Page 2 of 2 FirstFirst 12
Results 11 to 20 of 20
  1. #11
    Best Friend Retriever annkie's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    Pennsylvania
    Posts
    565
    Thanked: 274
    I actually did all this with Jules. But the way i trained Jules wasno so nice half the time because he was a stubborn beast. I learned from my current classes that i actually taught him false positives a.k.a. he did things because he was scared of me half the time. As in, i enforced my command with him. I followed what you guys are talking about with following through. I'm trying to do things in a nicer way, shall we say, with Archie. However, I've reflected on this today and i came to realize that i can afford to be more firm with Archie and he'll be okay. That wasn't the case a few months ago. He was very soft. Jules was resilient. No matter how intense I was he bounced right back in a second while Archie will hold a grudge for hours. But I'll try to be more firm yet still nice. I went back to practicing recall in the house with high value treats. Day three on that. So we'll take a few steps back.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  2. #12
    Senior Dog TuMicks's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2015
    Location
    United States
    Posts
    2,366
    Thanked: 1096
    I don't see a conflict between being "nice" and being consistent. So, you arrange Archie's life (and yours) so that he really doesn't have a choice (the long line). Then, with just a bit of a tug/pop along with "HERE" and then the minute he makes the first move to come to you... you go all crazy happy with him (it's amazing how silly I can get) and watch him come back with his tale wagging like it was his idea all along.

    AND... if you sorta make like you're turning and running just a little like it's a big game, while giving him the happy talk... he'll even come faster. I'm not even sure you'd need food. (Well, mine loves a game maybe more than the food. I mean, as soon as the food is gone, it's gone. But WOW... if we're playing a game... that's the BEST thing in the WHOLE world!!! Can we do it again? Huh? Huh? Wanna see me come again? Please? You do the rope thing and I'll come after you... c'mon, c'mon!!! Let's play!!!)

    Every dog is different. But what I'm saying is that just because it's not optional, doesn't mean it's not fun.

  3. The Following 3 Users Say Thank You to TuMicks For This Useful Post:

    Annette47 (10-06-2017), barry581 (10-06-2017), Labradorks (10-06-2017)

  4. #13
    Senior Dog
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    Ellicott City, MD
    Posts
    6,626
    Thanked: 3641
    I always did what Tanya suggested....revert to training where there are no distractions.

    What also works for Dan is to reinforce my command if there's inadequate response on his part:

    "Danny, come"

    (no response)

    "NOW" in my best growly even more assertive voice.

    "NOW" gets his attention and works with basically any command, not just "come".

  5. #14
    Senior Dog Tanya's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    Eastern Ontario Canada
    Posts
    3,336
    Thanked: 2070
    I agree, you can be nice and consistant and firm - without issuing many/any corrections. ESPECIALLY for recall, I would go cautiously about ever using corrections no matter how gentle, cuz that can set off a huge issue down the line that will be super hard to get thru. For recall I don't give the options by using a long line or going to get them like.

    It is also normal to regress in training. We also tend to drop off rewards and use commands to end thing a lot of the time. So our interventions always lead to boring. So other things to do is recall and then release back to play. or practice commands in order to get something they want, WHATEVER that is (can be going outside, eating, getting on the couch - anything they want at a given time can be used as a reward). This associated you and commands to good things (because they won't always find the treat reward/praise higher valu than whatever else is out there).

    Nice does not mean permissive.

  6. The Following User Says Thank You to Tanya For This Useful Post:

    Labradorks (10-06-2017)

  7. #15
    Senior Dog Snowshoe's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    Ontario, Canada
    Posts
    8,135
    Thanked: 5108
    Oban didn't hit this stage till he was 18 months. Yeah, slow learner. LOL. He did have some spazzy episodes at Archie's age but at that age I was prepared and we were constantly taking classes and he even got his CGN. So maybe what worked best for me, here,

    Snowshoe's Album: North/South Fetch

    won't at a younger age but it might. This after trying all the suggestions above to no avail. This, morphing the N/S fetch into recall, worked for recall.

    I don't think anyone said above but I am highly in favour of a vacation from training. Maybe a day or so, maybe a week. Just go out an have fun, use only commands necessary for basic safety. There are now studies that show dogs learn just as well, if not better, if there are breaks in training. Beagles in one study learned some basic things in the same number of weeks as the control group that trained daily but with fewer actual training sessions. Yes, of course you'd like a link. Will see if I can dig it up. I got from a dog trainer who writes for the Toronto Star.
    Hidden Content

    Castilleja's Dubhgall Oban, the Black Stranger of The Little Bay
    Oct. 15, 2007 - June 13, 2021
    Oxtongue Rapids Park. Oct. 2019 Hidden Content

  8. The Following 3 Users Say Thank You to Snowshoe For This Useful Post:

    annkie (10-06-2017), Labradorks (10-06-2017), Tanya (10-06-2017)

  9. #16
    Best Friend Retriever annkie's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    Pennsylvania
    Posts
    565
    Thanked: 274
    @Snowshoe thanks for that article! I'll give that a try.

