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Post Info TOPIC: Progress with the Rabbit and Horse and Sheep Training
silverhippo


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Progress with the Rabbit and Horse and Sheep Training
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As Zak is cat safe I have also tried to get him used to all sorts of other animals.  Mainly because we meet horses on our walks and he can be a bit scared of them and you never know what you are going to meet.

Last year when we were on holiday we went to a wild boar farm (that had loads of other animals as well).  As it was quiet the owners said just take the dogs round any of the walks even the ones with animals in the fields.  So we wandered through the field of sheep and chickens and other animals.  Both dogs were on the lead and behaving well.  One of the sheep decided that we were interesting (or were going to feed them) and wandered up.  It sniffed Tara who wagged her tail and sniffed back.  It touched noses with Zak and he freaked out, turns out that sheep are scary. 

Since then we have been taking both dogs up to the children's farm and MuiravonsideCountryPark.  They can meet the animals in a controlled way and the animals are so used to dogs that they are very calm.  In some of the barns they have pet rabbits and to start with every time he saw a rabbit Zak would bark and get very exited.  I would then remove him from the barn while Tara got to stay and look at the rabbits.  Yesterday we managed to walk past 2 pens of rabbits looking in each one without a sound.  At the third he did a play bow and prepared to bark so I removed him.  As this calmed him very quickly I took him back in and we managed to walk past all the rest without a bark or getting overly exited. 

I think that we are getting somewhere with him.

Tara loves to see all the other animals especially if they pay her attention.  One problem might be the Lamas, not that she does anything but each time they see her they charge up looking scary.  Not sure what it is about Tara that they don't like.

Claire



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tootsmazza


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Maybe the Llamas are confused by Tara's stunning coat and think she's an odd-shaped one of them biggrin
Marie

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Christine Young


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Just what I thought too, Marie! Maybe the llamas think Tara is a cousin of theirs. She's almost the same size, isn't she?

But it's great what you're doing with both dogs in socialising them with other animals, particularly rabbits. After all, in the wild they'd be lunch!

Christine

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feldandjack


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Tara seems a real gentle giant, I wouldn't trust Cara with a tame rabbit, she thinks all big ears are for chasing and if they don't run away she insists on picking them up and returning them to me. (this is not a game I feel the rabbits enjoy as much as Cara does)cry Cara has a real fear of the cows around here, they are young wild beasts who attack anything that enters their field. furious.gifIf we walk too close to their field, they charge at the fence. I haven't seen the cows charge at other dogs the way they do at Cara, perhaps it's her colour or shape they hateconfused.gif
It's great you're taking the time to introduce the dogs to so many animals, I never would have thought of visiting a farm where the animals are tame, thats a brilliant idea. Cara is scared of most of the animals around here, weirdface.gifhaving seen them have a go at her, I can't blame her. She doesn't bother birds (thank god) I think our chickens put her in her place at an early age and now she ignores all birds.


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