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Tuesday: 9-10 PM ET: Open Dog Chat - Pet Loss
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Posted by Arianwen on February 25, 2003 at 18:19:40:
In Reply to: Re: Dog Only Obeys posted by munchkins on February 17, 2003 at 18:04:14:
I took my dog to classes and we started doing really well, but one day she decided she was not going to come when she was called. Incidentally she is a Rott/ Lab and adores all water, but seemingly the muddier the better! I was gutted to be told I had to go backwards a few steps in her training =(
Does your dog sit on command? You'll need him to do this. Get him to sit and when he is firmly sitting - bum must be on the floor! - reward him. Either with a treat or with affection or play. My male Rott was not into his treats but he adored affection. My bitch loved her food so I used cheese mostly or meat or anything really! But cheese seems to work for most dogs.
Once your dog sits properly, move a step or two in front of your dog but stay facing him. You may find if you keep one foot still and just move the other foot back so that your first foot is still by the dog but your body is further away. I had to do this, just be patient =) If the dog stays sitting, elaborate prasie. If he gets up, just put him back in the sit position, reward him for sitting and then try moving again.
Increase you distance from him. Eventually, walk behind him. Praise him everytime his bum does not leave the floor. Again, after time (maybe a week, maybe 2 months) you can walk away with your back to him. Every time you return, give him the treat.
It's best to give him a treat that he only gets for this excercise. This way he knows he can only ever get the treat for sitting.
Once he will sit and stay, training him to come is easy. Use the same form of praise. When you are a footstep or two away, stop and call him. Start at home in a quiet room. Heavy praise for when he comes.
Build up the noise - maybe with a friend to the dog and then a stranger in the room. Try it with you leaving the room then calling him. Because by now he knows that to remain sitting til you say otherwise is very rewarding. Try it outside, somewhere quiet. Then try it by the lake.
It sounds daunting but I started off small as I wrote just now. Eventually I could go in a shop and when I came outside she would be sat there still. At first she did not like me going out of her sight but she stayed always and came back without fail. You have to keep it happy for the dog. She had a real thing for horses. But by making her sit by a field with horses, I would then call the horses' attention and her whole body would be tense. But she stayed sitting because she could see the cheese in my hand. After I released her I played with a toy or stick so that my attention was more appealing than barking and running after the horses. After acheiving this, getting her to come when she was called, even with horses going past, on the road, in a field, anywhere, was easy. You just need patience and spare time. If you do the sit excercise just once or twice a day you'll see progress. Better to do it little and often rather than, for example, 15 minutes of lessons ans you don't want to bore the dog - that will just make doing his own thing seem even more appealing.
Keep at it and he'l soon be a model dog and the envy of your friends! My email is thesnorkmaiden@msn.com if you want to ask me anything. I'm no expert but I have gotten very into the whole dog training thing and have now taught my dogs tricks.
Good luck!