time?

as for getting a pup when you are at work all day, not a good idea. pups need contant supervision. you'd be better off adopting a dog 6 months + to keep your current dog company if there isn't going to be anyone at home all day.

supermouse

Kerrysgold, thanks for your reply.
We're not set on a pup,even a dog, but we thought a pup would be easier to train.
Two days a week there is nobody home, the other 7 there is.
Question is, can i train it myself?

kerrysgold

yes you can train a dog yourself, it's easy enough to train it basic things like sit, lie down, stay, how to walk properly on a lead, come back when you call it etc.

If you're looking to adopt a dog try www.irishanimals.com and http://petsireland.invisionzone.com

in order to adopt a dog though the dog must sleep indoors in the house and the garden must be secure.

whitser

why must the dog sleep in doors?

kerrysgold

because rescues want the best for their dogs, they want to go to a home where they will be part of the family and not outside the door looking in!

whitser

why cant a dog sleep out the back?

supermouse

Excuse me Kerrysgold but our dogs were and our current dog is, very much part of our family. Thats an awful thing to say, especially since you do not know anything about me nor my house or family therefore how can you pass judgement?
I suppose the fact our last dog lived to the age of 18 and was in perfect health until his last 6 months speaks for itself!!

whitser

passing judgement is what kerrygold does. she lives in kerrygold world. dont mind her.

supermouse

Thanks Whitser, partially guessed..!

kerrysgold

If they are part of the family why are they sleeping outside?

andreac

Theres no rule to say a dog has to sleep inside. You cant accuse someone who's dog lives outside as not being part of the family, some dogs actually prefer to be outdoors.

supermouse

Anyone have any help with my origional post please?

p.s. Well said ANDREAC

andreac

Is there anyway you can section off the front and back garden?
If not you might just have to put up fencing along the wall in your front garden, i wouldnt risk the chance of the dog getting over the wall if it was me.

beth-lou

I have four dogs. One of them will not sleep inside. He wants to be outside. Even in the evenings he will only sit indoors for an hour max before he is literally panting ot get out. He just prefers to be outside. It's his choice.

beth-lou

I would build a nice big run. Chances are your pup will take the lead from the older dog, but it can't be guaranteed so just to be on the safe side build the run and then do the training.

Beth

You can train a pup (or older dog) yourself, fine. But the only foolproof way of making sure the pup wont go out, is to either build a fence/run or keep it inside.

There's no rule anywhere stating that dogs must be kept inside. Its often kinder considering the weather we have. If getting a rescue dog, most rescues wont rehome to someone thinking about leaving the dog live/sleep outside because it is thought to prevent the stressful behaviours developing such as pacing, barking, digging etc. if they live with the family

supermouse

As far as i know ( and i'll have to double check this ) we had to keep within planning permissions and cant mount a fence on top of our wall... We tried it a few years back and i remember it fell through but cant be 100% sure why.

I will probably go with the pen and a lot of supervised roaming around the garden. Thanks for replies !

Any good books out there i should have a look at?

Little A

I got a pup back early August and went straight down the country....I was terrified about her straying so she was on a rope any time she was out in the garden (about an acre).

Her cousin arrived and they got on great...but she was sooo excited she kept getting knotted up, so under strict supervision she got taken off the rope for a while. She never left her big cousins side & didn't stray (luckily he is not a strayer either).

So I reckon you have the right track....a run for when your not around and supervision when you are....she'll soon learn her boundaries.