  10. #17
    Senior Dog
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    Central NJ
    Posts
    2,603
    Thanked: 2277
    Quote Originally Posted by TuMicks View Post
    I don't see a conflict between being "nice" and being consistent. So, you arrange Archie's life (and yours) so that he really doesn't have a choice (the long line). Then, with just a bit of a tug/pop along with "HERE" and then the minute he makes the first move to come to you... you go all crazy happy with him (it's amazing how silly I can get) and watch him come back with his tale wagging like it was his idea all along.

    AND... if you sorta make like you're turning and running just a little like it's a big game, while giving him the happy talk... he'll even come faster. I'm not even sure you'd need food. (Well, mine loves a game maybe more than the food. I mean, as soon as the food is gone, it's gone. But WOW... if we're playing a game... that's the BEST thing in the WHOLE world!!! Can we do it again? Huh? Huh? Wanna see me come again? Please? You do the rope thing and I'll come after you... c'mon, c'mon!!! Let's play!!!)

    Every dog is different. But what I'm saying is that just because it's not optional, doesn't mean it's not fun.
    All of this! One thing I do with mine, not just to reinforce the recall itself, but to keep up speed, is to reward them as soon as they take a step towards me by issuing their release word and tossing a treat between my legs. Or other times, I do that as they are coming in if they are coming in nice and quick. Of course, sometimes (because these are Obedience dogs) I do ask them to do a perfect front. Point is, mixing it up like that, and sometimes rewarding just them putting some effort in makes it more fun for them. That said, I agree that you can’t put him in a situation where he can get away with ignoring you, so a long line to get his attention and to not let him go anywhere but to you.

    Once I am 100% that they know what a recall is, if they choose not to do it, I do put in a verbal correction along with some (physical) compulsion, but I would say 99% of the time, I’m rewarding, with little/no need for compulsion. My dogs all have EXCELLENT recalls, both in the Obedience ring and more importantly out in the woods.
    Annette

    Cookie (HIT HC Jamrah's Legally Blonde, UDX, OM2, BN) 6/4/2015
    Sassy (HIT Jamrah's Blonde Ambition, UDX, OM2, BN) 6/4/2015

    Chloe (HIT HC OTCH Windsong's Femme Fatale, UDX4, OM6, RE) 6/7/2009

    And remembering:

    Scully (HC Coventry's Truth Is Out There, UD, TD, RN) 4/14/1996 - 6/30/2011
    Mulder (Coventry's I Want To Believe, UD, RN, WC) 5/26/1999 - 4/22/2015

    And our foster Jolie (Windsong's Genuine Risk, CDX) 5/26/1999 - 3/16/2014

    Hidden Content

  11. The Following User Says Thank You to Annette47 For This Useful Post:

    barry581 (10-06-2017)

  12. #18
    Senior Dog Labradorks's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2014
    Location
    USA
    Posts
    3,947
    Thanked: 2421
    You don't have to use an e-collar or a collar pop or be hard on your dog to be consistent or get/expect compliance or your criteria 100% of the time. Being hard on a dog and compliance/consistency are not mutually exclusive. Dogs respond to good and bad training. If your dog is constantly "blowing you off", "flipping you the paw", "being stubborn", etc. it's time to look in the mirror or get a good trainer involved to watch YOU and your handling/consistency and how your dog is responding to it. Every single problem a person has with a dog can usually be fixed or improved by fixing the owner's handling/consistency/attitude/outlandish expectations.

  13. #19
    Senior Dog Snowshoe's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    Ontario, Canada
    Posts
    8,135
    Thanked: 5108
    https://www.wired.com/2011/07/training-your-dog/

    This is one on the benefits of breaks in training.
    Hidden Content

    Castilleja's Dubhgall Oban, the Black Stranger of The Little Bay
    Oct. 15, 2007 - June 13, 2021
    Oxtongue Rapids Park. Oct. 2019 Hidden Content

  14. The Following User Says Thank You to Snowshoe For This Useful Post:

    annkie (10-07-2017)

  15. #20
    Senior Dog TuMicks's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2015
    Location
    United States
    Posts
    2,366
    Thanked: 1096
    I don't have the link (naturally) but I read a real scholarly research paper about playing with your dog after a training session. They explained that if the dog gets a chance for some really loose, happy play following a training session, their retention was significantly better. I had been just putting her back in the truck after running her on marks or blinds or whatever. Now play, play, play is a big part of anything we do.

  16. The Following User Says Thank You to TuMicks For This Useful Post:

    barry581 (10-07-2017)

 



Not a Member of the Labrador Retriever Chat Forums Yet?
Register for Free and Share Your Labrador Retriever Photos

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •