I am just trying to get some advice
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| Hi, welcome to the forum. You're doing a great job by asking all the pertinent questions ahead of time!
It's been my experience that OES are very trainable. I have three OES and they're pretty darn well-behaved, if I do say so myself! Two of mine are "rescues" (or re-homed, depending on your definition), and have learned quite a bit since they've come to live with us. One was 4 and one was 5 when they arrived, so training isn't limited to puppies! 
We have several trainers on this board, and lots of our dogs are in obedience and agility competitions, so you can get some great advice from them. Best of luck to you, I hope it all works out for you both! |
| I don't mean this to sound harsh but NEVER let your dog off leash in a place that is not secure. It's just not safe because no dog is 100% on recall. All the training in the world can't ensure that your dog will come back at the exact moment you need him to. The OES is a herding breed and many do have a strong drive to chase things, which could include cars or something else that could lead them in a busy road. It's just not worth it. My guy sticks to me like glue but we never go anywhere off lead and the dogs aren't even allowed in the front yard when we're out there. I love them too much to ever take that chance.
That being said, welcome to the forum and it's great that you're getting more information before jumping into OES ownership.  |
| I appreciate the feedback. My main issue which I realize I did not state clearly is that I will not have a fenced yard. I will be available to walk 3x a day and hope that this will provide sufficient exercise. But my main issue is how OES's do as inside dogs. I will only be out of the house about 4 hours a day regularly. Again, I appreciate the feedback I have received so far. |
| I think a dog would do great with that many opportunities for walks and time with you. Four hours away from home is nothing! Actually, I don't think there's anyone on the forum that keeps their OES exclusively as an outside dog so I'd have to say that we'd all agree that they're excellent inside dogs. |
| I have 3 OES and a large house with a small yard. The back yard is fenced.
We have found that ours are not prone to wandering off: they tend to be very home/family loving. However, they can be tempted by passing squirrels, children, other dogs, and other assorted attractions, so we don't consider them proof against running into the street. Our two youngest ones are just 2 years old and mostly adults. This is something for you to keep in mind: an OES isn't really an adult until s/he is 2 to 3 years old. Also to consider is that ours bring in a lot of the outside with them. If you are a fastideous housekeeper, you might not like this. They are messy drinkers and have wet beards--and an affectonate nature. They require grooming several times a week, unless you keep them in very short coat. As far as training, I have found mine to be very intelligent and trainable. However, they are not necessarily quick to respond and they do think for themselves/have selective hearing. If you want a dog that will do whatever you want immediately and without question, an OES might not be the best dog for you. Please don't be alarmed: my usual schtict whenever anybody inquires about getting one is to sound very discouraging. An OES is not a low maintenance dog, but they are wonderful, wonderful dogs who love their people and love to be with them. (I am writing this with one laying at my feet; the other two are laying at the feet of my husband and my son. ) Please do let us know how things go and please do join! This forum is a great place to learn a lot about the breed and all issues, plus really, it's a fun and nice group that also has discussions not centered on OES. |
oesidea wrote: I appreciate the feedback. My main issue which I realize I did not state clearly is that I will not have a fenced yard. I will be available to walk 3x a day and hope that this will provide sufficient exercise. But my main issue is how OES's do as inside dogs. I will only be out of the house about 4 hours a day regularly. Again, I appreciate the feedback I have received so far.
