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SuesSheltie524 said:
Oh boy. Hopefully I'll be able to work with him and get this stopped.
He sleeps in his crate in my bedroom on second floor. Morning, I open crate and he BOLTS out and immediately barks at top of his lungs non stop as we make our way down flight #1. I've tried ignoring him and telling him "no". Yelling doesn't help either. So am going to try your idea with the treats. He is definitely food motivated. He could care less what the vet did while taking out his sutures because I held a treat for him to lick. Thank you so much. Sue
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lolll, what a little naughty pants
Poor dear

Yes, treats, and the positioning of the rewards will be an amazing change for him, he will have to employ his smart Sheltie head, lol to figure out what gets him the treats.
yelling or shhhh'ing and loud NO's will not get you a calmer response fast, because it is just going to to heighten his arousal and stimulation in the long run. Treats will make him focus and change the routine on what the morning routine currently means to him... calm and focused gets him rewards, crazy herding on the stairs gets the opposite: No reward-- no acknowledgement of any kind, no sound AND no movement (since herding dogs feed of motion and sound, because they were bred to control movement)
In the beginning you could also try a wooden spoon with some peanutbutter or spray cheese on it, walk with it on your side, hold it out at an angle so it's not pointed directly by your feet and let him walk beside you slurping on that instead of having to herd your feet, so he gets interrupted with that previously fun behaviour... And will associate the walking beside you as more fun than the herding of feet/ankle.
and no more playing/chasing on the stairs... because I am sure it must have seemed like a cute puppy trick at first, lollll
 
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Calm approach from you is the key. My pup is about 3 months now. In the beginning he would be jumping in the crate and charge at the crate door as soon as I get close. He would also bark non-stop if I don't attend to him first thing in the morning. I just ignore him and got myself ready first. He soon got the idea if he doesn't calm down I won't get to him at all. So now he sits and wait till the crate door opens before he runs out to give me his morning kisses.
Can't really help with the stair issue though cuz Mozart being a puppy, I carry him downstairs in the morning. Other times when he is on the stair I have to "herd" him up or down because he had sprang his paw once on the stairs so he moves really SLOW on the stair.
 
Re: HopeShelties

Have you thought about a future in a performance event for him?[/QUOTE]

Friend of mine who does Aussie rescue and training says he'd be perfect for doing the tunnels, jumping, etc and will help re-route all that energy.
We have to finish working on manners first, then I will get him enrolled.

He learned to go outside after ONE day, I am not exaggerating and also learned to wait for the command when I put his food down. He's so cute, he sits staring at the bowl just waiting.
So there's hope there.... it's just this morning routine has gotten very out of hand...and dangerous with fighting to get down the stairs.
I like the leash idea best because he is dying to get out and PEE first thing in morning and I think if stop every time and wait, etc.... he'll feel worse because he will most definitely not make it outside.
Thank you SO much,
Sue
 
Re: Toffee post

You are right, no longer so "cute" doing this on the stairs! lol
He was So adorable this morning..we haven't gotten much snow in the NE this year..got an inch overnight and you could just hear him, "Mommy hurry up get this door open, the white stuff is out there, wow"!
I am going to look into agility training for him when he learns his manners better. Friend of mine does the agility with Aussies and has invited him to join them when he has sit, down, stay mastered. He is doing really well, has a stubborn edge to him, but always ends up doing what I tell him.
I have a 6 lb Morkie who was raised by my two Labs and she lets him know what is ok and what isn't. lol She actually yells at him in the morning when he carries on, she can't figure out what he's doing on the stairs.
If she has his toy, he complains to ME, he wont take it from her. lol
Thanks again for the help..I am SO happy I found this site while looking for HELP with Mikey. Sue
 
Thank you for advice!

I cannot thank everyone enough for all of their suggestions!
I really was beyond frustrated at Mikey with this stair herding issue.
I am grateful for this site.
This morning we did the leash..he was not happy at all and very confused, almost panicky that he could not herd me down the stairs but it got us both down without problems. I am leary to try the stop, wait, treat way although will try it because he barely makes it outside as is to PEE. I think I may be able to move towards getting rid of the leash and using treat when he is a little calmer and older.
Someone mentioned agility training. Friend of mine does agility with Aussies and Mikey's been invited to go, so will try that. He learned potty training in one day and learned to wait on his food bowl for command and wait when a door is opened so he doesn't bolt right away, so I think he will thrive in agility.
Thank you again everyone!! Sue
 
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