29 November, 2010
Snow doesn’t stop Harvey. Electric fences do. When he find his path blocked by an electric fence, he barks to ask if it’s on or off. If it’s off, I call him through. If it’s on, I’m expected to lift him over it and he’ll wave a paw until I do. He has it sorted.
Sensible dog.
Our dingo’s put their noses within a “zillionth” of the electric fence wire and can get their heads under the wire, next to the fence, if they find something to investigate.
Harvey has the same wonderful instinct and cunning in my view.
Not stupid, that lad. Cute, too (although he’d probably be furious to be described thus).
It only takes one shock to teach them.
And he is quite the smart dog. Morgan our eleven year dog’s eye sight has gotten so bad he won’t go out in the yard at night without a light over head. So we had to install motion sensor lights so he would go out to go to the bathroom.
am loving that picture especially the paw action shot!
i remember you had trouble with snow on the roof last year
why not have a large tarp with ropes attached before it snows and then simply pull the ropes when theres too much snow
Different roof this time: the pitched steading roof instead of the flat roof on the extension to the house.
It would be just about impossible to shift a tarpaulin covered with two to three feet of snow by hand, and I’d be reluctant to do it with a vehicle in case I pulled the roof off. So we use a rope to saw the snow off: http://stonehead.wordpress.com/2010/11/29/roping-snow-from-the-roof/
I always enjoy the stories about Harvey. It great seeing a dog living a farm life and doing what it was bred for. Someday, when you get a chance, could you give an overview of how you’ve worked with Harvey to refine his ratting instincts (so that he’d give up the rats and so on)?
I did start a post on that, but it didn’t get further than a draft. I often run out of time to finish posts and get them on the blog. I have more than 100 drafts waiting to be finished—and that’s after I deleted a lot recently.
As for Harvey’s training, it involved a lot of work with a rag ball on a rope, lots of praise for doing the right thing, and treats at the right moment. When he gives me a rat, I give him his favourite treats and praise. He regards me as Pack Leader, so he brings prey to me and I both look out for him and give him the “choice” bits, ie treats.
To prime him, I tell him “rats”. Then we go hunting. “Where’s rats?” tells him to seek. “Get it” tells him he’s clear to go after one and to continue the kill. “Here” brings him back to me. “Drop” tells him to put it at my feet. He won’t let go until I say “drop”. When he’s dropped the rat, I give him his treats, tell him he’s good once and take the rat. I dispose of it while he’s eating his treats. Then I return and give him a lot of praise and pats.
Cheers. That’s really interesting. Harvey definitely makes himself useful around the croft and I’m sure he loves every minute of it.
Everything except temperatures below -10C. Then Harvey comes to me, taps my boots with a paw, drops his ears and tail, does exaggerated shivers, and gives me the “woe is me, boss” look. In human language, it means “send me inside to the warm bed next to the radiator, please”.
(The shivers are definitely exaggerated as they stop when he thinks I’m not looking!)
I’m familiar with that look. My dog gave me that one this morning when I sent him out into rainy 60 degree F/15 C weather to do his business. Wuss.
If it would make a difference, I’d tell him about Harvey and how he gets to chase rats because *he’s* not a weenie about going outside in real weather.
I have seen that hard done by look…Harvey is an expert at it lol