Where's the best quiet spot to train my dog on a busy farm?

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Tomahawk. Dogs are situational learners. This means that you need to train him where you want him to behave or perform. If you want him to follow commands in your home or on walks, then these are the places you should use for training. I hope this information helps!

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It sounds like Nero may have a negative association with being inside. I recommend trying to train him inside with very tasty and rewarding treats, such as cooked chicken or ground turkey. Oftentimes dogs want a treat that is tastier than their plain kibble or even a plain dog treat. He may be more willing to listen to commands inside if he knows he will get a special reward. I hope this is helpful!

If the entire family can't be consistent in Zach's training it's going to be a tough battle getting him to follow rules. You need to first get your family on board with training as a whole before any big changes can be made. I would also talk to a trainer in your area who can be there in person, or enroll in a basic obedience class together so that you can start working on proper leash walking behaviors in addition to helping him calm down in a more structured environment. If the two dogs start to fight, separating them for a while before reintroducing is best, as well as making sure they aren't together without supervision. For the herding, that is a natural instinct in herding breeds and is something you probably won't be able to train out.

If there are a lot of distractions in the yard it may be better to go in some kind of an enclosed pen. You could also work on a command like 'look at me' or something similar where she makes eye contact with you inside and then practice outside. If she is wandering off you may also want to consider simply having her on a long lead when she's out in the yard - that way you can draw her towards you to get her attention and begin training again. Keep in mind that younger dogs do better with more frequent, shorter training sessions since their attention span may not be as long as an older dog.

This could be tricky - you need to find some kind of treat or reward that is better than chasing a cow or a horse. You should focus on training a recall command like come, and practice without distractions first. Then introduce a distraction and continue to work on the command.

Finding a high-value treat that your dogs enjoy can help increase focus. Most trainers will use freeze-dried liver or bits of chicken or hot dog as most dogs really enjoy those. Practicing focus with a long-leash of 20-30 feet can also help you "reel in" Orion when he becomes too distracted during training. Be sure to reward whenever he pays attention to you. Teaching something such as "Focus" or "Look at Me" (YouTube has lots of tutorials on these) can also help give you a way to direct your dog's attention back to you.

Consistency is key. I would also use treats and/or a clicker to elk with training. You could also get a training to come in just a couple of times to help pin point what is keeping him from listening. It sounds like he is young and probably has a lot of energy therefore, doesn’t want to listen and sit still. You can also try a calmin chew like composure or composure pro. Keep working on training everyday. I would try to take 10-20 minutes everyday to work on commands without any distractions. Use small chewy training treats so he doesn’t get distracted by the process it takes to chew up a large crunchy treat. I hope this helps.