A fenced yard is not a necessity but it sure makes things a lot easier. The walks as you described them should be good exercise but it is my experience that this breed every so often just needs to be able to run around in a secured area to get rid of extra built up herding energy. When they were puppies, we used to see this happen in the family room in the evenings. All of a sudden they'd get what my kids used to call "the puppy crazies". They'd race around the room, bank off the couch etc. for a couple minutes & then go back to sitting calmly or chewing a nylabone! Walking is good exercise but this breed does need to be able to run , cut & turn now & then. It's just part of their herding instinct. If you don't have access to a fenced in backyard, I would suggest a fenced dog park where perhaps you could arrange a bit of solo time for the dog to race around. I used to take my dogs to one of the area park's tennis courts that were enclosed in chain link fencing, throw a tennis ball for them & watch them run to their heart's content. I have to agree with Jill on this next point. My dogs are all obedience trained & we compete in obedience. I never let them off lead in a non-secured area. I live on 3 acres with a 6 acre farm field to my north & another 3 acre farm field to my south. Off lead is in the dog run or in the fenced in pool area when adults are present. My dogs respect the "leave it" command & also the "come front" command but my dogs are too valuable to me to expect them to adhere to this 100% in a non-secured area. As for being indoors alot.....I find this breed is happiest where ever their owners are. As long as they can see you & what you are doing they don't care if they are indoors or outside. |
oesidea wrote: I appreciate the feedback. My main issue which I realize I did not state clearly is that I will not have a fenced yard. I will be available to walk 3x a day and hope that this will provide sufficient exercise. But my main issue is how OES's do as inside dogs. I will only be out of the house about 4 hours a day regularly. Again, I appreciate the feedback I have received so far.
My guys are inside dogs for the most part - we have a small back yard with invisible fence but they mostly get exercise walking or biking. they do very well as house dogs. If the local park is not a dog park and not fenced your bigger issue is the OES potentially jumping on passerbys or thinking any kid in th epark is their own play toy. However, you can exercise an OES on leash and the dog can be very healthy and happy. |
| My two are in the house almost all of the time. I do let one herd the other in my fenced yard, and go for walks. They would rather be near me than anything else. I also agree...4 hours inside is nothing...but a crate would still be wise for a while. My 1 yr old still gets crated when I leave and at night. He is in the idiot stage. |
| I adopted (rescued as he was due to be put down)) a 2 year old male OES and found him to be very "trainable". He came from an abusive (by that I mean no loving and lots of yelling) home and that dog was the love of my life. We had a beagle and a cat at the time and he just fit right in. He was a little "clingy" to me at first but I think the poor baby was just starved for affection. He was in the house all the time and only out to play or use the bathroom. Have a crate ready just to be on the safe side. I now have a 2 year old female I raised from a pup and when we are gone she thinks that is her signal to "nib" into every nook and cranny to see what she can get into. |
| You sound as if your friend would have all the exercise and love that
they would need. Chauncey is an inside dog, and prefers it that way. He also ejoys his walks, playing in the yard, but most importantly being with us. He enjoys snuggling, sleeping in the middle, and giving lots of sloppy wet kisses I have found with Chauncey that they enjoy being where ever their family is. |
| Are they trainable? yes, very and hope you find your dog easy to train
Will it be hard in most cases? In my opinion ...yes. They are not the most trainable if basing performance on how they will respond when first asked to do something. They're stubborn and you shouldn't be surprised if he/she just stares at you. I know people here love the breed.. I do too, but I by no means would say they're easy to train. If you grab a book on dogs at any pet store, you'll see they're close to the bottom. And hello from someone who is from the austin area. Know that the streets can get too hot for their paws in tx  |
Oh, I agree. Chaunce was a horrible puppy. Thank God he was cute. Nippy, stubborn, would give us the look  , but we did our research, knew their quirks ( as best we could ) they are strong willed....Gotta love them....so are we |
| Welcome to the list and great questions you are asking!
I lived in Austin mannny years ago to go to Nursing school....... YES they are trainable and will train you before you know it! lol ALL my guys stay inside. My two youngest will not put their noses outside if it is hot let me tell you. They look at me like "are you crazy???? it's over 72 degrees out there!" I hope you get and ENJOY your new addition!!! |
| Mine will not go out if it's real hot, 75 is probably the warmest he likes it outside. So he is inside most of the time does great. I dont leave things out to tempt him but he has always done great inside when left alone. Selective hearing, whoever mentioned it, wasn't kidding. Do research lots! |
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