Young Working and Guard Dog...

[Unshaven2897]

With her first 'training' bra.

 

[Karl]

Handsome pup! Looks alert and ready for business already

 

[Unshaven2897]

She brought a 'Wilson' from outside. You remember the Wilson with the bloody hand print from the movie? We have several - some finished and mounted so I don't get lonesome when the wife goes to town. This one is a beautiful oak root ball from somewhere inside the perimeter.

To turn this into something useful I'm pondering how to get her to carry firewood from the pile to the house. I had a GShep that would do that - also the Sat and Sunday paper. But that ended when I didn't watch her and she gathered everybody's newspapers from up and down the street and put them on the porch.

 

[TheHound]

I wonder if a dog's intelligence makes them harder or easier to train?

 

[Unshaven2897]

I wonder if a dog's intelligence makes them harder or easier to train?

Depends on the breed. And of course consistent training specific for the breed. In all previous years I had GSheps. Absolutely love them. In the last 15 we have had Calahoula dogs.

We live in thick forest. The Shep was wonderful and had been trained with livestock. But she didn't do well in the forest and aged out. So we got a Catahoula cross and I was blown away that she was every bit as smart as the Shep (in her darn bull headed way) but could do all the same herding and defense and jump 20' thickets. I saw her outrun a Bobcat.

Now we have only Catahoula hounds. Darn bullheaded critters they are. We don't do much for training because they watch us and do the same. And they love most people.

 

[Unshaven2897]

Lefty is in my recliner chair next to me. That means there is a predator outside. She is protecting me.

They smell, my gosh. 1/4 mile hearing.